Happy heavenly birthday, John Barry, born on this day in 1933

Happy heavenly birthday, John Barry, born on this day in 1933

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THE JOHN BARRY COLLECTION

00:00 – A View To A Kill – From A View To A Kill 03:39 – The John Dunbar Theme – From Dances with Wolves 05:56 – Goldfinger – From Goldfinger 08:46 – Lullaby of Duckland – From Howard the Duck 11:14. – Arthusa – From King Kong 13:32 – We have All the Time In The World – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service 16:46 – The Ipcress File Main Theme 20:40 – Out of Africa End Credits Theme 23:31 – Thunderball – From Thunderbolt 26:17 – You’re The Duckiest – From Howard the Duck 28:40 – The Midnight Cowboy Theme – From The Midnight Cowboy 31:25 – The Living Daylights – The Living Daylights 35:32 – The Persuaders Main Theme

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The Sound of Epic Intimacy: The Exhaustive World of John Barry

John Barry Prendergast was not merely a composer of film music; he was an architect of atmosphere, a painter of emotion in sonic hues, and the man who defined the sound of cinematic cool for generations. For over four decades, his music provided the emotional and stylistic backbone to some of the most iconic films ever made. From the swaggering brass of James Bond to the elegiac romance of Out of Africa, Barry’s work is characterized by its unique blend of grand orchestral sweep, jazz-inflected intimacy, and harmonic daring. This article delves exhaustively into the biography, musical style, key collaborations, and enduring legacy of a true maestro.

I. Biography: From York to Hollywood

John Barry Prendergast was born on November 3, 1933, in York, England. His environment was steeped in music from the beginning. His father, John Xavier “Jack” Prendergast, owned a chain of cinemas across the north of England, while his mother was a classical pianist. This unique combination exposed the young Barry to two worlds: the visual storytelling of cinema and the foundational grammar of classical music.

During World War II, he was evacuated from York, an experience that undoubtedly left a mark on his often-melancholic compositional voice. After the war, he took up the trumpet and became fascinated by the big band jazz of American arrangers like Stan Kenton and Neal Hefti. He served in the British Army as a musician, arranging for and conducting military bands—an invaluable early lesson in orchestration.

In the late 1950s, Barry formed his own rock and roll band, The John Barry Seven. They found success with instrumental hits like “Hit and Miss,” a piece that would later become the theme for the BBC’s Juke Box Jury. This period was crucial. It honed his skills in crafting memorable, punchy melodies and gave him firsthand experience in the burgeoning pop culture scene. It was this very success that brought him to the attention of the producers of a little film called Dr. No.

The story of his entry into the James Bond franchise is now legend. Monty Norman was hired to compose the score for Dr. No (1962) and wrote a theme, “The James Bond Theme.” However, the producers wanted a more aggressive, big-band arrangement for the main titles. Barry and his orchestra were brought in. The result was one of the most recognizable pieces of music in cinema history: a snarling, reverb-drenched electric guitar riff (played by Vic Flick) set against driving brass, suspenseful strings, and a relentless walking bassline. While the authorship has been a subject of legal dispute, with Norman credited, the arrangement’s distinctive sound is undeniably Barry’s. Its success made him the de facto composer for the series for the next 25 years.

John Barry Somewhere in Time Piano Solo arr. sheet music, Noten, partitura, partition #smlpdf

The 1960s and 70s saw Barry’s star rise exponentially. He scored eleven more Bond films, each with its own iconic theme song, while simultaneously building a formidable reputation outside of 007 with masterworks like Born Free (1966), The Lion in Winter (1968)—for which he won his first two Oscars—Midnight Cowboy (1969), and The Last Valley (1971).

A near-fatal illness in the late 1980s forced a hiatus, but he returned with a renewed creative vigor, producing what many consider his “golden period”: a sequence of scores of profound depth and beauty, including Out of Africa (1985), The Cotton Club (1984), Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), Masquerade (1988), Dances with Wolves (1990), and Chaplin (1992). He continued to compose until the early 2000s, with his final score being Enigma in 2001. John Barry passed away on January 30, 2011, leaving behind an unparalleled musical legacy.

II. Music Style and Harmonic Language: The Barry Sound

The “John Barry Sound” is instantly recognizable, a sophisticated blend of several key elements:

1. Orchestral Mastery and Textural Layering: Barry was a master of orchestral color. He didn’t just write for strings and brass; he crafted sonic textures. His signature sound often featured:

• Sweeping String Melodies: He used string sections not just for padding but as the primary vocal lead, often writing long, lyrical, and deeply emotional lines for violins and cellos.
• Dramatic Brass Clusters: Inspired by his love of modern classical composers like Bartók and Stravinsky, Barry used brass not just for heroism but for menace and tension. He employed close-interval clusters and sharp, staccato attacks to create a sense of unease and excitement (evident throughout the Bond scores).
• The “Barry Chord”: A quintessential part of his harmonic vocabulary was the use of minor-major seventh chords (e.g., C-E♭-G-B). This chord has a unique, bittersweet quality—simultaneously melancholic and hopeful—that became a cornerstone of his romantic sound, perfectly exemplified in the love theme from Somewhere in Time.
• Exotic and Eclectic Instrumentation: He frequently incorporated unusual instruments to create a specific atmosphere: the haunting cimbalom in The Ipcress File, the lush oboe d’amore in Out of Africa, the shakuhachi flute in The Last Valley, and the iconic electric sitars in the Bond film You Only Live Twice.

2. Jazz Influences and “Cool”: Barry never abandoned his jazz roots. His scores are infused with a sense of cool, often expressed through:

• Walking Bass Lines: The propulsive, rhythmic foundation of much of his suspense and action music.
• Flügelhorn and Saxophone: He often used these instruments for their warm, intimate, and smoky tonal qualities, perfect for melancholy or romantic cues.
• Complex Rhythms: While his melodies were often long and legato, his underlying rhythms could be syncopated and complex, drawing from big band and Latin jazz.

3. Melodic Grandeur and Thematic Development: At his core, Barry was a supreme melodist. His themes are not just catchy; they are perfectly engineered to encapsulate the emotional core of a film. He would then subject these themes to sophisticated development, varying their orchestration, harmony, and rhythm to mirror the narrative’s journey. The “John Dunbar Theme” from Dances with Wolves is a masterclass in this, starting as a simple, lonely melody on a solo flute and evolving into a full-throated, triumphant anthem for the orchestra.

4. Chord Progressions and Harmonic Sophistication: Barry’s harmony was rich and often daring. He moved beyond simple diatonic progressions, favoring:

• Modal Interchange: Borrowing chords from the parallel minor or major key to create unexpected color shifts. A progression might move from a bright major chord to a dark, related minor chord, creating instant pathos.
• Line Clichés: A Barry trademark was the use of descending or ascending chromatic lines within a chord progression. The love theme from Somewhere in Time is built around a descending chromatic bass line that gives it its aching, timeless quality.
• Planing: Moving a chord structure in parallel motion, a technique used extensively in the Goldfinger theme to create a sense of slick, unstoppable momentum.

John Barry – Out of Africa Main Theme Easy Piano Solo transcription (sheet music, Noten, partition)

III. Improvisational Licks and melodic motifs

While Barry’s music was meticulously composed and orchestrated, it was often imbued with the spirit of improvisation, particularly in his jazz-influenced works.

• The Bond Action Cue: Within the frantic action sequences of the Bond films, Barry would often write short, repetitive brass and woodwind licks that functioned like big-band “shots” or “stabs.” These were not improvised in the traditional sense, but they were conceived with the spontaneous, aggressive energy of a jazz chart. The driving saxophone line in “The James Bond Theme” itself feels like a perfectly constructed jazz riff.
• Jazz-inflected Solos: In scores like The Ipcress File and The Cotton Club, Barry provided a harmonic and rhythmic framework over which featured soloists (on flügelhorn, saxophone, or piano) could improvise melodies that fit the “Barry” style—cool, slightly detached, and melodically inventive.
• Ornamental Melodies: His main themes often contained small, graceful ornaments or turns that gave them a vocal, almost improvisatory quality, as if a singer were subtly embellishing the melody on the spot.

IV. Cooperation with Other Artists

Barry’s career was defined by several key collaborations:

• The Bond Franchise and Lyricists: His most famous collaborations were with the various singers and lyricists of the Bond themes. He worked with Shirley Bassey on three of the most powerful themes (Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, Moonraker), drawing out her dramatic, belting style. He also crafted iconic themes for Tom Jones (Thunderball), Nancy Sinatra (You Only Live Twice), Louis Armstrong (We Have All the Time in the World from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service), and later, Sheena Easton (For Your Eyes Only). His partnership with lyricists like Leslie Bricusse and Don Black was instrumental in creating songs that were both pop hits and perfect narrative overtures.
• Directors: Barry had a long and fruitful collaboration with director Bryan Forbes, scoring films like Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964) and King Rat (1965), which helped establish his dramatic credentials outside of Bond. His work with Sydney Pollack on Out of Africa resulted in one of the most acclaimed romantic scores of all time. His score for Kevin Costner’s Dances with Wolves was integral to the film’s epic and poetic tone.
• Pop and Rock Artists: Early on, his work with The John Barry Seven placed him squarely in the British pop scene. Later, he arranged and conducted for artists like Paul McCartney (the James Bond theme Live and Let Die was composed by McCartney, but the score was by George Martin, not Barry) and his influence can be heard in the orchestral ambitions of many 1960s rock bands. Note: A common misconception is that Barry scored Live and Let Die; he did not, as he was taking a break from the franchise. This highlights his deep association with the series.

V. Influences and Legacy

Influences on Barry:

• Big Band Jazz: Stan Kenton, Count Basie, Neal Hefti.
• Modern Classical: The dramatic dissonance of Bartók, the rhythmic drive of Stravinsky, and the lush romanticism of Sergei Rachmaninoff.
• Film Composers: The epic scope of Miklós Rózsa and the melodic genius of Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

Barry’s Legacy:
John Barry’s influence on film music is immeasurable. He:

• Defined the Spy Genre: His work on Bond created a template for action and espionage scoring that is still emulated today.
• Elevated the Pop Ballad in Film: He proved that a film’s theme song could be a chart-topping hit while also being a sophisticated piece of music that deepened the film’s impact.
• Bridged the Gap Between Pop and Classical: He was one of the first composers to seamlessly integrate jazz and pop sensibilities with a full classical orchestra, paving the way for composers like Ennio Morricone, Hans Zimmer, and Michael Giacchino.
• Mastered Emotional Storytelling: His greatest legacy is his ability to make an audience feel. He could convey loneliness, romance, adventure, and tragedy with unmatched clarity and power.

VI. Major Works, Filmography, and Discography

Most Known Compositions and Performances:

• The James Bond Theme (Dr. No): The definition of cool.
• Goldfinger (with Shirley Bassey): The archetypal Bond theme, brash, dramatic, and unforgettable.
• The Themes from Born Free: Both the title song and the majestic instrumental “Born Free (Main Title)” are classics.
• The Theme from The Lion in Winter: A medieval tapestry of sound, both savage and sublime.
• We Have All the Time in the World (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service): A poignant, heartbreaking ballad sung by Louis Armstrong.
• The Theme from Midnight Cowboy: The lonely, haunting sound of the harmonica (by Toots Thielemans) over a sparse orchestra.
• The Theme from Out of Africa: Perhaps his most beautiful romantic work, a sweeping, lyrical masterpiece.
• The John Dunbar Theme (Dances with Wolves): An epic, open-hearted anthem for the American frontier.

Selective Filmography:

• Dr. No (1962)
• From Russia with Love (1963)
• Goldfinger (1964)
• The Ipcress File (1965)
• Thunderball (1965)
• Born Free (1966)
• The Lion in Winter (1968)
• Midnight Cowboy (1969)
• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
• Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
• The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
• The Deep (1977) – (Notable for its hit theme song)
• The Cotton Club (1984)
• Out of Africa (1985)
• Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)
• The Living Daylights (1987) – (His final Bond film)
• Dances with Wolves (1990)
• Chaplin (1992)
• My Life (1993)
• Cry, The Beloved Country (1995)
• Enigma (2001)

Selective Discography (Original Soundtrack Albums):

• Beat Girl (1960) – (His first film score)
• The Ipcress File (1965)
• The Knack …and How to Get It (1965)
• Born Free (1966)
• The Lion in Winter (1968)
• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
• Mary, Queen of Scots (1971)
• The Day of the Locust (1975)
• Out of Africa (1985)
• The Cotton Club (1984)
• Dances with Wolves (1990)
• Moviola (1992) – (A non-film suite showcasing his style)
• The Beyondness of Things (1999) – (A superb album of original concert works)

John Barry’s music is more than a collection of memorable themes; it is a world. It is a world of shadowy spies and sweeping landscapes, of tragic romance and epic adventure. He possessed the rare ability to distill the essence of a film into a single, powerful musical statement and then to develop that statement into a full-blown symphony of emotion. He taught audiences how to feel about the images on screen, guiding them with his strings, thrilling them with his brass, and breaking their hearts with his melodies. In doing so, he elevated film scoring from a craft to an art form, leaving behind a body of work that remains as powerful, evocative, and timeless as the cinema it was created to serve.

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Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Movie Legends The Music Of John Barry