And still there's not a release of the actual score. I know this score gets a lot of flak, but I think it works wonders in the film. I don't want to wait another 40 years to finally have this score, whatever the format. That goes for 'Moonraker' (wherever the tapes are), 'The Man With The Golden Gun' and 'Octopussy'. Is it really impossible for any of the specialised labels to have a negotiation about this with whoever holds the rights to these Bond-scores ?
And still there's not a release of the actual score. I know this score gets a lot of slack, but I think it works wonders in the film. I don't want to wait another 40 years to finally have this score, whatever the format. That goes for 'Moonraker' (wherever the tapes are), 'The Man With The Golden Gun' and 'Octopussy'. Is it really impossible for any of the specialised labels to have a negotiation about this with whoever holds the rights to these Bond-scores?
I agree, the OST would be a must-buy. But very possibly, the LP program on CD and the film itself are all we're gonna get.
Agreed. TSWLM is of particular note as the soundtrack received an Academy Award nomination along with the song. Though I think that was probably because Marvin Hamlisch was flavour of the month around that time.
But the soundtrack album is only a bare representation of the actual soundtrack.
There's a substantial amount of great scoring never heard beyond the film. For me it's one of the very best non-Barry scored Bond films and considering I never thought I'd see the day that I held those expanded 2003 releases I'd never say never that this one is a possibility one day.
I adore the score for TSWLM - one of the best Bond scores ever in my personal view and certainly one I enjoy far more than any of Barry's entries into the series, many of which I find really dull (especially Moonraker which - apart from the space station docking scene, I actually loathe and think is an awful score).
The soundtrack release of TSWLM is a travesty and I'd kill for a proper representation of it. Somehow though, I think this personal holy grail will sadly never happen.
I haven't seen the film in so many years – I had no idea the album wasn't the score as heard in the film.
Oh, and not to be that guy (I say while being that guy), but I think you mean "this score gets a lot of flak," because if it got "slack," it would mean people were going easy on it.
I adore the score for TSWLM - one of the best Bond scores ever in my personal view...
The soundtrack release of TSWLM is a travesty and I'd kill for a proper representation of it. Somehow though, I think this personal holy grail will sadly never happen.
I love this one, too. I somehow managed to see it three times in 1977, even though I was a teenager with very little money and no transportation of my own. I would have gone more if I could. I saw STAR WARS only once, it was fine, but TSWLM spoke to me directly on multiple levels and I was obsessed with it.
I must disagree about the LP, however. I bought it right away in the summer of '77 and played it endlessly. I've always thought it was a terrific listen on its own terms. I still want the OST, but the LP is a good alternate version.
I'm really pleased that The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) - both film and score (album?) get so much praise because I recognise it as a turning point in the franchise and it could all have gone belly-up. I think Cubby and his team pulled off a triumph in turning around what appeared to be a flagging series ...
... and yet (yes, it's me!) this film, number ten in the series, went straight in at number 10 for me and held that bottom position for 25 years until Die Another Day (2002) took that dubious honour. The years since have been kinder to the film in that I prefer it to the last two (maybe three) JB007 outings ...
Now I acknowledge that my age and lifestyle may have had an impact back in the summer of 1977 (I wasn't too mad on Star Wars or Silver Streak of the same vintage) but my opinion of the film hasn't changed much over the years. To me, it fails on so many levels and, sorry to say, the music score is one of those levels.
Too often the music apes the action ... rather than try to say this is serious even though we're having fun, it turns the on-screen antics into a circus event. When certain musical quotes from other films (e.g. the infamous slide whistle during the car barrel-roll of the preceding film, or the use of Elmer Bernstein's iconic theme when Bond is seen horse-riding in the following film) are derided, I feel the same about much of the score to this film. Yes, there are some great passages and it's not a total failure (in the way I find much of the scores to the last two films) but, for me, this Marvin Hamlisch score is part of the film's problems rather than its successes.
Because it's JB007 I bought the vinyl LP (and exchanged it due to a poor pressing ... well, it was 1977) and two CD releases (despite them being the same material). The album comes across very much as if Henry Mancini had prepared/produced it, too much of the play-time is source, rather than dramatic. And so, yes, I'd buy an official release of the film score. I'd love to see if John Barry gets a co-writing credit (or at least a nod) for that Stalking cue
...this film, number ten in the series, went straight in at number 10 for me
....
And so, yes, I'd buy an official release of the film score. I'd love to see if John Barry gets a co-writing credit (or at least a nod) for that Stalking cue
I agree with my eminent friend Mitch on both points. The film came out at a time that wasn't good for me for various personal reasons, and the fact that it was a re-hash of what by then was a fairly tired formula, plus it had some jokes that were purely intended to be crowd-pleasers rather than something that could actually happen, meant that I was never as fond of TSWLM as I might have been.
I've warmed to it in the 40 years since, and would buy the film score not only for the sake of completion, but also because there are some bits of the score that I find to be very good indeed. In particular, the brass section in the tanker track is exceptional.
However, I find it risible that this got an Oscar nod when none of the previous scores did, and was inclined at the time to put it down to parochialism.
J Thanks for the comparison. Hamlisch was a songwriter and not an orchestral composer. Leo Schuken and Jack Hayes orchestrated "The Swimmer", which Jack conducted. They also orchestrated "The Way We Were" and Jack alone did "Ordinary People", "Chapter Two" among others after Leo passed. I had the pleasure of knowing and working with Jack for over 30 years.
Too often the music apes the action ... rather than try to say this is serious even though we're having fun, it turns the on-screen antics into a circus event. When certain musical quotes from other films (e.g. the infamous slide whistle during the car barrel-roll of the preceding film, or the use of Elmer Bernstein's iconic theme when Bond is seen horse-riding in the following film) are derided, I feel the same about much of the score to this film. Yes, there are some great passages and it's not a total failure (in the way I find much of the scores to the last two films) but, for me, this Marvin Hamlisch score is part of the film's problems rather than its successes.
For Your Eyes Only was the better Roger Moore films, mainly because it was so much more grounded. Although that also had some dated music (car chase) from Bill Conti. I think the problem is Bill Conti and Marvin Hamlisch are both pop composers of their time - they don't really transcend decades with a unique, timeless voice.
Used to love The Spy Who Loved Me score, mainly for the music during the snow chase and the car chase. Although that music is a little dated now with its disco sound (much like the car chase in For Your Eyes Only).
Really though, I think the film has a lot of clever little edits and smaller moments that stand out in the music, usually with the Bond theme for transitional segments (riding the camera in the Liparus, jetski out to Atlantis).
This youtube playlist does a decent job of gathering some of the unreleased clips together:
The film is a blatant remake of YOLT and virtually every scene is a rehash from earlier, better Bonds. Plus, the obvious set-piece formula is embarrassing (though not as bad as MOONRAKER)
