1894 replies to this topic

[Ace Roberts]

This is my guess. Mendes never broke ranks during the financial hiatus. Although not "officially" involved because of the legal aspects, he was involved behind the scenes working story lines, themes, and locations. I'm guessing he and Thomas Newman had quite a bit of time to kick back and forth musical ideas and themes as well. Again, I'm just speculating here, but I'm guessing Newman wrote a theme and they have either had Adele or (possibly) others record it as well. I could be way off basis here, but I feel this is an educated guess.

[Matt_13]

This is my guess. Mendes never broke ranks during the financial hiatus. Although not "officially" involved because of the legal aspects, he was involved behind the scenes working story lines, themes, and locations. I'm guessing he and Thomas Newman had quite a bit of time to kick back and forth musical ideas and themes as well. Again, I'm just speculating here, but I'm guessing Newman wrote a theme and they have either had Adele or (possibly) others record it as well. I could be way off basis here, but I feel this is an educated guess.

I believe the producers said at the press event that they had a few prospects for who they wanted for the theme tune, but had not committed to anyone yet. Also, the fact that Arnold has only recently been ousted as composer lends to the idea that things may be just getting going in the music department. We'll see, though.

[The Shark]

So the score will have a unifying thematic identity.

What's preventing EON from deciding on the title artist early on, then giving the recorded song to the composer to work into the score?

Worked for From Russia With Love.

That was because Lionel Bart was a great songwriter. The problem in recent years with singers writing their own songs is that they're often not particularly melodic, and therefore are quit hard to turn into an instrumental. Even if Arnold did get his hands on DAD for instance, it would have been tough trying to integrate it. In the end you're just polishing a turd.

[marktmurphy]

So the score will have a unifying thematic identity.

What's preventing EON from deciding on the title artist early on, then giving the recorded song to the composer to work into the score?

Worked for From Russia With Love.

That was because Lionel Bart was a great songwriter. The problem in recent years with singers writing their own songs is that they're often not particularly melodic, and therefore are quit hard to turn into an instrumental. Even if Arnold did get his hands on DAD for instance, it would have been tough trying to integrate it. In the end you're just polishing a turd.

So basically you're just moaning in case the song isn't good. Well, we'd all like it to be good, but there's not much anyone can do about that: everyone working on it will try and make it 'good'.

[MajorB]

So the score will have a unifying thematic identity.

What's preventing EON from deciding on the title artist early on, then giving the recorded song to the composer to work into the score?

Worked for From Russia With Love.

That was because Lionel Bart was a great songwriter. The problem in recent years with singers writing their own songs is that they're often not particularly melodic, and therefore are quit hard to turn into an instrumental. Even if Arnold did get his hands on DAD for instance, it would have been tough trying to integrate it. In the end you're just polishing a turd.

He did pretty well with Another Way to Die, which didn't have much melody either. I think he'd have come up with somehting workable if he'd had the chance.

[The Shark]

So the score will have a unifying thematic identity.

What's preventing EON from deciding on the title artist early on, then giving the recorded song to the composer to work into the score?

Worked for From Russia With Love.

That was because Lionel Bart was a great songwriter. The problem in recent years with singers writing their own songs is that they're often not particularly melodic, and therefore are quit hard to turn into an instrumental. Even if Arnold did get his hands on DAD for instance, it would have been tough trying to integrate it. In the end you're just polishing a turd.

So basically you're just moaning in case the song isn't good. Well, we'd all like it to be good, but there's not much anyone can do about that: everyone working on it will try and make it 'good'.

Not necessarily. You can have a good song, but not a particularly lyrical one. I think Tina Turner's GE qualifies here. The verse and chorus IIRC only revolves around one chord, and melody is limited to only about 4 pitches. That's very hard to make a sweeping instrumental out of.

[00Twelve]

Re: Another Way To Die, it is worked into the score. The 7-note piano riff and the low minor third on the guitar from that song are used quite a few times in the melody of the score. He even worked You Know My Name in there at least once. There really is no rule, since there are exceptions no matter what point one is trying to make.

[genuinefelixleiter]

Commander
625]
Posted Yesterday, 06:54 AM said:

^{There's nothing wrong electronics in itself. Barry weaved some very subtle synth sounds into his scores. Excluding the famous Moog Modular bass in OHMSS, I think there's a Moog Prodigy (or some similar late 70s synth) doing filter sweeps in the space cues of MOONRAKER, some low Synclavier pads in A VIEW TO A KILL, and the less subtle FM bass from Paul O'Duffy's Yamaha DX7 in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS. Not forgetting the Arps used by Hamlisch and Conti in their respective scores.}

Commander, you know your music very well and you're correct, Barry did incorporate a Moog bass in OHMSS as well as the other illustrations that you gave.
Perhaps I wasn't being as clear as I should have been, my preference is not to go too heavy into synth and to keep the upcoming score more orchestral. I respect Hamlisch's TSWLM score. He filled those big shoes rather adequately. As for Conti's contribution, I'm not a fan.
On a side note (pardon the pun), wouldn't it be awesome if Dame Shirley Bassey came back to grace us one more time. Especially, this being an anniversary production and a supposed return to classic Bond. She's amazing and can still belt them out!
What are your thoughts on this.

As always, your brother from Langley

[The Shark]

Re: Another Way To Die, it is worked into the score.

I know, I argue this all the time. The thing is though, what's used of it isn't very lyrical. It's small musical cells, motifs. Not 4-8 bar phrases like the kind Barry weaved.

[marktmurphy]

So the score will have a unifying thematic identity.

What's preventing EON from deciding on the title artist early on, then giving the recorded song to the composer to work into the score?

Worked for From Russia With Love.

That was because Lionel Bart was a great songwriter. The problem in recent years with singers writing their own songs is that they're often not particularly melodic, and therefore are quit hard to turn into an instrumental. Even if Arnold did get his hands on DAD for instance, it would have been tough trying to integrate it. In the end you're just polishing a turd.

So basically you're just moaning in case the song isn't good. Well, we'd all like it to be good, but there's not much anyone can do about that: everyone working on it will try and make it 'good'.

Not necessarily. You can have a good song, but not a particularly lyrical one. I think Tina Turner's GE qualifies here. The verse and chorus IIRC only revolves around one chord, and melody is limited to only about 4 pitches. That's very hard to make a sweeping instrumental out of.

Yep, but a composer is capable of doing the same thing, just as a songwriter is capable of writing a sweeping instrumental.

[delfloria]

Just heard from an associate that Newman will be setting up the scoring session in England.

[SecretAgentFan]

Just heard from an associate that Newman will be setting up the scoring session in England.

Is this associate writing for mi6.co.uk?

[Dustin]

You can have a good song, but not a particularly lyrical one. I think Tina Turner's GE qualifies here. The verse and chorus IIRC only revolves around one chord, and melody is limited to only about 4 pitches. That's very hard to make a sweeping instrumental out of.

That was the last one I really felt was a genuine Bond song. Meaning I immediately thought it could be nothing else but. I didn't have that feeling with the later songs, regardless if I liked them or not.

[The Shark]

You can have a good song, but not a particularly lyrical one. I think Tina Turner's GE qualifies here. The verse and chorus IIRC only revolves around one chord, and melody is limited to only about 4 pitches. That's very hard to make a sweeping instrumental out of.

That was the last one I really felt was a genuine Bond song. Meaning I immediately thought it could be nothing else but. I didn't have that feeling with the later songs, regardless if I liked them or not.

Although it wasn't the main song, I thought K.D. Lang's Surrender was superb too. After that, I'm afraid it's gone down hill.

Yep, but a composer is capable of doing the same thing, just as a songwriter is capable of writing a sweeping instrumental.

Well sure, it depends on the composer. But generally, a composer will be aware they need something to weave into the score while writing the theme, so having that in mind will effect the nature of the melody. For all his faults, David Arnold understands this well.

[JohnnyWalker]

I'd never heard of David Holmes before, but his Haywire score sounds a bit like a Bond throwback.

[Syndicate]

From reading some of the post, Newman will have make the sound Bondish, I think he knows that and can't get away with it. It not like writing a score for a close to real world type spy movie or some other super spy type movie like say Mission Impossible, The Man From Uncle, xXx or From Paris With Love. Just look back at other movie score composrs, who only did one Bond movie like For Your Eyes Only, Licence To Kill and Goldeneye.

You got to wonder is David Arnold going to be piss off IF he is not back for Bond 24. Any way will Michael G. Wilson and his half sister want David Arnold back, IF Thomas Newman does a real good score for Skyfall. IF the Thomas Newman thing is ONLY a one time thing, then David Arnold has nothing to worry. It could be just like John Barry when he went off to do the score for The Game Of Death and Out Of Africa.

[delfloria]

Just heard from an associate that Newman will be setting up the scoring session in England.

Is this associate writing for mi6.co.uk?

No.

This associate is a film industry professional that was given the info directly regarding the arrangements for the scoring session. There is no doubt that Newman is doing the score.

[SecretAgentFan]

Forgive me if I´m still in doubt as to why this film industry professional makes the arrangements for the scoring session right now.

It could happen, of course. But message boards are... well, opinion boards.

[Captain Tightpants]

There are some people on these forums who are in a position to know what they are talking about. And while they have never shown any physical proof of their position, the fact that they are so very accurate in their claims on such a regular basis that the wider forum community is willing to sit up and pay attention to them. They are credible because they have a reputation.

However, it is very easy for someone to log on and start making claims about the film. Any idiot can do it. I think the last one we had was NorthOfTheThames who claimed that BOND 23 absolutely would not be titled SKYFALL, and that he was in a position to prove it. I don't think he's been seen around here since then. MI6 had a forum member who claimed that QUANTUM OF SOLACE would revolve around Bond having to protect a journalist when the film was in pre-production (it's a long - but very amusing - story), which was basically the plot of THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM.

So, delforia, I think you'll be able to excuse us if we don't believe your claims just yet. You don't have the reputation that certain other forums members do. That's by no means a criticism of you; more of a warning that you should not take our responses to your posts personally.

[Professor Dent]

Interesting but not shocking given Arnold's Olympics commitment. I look forward to seeing what Newman brings to the table. I have several of his scores in my collection but, with the exception of WALL-E, I find I rarely listen to them.

[SecretAgentFan]

I do like THE PLAYER, FRIED GREEN TOMATOES and THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. Others I have listened to once or twice before giving them away. I must say I am a bit weary about Newman doing a Bond score because I fear that he relies on his bag of tricks that have dominated his scores from the beginning. Yes, other composers have mannerisms, too. But I hope that SKYFALL will indeed have "a classical Bond score with a capital B" instead of going for the rhythm´ and ambience loop most action films have today.

[thecasinoroyale]

I will miss David Arnold's scoring, especially after 'Tomorrow Never Dies' and 'Casino Royale'. CR was a superb Bond soundtrack, one of the best in recent years and 'Quantum Of Solace' had speckels of Bond-eque sounds, but other parts were a bit too generic for me.

Either way, if this is all true, I hope Newman (and the production team of course!) bring back some of the James Bond theme into Skyfall, as I don't think many fans will last much longer, I for one, without our staple Bond diet of music, dialogue and vodka martinis, shaken not stirred!


Here's hoping, and waiting.

[DominicGreene]

I think David Arnold will be back, I sense Newman is only on because Mendes is directing and Arnold has the Olympics to do. If I were the Bond producers, Newman definitely wouldn't have been my first pick anyways.

[delfloria]

There are some people on these forums who are in a position to know what they are talking about. And while they have never shown any physical proof of their position, the fact that they are so very accurate in their claims on such a regular basis that the wider forum community is willing to sit up and pay attention to them. They are credible because they have a reputation.

However, it is very easy for someone to log on and start making claims about the film. Any idiot can do it. I think the last one we had was NorthOfTheThames who claimed that BOND 23 absolutely would not be titled SKYFALL, and that he was in a position to prove it. I don't think he's been seen around here since then. MI6 had a forum member who claimed that QUANTUM OF SOLACE would revolve around Bond having to protect a journalist when the film was in pre-production (it's a long - but very amusing - story), which was basically the plot of THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM.

So, delforia, I think you'll be able to excuse us if we don't believe your claims just yet. You don't have the reputation that certain other forums members do. That's by no means a criticism of you; more of a warning that you should not take our responses to your posts personally.

I understand completely why some things posted here should be taken with a grain of salt considering how the system can be abused. I don't take it personally at all.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out in the end result.

In any case, I too am hoping for a melodic score without a lot of ambient loop filler.

[Captain Tightpants]

I think David Arnold will be back, I sense Newman is only on because Mendes is directing and Arnold has the Olympics to do.

Which begs the question - if Newman is scoring SKYFALL, did the right man get the job, or were EON forced to take their second pick?

[The Shark]

Mendes isn't holding anyone at gunpoint.

[Captain Tightpants]

I'm not suggesting Mendes forced EON to take Newman. I'm just wondering if David Arnold was EON's first choice, but becuse of his commitments to the Olympics, were they forced to go to someone else?

[The Shark]

Probably both, but it would have been very diplomatic, knowing EON. As I think Zorin here said, David Arnold's become part of the family, so yes, he's EON's default choice.

[marktmurphy]

I'd never heard of David Holmes before, but his Haywire score sounds a bit like a Bond throwback.

David Holmes could actually be a very interesting choice for Bond; I could see that.

[Harmsway]

I'd never heard of David Holmes before, but his Haywire score sounds a bit like a Bond throwback.

David Holmes could actually be a very interesting choice for Bond; I could see that.

I've been lobbying for that for ages. I wouldn't want Holmes as the default Bond composer, but a nice one-off from him ala George Martin would be very welcome, particularly if the Bond film in question was a breezy, relaxed affair, ala THUNDERBALL.

And yeah, that HAYWIRE score definitely seems to have a bit o' Bond in there.