John Barry

The James Bond Chord: the signature sound of 007 and how to play it

October 24th, 2023 by

We explore the power of a single chord to define a world of suave sophistication, danger, and intrigue – the enigmatic James Bond chord. In music, certain chord structures are synonymous with specific moods, places, or even characters. Few examples exemplify this more remarkably than the so called “James Bond chord,” which immerses listeners in […]

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Shirley Bassey and the story behind the theme song to Moonraker

January 15th, 2019 by

Guest writer Brendan Edwards looks at how a chance encounter with John Barry led Shirley Bassey to sing the theme for Moonraker. Shirley Bassey has a special place in the hearts of many James Bond fans. The Welsh singer has performed more James Bond theme songs than any other performer, three in total with Goldfinger (1964), […]

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Blue plaque commemorating John Barry unveiled in York

June 21st, 2017 by

A blue plaque was yesterday unveiled on John Barry’s childhood home in Yorkshire. Barry was born in York in 1933 and lived in what is now the York Pavilion Hotel in Fulford. Following his hugely successful arrangement of Monty Norman’s “James Bond Theme” for Dr No (1962), Barry was hired to write the soundtrack for From […]

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Pinewood’s Theatre 7 renamed in honour of John Barry

June 25th, 2014 by

The late John Barry, long term composer of the James Bond series and the man responsible for the Bond sound was honoured last Friday at a ceremony at Pinewood Studios, when Theatre 7 was renamed the John Barry Theatre. As pointed out by Edward Biddulph on Twitter, it may be no coincidence that Theatre 7 […]

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The James Bond Theme: has it had its day?

November 13th, 2013 by

One thing that disappointed me in Skyfall was the absence of the James Bond theme at the start of the film and I think we can safely say it’s not going to return there any time soon now the precedent has been set. But to me it makes no sense having it at the end of the […]

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London concert to celebrate John Barry’s music in October

April 18th, 2013 by

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is to celebrate the works of John Barry at a concert in October at the Royal Albert Hall. The concert will include music from a number of James Bond films, plus other works ranging from Dances With Wolves to The Black Hole. The concert will take place on Friday 4th October […]

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Barry’s sexy themes gave 007 swing [Variety]

May 12th, 2012 by

Variety is taking a look at 50 years of James Bond on the big screen. One article takes a look at John Barry in which it quotes David Arnold: “John Barry uniquely, single-handedly, created the spy genre of music,” says David Arnold, composer of the past five Bond scores. “In his initial arrangement of the […]

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50 Years of Bond Music

February 29th, 2012 by

50 years of James Bond

2012 sees the 50th anniversary of the most enduring film franchise in cinema history.  By the golden anniversary of 1962’s Dr No, there will have been 23 James Bond adventures featuring six 007s, countless Bond villains, hundreds of beautiful Bond girls and almost two dozen of the most instantly recognisable theme songs in cinema history. […]

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John Barry Set For Posthumous Classic Brit Award [Contact Music]

April 29th, 2011 by

According to an article published by Contact Music, John Barry, who died in January, is to be awarded a Classic Brit Award in May. In addition to this there will be a concert to commemorate his work at the Royale Albert Hall, featuring Timothy Dalton and Sir Michael Caine. Read John Barry Set For Posthumous […]

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007 to feature at Valencia film festival

April 9th, 2011 by

James Bond is to featured at Valencia’s 23rd Action and Adventure Festival, which takes place between 11th – 14th April. The festival includes a conference in which various panellists discuss various aspects of the fictional spy, while visitors will be able to see the BMW used in Goldeneye and the bike from Tomorrow Never Dies. […]

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