Barry You Only Live Twice

In 1967, John Barry had already found his niche as part of the Bond franchise. It could be argued that he was every bit as essential to its success as Sean Connery, such was the quality of his musical characterisation of the suave agent. But with the series' fifth instalment (and the fourth with a John Barry soundtrack), things were about to go intergalactic...


Remember: this is before John Williams redefined how you score a sci-fi film, so when the action transfers to outer space, John Barry gives us 'Capsule In Space', an incredibly balletic, Ravel-influenced sound with a gentle trumpet-shaped reminder that this is still a Bond film after all. It's surprisingly low-key, but daring because of it - a delicate evocation not only of the quietness of space, but also of the fact that Blofeld is about to provoke nuclear war. And there aren't many soundtracks that can do that convincingly.

Source: Classic FM

More pieces by Barry

  • Diamonds Are Forever
  • Goldfinger
  • The Living Daylights

Forthcoming Concerts featuring Barry