John Barry R.I.P.

stilgar · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 7:51 am

I was really surpised to read about his passing this morning. His scores are among some of my favorites: Somewhere in Time, Dances with Wolves, Black Hole.... the list goes on and on. He will be missed.

JGOnline · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 8:32 am

Another film music Titan has left us. Terribly sad news. Like the other greats he leaves us with a lifetime of great music for us to play forever.

JohnnyUtah · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:03 am

Sad news indeed...

R.I.P. Mr. Barry

Steven Lloyd · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 10:39 am

This is an enormous blow even to us fans who never knew or met the man. I just learned of this death at a film-collecting web forum; but here I can write more esoterically.

My first viewing of RIO CONCHOS at age 10 marked the first time I bothered to check the onscreen credits for a composer's name. But while riding with my family the preceding year to see FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE for the first time, I recall my thrilled hope that the movie might contain that cool guitar theme I had heard from DR. NO!

Barry's Bond scores impressed me first (I never saw ZULU until the 1980s); but as he got more assignments in the '60s which I went to see, I gradually became as impressed with his range as with the depth of his talent. This body of work is packed with distinctly original, excellent music which never could be mistaken for having been created by anyone else. Barry always will be one of my absolute favorite composers; he definitely is my wife's favorite among the films and soundtrack albums to which I've subjected her over the years.

Perhaps this evening I'll talk her into watching MONTE WALSH again; or the best (to me) Bond score, ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE; or my own favorite, THE LAST VALLEY. My wife's personal favorite, which we have only on DVD, is 1997's equally obscure SWEPT FROM THE SEA -- which I consider Barry's last great score.

Someone here posted an earlier remark about Barry having been cast aside by Hollywood. Frankly, I expect he just walked away from a movie industry which was overpopulated with "junior execs" who felt entitled to tell him how films should be scored. That's the way I want to see things, at any rate. Few people have been so blessed as to be able to leave their field "on top" -- or on their own terms. While I'm sorry to see the story end, I think he left us a relatively happy ending to celebrate.

Still, today my youth feels further away than ever, as now the last of my favorite composers is gone. Rest in peace, John Barry.

crwdfwtx · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 10:44 am

Nothing to add except my own admiration and years of enjoyment of this truly unique master.

Terry Cloth · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 11:06 am

I've been reading all the online stories and condolences on FSM, yahoo, BBC, and CNN. Then I just saw a short segment on the local news about Barry dying... THAT'S when the tears came. So hard to believe that we'll never hear another new Barry score.

orbital · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 12:06 pm

Listening to DANCES WITH WOLVES right now. Saddening & uplifting at the same time. An unique artist is gone. His art will live on. Thank you and farewell, Mr. Barry.

Basil · **Joined:** Wed Apr 22, 2009 1:40 pm **Posts:** 402

RIP John Barry... as a film music fan who is only starting to put his feet in the water, your music (what I've heard thus far) truly shines. You will be missed by all of us.

I pray for the best for your family.

Alex Klein · **Joined:** Wed Sep 27, 2006 7:02 pm **Posts:** 225

Very, very sad news. He was the best melodist ever to work on film and a very big influence in my life and future career.
Rest in peace, John.

Alex

sifr2 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 4:29 pm

I've been in a sad mood all day since I woke up, checked my twitter feed on my phone and found out the news. It's just...a really great, great man has gone.

I didn't actually realise that Enigma was his last score (and what a beautiful one) but I'm working on some wartime set scripts and playing that a lot at the moment, and I used the incredible Beat Girl main title theme on a short film I made some years back (not for profit, I hasten to add! Only about 30 people have seen it!)

I grew up watching Bonds of course and you can never forget those lush scores. I particularly like The Living Daylights, and the prime 60s Bond sound - my personal favourite moments are "Into Miami" and "Alpine Drive" from Goldfinger. Just perfection, really.

I've been listening to some Bond tonight (including the songs, which I love completely, though tonight I realised "Moonraker" might be my favourite Barry song) and also The Ipcress File - as I type this - Born Free, The Black Hole, Beat Girl, some singles, and of course The Deep, which I'm so thankful to have.

A sad day in film music, and music, but listen to his work and just be uplifted - I'm sure that's what he'd want.

Alan · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 5:20 pm

Reading Doug's Corner I was reminded of a documentury on TV some years back. It was either about John Barry or Sydney Pollack. Anyway there was an interview with Pollack talking about Out Of Africa, & how it was tracked with all John Barry scores, esp The Last Valley, & how after that they just had to get him to write the score. Now I know where they got the music from!

Terry Cloth · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:07 pm

I just found a wonderful quote by Barry, and thought I would include it here:

"Such was Barry’s confidence by the 1990s that he was able to stand up to Barbra Streisand. She commissioned him to write the music for her directorial debut, Prince of Tides (1991), but when she began to interfere with his work, Barry resigned, telling her: “You don’t buy a dog and do the barking yourself.” When Barbra Streisand protested that she adored all his scores, he replied: “Yup. And I wrote them all without you.”

redokt64 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:32 pm

Though I had started paying attention to film music in the late 60's... started collecting in the late 70's... I had always been a fan of James Bond films... That went hand in hand with John Barry and his marvelous scores for them (yes, there were other composers for the series at that point, but, Barry was the MAN). Time passed. Decades passed. My collection grew (of course). Composers I have the most scores of (includes LP, Cassette, CD)... John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith and John Barry.

This morning I heard the news on the Early Show. My mouth hit the ground. When I got to the car, a local classical radio station was playing a couple of selections from DANCES WITH WOLVES. I teared up. The day, I worked my *** off, trying very hard not to think of what was to come (the cry of his passing- did the same when Jerry Goldsmith passed away). Left work this evening and the same station was playing THE LAST VALLEY. The tears flowed.

No, I did not know the man. I loved his work. And, we will always have that and the memories as to why we appreciated his music.

I am currently playing UNTIL SEPTEMBER (thank you Intrada)... his beautiful theme seems even more haunting now... It is going to be a very sad evening.

Terry Cloth · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:43 pm

reddokt...
The same happened to me this evening... I was flipping back and forth between CBS, NBC, and ABC national news, waiting for ONE of them to have a story on Barry... only CBS aired one. Once again, the tears welled up in my eyes, ESPECIALLY when they started playing Born Free.
In fact, I'm going to have to stop typing, because I'm hearing Born Free in my mind, and the tears have started again.

Darth James Horner · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:13 pm

R.I.P.

This is sad. The Black Hole was one of the first scores that had an impact on me. It terrified me and facinated me at the same time. Dances With Wolves was the first soundtrack album that I owned. This truly is a loss to the film scoring industry.

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John Barry R.I.P.

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