The film world has lost one of the greats, Composer John Barry.  The man who was responsible for many of the most memorable James Bond themes composed over 100 scores during his career, winning him Academy Awards and critical praise at every turn.  In this episode, we take a look not only at several of the Bond films, but many of Mr. Barry’s epic and romantic themes, including Dances with Wolves and The Lion in Winter.

He composed the scores for eleven of the James Bond films between 1963 and 1987, as well as arranging and performing the “James Bond Theme” for the first film in the series, 1962’s Dr. No. He wrote the Grammy- and Academy Award-winning scores to the films Dances with Wolves and Out of Africa, as well as the scores of The Scarlet Letter, Chaplin, The Cotton Club, Game of Death, The Tamarind Seed, Mary, Queen of Scots and the theme for the television series The Persuaders!, in a career spanning over 50 years. In 1999, he was appointed with an OBE for services to music.

Barry received awards including five Academy Awards: two for Born Free and one each for The Lion in Winter (for which he also won the first BAFTA Award for Best Film Music), Out of Africa and Dances with Wolves (both of which also won him Grammy Awards). He also received ten Golden Globe Award nominations, winning once for Best Original Score for Out of Africa in 1986. Barry completed his last film score, Enigma, in 2001 and recorded the successful album Eternal Echoes the same year. He then concentrated chiefly on live performances and co-wrote the music to the musical Brighton Rock in 2004 alongside Don Black.

Playlist

007 – From Russia with Love

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Zero Gravity – The Black Hole

Journey to the Buffalo Killing Grounds – Dances with Wolves

The John Dunbar Theme – Dances with Wolves

Midnight Cowboy

The Lion in Winter

Diamonds are Forever

King Rat March

Enigma

Overture – The Black Hole