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 Posted:   Feb 4, 2025 - 12:15 PM   
 By:   trevan323   (Member)

Without a doubt, John Barry was THE MAN for Bond scores. What a talent. If only he had scored Goldeneye or Broccoli/Wilson had listened to him and hired David Arnold. But who else would have been great for Bond?

Top of my list: Jerry Goldsmith
James Horner (Should have done NSNA)
Alan Silvestri
Basil Poledouris
John Williams (might have got the chance if Spielberg had directed The Spy Who Loved Me)


Who else?

 
 Posted:   Feb 4, 2025 - 12:23 PM   
 By:   Bill Carson, Earl of Poncey   (Member)

https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=97211&forumID=1&archive=0

http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=81531&forumID=1&archive=0

 
 Posted:   Feb 4, 2025 - 7:40 PM   
 By:   Paul MacLean   (Member)

I'll never understand why the two most obvious choices -- Henry Mancini and Lalo Schifrin -- never filled-in for Barry. Schifrin's title song for The Liquidator practically is a Bond song.

Personally, I have loved to have seen Elmer Bernstein given the chance -- not on the strength of The Silencers (as one might assume), but Gold (whose title sequence with the Bernstein / Don Black tune and Maurice Binder design was as Bond-like as you could get).

 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2025 - 12:45 AM   
 By:   AdoKrycha007   (Member)

1. Michael Giacchino
2. John Powell
3. Brian Tyler
4. Alexandre Desplat

 
 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2025 - 2:09 AM   
 By:   BasilDowl   (Member)

Roy Budd would have given it a good go.

I'd like to see Joe Kraemer given the job next.

 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2025 - 6:18 AM   
 By:   SBD   (Member)

David Newman. Tell me you weren’t curious.

 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2025 - 6:25 AM   
 By:   Stephen Woolston   (Member)

The funny thing is that what sets Bond movies and Bond music apart is that it's NOT like regular Hollywood action film music, and the films tend to be diminished and feel ordinary when they're scored with normal action film music.

Casting a composer is like casting an actor. Sean Connery is brilliant casting for James Bond. He'd have been lousy casting for Norman Bates, and that's not a slight on his amazing talent. It's just casting.

As much as I adore John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith, I think they both had the wrong style for a Bond movie.

I think you need to look at what John Barry brought to his Bond scores that made them different, and it's actually that laconic approach to the music. Who else can bring that kind of laconic style and infuse it with excitement?

Cheers

 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2025 - 7:04 AM   
 By:   Paul MacLean   (Member)


As much as I adore John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith, I think they both had the wrong style for a Bond movie.



It's hard to say. Goldsmith was among the titans -- but maybe not a good fit for the Bond films. I have a feeling he'd have delivered something along the lines of Capricorn One -- with a rhythm section added. Then again his stab at suspenseful "spy jazz" in The Russia House could have worked in a Bond movie.

Williams is mostly identified with old school heroism and sentiment -- but he also has the extensive jazz background. Williams is very different from Barry, but the style of the main theme from Catch Me of You Can is something I could see working.

 
 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2025 - 7:17 AM   
 By:   BasilDowl   (Member)

The funny thing is that what sets Bond movies and Bond music apart is that it's NOT like regular Hollywood action film music, and the films tend to be diminished and feel ordinary when they're scored with normal action film music.

Casting a composer is like casting an actor. Sean Connery is brilliant casting for James Bond. He'd have been lousy casting for Norman Bates, and that's not a slight on his amazing talent. It's just casting.

As much as I adore John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith, I think they both had the wrong style for a Bond movie.

I think you need to look at what John Barry brought to his Bond scores that made them different, and it's actually that laconic approach to the music. Who else can bring that kind of laconic style and infuse it with excitement?

Cheers


Agree with this. Love Jerry, and incredible chameleon as he was, I can't see it.

 
 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2025 - 7:18 AM   
 By:   villagardens553   (Member)

I think Michael J. Lewis would have been very good. He has a gift for melody and his approach to action is not typical Hollywood. Plus, he was a John Barry and James Bond fan. He even attended the recording sessions for The Whisperers, because he had been befriended by Bryan Forbes.

I believe he made a brief demo for Goldeneye.

 
 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2025 - 7:22 AM   
 By:   townerbarry   (Member)

I believe that John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith could have written a James Bond Film..without any problems. I bet if John Williams ask GSA Gorfaine/ Schwartz to contact Barbara Broccoli..there be no problem. And in a recent interview John Williams sad he would love to score a Bond Film.

 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2025 - 7:32 AM   
 By:   Stephen Woolston   (Member)

And in a recent interview John Williams sad he would love to score a Bond Film.

Actually, he didn't. That was a misquotation that became urban myth, much like "The Moonraker tapes are lost".

What happened is an interviewer brought up James Bond, and Williams, in typically positive mood simply said, "That would be great."

The internet very quickly bent that out of shape into, "John Williams wants to score a Bond movie."

 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2025 - 8:10 AM   
 By:   Justin Boggan   (Member)

Back in the day, based upon a few episodes of TV series where he did Bond-like scored for them, I totally would have liked to have heard a Stu Phillips effort.

 
 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2025 - 8:16 AM   
 By:   townerbarry   (Member)

And in a recent interview John Williams sad he would love to score a Bond Film.

Actually, he didn't. That was a misquotation that became urban myth, much like "The Moonraker tapes are lost".

What happened is an interviewer brought up James Bond, and Williams, in typically positive mood simply said, "That would be great."

The internet very quickly bent that out of shape into, "John Williams wants to score a Bond movie."


I thought John Williams said…I never scored a James Bond. But let’s get real..if John Williams want to score a Bond film..wait has John Williams been asked?

 
 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2025 - 8:35 AM   
 By:   mortenbond   (Member)

Roy Budd would have been a good fit.

Mancini as well!

John Williams would be good in the 70s. Check out his Eiger Sanction funk!

Elmer knocked it out of the park with GOLD. The closest you can get to a 70s Bond score without it actually being one.

Ron Goodwin said he really wanted to score a Bond, but was never asked. He could have been good.

But Lalo Schifrin is the big missed opportunity! At least in the 60s and 70s.

Goldsmith - no, I cannot see it.

Today`s composers: David Arnold should do them all! Lacking that: Giacchino, Kreamer, Desplat (who said he learnt slower action music from Barry).

 
 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2025 - 9:37 AM   
 By:   Temptrack   (Member)

With all due respect to the many worthy suggestions above, I would contend that there's one very clear answer to this question: JOHN SCOTT. Remember that he actually performed in the Goldfinger sessions, and proved across his many scores that he has the versatility to cover the action, the exotic locales, and the dark romanticism demanded in a Bond score.

(Although I must admit that the earlier suggestion of Ron Goodwin has some great "What If" potential, as well!)

 
 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2025 - 10:09 AM   
 By:   Hercule Platini   (Member)

Given what Edward Shearmur did for Johnny English (and Ilan Eshkeri and Howard Goodall for the sequels), could he not have played it straight for a non-spoof?

 
 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2025 - 10:18 AM   
 By:   Tobias   (Member)

Since Robert Folk almost got the scoring gig to GoldenEye then I really want him to actually getting the gig to score a James Bond movie. I think he could pull off a really good one. Call me crazy but to me it feels like there is some Bondian sort of sound to some of the music he did to Ace Ventura 2 and that was not bad, not bad at all so he gets my vote.

 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2025 - 10:30 AM   
 By:   Justin Boggan   (Member)

Back in the day Ron Grainer would have made an interesting choice.

And Shirley Walker might have ben good, too.

Angela Morley as well.

 
 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2025 - 10:54 AM   
 By:   mortenbond   (Member)

Back in the day Ron Grainer would have made an interesting choice.

And Shirley Walker might have ben good, too.

Angela Morley as well.


Morley`s WHEN EIGHT BELLS TOLL is a very Bondian score, even using the underlying Bond theme elements.

 
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