Q Branch Archive for posts tagged ‘John Barry’
Happy Birthday FRWL
Happy 50th Birthday to From Russia With Love!
This James Bond film, the second by Eon Productions and the second with the suave Sean Connery in the role as Bond was released on the 10th October 1963! This of course featured the gypsy scene where the two ladies fought furiously over James Bond with Spectre as the baddie and with Daniela Bianchi as the Bond girl Tatiana Romanova.
The theme at the start of the film was John Barry’s James Bond Theme but the title song was performed by Matt Munro and heard during the film and playing over the end credits. This is a lovely piece of music and a favourite Bond Theme that The Name is Band – a Bond Tribute band love to play! Our own crooner is of course Gavin Lazarus and our version can be heard here on soundcloud or here on our website – www.bondtributeband.co.uk
John Barry and the Bond Music
Eleven of the James Bond Films, from EON Productions, had the illustrious John Barry to thank for the bond music.
As a young boy John Barry gained most of his musical influences after spending hours with his father who worked as a projectionist in cinemas all over York. He was a trumpet player in the army and after leaving became a music arranger for Jack Parnell and the Ted Heath Orchestras. He then spent many years composing music for organisations such as the BBC and EMI Columbia and, in 1962 the producers of Dr No approached him to write for the latest James Bond film, and with Monty Norman writing the theme, John Barry was the arranger of the one and only James Bond Theme. Unmistakable and unforgettable. The second this bond theme is heard every man in the room will start raising an eyebrow and putting on their best bond impression!
John Barry worked on the soundtracks for all the following James Bond films and his brassy and moody style can be heard in each and every one: 1962 Dr No – James Bond Theme with Monty Norman, 1963 From Russia with Love with Lionel Bart, 1964 Goldfinger with Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse, 1965 Thunderball with Don Black, 1967 You Only Live Twice with Leslie Bricusse, 1969 On Her Majesty’s Secret Service with Hal David, 1971 Diamonds Are Forever with Don Black, 1974 The Man With The Golden Gun with Don Black, 1979 Moonraker with Hal David, 1983 Octopussy with Tim Rice, 1985 A View To A Kill with Duran Duran, 1987 The Living Daylights with Paul Waaktaar-Savoy.
The Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band love playing the Bond music at events, parties and celebrations all over the UK and abroad. Each Bond theme is different but they all have fantastic orchestral scores and the challenge we face is replicating these amazing scores so that our live 10-piece band is as close and authentic to the original as possible.
Diamonds Are Forever
Diamonds Are Forever. This song has been recorded by the Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band and is one of our favourites! A slow seductive start on the piano, a little gentle push with the vocals and then all the band enter with passion, feeling and a whole lot of brass.
Diamonds Are Forever – the James Bond Film made in 1971 with the title track of the same name, sung brilliantly by Dame Shirley Bassey and written by the incredible John Barry. This Bond Theme only just made it however as the producer of the film hated it, and it was only through persuasion by co-producer Cubby Broccoli that ensured the song was used in the end! The Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band are really pleased they did! What a cracking number and as always, sung with passion by Dame Shirley Bassey. According to rumours it was said that John Barry suggested, when singing the typical 007 Bond lyrics that were filled with innuendo – that she imagined she was singing to erm… well… a phallic shaped object! We’re not really sure if that would have been inspirational or not!
To hear our version please follow the link to Soundcloud. In order to give the best representation of our sound, this demo was recorded in the studio and mixed down by our own Sound Engineer Tony – who also happens to be one of the UK’s top recording engineers! Please note – there are no multiple tracks or layers in this recording. Just 10 musicians doing what they do best – and loving the end result. Because we always bring Tony with us for all our Bond Themed events we can ensure that we always sound as authentic to the original music as possible – whatever bond music we are playing – whether in the recording studio or performing live at events.
As we only ever perform LIVE and only ever as a 10-piece, with the arrangements written especially for Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band, we know we sound like this each and every time we perform at all our events. So, if you are looking to book band for a band for a James Bond Event then look no further! We are a lively Bond Tribute Band with an entertaining Cabaret style Bond themed set which is followed by a further set of non-stop party hits to really get the party started. We know that for all the events we attend that our sound for the Bond Tribute set will be as close to the original themes as possible. In addition, our performance is lively, professional, and above all we really do enjoy what we do. This ensures that the client and all their guests also have an amazing evening and a night to remember!
Live & Let Die
Live and Let Die. This bond theme song has been recorded by the Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band and we love it. This is an awesome track and is the Bond Theme from the Bond Film Live & Let Die which starred Roger Moore in his first role as the 007 Agent. Here Bond meets the dark forces of Voodoo and Dr Kanaga, Baron Samedi, snakes and Jane Seymour as the Bond Girl Solitaire.
Interestingly enough Clint Eastwood was approached to star as the next James Bond after Sean Connery left – but he declined as he felt the role should be played by someone with an English accent. Roger Moore was successful and a new Bond was born. Live and Let Die was written by Paul and Linda McCartney and was a change in style from the previous Bond Themes written by John Barry. This time it was pure rock and roll.
The Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band love the light and shade in this bond theme. Another soft start but with lots of rock and a whole lot of roll. Our drummer Matt Venn LOVES playing bond music, especially this number – loving the middle section when the drums start flying and he can really get stuck into making the whole number sound PHAT! Gavin Lazarus on vocals can adapt his voice to suit any number and this one has a lovely melodic start but then Gavin lets his rocky side soar. An absolutely fabulous Bond Theme.
Looking for music for a James Bond Event – visit our website www.bondtributeband.co.uk
Man With The Golden Gun
The Man With The Golden Gun – a hit for Lulu in the James Bond film of the same title and written by John Barry. This Bond theme was originally described as “mundane” but we think it’s far from it if the lyrics are anything to go by! John Barry wrote this theme music in just under three weeks but it was not one of his favourites! Alice Cooper also wrote a bond theme titled The Man With The Golden Gun but the powers that be opted for the Lulu version instead.
This version is by the Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band and we think it’s a great fun number – lots of bounce, cheeky lyrics and gives a bit of audience interaction when we perform this number live at James Bond themed events!
So if you are looking for a band for a James Bond event and would like some bond music for the evening that’s a bit like this bond theme – fun and entertaining – then please get in contact. Visit our website for more information www.bondtributeband.co.uk
From Russia With Love
From Russia With Love – starring Sean Connery as Agent 007 – Bond, James Bond. The book written by Ian Flemming was apparently one of the top ten books that President John F Kennedy loved to read don’t you know! Although John Barry had replaced Monty Norman as the soundtrack composer on this bond film, the bond theme was written by Lionel Bart. You may also recognise, and be able to sing along to, some of Lionel’s other songs from a famous film where a little boy asked for “More”- do you know what it is yet? Of course you do! It’s Oliver but he was also responsible for many more hits written for Shirley Bassey and Rod Stewart. Lionel Bart couldn’t actually read or write music – he used to hum the songs and, for the 21 Carry On films, his co-partner at the time – Eric Rogers, used to transcribe them for him.
Matt Munro, who was affectionately nicknamed “the singing bus driver”, sang this Bond theme and his phrasing in this number is amazing. The ease and sophistication in his vocals are like velvet. Well the Bond Tribute Band The Name is Band have their own “fabulous crooner” in Gavin Lazarus who also has the ability to beautifully phrase lyrics old stylie when needed! When we were thinking about what Bond Themes to record for the website Gavin’s phrasing ability was a deciding factor in choosing From Russia With Love.
We hope you enjoy this one – To you….. From the Bond Tribute Band With Love …. awwwwww!