From Luton, with love…
Film music composer David Arnold was smitten by the Bond movies at the age of eight. Now he has his dream job – writing their music
It was David’s production of the 1997 Bond tribute album
Shaken and Stirred
(featuring covers by the likes of Iggy Pop and Pulp) that led to David
taking over from his hero, John Barry, on the soundtrack for
Tomorrow Never Dies. He has written every Bond score since. Here are his thoughts on Barry, Bassey and the Bond sound
Eight years old in Luton“I saw
You Only Live Twice
at a children’s birthday party when I was eight, and it knocked me
sideways. It was amazing! When you’re eight and from Luton, you think,
‘Oh my God – what is this?’ It felt so aspirational.”
I loved the Bond movies so much“Bond
music struck me on a very elemental level – partly the song, partly the
Bond theme, partly John Barry’s sound. Music is something you can
really take away with you from a film. I always wanted to do the music
just because I loved the films so much.
Did I think I would? Well, if I’m brutally honest, then yes. Otherwise, I’d have led a life of extraordinary disappointment!”
Following John Barry For
my first Bond, I had so many ideas, and it was something I’d always
wanted to do, so I didn’t really feel any trepidation following in
John’s footsteps. It was harder on the second film because you’re
climbing the same mountain again and have to take a different route.
I’ve got no idea how John did 11. Well, actually, it’s because he’s a
genius, full stop.
The DNA of the Bond sound“Daniel
Craig’s thing is: ‘How do I be respectful of what’s come before and
take it somewhere different?’ – which he’s done quite brilliantly.
Meanwhile the music, in a way, anchors you to the character. There’s a
certain DNA to the Bond sound that sets it apart from anything else,
and reminds you where you are.”
Suggesting a shadow“Marc
Forster, the director, wanted me to work on ideas very early, so I came
up with ideas based on what the characters read like. For Bond, I
wanted to suggest the shadow of Vesper that’s cast over him throughout
the film. I also got into the ethnic instrumentation of Bolivia and
Haiti. When they finished shooting, I put in about eight seven-day
weeks of writing, then about two or three weeks of recording and
mixing.”
There is nothing like a Dame“I’d
love Shirley Bassey to do one more, for nostalgic reasons. She’s Bond
royalty, one of the most amazing singers ever, and sounds like my
memory of Bond.”
“I could be the next Bond…”“If
you like an overweight, middle-aged James Bond, I’d be brilliant. I
keep telling them, ‘If you want to go for realism, I’m the kind of guy
that no one would expect to be a spy.’ I’m not running anywhere! I’m
not jumping off a crane! I’d hang around outside MI6 with a doughnut,
then follow someone in a cab!”
As told to Titus ChalkTo subscribe to Sony Magazine click here