Me, again, I'm afraid Neo, but yes, I've seen both Man In The Middle and Seance On A Wet Afternoon.
The former, many years ago and, just as with A Jolly Bad Fellow I'm not certain whether this was pre "interest in John Barry's music" or not. Possibly it was a film I tuned in to wtach and saw his name. I don't recall too much about this military courtroom drama but would like to see it again. Mr. Barry's music, as included on the old vinyl LP, is highly listenable if not particularly descriptive.
A complete opposite for Seance ..., I've watched this intriguing, and disturbing, film several times. Great performances throughout (though Kim Stanley does tend to annoy me somewhat!) and Mr. Barry's score is incredibly evocative. It adds a third dimension to the images. A relatively short score (my DVD rip runs less than 20mins - excl. the non-original music featured in several scenes - for all major cues) but very involving.
As to that, we’re remorsely remiss in not having caught many of the cinematic forays on which John cut his creative teeth so, again, don’t be bashful – we wanna know what you think and how you feel (and, no, that doesn’t automatically include you out, Asgardian)
Why thank you. To actually keep this on a positive note for once, I kinda like his music for THE CHASE:
O, for the Extravagant Energy of Youth Department:
There comes a moment in every creative life when one pauses and looks back at all the artistic endeavors that came before and it’s almost the law of the land (perspective-wise) when you can get tired just THINKING of what you took on earlier on as your career was getting on.
We imagine Meester Bee must have those days, especially when contemplating his output from the mid-60s on. (Transcendent appreciation to Geoff’s “A Life in Music” site for its rigorously rich research). The Barry baton is responsible for no less than eight impressive efforts in 1965, and we begin with
15.
John’s first musical revolved around an English girls’ boarding school where the nubile lasses eschew scholarship for sexual studies coming up (sorry) with the best ways to lose their virginity via providing a service for the boys school across the lake from them. Although premiering at Manchester, England’s Palace Theatre, it later transferred to London’s Prince-of-Wales Theatre, chalking up 148 performances.
It’s a charmingly light-hearted confection that spotlighted Francesca Annis
What’s most permanently pertinent about this effort has less to do with its professional accomplishment than the personal aspect it initiated as twas with this project John crossed romantic paths with his first wife, Jane Birkin
They then co-created their own artistic triumph, namely daughter Kate. Merry music off and on-stage, oui? …
I never saw Passion Flower Hotel - even I was a bit too young in those days! However, according to biographer Eddi Fiegel, the show that previewed in Manchester was 3-hours long and was substantially cut for its London run. So I find myself wondering what songs might have been cut and never heard of again. Is there anybody out there who attended a performance in Manchester and can enlighten us? Maybe there is even a programme that lists all the original songs?
Passion Flower Hotel was one of the musical subjects discussed in part 3 (of 6) of the BBC Radio 2 programme The Real John Barry broadcast Dec '00 - Feb '01.
Narrated by Robert Powell, there are contributions by lyricist Trevor Peacock, actor/singer Jeremy Clyde and John Barry.
RP describes the show as a "racy little story" and concludes that after an opening in Manchester it ran for a disappointing six months in the West End.
TP comes forth with amusing anecdotes such as how he read in the newspaper that Britain now has its own Rodgers and Hammerstein and wondered who ... oh, they mean us! He comments that JB might be Britain's answer to RR, but he was certainly no OH.
He says how pleased he and JB were with the song How Much Of The Dream Comes True and JB describes how appreciative he was of Barbra Steisand's cover version, keeping the tone of the song right rather than turning it into a big production number (as she is apt to do).
As an aside: I really like the Francesca Annis vocal (superb rendition from a non-singer) but have heard only the snippet from this programme of the BS release. There is an awkward line in the song which includes a shortening of the words ... shall not I ... into ... sha'n't I. Now in English (as spoken by us Brits) the "a" is long and so the word is acceptable, if clumsy. In US English ... at least as recited by BS ... the "a" becomes short and the result is horrendous (IMHO).
JC provides the following anecdotes saying it was enormous fun as for once, having been involved from very early on, he was able to assist JB in the casting selection which included reviewing lots of lovely young ladies. As he says, both he and John were very interested in the opposite sex, and it was clear early on that JB became linked with actress Jane Birkin. He claims that he could mimic JB's voice quite well and would, just prior to her going on stage, approach from behind and whisper something disgusting in her ear.
He makes it sound like fun times ...
I apologise for any errors in my transcription of the dialogue but hopefully I have the essence of the radio show's commentary on Passion Flower Hotel
This is a sparse effort comprised of a sadly melancholy theme with reflective under-pinnings echoing the pensive, searching relationships on screen.
It’s one of the few Barry-isms we went against our usual entrenched no-no about (waiting until we’ve actually seen the film afore absorbing its aural representation) but, hey, what’re rules fer other than applying the Kobayashi Twist to ‘em (see what you started, Admiral)?
17.
If you wanna a pristine example of what’s arguably one of the most memorable examples encapsulating mod-London during the mid-60s, search no further for
is unmistakenly the swingiest of John’s early career.
It's a bit of a coincidence but Ray Brooks, one of the stars of The Knack, appeared a few years earlier with the John Barry Seven in "Girl on a Roof", a TV drama probably only I saw, and which Neo rather dismissed!
Here's a shot of Brooks (complete with dyed hair) from the show. Sorry about quality - it was a newspaper scan.
I found this article about John Barry and the new edition of "The Man With The Midas Touch" co-author, Gareth Bramley here via the Commander Bond site:
Apologies for the "Rawther" Dismissed Bit, Geoff Department:
Twasn’t our intention to cavalierly slight “Girl on a Roof”, amigo. However, since it's a teevee opus probably never telecast on this side of the percolating Pond, we figured to give it a blessed pass [ geez, cut us some slack, willya – it’s dang difficult enuff just corralling (let alone getting around to actually seeing) the films! ].
Thass okay, tho – we'd still sign a petition for your Knighthood …
18. This was another creative collaboration between Da Guv’nor
and DirectorMr. Forbes.
As we’ve never lassoed an in-depth look at this one, those who have are gonna haveta chime in with their own recollections, reflections and /or perceptions. So have at it, me hearties!
19.
Nothing Breeds (The Hope of Future Success) Than a Past One Department:
Thus, when the anchored applause for his efforts on behalf of La Liz gave birth to another extended visual travelogue with one of Italy’s more magnificent exports, the enjoyable result was
Twould be a fun exercise comparing, mixing and matching the stylisic differences betwixt- between Elizabeth Taylor in London and this one. One thing is certain:
they give a heap of, um, geographical pleasure either way …
We End Our Survey of 1965 with Two Barry Musical Broadsides Terrifically “Typical” and Terrifically A-Typical Department:
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Director: Sidney J. Furie.
Once again, John did his off-screen companero Mr. Caine distinctive duty with his incisive and authoritative music for the first in what would become a trilogy of Harry Palmer’s. Talk about “nailing the moment” – or character – he came up with both a memorable hook and subsequently inventive themes that told you o, so much more about the world (and the man) than would’ve been thought possible on first inspection.
In fact, you kinda haveta seriously wonder about Harry Saltzman's sometimes erratic schizoid-ish personality: on one hand, he can dismiss something as unmistakably dynamic as Goldfinger (and would do so again when Diamonds are Forever comes around) yet he still possessed enough show-biz savvy and pseudo-objective orientation to corral Our Musical Maestro for the delicate task of outfitting this film with its atmospherc sheen.
Hey, go figure. (As for the delectable Sue Lloyd, hell, we just hadda include her in her for supremely selfish visual enticement)!
Und Now Permit Us A Spot of Personally Professional Nostalgic Indulgence Department:
Up until the year under scope, we’d cut our mo'omj pitchur watchng on either westerns, Kerwin Mathews/Ray Harryhausen fantasies and, above all, the sword-and-sandal “epics” of the late 50s-to-mid’-60s exemplified by our favorites Gordon Scott and Steve Reeves
and the enjoyable apex of it all,
Then, in 1965, we were suddenly swept forward
from classical Greece into contemporary England via the first utterly enthralling American debut of
which then led to our seminal, ne'er-to-be-forgotten introduction to John Barry's special brand of musical Bondage via
22.
Director: Terence Young (with ace editor extraordinaire Peter Hunt).
To say we were knocked out by what we heard is a Herculean understatement of Olympian proportions: from the opening brilliantly-ballsy fight sequence with Jacques Bouvier through 007’s meeting with Count Lippe – to say nothing of the dazzling Fiona
and her deadly dance sequence onto the underwater balletic battle and final thrilling fight aboard the Disco Volante
made us sit up in rapturous attention, echoing (albeit admiringly paraphrasing) Butch and Sundance’s wondrous query: “Who IS this guy?!”
(No, not him, tho he did acquit himself quite nicely warbling “Thunderfinger”, as John once mischieviously christened it).
Hay, in short, the long of it is this: from here on in, we became thoroughly enamoured of the Barry Bond …
Now we come to 1966 with “only” five released accomplishments,
23.
starting with a truly mystifying misfire of confounding proportions called
Just HOW a creative enterprise can boast an artistic pedigree of uber-producer Sam Spiegel, playwright Lillian Hellman, and
Director: Arthur Penn.
- to say nothing of its high-powered cast –
and still come up with such underwhelming results is a mystery up thar with The Sphinx. What isn’t lackluster, tho, is John’s flavorful music, at turns melancholy, moody, jazzy, introspective yet with a ripe attractive energetic main theme that singlehandedly imparts more style and life than most of what transpires (or, to be imperfectly honest, doesn’t) on screen.
It’s not a flick without residual interest and we don’t think you’ll be unduly bored yet, if’n you do catch it, we don't figure (unlike the film) you’ll be as profoundly disappointed by the music …
This is the kind of winking satire Americans rarely get right but the Brits seem born and bred to execute with ripe relish, and this tale of two brothers enmeshed in a 'tontine' (a trust that’s kinda family lottery insofar as whomever out-lives the other gets all the loot riches) is both spirited and amusing.
It also boasts a clever and winning score that demonstrates Da Guv’nor’s penchant for inventive orchestration and deft societal winking in his own musical write.
As another in his on-going creative collaboration with Director Forbes, it’s an early indication of the mutual trust and reciprocal respect both gentlemen had for each other’s organic talents – and, hay, they were just gettin’ started…
We want to pop back to 1961 and A Matter of WHO, a film for which JB wrote no music, but appeared in with his JB7. Here's a not brilliant quality screen grab from a scene where Terry-Thomas is telling party-goers they might have smallpox! John can be seen with Les Reed and other members of the JB7 are less prominent in the background. Incidentally, in the film they mimed to the recording of A Matter of Who, and also some other non-Barry music.
Thanx magnificently mucho, Geoff, for the energetic effort and nifty bit of achival knowledge for those of us forever famished and insatiably hungry for any and all tantalizing morsels re U-No-Who (and we don't mean the good Doktor! )
Your personally-inscribed, Auric-plated BAFTA's already on order
(just don't forget those of us who knew ya before we couldn't afford yer autograph!) ...
For Those Still Unblissfully Baffled Re Our Man’s (Not Alleged but Actual) Diversity Department:
kindly check out (visually and aurally)
25.
Director: Michael Anderson.
Here’s another impressive example of how someone can reinvent not only himself but the genre he’s most associated with in ways virtually unpredictable where general expectations are concerned.
His haunting and absorbing score for this spy opus is a diametrically inventive right turn from what he imbued The Ipcress File with (to say nothing of Meester Bond).
And his memorable “Wednesday’s Child” constituted another synergistic collaboration with songster Matt MONro ()
It’s a striking effort that still holds up and demands your attention.
Oh, and (mind you) we don’t just mean the flick, either …
Hi Neo, I'm still watching ... and yes, I agree wholeheartedly re: The Quiller Memorandum ... I prefer this score to The Ipcress File (though rank the Main Title of Ipcress as The best main title theme of all time).
The theme Wednesday's Child is a favourite of mine and when you listen to the score, with its numerous variations, you can't help but see the lonely agent walking the night streets of Berlin ... indelibly linked. And just wait for that End Title ... this demonstrates Mr. Barry's mastery of the craft: the music changes ever so slightly (as George Segal's Quiller walks away from Senta Berger's Inge) ... the words tingle, neck, back of come to mind!
Oh and Mr. Monro's vocal rendition isn't to be overlooked either. It doesn't get a great play in the film (heard over a transistor radio, an idea pinched from From Russia With Love?) but the song has stayed in the public arena for 40+ years.
I will disagree with you re: The Chase (the film, that is), though - far from perfect but highly enjoyable (possibly my favourite Marlon Brando role ... an actor I'm not too taken with).
As for Thunderball? Simply the perfect score for the perfect action/adventure film. All others are also-rans in this field, as far as I'm concerned.
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To actually keep this on a positive note for once, I kinda like his music for THE CHASE:
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