Dr No Soundtrack
  • 007Matt007Matt
    Posts: 3
    I've been listening to and enjoying the soundtracks to the Bond films quite a lot since the death of John Barry. I've recently read that the Dr No soundtrack is incomplete - with most of Barry's work omitted. Why is this? And can you get the missing tracks from anywhere? It would make listening to this soundtrack even more enjoyable! Also, why do some of the cds have "Bonus Tracks" (as on The Living Daylights) but not others (like Octopussy)?
  • haserothaserot
    Posts: 2,158
    007Matt said:

    I've been listening to and enjoying the soundtracks to the Bond films quite a lot since the death of John Barry. I've recently read that the Dr No soundtrack is incomplete - with most of Barry's work omitted. Why is this? And can you get the missing tracks from anywhere? It would make listening to this soundtrack even more enjoyable! Also, why do some of the cds have "Bonus Tracks" (as on The Living Daylights) but not others (like Octopussy)?



    to answer the question about Bonus Tracks

    that usually comes from the re-release of the soundtrack.. tracks that might not have been included in the first print of the album, have been dusted off an included in the reprint.

  • DarthDimiDarthDimi
    Posts: 5,991
    Barry's work for DN was limited to the arrangement of the Bond Theme, which is featured on the soundtrack. The score was composed by Monty Norman.
  • KanangaKananga
    Posts: 269
    What happened to the Bond Smells a Rat website? That gave a lot of good information on the soundtracks.

    I know with Thunderball there was not enough time to get the full soundtrack out on Vinyl as MGM wanted the LP in stores for xmas.
  • 007Matt007Matt
    Posts: 3
    Quoting wikipedia:
    "Notable omissions from the soundtrack include the film's opening sci-fi electronic music sound effects/"James Bond Theme" gunbarrel sequence, and Eric Rogers symphonic arrangements of Norman's score including a brief theme for Miss Moneypenny and the music from the tarantula scene as well as Dr. No's death (reused during the climax of the helicopter attack in From Russia with Love but not on that soundtrack album either)."

    Is there anywhere we can get these missing pieces? If not is there any chance of them being released in the future?
  • bondsumbondsum
    Posts: 908
    DarthDimi said:

    Barry's work for DN was limited to the arrangement of the Bond Theme, which is featured on the soundtrack. The score was composed by Monty Norman.



    There are plenty of musical cues missing from this album, just as 007Matt has stated above. There's the scene from the attack on Strangways' house missing at the beginning, plus the Kingston Airport drive and fight with the chauffeur. The tarantula scene. And I, too, noticed the same music repeated again for the helicopter attack in FRWL, which must have been a John Barry contribution. If it isn't it begs the question why Barry had to use someone else's score rather than compose his own?

    What is on the album doesn't seem to have made it on the final cut with the exception of a few calypso and Jamaican songs. The Dr No soundtrack album is almost an early inspired by concept album as alot of the content isn't featured in the final film. I might have bought it if it had included the missing bonus material but, as it is, it still remains an oddity to the ear.
  • GerardGerard
    Posts: 630
    Well, I know it's not the same as the real thing, but a few years back, the Prague Symphony Orchestra released an album of instrumental music, including a Dr. No suite featuring Monty Norman's music. It's available on iTunes, and when I did my Dr. No soundtrack, I added the suite to the original album (just as I added Arrival at Château Drax/Freeflight to my Moonraker soundtrack). You could do the same.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi
    Posts: 5,991
    bondsum said:

    DarthDimi said:

    Barry's work for DN was limited to the arrangement of the Bond Theme, which is featured on the soundtrack. The score was composed by Monty Norman.



    There are plenty of musical cues missing from this album, just as 007Matt has stated above. There's the scene from the attack on Strangways' house missing at the beginning, plus the Kingston Airport drive and fight with the chauffeur. The tarantula scene. And I, too, noticed the same music repeated again for the helicopter attack in FRWL, which must have been a John Barry contribution. If it isn't it begs the question why Barry had to use someone else's score rather than compose his own?

    What is on the album doesn't seem to have made it on the final cut with the exception of a few calypso and Jamaican songs. The Dr No soundtrack album is almost an early inspired by concept album as alot of the content isn't featured in the final film. I might have bought it if it had included the missing bonus material but, as it is, it still remains an oddity to the ear.


    I'm afraid that's not correct. The music featured in the helicopter scene in FRWL was takend straight from Norman's score. Musically, it even sounds different than anything Barry would do. Remember also that the DN score itself may have been EON property - not Monty Norman property. Maybe in a final edit the sound mixer decided that this originally unscored scene should receive a few notes of music and thus took from the DN score.

    Also, the James Bond Back In Action CD is a good way to find some of the missing DN cues, even if it is from a different orchestra.

  • 007Matt007Matt
    Posts: 3
    Interesting debate...
    I think it's a shame that the full soundtrack hasn't been released as it's one of my favourite Bond films. Maybe in this 50th anniversary year something will happen. Thanks for the tip about the Prague Symphony Orchestra cd!
  • bondsumbondsum
    Posts: 908
    Darth, your're right about it sounding different to anything Barry would do and it's always bugs me when it comes up in FRWL and spoils the scene for me. Your logic that in the final edit the sound mixer decided that it needed a piece of music there is a good one, but it is indeed strange that JB would decide to leave this moment unscored after delivering a jam-packed musical tour de force for the rest of the movie. I'm afraid I'm too much of a purist to consider the Prague Symphony Orchestra as a substitute for the real thing.

    C'mon EON, at least give us the full soundtrack for the 50th anniversary!!
  • PeterGreenhillPeterGreenhill
    Posts: 219
    DarthDimi said:

    Barry's work for DN was limited to the arrangement of the Bond Theme, which is featured on the soundtrack. The score was composed by Monty Norman.



    The 2001 High Court judgement said that Monty Norman composed at least a part of the 'James Bond Theme'. How much is still an open question. I know that's not what Monty Norman says but I was there and heard the Judge explaining what each of the possible outcomes of the case actually mean.
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