Entertainment For Lively Minds
Sad News John Barry RIP (1933-2011)
Posted by Chris G on 31 January 2011 - 8:34am.
Just heard that he passed away early today; I think John Barry was my favourite composer before I knew I liked music, the excitement and drama he brought to Bond films and Zulu etc suffused my childhood. A rare talent.
- More from Chris G.
- Login or register to post comments
-
Left a mark on my childhood
as one of the most memorable of tv theme tunes. Funky, urgent, strange new sounds(to these young ears). Thank you, Mr Barry.
If only the show had been as good as the opening sequence
The Persuaders was shown on televison when I was in my early teens. After the first two or three episodes I got bored of the seemingly similar episodes, but I still kept tuning in to hear the theme song every week.
Same for me
He soundtracked the 1960s for me. This is still my favourite:
RIP John
John
Sad news indeed, when I buy a new record player a week today, the first record I play will be a Barry one.
I don't know that many of his film scores...
apart from the obvious ones, but what I do know is that he was one hell of a talented chap. RIP.
That may be part of Barry's luck/genius
though, that so much of his great work is associated with popular successful films, so there aren't many that aren't "obvious".
One of the biggest talents to ever come out of this country
My personal favourite Barry is his 1999 album "The Beyondness Of Things". Fated to be sniffed at as "light classical", I fear, but I love it.
Oh and here's a thought. Best musician ever to come out of Yorkshire?
The best musician to come out of
EAST Yorkshire (Mick Ronson a distant second).
Juke Box Jury, anyone?
Get your ridings right
Surely John Barry came from North Yorkshire ??
His dad owned the Clifton Cinema in York, and was also the sponsor of an annual cricket knockout competition, the Prendergast Cup.
I take your point but
I once had the good fortune to interview Mr Barry, and as someone who grew up in the East Riding we spent a lot of time discussing the cinemas his father had owned all around the area and the formative time Barry had spent in them. So I view him as an East Yorkshireman.
Crikey.
How Yorkshire is that reasoning?
Reminds me of this. Start at 8:10.
I'm not sure how you make that connection
but I'll let it ride.
The Beyondness Of Things
Seconded. It's a beauty.
And if I didn't own it, I'd certainly go to Amazon and buy a Used - Very Good copy for £1.52 (& £1.26 p&p).
A hero.
What a legacy.
I think
the Ipcress File is my favourite film soundtrack, pick up the soundtrack album, it is just sublime. A true great and a sad loss, R.I.P.
Couldn't agree more
So much of Barry's music was transformative, romantic yet oddly personal. You can be sitting on a train or a bus, the theme from The Ipcress File comes on your headphones, and suddenly your Harry Palmer. You're driving along the motorway, '007' playing, and that car in your rear view mirror becomes an agent of some shadowy crime syndicate.
Very sad
I was lucky enough to attend his Meltdown concert in 2007 with Jarvis Cocker from which this short clip comes
I guess Midnight Cowboy is my fav by him...
... but this is a less well known goodie. I heard it on a compilation CD, I think he wrote it for an advert and it was the b-side to the single of The Persuaders theme...
God, that took me back...
Sad news.
He produced an astonishing body of work, of which "Out of Africa" remains one of my all time favourites. Not many soundtrack composers could include a Mozart piece and have their own work stand comparison beside that. A true giant. RIP
Zulu main theme
Yeah, yeah, not the most PC film ever made (though it makes a point of paying tribute to the Zulu soldiers and their military skill) nor especially historically accurate but I defy anyone not to find the theme to Zulu incredibly stirring.
Here's My Favourite
Seconded
That was the first one I reached for this morning (digitally speaking). Though I then went onto the lush strings and cosmopolitan melancholy of We Have All The Time in the World - the Other Side of John Barry? Either way, was quite irritated by John Humphreys on the Today programme trying to make David Arnold talk generally about soundtrack composition rather than about John Barry - who, of all the soundtrack composers in the world ever, is surely familiar enough to hold the lay listener's attention.
Sad News Indeed
RIP John
Double post
sorry
I forgot that he did this!
When I saw The Beta Band they used this... tis a cracker...
Sad news, but at least have a sublime legacy of music
Like this:
and this:
and especially this:
as for favourite tunes
this one is near perfect.Somebody had the nerve to play trumpet on LA song that wasn't Louis (anyone know who) and does it to my ear rather wonderfully.
Absolutely Amazing
I remember catching an interview with him on local Radio Humberside at around the time of The Beyondness of Things... a really brilliant and intelligent man. He produced so much great music - though I have to confess I thought his incidental music was generally better then his themes... still his themes did their job and pulled in the punters...
RIP - absolute legend.
One of my favourite films
http://open.spotify.com/track/36x7FNeClHIrDShRnFMDjU
And, I think, the best Bond song
RIP
Was lucky enough to see him conducting, at the Royal Albert Hall (orchestra seats, naturally), in the late '90s. He looked quite frail even then, but it was magical to see him in action, performing the works for which he is loved. This is wonderful:
Was also revealed on BBC Breakfast this morning that Simon Jack, their business correspondent, is married to one of his children. Well I never.
Seance On A Wet Afternoon
From 2.15, This dark, but beautiful piece of music has always stayed with me, as has the rest of the score. Lovely opening credits too.
Whilst
not making light of his considerable musical talents Barry was also married to Jane Birkin. Sock it to them JB.
He lived the dream.
He was a classy guy, and closer to Bond than any of the actors who played him.
It'll have to be John Barry week at our school from next Monday.
Sad loss
to a fine, fine composer. Many of my faves have already been selected but I'll add the theme to Out of Africa which is almost impossibly romantic
His legacy will, I think, be to remind me of the Norma Desmond line from Sunset Boulevard "I am big. It's the pictures that got small". His music was so cinematic and big.
Also...
...I think everyone here knows he actually did write THAT piece of music, didn't he?
what? This one?
More
than you'll ever want to know here:
http://www.jollinger.com/barry/lawsuit.htm
Surely the highly talented...
... and extremely litigious Monty Norman was the author? It says so everywhere!
*punches lawyer, runs away*
John Barry RIP
The John Dunbar Theme from Dances with Wolves. Always a favourite. grat composer that will be sadly missed.
Nice tribute from David Arnold
http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=146&title=john_barry&more=1&c=1&t...
Lesser known than the 60s / 70s stuff
but this is more my childhood era. The *b side* of the big Duran hit.
RIP indeed.
This one
often gets overlooked, maybe because it comes from a film generally considered forgettable, but it's gorgeous, with or without Donna...