John Barry and the Sound of Bond
John Barry
Even 60 years after the first film in the series, Dr. No, the sound of a James Bond film is distinctive and instantly recognizable. Some of that is due to the iconic theme song, but much of this is because of the distinctive musical style composer John Barry brought to the franchise.
“Barry’s Bond style was always recognizable (and) familiar enough to form a strong connection with previous Bond scores.”
An examination of the music of the first films in the series, those starring Sean Connery, reveals how John Barry interweaves iconic themes and motifs throughout each score. Each film’s music is distinctive, but fits into the whole.
And these scores are fun to listen to as well. This week’s Silver Screen Soundtrack Hour hits the highlights of some of the classic John Barry Bond film scores, including Goldfinger, Thunderball, and From Russia With Love. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed putting it together for you!
Produced and hosted by Ken Nail, The Silver Screen Soundtrack Hour airs on Charlottesvilleclassical.org every Thursday at 9 AM and 6 PM, plus Saturdays at Noon. Visit our Facebook page, or contact Ken on Twitter at @ken_classical.