The songs Where Has Everybody Gone and If There Was a Man were composed as score and later transformed into songs or was it otherwise?
This is my favorite Bond movie and score!
No, I'm quite sure it was the other way around. Chrissie Hynde and her band "The Pretenders" were considered to write the title song. The producers wanted "a-ha", because of the commercial success of "Duran Duran's" "A View to a Kill" and "a-ha" are making the same style of music. Barry asked Hynde to write two additional songs and he incorporated them into his score.
Btw.: also one of my favorite scores and movies. Dalton is in my opinion the most realistic Bond, much more closer to Fleming's original.
The songs Where Has Everybody Gone and If There Was a Man were composed as score and later transformed into songs or was it otherwise?
This is my favorite Bond movie and score!
You should also grab of copy of Jon Burlingame's definitive tome, The Music of James Bond! I found that it answered all my questions on both score and songs for each movie.
I like how Barry managed to incorporate all 3 songs in his score, one as the love theme, other as the henchman (Necros) theme and the a-ha song as the films main theme
I like how Barry managed to incorporate all 3 songs in his score, one as the love theme, other as the henchman theme and the a-ha song as the films main theme
I like how Barry managed to incorporate all 3 songs in his score, one as the love theme, other as the henchman theme and the a-ha song as the films main theme
"Where Has Everybody Gone" plays a significant role in the film - in that it's constantly playing through Necros' Walkman. There's one key moment when you hear the song playing off screen - signposting that Necros is lurking closeby. And, of course, it emerges out of the song and into the Necros fight theme - the whole thing ties together brilliantly.
I like how Barry managed to incorporate all 3 songs in his score, one as the love theme, other as the henchman theme and the a-ha song as the films main theme
"Where Has Everybody Gone" plays a significant role in the film - in that it's constantly playing through Necros' Walkman. There's one key moment when you hear the song playing off screen - signposting that Necros is lurking closeby. And, of course, it emerges out of the song and into the Necros fight theme - the whole thing ties together brilliantly.
THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS is such as phenomenal close on Barry's Bond scores, you really couldn't ask for a better score to conclude his 11 contributions to the series.
I agree with Tom Servo, The film was the best since OHMSS and the score is great all around, showcasing three themes plus several great stand-alone cues. "The Sniper Was a Lady" may be one of the best scored and best scenes in the entire canon.
The only drawback for me: there was no actor signed to play Bond when the script was written, so at times it is very 'jokey" in a non-humorous Roger Moore style and at other times it's gritty and quite good, as in the sniper scene.
I've been listening to this chronological arrangement video of the score a lot lately--it has a fantastic flow to it. Whoever put the video together omitted the songs except for the orchestra arrangement of "If There Was A Man" which is also nice because it gives you a really focused listening experience:
My theory is that Barry wrote those songs with Chrissie Hynde to try and prove to the producers that he could still write the song and wrest control back from the then new trend of handing the song over to the group du jour.
Lets not forget the noble theme for the Mujahadin (Taliban) warriors, wich at that time were still best friends of the imperialist powers of the ocident.
Goldsmith also composed a beautiful theme for them in Rambo 3.
My theory is that Barry wrote those songs with Chrissie Hynde to try and prove to the producers that he could still write the song and wrest control back from the then new trend of handing the song over to the group du jour.
That's possible, yet those group du jour have had pretty long, successful careers. a-ha and Duran are still going strong some 35-40 years later and have loyal fanbases.
My theory is that Barry wrote those songs with Chrissie Hynde to try and prove to the producers that he could still write the song and wrest control back from the then new trend of handing the song over to the group du jour.
Cjeers
A sound hypothesis considering that Mr. Barry was the creative force behind the very best of the Bond songs.
Either way, I thought Barry did a great job incorporating A-Ha's title song melody throughout the score, making for a really solid and well-rounded soundtrack. Gone were the tired, slow, lush, and lazy romantic strings of MOONRAKER, OCTOPUSSY, A VIEW TO A KILL and finally a return to the more hard-hitting drama and epic sweep of his earlier efforts.
The chronological listen is a huge payoff as the music progresses very well. It's also worth noting how much music in and of itself plays into the plot - the orchestra that Kara plays in, the ghetto blaster rocket launcher, the Walkman that Necros listens too...
I'd agree this is one of Barry's Bond best, if not THE.
