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The Music of James Bond
By (author)
Jon Burlingame
Genres:
Films, cinema, Easy listening, MOR music, Cinema industry, Music industry, Film production: technical & background skills, Rock & Pop music
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Synopsis
The story of the music that accompanies the cinematic adventures of Ian Fleming's intrepid Agent 007 is one of surprising real-life drama. In The Music of James Bond, author Jon Burlingame throws open studio and courtroom doors alike to reveal the full and extraordinary history of the sounds of James Bond, spicing the story with a wealth of fascinating and previously undisclosed tales.
Burlingame devotes a chapter to each Bond film, providing the backstory for the music (including a reader-friendly analysis of each score) from the last-minute creation of the now-famous "James Bond Theme" in Dr. No to John Barry's trend-setting early scores for such films as Goldfinger and Thunderball. We learn how synthesizers, disco and modern electronica techniques played a role in subsequent scores, and how composer David Arnold reinvented the Bond sound for the
1990s and beyond.
The book brims with behind-the-scenes anecdotes. Burlingame examines the decades-long controversy over authorship of the Bond theme; how Frank Sinatra almost sang the title song for Moonraker; and how top artists like Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Paul McCartney, Carly Simon, Duran Duran, Gladys Knight, Tina Turner, and Madonna turned Bond songs into chart-topping hits. The author shares the untold stories of how Eric Clapton played guitar for Licence to Kill but saw his work
shelved, and how Amy Winehouse very nearly co-wrote and sang the theme for Quantum of Solace.
New interviews with many Bond songwriters and composers, coupled with extensive research as well as fascinating and previously undiscovered details-temperamental artists, unexpected hits, and the convergence of great music and unforgettable imagery-make The Music of James Bond a must read for 007 buffs and all popular music fans. This paperback edition is brought up-to-date with a new chapter on Skyfall. New & Used
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What Reviewers Are Saying
When it comes to writing about film music, Jon Burlingame is the man with the Midas touch. Both casual fans and 007 aficionados should find this book to be enlightening, informative, and great fun to read. * Leonard Maltin * Jon Burlingame has written an amazing behind-the-scenes dossier, revealing the personalities, the betrayals, the egos, the lawsuits, and the untold stories behind 007's hits and misses. Nobody does it better than Bond, and nobody knows Bond music better than Burlingame. * John Cork, co-author, James Bond, The Legacy * A magnificent work. Not only has Mr. Burlingame assembled a meticulously researched history of the James Bond music, but, being an expert on musical scoring and composers, he offers a degree of music appreciation and insight that few possess. James Bond fans will devour this like Beluga caviar and Dom Perignon champagne. * Steven Jay Rubin, author of The Complete James Bond Movie Encyclopedia * Jon Burlingame provides the intriguing and often fascinating story behind the one heretofore neglected aspect of the James Bond phenomenon: the soundtracks and the incredibly talented people behind them. The Music of James Bond manages to be exhaustively researched, yet highly entertaining. Those of us who pride ourselves on being 007 scholars will be humbled by the wealth of new insights the author reveals. With this indispensable book, Burlingame reaffirms
his status as one of the world's foremost experts on motion picture soundtracks. * Lee Pfeiffer, co-author, The Incredible World of 007 and The Essential Bond, and Editor-in-Chief, Cinema Retro Magazine * Jon Burlingame has crafted an authoritative and uniquely informative volume * the definitive examination of a major contribution in the longevity of the James Bond film series. The Music of James Bond is packed with memorable quotes and a sprinkling of photographic gems. * At last, a worthy historical analysis of 007 that finally puts the music in the spotlight; often neglected and overlooked, John Barry's distinctive sound played a pivotal part in defining James Bond's screen persona. Jon Burlingame's incredibly detailed account successfully threads together the full story, and in doing so, reveals more twists and turns than an Ian Fleming novel. * Geoff Leonard and Pete Walker, co-authors, John Barry: The Man With the Midas Touch * The tunes and scores that have graced the 007 franchise finally get their due in this exhaustively researched and consistently fascinating chronicle. * Neil Smith, Total Film * THE MUSIC OF JAMES BOND is an immensely readable and satisfyingly comprehensive study of an overlooked aspect to the Bond films' success. I couldn't put it down. * Neil Shurley, Examiner.com * [A] thorough and engaging account of the composers, singers, and lyricists who have contributed the stylistically eclectic scores and title songs for James Bond films over the past fifty years... For connoisseurs of Bond films and their scores, The Music of James Bond will likely become an indispensable part of their collection. * Journal of the Society for American Music *
his status as one of the world's foremost experts on motion picture soundtracks.