Diamonds Are Forever (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) John Barry

• 1 Diamonds Are Forever 02:42
• 2 Bond Meets Bambi And Thumper 02:07
• 3 Moon Buggy Ride 03:14
• 4 Circus, Circus 02:56
• 5 Death At The Whyte House 03:45
• 6 Diamonds Are Forever 03:45
• 7 Diamonds Are Forever 02:33
• 8 Bond Smells A Rat 01:53
• 9 Tiffany Case 03:46
• 10 007 And Counting 03:32
• 11 Q's Trick 02:25
• 12 To Hell With Blofeld 01:36
• Total Runtime 34:14

Info for Diamonds Are Forever (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Diamonds Are Forever is the soundtrack by John Barry for the seventh James Bond film of the same name. 'Diamonds Are Forever', the title song with lyrics by Don Black, was the second Bond theme to be performed by Shirley Bassey, after 'Goldfinger'.

„Diamonds Are Forever has undergone a somewhat less significant though thoroughly pleasing expansion with the February 2003 release of the remastered, expanded version. Still mid-priced, the disc features 24 additional minutes of music from the completed film -- included is 'Gunbarrel and Manhunt,' alternating between original John Barry music and Barry's variations on Monty Norman's 'James Bond Theme,' and the musical accompaniment to various key action scenes, as well as some playful romantic scoring for some of Sean Connery's romantic activities. The main virtue is the improved sound (which greatly benefits Shirley Bassey's finely nuanced performance of the title song) on what was an entertaining and distinctive, if not terribly creative or ambitious score, a somewhat closer relative to Barry's work on Goldfinger and to the exoticism of You Only Live Twice or the bold, near-symphonic scope of On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The annotation is reasonably thorough, although on this occasion it focuses far more on the movie than on the music.“ (Bruce Eder, AMG)

„John Barry made his reputation with highly enjoyable and sophisticated soundtracks for early James Bond pictures, including From Russian With Love, Thunderball, and 1971's Diamonds Are Forever. Like many Bond soundtracks, Diamonds Are Forever features a dynamic mix of brass-heavy orchestral numbers, reconfigurations of the original Bond theme, dreamy ballads, and a celebrity vocal performance of the title track. Following up her 'Goldfinger' hit, singer Shirley Bassey returns here with another bravura performance on the 'Diamonds Are Forever' theme; although not as memorable as Bassey's earlier classic, the song still impresses with a catchy mix of rock elements (wah-wah guitar, electric bass, 4/4 beat) and full orchestration. And as is the fashion with soundtracks, this main title is recycled more than once -- in this instance, as both a flute-and-vibes lounge cut and as part of a darkly lush string arrangement. Along with easy listening, Henry Mancini-inspired cuts like 'Tiffany Case,' and 'Q's Trick,' Barry also gives a nod to Max Steiner's clamorous soundtracks with suspense and action backdrops like 'Bond Smells a Rat' and 'To Hell With Blofield.' And the Bond theme gets its due on the noir-ish, cat burglar motif 'Bond Meets Bambi and Thumper.' With equally stunning pieces like the romantic waltz 'Circus, Circus' topping things off, Diamonds Are Forever qualifies as one of Barry's most gratifying Bond soundtracks.“ (Stephen Cook)

Shirley Bassey, vocals
Sean Connery, vocals
John Barry, conductor

Producer Harry Saltzman

Digitally remastered

John Barry
Jazz man, Hollywood legend, Yorkshire lad. John Barry was all of these but it is for his film music, especially his soundtracks for the James Bond films, that he is most often remembered. His cascades of lyrical strings, syncopated jazz rhythms and smooth shifts of harmony would become the inimitable sound of 007. But Barry was born far from the glamour of Hollywood in York, England. His father, Jack Xavier Prendergast, ran a chain of local cinemas and the young composer gained his first experience of working in the film industry by helping out as a projectionist: one of his earliest memories was of watching Mickey Mouse on the big screen in black and white.

Encouraged by his father, also a jazz fan, Barry took lessons on piano and trumpet, learning how to arrange jazz with Bill Russo, a one-time arranger for Stan Kenton's orchestra. He gained further experience of playing as a bandsman while on national service with the army, and formed his own ensemble, The John Barry Seven, which went on to record several pop hits during the late 50s and 60s, including Hit and Miss, the theme for TV's Juke Box Jury. With its glittering brass and smooth strings, Barry's sound encapsulates the glamour of his swinging sixties lifestyle. As part of the celebrity circuit, Barry mingled with Michael Caine - he would write the film score for Zulu - and Terence Stamp, and married the actress Jane Birkin.

Collaborations with Adam Faith lead to chart success with Barry's arrangement of 'What Do You Want?' and music for the film Beat Girl (1960). But it was Barry's work as an arranger for Monty Norman on Dr No in 1962 that would mark the first of his 11 scores for the Bond films. Disputes between Barry and Norman over the ownership of the Bond theme sparked a court case between them, with Norman suing Barry over his claims that the Bond theme was his. When he first saw Dr No, Barry thought it was satire, and took Bond's character lightly, but he would go on to create the golden-age 007 sound. It was also during this early period that Barry wrote some of his most memorable scores, winning an Oscar for his languid, country jazz in Midnight Cowboy, and two further Oscars for Born Free in 1966.

On a work trip to California, Barry made Los Angeles his home. After spending nearly a year working out of the Beverly Hills Hotel, he settled on the West Coast. Later, with his second wife, Laurie, Barry moved to Oyster Bay, New York, where he would continue to attract Hollywood interest, winning an Oscar score for his music for Out of Africa, as well as working on big-budget psychological thrillers, such as Body Heat, starring Kathleen Turner and and William Hurt, and the mid-80s box-office hit Jagged Edge, starring Glenn Close and Jeff Bridges. For Barry, film music was about getting 'the smell' of a film right. But in later life he also worked away from film, producing moody stand-alone albums for Decca including The Beyondness of Things and Eternal Echoes. In the late 1990s he found a niche in the concert hall, conducting his own works, while composer David Arnold took over from Barry as the Bond composer. (Source: www.sinfinimusic.com)

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