John Barry RIP

[River Don]

The word genius is bandied about far too easily where music is concerned. Not when it is applied to John Barry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5OCxwZI7YA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ5P6KM4Qm8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qydHIjL7iMg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy97lOwvECs&feature=related

[Dagenham Rover]

RIP.
 The chances are every Bank Holiday you have stayed at home and watched telly you will have listened to something by him

[BillyStubbsTears]

Someone said on Radio 4 this morning that the genius of John Barry was that you could listen to his music and have the film immediately flash before your eyes. He was associated with some of the most memorable films of the era. His music was wonderful even taken out of context of the film. But I wonder how good the films would have been without his music.

A true genius and a sad loss.

[BobG]

Gosh! I have just sat and listened/watched every one of those links. And a good few more. That lot represents the soundtrack of the last 40 years. Those films, that music made me cry, made me want to be a hero, made me inspired. In fact, thinking about it, I can only think of one other soundtrack that is in the same league: 'Where Eaagles Dare' (Ron Goodwin). Oh. Just thought of another: 'I Wanted to See Angels' which is an extremely obscure Russian film by Sergei Bodrov. I spent two years looking for it having come across it one night at stupid o'clock on Channel 4. I think I have one of the only two copies in this country. Cracking film with an ace soundtrack anyway.

Cheers

BobG

[Dagenham Rover]

Personally I love Prokofiev's music although the Lt Kije Suite (Sleigh Ride etc)  and Peter and The Wolf are perhaps the best known, But as a useless piece of information his Classical Symphony was composed without the aid of an instrument to prove that he could do it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._1_(Prokofiev)

However John Barry was a true genius in being able to put soundtracks to films

[River Don]

BobG wrote:

Gosh! I have just sat and listened/watched every one of those links. And a good few more. That lot represents the soundtrack of the last 40 years. Those films, that music made me cry, made me want to be a hero, made me inspired. In fact, thinking about it, I can only think of one other soundtrack that is in the same league: 'Where Eaagles Dare' (Ron Goodwin). Oh. Just thought of another: 'I Wanted to See Angels' which is an extremely obscure Russian film by Sergei Bodrov. I spent two years looking for it having come across it one night at stupid o'clock on Channel 4. I think I have one of the only two copies in this country. Cracking film with an ace soundtrack anyway.

Cheers

BobG

I suppose the only one who can really compare is Ennio Morricone. I believe our John didn't like him much.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNGe7iK1O-4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kghJGeMYI3U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu2FekMaTQc&feature=fvst

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hYV-JSjpyU

Personally I prefer Barry, more of a cool cat who didn't mind experimenting with Hammond organs and Moog synths.

This is a good piece:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/8293463/John-Barry-sheer-dramatic-brilliance.html