As a fan of film scores, I thought I'd start this.
One of my favorite film composers is Hans Zimmer. I've got several of his works on my iPod, and each one is good in its own way. He can do a great variety of styles from loud bombastic action (Gladiator, Pirates) to more laid back, I guess you could say(Da Vinci Code, Last Samurai, also which have some big parts). So, I think it might be interesting to have him tackle a Bond score. Some of my other faves. are:
1. John Williams (Dunno if he's suited for Bond, tho.)
2. Alan Silvestri--Lots of action/adventure scores
3. Steve Jablonsky (Love his Transformers work)
4. John Powell (Maybe)
Just to name a few.
So leave any ideas that come to mind, everyone!
Edited by PotterBond007, 11 September 2009 - 09:38 AM.
Zimmer. Mostly because after John Williams and John Barry, he is the only one who comes with action scores I hum. That's when you know the movie is good.
I would like them to change the composer, I'm not the biggest David Arnold fan, although he did some good work especially on the Craig movies, I still think he comes of a little uninspired sometimes.
- Harry Gregson-Williams (Kingdom of Heaven soundtrack is marvellous)
- Eric Serra (deserves another chance, GoldenEye is underrated)
- John Williams (obviously very talented, for Bond Minority Report style would be great)
- Stefano Mainetti (unknown to many, but a very gifted Italian composer, did some great work on cult horror pictures like Zombi 3 and Tale of the Mummy, not for everyone)
- James Horner (can work in every genre, I'd like to see him take on Bond someday)
I'd say Harry Gregson-Williams. His first Narnia soundtrack was a bit dull, admittedly, and I haven't heard the OST for Caspian, but his work on MGS2, MGS3, MGS4, Kingdom of Heaven, and well, just about anything else I can think of he's composed are positively brilliant.
I'd say Harry Gregson-Williams. His first Narnia soundtrack was a bit dull, admittedly, and I haven't heard the OST for Caspian, but his work on MGS2, MGS3, MGS4, Kingdom of Heaven, and well, just about anything else I can think of he's composed are positively brilliant.
Bingo! That's why I chose him in the first place. I think he also did the music for the movie, The Island and bits and pieces for the connery movie, The Rock. BUT it's his work on the MGS games that not only take the cake but completely pilfer the entire bakery. The guy is brilliant.
What about these composers
-Geoffrey Burgon
-Michael Storey
-Nicholas Hooper
-Alex Heffes
-Carter Burwell
-Marc Streitenfeld
-Charlie Clouser
-John M. Keane
-Steve Jablonsky
-David Buckley
-Cliff Eidelman
They might not be a big name like John Williams, John Barry, Hans Zimmer, James Horner, Danny Elfman and David Arnold. But they have done scores for big name movies. So would they be able to make a good score for future Bond movies
Edited by Syndicate, 15 September 2009 - 06:04 PM.
I would like David Arnold to take over the Bond franchise.He clearly knows the Bond sound (just listen to A Night at the Opera, or Elektras Theme) and has proven himself capable of writing action ( African Rundown,Backseat Driver,Submarine) and not only that he already scored 5 Bond movies so seems perfectly placed to take over.
I would like David Arnold to take over the Bond franchise.He clearly knows the Bond sound (just listen to A Night at the Opera, or Elektras Theme) and has proven himself capable of writing action ( African Rundown,Backseat Driver,Submarine) and not only that he already scored 5 Bond movies so seems perfectly placed to take over.
Que?
Here's another quality composer:
Howard Shore.
Edited by The Shark, 21 September 2009 - 12:52 AM.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The right man for Bond these days is David Holmes, capable of doing something very contemporary while channeling that jazz 1960s cool.
That jazziness is what really sets him apart from the competition. Most people tend to suggest composers known for their ventures with big, sweeping orchestral work. But I think that's the wrong direction, honestly. We need to find a composer with a jazzy soul, not a John Williams clone.
Personally I'm not a fan of any of his works outside of Lord of the Rings. Leastways what I've heard of his rather long career.
What's there not to like?
He can be a little forgettable, and more than a little dull. But I still like him, and when he's good, he's good. I don't think he's right for Bond, though.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The right man for Bond these days is David Holmes, capable of doing something very contemporary while channeling that jazz 1960s cool.
That jazziness is what really sets him apart from the competition. Most people tend to suggest composers known for their ventures with big, sweeping orchestral work. But I think that's the wrong direction, honestly. We need to find a composer with a jazzy soul, not a John Williams clone.
Indeed. I've been in full support of a Holmes score for quite a few years now. I just listened to the OCEAN'S TWELVE soundtrack yesterday (including all the tracks not included on the studio CD) and I can safely say that whatever one may think of OCEAN'S TWELVE as a film, it's got an undeniably awesome soundtrack. I like the combination of 60s and 70s jazzy awesomeness and would love to hear some of that atmosphere behind Bond.
I'll suggest David Newman. He did the score for SERENITY, which involved music for an Asian-infused spaghetti Western. And if you can do that and do it well - and Newman can; the introduction of Serenity herself is one of the best pieces of scoring ever - then you can do just about anything.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The right man for Bond these days is David Holmes, capable of doing something very contemporary while channeling that jazz 1960s cool.
That jazziness is what really sets him apart from the competition. Most people tend to suggest composers known for their ventures with big, sweeping orchestral work. But I think that's the wrong direction, honestly. We need to find a composer with a jazzy soul, not a John Williams clone.
Indeed. I've been in full support of a Holmes score for quite a few years now. I just listened to the OCEAN'S TWELVE soundtrack yesterday (including all the tracks not included on the studio CD) and I can safely say that whatever one may think of OCEAN'S TWELVE as a film, it's got an undeniably awesome soundtrack. I like the combination of 60s and 70s jazzy awesomeness and would love to hear some of that atmosphere behind Bond.
David Holmes was meant to do the score for TOMORROW NEVER DIES I believe.
I'll suggest David Newman. He did the score for SERENITY, which involved music for an Asian-infused spaghetti Western. And if you can do that and do it well - and Newman can; the introduction of Serenity herself is one of the best pieces of scoring ever - then you can do just about anything.
David Newman's a great choice as well. I also think Thomas Newman is worth a thought, after watching The Good German the other day. His level of composition and orchestration there is easily above what most film composers out there could achieve, unfortunately.
That jazziness is what really sets him apart from the competition. Most people tend to suggest composers known for their ventures with big, sweeping orchestral work. But I think that's the wrong direction, honestly. We need to find a composer with a jazzy soul, not a John Williams clone.
The Jazziness was Barry's finishing touch, that made the early films so damn cool. But with the exception of Goldfinger, most of his best cues in the surrounding scores aren't jazz orientated at all. Barry's era of big band jazz was unique for it's orchestration and expertise required for composing, something I can't say for David Holmes (we're not talking Lalo Schifrin here), whose work is more DJ based, and is almost entirely synthetic. Which isn't what Bond needs, and why Arnold's synth beats don't work, no matter how many ******* mobile phones and touch screen interfaces Bond uses.
Again, Barry studied hard on orchestration, harmony, counterpoint etc.. As well as an organist, in his local town. Many of his Bond scores used unusual orchestration such as certain brass mutes, and alto flutes (used a lot in TB and OHMSS).
In the end I don't think hiring an Irish DJ and occasional composer is the answer, unless we want Arnold without the orchestration. I mentioned Howard Shore, because of his Barry like arrangements, which is more important to Bond than just Jazz alone.
The Shark.
Edited by The Shark, 21 September 2009 - 11:24 AM.
But with the exception of Goldfinger, most of his best cues in the surrounding scores aren't jazz orientated at all.
I entirely disagree. But I'm the kind of guy who goes ga-ga for tracks like "Cafe Martinique" or "Try," and it's worth mentioning that most of Barry's early action cues were very jazz-edged. It's that lounge-music style that made those early Bond films what they were (with the exception, of course, being the lyricism of YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE and parts of ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE).
Barry's era of big band jazz was unique for it's orchestration and expertise required for composing, something I can't say for David Holmes (we're not talking Lalo Schifrin here), whose work is more DJ based, and is almost entirely synthetic.
Sure. But I'm not looking for Barry II, but rather someone who can find an altogether different, but still jazzy, vibe for Bond. Holmes would be new while being retro, and I think that's the right route to go.
Which isn't what Bond needs, and why Arnold's synth beats don't work, no matter how many ******* mobile phones and touch screen interfaces Bond uses.
Arnold's synth beats don't work because Arnold doesn't know how to use them. I'd argue that David Holmes does, and that his scores are much more striking--and oh-so-cool--than Arnold's scores have ever managed to be.
I mentioned Howard Shore, because of his Barry like arrangements, which is more important to Bond than just Jazz alone.
I've had enough of lush, Barry-like arrangements. I'm tired of it. Time for something different, something with a different perspective. I think David Holmes could provide one, just like George Martin did on LIVE AND LET DIE and Eric Serra did on GOLDENEYE.
David Holmes was meant to do the score for TOMORROW NEVER DIES I believe.
Interesting. I'm not sure he would have been right for that film, necessarily, but I could definitely see Holmes bringing a lot to a film like QUANTUM OF SOLACE, which tried for a more stylish and contemporary vibe.
"An altogether different, but still jazzy, vibe for Bond"? "New while being retro"? I think Joe Hisaishi's what the 007 series needs at this point. Here's some of his music from Takeshi Kitano's HANA-BI (FIREWORKS):
I've had enough of lush, Barry-like arrangements. I'm tired of it. Time for something different, something with a different perspective. I think David Holmes could provide one, just like George Martin did on LIVE AND LET DIE and Eric Serra did on GOLDENEYE.
I'm not looking for lush arrangements (though occasional flourishes are nice), I'm looking for something for a very large orchestra, like the works of great 20th Century Russian composers - Stravinsky, Shostakovitch, Prokofiev. Brutal, barbaric, intense.
Bond needs a rich orchestration, not minimalism. As you can see I'm talking about about the depth of the orchestration as opposed to the mood or character.
I'm not so sure Eric Sera's work should be held up as something to return to.
Exactly, while it's interesting, I don't feel it's the direction Bond films need to go in, the same with Holmes. Stark, minimally orchestrated avant garde, and avant garde jazz seem more appropriate to a minimalist spy such as say George Smiley than James Bond. Unless of course you want Bond films to be stark and bleak.
Edited by The Shark, 21 September 2009 - 06:24 PM.
"An altogether different, but still jazzy, vibe for Bond"? "New while being retro"? I think Joe Hisaishi's what the 007 series needs at this point. Here's some of his music from Takeshi Kitano's HANA-BI (FIREWORKS):
Going off of that sample, I'm not crazy about the suggestion, Loomis.
I'm not looking for lush arrangements (though occasional flourishes are nice), I'm looking for something for a very large orchestra, like the works of great 20th Century Russian composers - Stravinsky, Shostakovitch, Prokofiev. Brutal, barbaric, intense.
Why?
Nothing even close to that enters my mind when I'm reading Fleming. What does is something more like a jazz combo, lots of percussion and short, memorable riffs on the piano, trumpet, and guitar. Obviously, that kind of score wouldn't fit some of the more epic Bond ventures, but since my ideal Bond would be more of a thriller than an epic (and that's what Fleming's novels were), it fits.
Maybe we just have very different senses for what Bond's aesthetic should be. If I could throw any film out there that demonstrates would like to see in a modern Bond film's aesthetic, it would be OCEAN'S TWELVE. OCEAN'S TWELVE is not a good film, but the aesthetic... well, it's pretty much the aesthetic I dream about a contemporary Bond film having. And so yeah, David Holmes naturally comes to mind.
I'm not so sure Eric Sera's work should be held up as something to return to.
So sue me, but I like it. I don't think it should have been a mainstay, but it was nice to see a composer come in and do something very different. I'd like to see that happen again.
Stark, minimally orchestrated avant garde, and avant garde jazz seem more appropriate to a minimalist spy such as say George Smiley than James Bond. Unless of course you want Bond films to be stark and bleak.
David Holmes' music is hardly "stark and bleak." I suppose some of his work could be categorized that way, but his music for the OCEAN'S films is quite the opposite.
Nothing even close to that enters my mind when I'm reading Fleming. What does is honestly stuff like Mancini's music for the title sequence of CHARADE. Less something on a grand scale, but oodles of style. And style is what Bond needs.
Maybe we just have very different senses for what Bond's aesthetic should be. If I could throw any film out there that demonstrates would like to see in a modern Bond film's aesthetic, it would be OCEAN'S TWELVE. OCEAN'S TWELVE is not a good film, but the aesthetic... that's the aesthetic I dream about a contemporary Bond film having. And so yeah, David Holmes naturally comes to mind.
I was thinking of more the intensest moments possible within Fleming's prose, or an action sequence on screen. Obviously Barry was influenced a great deal, and added that with his own big band style of jazz. I'm thinking particularly of the most violent moments in the TB i.e. when Largo's cuts Angelo's breathing tube, or Bond fighting the frogmen under the Disco Volante at night, then being attacked by grenades etc... That kind of rawness mixed with jazz hasn't been topped, and that's really what I'm getting at. The primitiveness if you will, since Bond while refined and sophisticated, is ultimately a lady's man and a killer. You need something raw enough to reflect that, the blunt instrument at the heart of his character.
However, for the less intense scenes, something much more Mancini's score for Charade could work out brilliantly.
David Holmes' music is hardly "stark and bleak." I suppose some of his work could be categorized that way, but his music for the OCEAN'S films is quite the opposite.
I'm not sure, maybe it's that it's just too clean, polished, and middle of the road. Bond needs something more aggressive and daring, which come to think of now Howard Shore doesn't fit either, even if he's closer to the mark.
Anyone ever hear of ES Posthumus? They have interesting movie-style music. Not sure if they're suited for Bond, tho. Could be. Or Trevor Rabin. He did music for the Get Smart movie which is a Bond spoof. . .
Edited by PotterBond007, 02 October 2009 - 04:35 AM.
Anyone ever hear of ES Posthumus? They have interesting movie-style music. Not sure if they're suited for Bond, tho. Could be. Or Trevor Rabin. He did music for the Get Smart movie which is a Bond spoof. . .
Because something sounds or looks a bit Bond is not the reason why a creative should get involved with Bond. It usually means the exact opposite.
My first choice would be Michael Giacchino. I love his music for LOST, and Roar from the Cloverfield OST was simply amazing. Other names:
- James Newton Howard (works regularly wonders for the Shyamalan films)
- John Powell (Bourne Identity and Paycheck are very good for example)
- Trevor Morris (only heard The Tudors OST, but that was really good)
