1969
Battle Of Britain
Apparently, John Barry turned down the assignment before Goodwin was asked.
When they asked Goodwin the first time, he declined. After they found no other (Barry and apparently others) willing to replace Walton, they asked Goodwin the second time. Goodwin doubled his fee, and to his surprise Saltzman said OK.
Composer: Ron Goodwin, William Walton
1969
Anne of The Thousand Days
Composer: Georges Delerue
1968
Sinful Davy
A 19th century contemporary score which Barry says he wrote and recorded for John Huston but the producers rejected the score and subsequently wouldn't return it to Barry.
Lukas Kendall of 'Film Score Monthly' has checked the studio vaults for 'Sinful Davey' and sadly, but not surprisingly, it's not there. It must be 99.999% certain that the studio executives who hated the score destroyed the masters thus depriving us of what may well have been a classic Barry score.
The themes from Sinful Davey may have been recycled into other scores but we'll never know for certain unless Barry can remember and is willing to discuss it.
John Middleton wrote in our discussion forum: Score recorded at CTS. Masters held across the road in a basement which was flooded during a cloudburst. No-one realised about the flood for some time.
Composer: Ken Thorne
1965
What's New Pussycat
Considered but unavailable
Composer: Burt Bacharach
1965
Promise Her Anything
Composer Lyn Murray said the "powers" didn't like Barry's score, and ask him to replace it; he added he did not hear Barry's score. Leslie
Bricusse was to have written the title song with Barry and may well have done.
Composer: Lyn Murray
Titles of films John Barry was alleged to be scoring in the past, but that did not happen or scores were replaced. Several titles may have been be mere speculation at the time and hold no truth whatsoever.
1965
Promise Her Anything
Composer Lyn Murray said the "powers" didn't like Barry's score, and ask him to replace it; he added he did not hear Barry's score. Leslie
Bricusse was to have written the title song with Barry and may well have done.
Composer: Lyn Murray
1965
What's New Pussycat
Considered but unavailable
Composer: Burt Bacharach
1968
Sinful Davy
A 19th century contemporary score which Barry says he wrote and recorded for John Huston but the producers rejected the score and subsequently wouldn't return it to Barry.
Lukas Kendall of 'Film Score Monthly' has checked the studio vaults for 'Sinful Davey' and sadly, but not surprisingly, it's not there. It must be 99.999% certain that the studio executives who hated the score destroyed the masters thus depriving us of what may well have been a classic Barry score.
The themes from Sinful Davey may have been recycled into other scores but we'll never know for certain unless Barry can remember and is willing to discuss it.
John Middleton wrote in our discussion forum: Score recorded at CTS. Masters held across the road in a basement which was flooded during a cloudburst. No-one realised about the flood for some time.
Composer: Ken Thorne
1969
Anne of The Thousand Days
Composer: Georges Delerue
1969
Battle Of Britain
Apparently, John Barry turned down the assignment before Goodwin was asked.
When they asked Goodwin the first time, he declined. After they found no other (Barry and apparently others) willing to replace Walton, they asked Goodwin the second time. Goodwin doubled his fee, and to his surprise Saltzman said OK.
Composer: Ron Goodwin, William Walton
1970
Love Story
Anthony Harvey was to direct, but Barry left when Arthur Hiller signed on.
Composer: Francis Lai
1971
Get Carter
Considered but unavailable
Composer: Roy Budd
1973
Live and Let Die
Unavailable: fell out with Harry Saltzman, and working on Billy.
Composer: George Martin / titlesong: Paul McCartney and Wings
1973
Don't Look Now
"Frances" DVD has interesting tidbits apparently reveals by interviews and commentary that Barry was offered this Nic Roeg's film. Apparently, it isn't revealed why Barry didn't do them.
Composer: Pino Donaggio
1976
The Man Who Fell To Earth
"Frances" DVD has interesting tidbits apparently reveals by interviews and commentary that Barry was offered this Nic Roeg's film. Apparently, it isn't revealed why Barry didn't do them.
Composer: John Phillips, Stomu Yamashta
1977
The Spy Who Loved Me
Unavailable due to tax-related problems
Composer: Marvin Hamlisch
1977
Gulliver's Travels (1972)
Peter Hunt mentioned in an interview that Barry and Black had written a substantial amount but when the film went into financial hiatus, and was effectively locked up, the whole project got shelved. When the finance came back, Hunt contacted Barry and Black, but Barry had withdrawn his music by then.
1977
First Love
Began as a song score, wasn't working. Barry hired to write a complete score, parts of which were rejected as "too mature," resulting in a hybrid song score/ Barry score. At this point, Barry asked his name be removed, but his name was seen as composer on the theatrical posters and (b) there were unmistakable Barryisms in the snippets of score that (still) remain. The director just couldn't make up her mind.
In January 2013, a limited edition of John Barry's score was released on CD by Lalalaland Records.
1981
For Your Eyes Only
Unavailable due to tax-related problems
Composer: Bill Conti
1981
Clash of the Titans
According to writer Martyn Crosthwaite, who had conducted in-depth interviews with Barry, Barry had a disagreement with the producers over his overture and left the project having written nothing more. However, Ray Harryhausen claimed Barry's complete score was rejected as unsuitable.
In 2001 Barry told Ford Thaxton: "I can't remember for sure. I don't think I got too involved. I think I may have done some demos on that and they didn't like the way I was going with it and that was probably it."
Composer: Laurence Rosenthal
1983
The Right Stuff
In an interview in the late eighties, Barry said that director Phil Kaufman was a frustrated musician who was unable to get his take on the music across. At one point, to describe the music he wanted, Kaufman said: "you're walking in the desert and you see a cactus, and you put your foot on it, but it just starts growing up through your foot."
Barry told Ford Thaxton "I wrote several things and Phil Kaufman was very up on all the rest of it and everything. It was going very well, and then there were certain problems on the movie down the line, and he needed an excuse for delaying the production. The details are a little foggy now, but I've always remembered my association with Kaufman was also one of the most dishonest pieces of behavior I've ever encountered in the movie industry. I'll leave it at that."
Composer: Bill Conti (Academy Award)
1985
Once Bitten
Barry wrote two demo themes, didn't get the job. Recycled them into Best Man In The World for Golden Child.
Composer: John Du Prez
1988
Farm of the Year
Because of his ilness - ruptured oesophagus, JB had to leave the music for Farm of the Year, retitled 'Miles from Home'
Composer: Robert Folk
1989
Licence To Kill
The producers wanted him to score this movie but because he was still recovering from serious illness it was considered unsafe for him to fly to London to work on the score. They left it as late as possible before hiring Michael Kamen.
Composer: Michael Kamen
1990
Stella
In an interview Barry says he had finished composing the score and the "powers that be" decided the film should be a comedy instead of drama and asked him to redo the main theme. Barry refused, and walked off the picture.
Composer: John Morris
1990
The Russia House
Can anyone confirm?
Composer: Jerry Goldsmith
1991
The Prince of Tides
Fell out with director and left.
Composer: James Newton Howard
1992
CrissCross
Saw film and decided he wasn't interested. As told to Geoff by him.
Composer: Trevor Jones
1992
The Bodyguard
New director, Barry left.
Composer: Alan Silvestri and pop songs
1992
Year of the Comet
Main theme is used in the film's trailer towards the end.
Composer: Hummie Mann
1992
Of Mice and Men
Composer: Mark Isham
1992
1492
JB told Geoff that the director once offered to show him the film but that was as far as it went. He never heard from him again on the subject.
Composer: Vangelis
1993
Sleepless in Seattle
'I was offered Sleepless in Seattle. They sent me the script. They asked me to do it, and I said I would be very interested. But then I heard there was a so-called "musical supervisor," and whenever I hear that I want to run. So then the musical supervisor came into the picture. And then I spoke to a guy who runs Epic Music in Los Angeles. And he said he wanted these songs, and I said "can I have a list? Fax me a list." And there were about 20 songs, and I said, "Well, where am I?" Right then I didn't want to do this movie.'
Composer: Marc Shaiman
1994
It Could Happen To You
Composer: Carter Burwell
1995
The Grass Harp
Composer: Patrick Williams
1995
Goldeneye
Was asked to score but was too busy on other projects and also wanted to spend time with his very young son.
Composer: Eric Serra
1996
The Juror
"I met with the director, Brian Gibson, and told him how I work. I would give him themes, and then I go off and work, and then go to Los Angeles, he's finished shooting, we spot the movie. I did a few things which he really liked a lot, and which Columbia liked. Then he said, "Well, what about the rest of the music?" and I said, "What about the rest of the music?" He said, "I want to hear it." I said, "This is not an audition, Brian. This is your second movie. If there's anything at the end of the day that you don't like, then we have a little session."
Composer: James Newton Howard
1996
The English Patient
Was approached but refused.
1997
Tomorrow Never Dies
Wanted proper fee, full creative control (the song), both of which he was refused.
Composer: David Arnold
1998
Bliss
Barry recorded some violin pieces that were played on set while filming, but a scheduling problem led to him being unable to do the score in the end.
Composer: Jan A.P. Kaczmarek
1998
Seven Years in Tibet
Hhad conversations with director but never signed.
Composer: John Williams
1998
Ever After
Wrote a theme as a demo, which was rejected.
Composer: George Fenton
1998
The Horse Whisperer
Wrote and recorded several demo themes but disagreements with director Robert Redford led to him leaving the project. He did not compose and record a complete score, as has been suggested.
Composer: Thomas Newman
1999
The End Of The Affair
Wrote demo theme, presumably rejected. It's now a track on Eternal Echoes.
Composer: Michael Nyman
1999
Goodbye Lover
Wrote and recorded full score. However, the film's writer, Ron Peer, who was delighted that John was the composer, believes he did not want to "lighten" his score in certain places as required by the director during the editing process. Hence John Ottman was brought in to write a replacement score. It's worth noting that actress Ellen DeGeneres claimed that test audiences reacted badly to the film originally ending with her character being killed, so she was called back to re-shoot the ending.
Composer: John Ottman
1999
Tom's Midnight Garden
Director Willard Carroll wanted Barry (him being a big fan), made one phone call just to check out availability but there was never any discussion beyond that.
Composer: Debbie Wiseman
2000
Thomas and the Magic Railroad
Barry was initially very enthusiastic about this (his son was a big fan of the stories) and wrote several songs with Don Black. However, he eventually decided the film was not going the way he had envisaged and left.
Composer: Hummie Mann
2004
The Incredibles
Worked on this for some time but apparently the studio did not agree with his take. There seems to have been a misunderstanding as director Brad Bird hired him on the basis that he would write a score which was a pastiche of his James Bond scores. Barry had no intention of scoring it that way and even his trailer music was replaced by a real Bond theme - OHMSS! They could not agree and Barry left.
Composer: Michael Giacchino
The Jam
Barry bought the rights and planned to act as composer/producer.
Travels with Charlie
Barry bought the rights and planned to act as composer/producer with segments to be directed by people like Kevin C. I seem to recall that Jim Wilson might have been a co-producer? Not sure! Barry publicised this quite a lot in the sweep of post-Dances popularity but (obviously) it never arrived.
Saturday 4th April 1959 to Saturday 29th August 1959
"Drumbeat was certainly a wonderful and exciting experience for me. Every week we were rehearsing our solo numbers, the backing for artists and any camera movements that we might be involved in. I have been involved with many TV series but never one that was as innovative, exciting and had such a team spirit."
Vic Flick
Drumbeat was released on CD in 2010 |
Drumbeat has often been unfairly overlooked when compared with similar pop shows such as Six-Five Special and Oh Boy. Yet this one-off, 22-week BBC series deserves much more attention. Apart from the fact that it launched the careers of Adam Faith & John Barry, song-writers Les Reed, Johnny Worth and Trevor Peacock, it also managed to include guest stars of the calibre of Petula Clark, Billy Fury, Dickie Valentine, Paul Anka, Cliff Richard & Anthony Newley.
Below you will find details of the majority of the programmes, both artists and songs. Over the next few weeks and months we hope to add further information about the show, the artists and the songs – some of which may never have been heard since!
Sadly none of the episodes appears to have survived, but as one of them was telerecorded there is just a chance it has.
If you have any memories of Drumbeat, whether it be watching, taking part, or even any photos of the artists, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we'll be happy to add them to this page.
Dates below link to pages. Please enjoy our tribute to DRUMBEAT!!
1. | 4th April | 12. | 20th June |
---|---|---|---|
2. | 11th April | 13. | 27th June |
3. | 18th April | 14. | 4th July |
4. | 25th April | 15. | 11th July |
5. | 2nd May | 16. | 18th July (Telerecorded) |
6. | 9th May | 17. | 25th July |
7. | 16th May | 18. | 1st August |
8. | 23rd May | 19. | 8th August |
9. | 30th May | 20. | 15th August |
10. | 6 June | 21. | 22nd August |
11. | 13th June | 22. | 29th August |
John Barry – The Lost Tracks | |||
Related External Links to artists' websites |
Your submissions:
March 19
March 17, 2013
I too used to go regularly to Drumbeat at Hammersmith and Shephards Bush. John Barry used to send me tickets following my getting to know him and first wife Barbara at Redcliffe Gardens.
I had to decline an invite to audition for guitarist in The JB7 which Vic Flick later filled.
I am certain these shows were recorded on a thursday and transmitted on saturdays. Prior to one particular show JB told me he wanted it done in one run through as he was eager to get on the road up to York straight afterwards. Right in the middle of the Ponytails number one of the trio had a coughing fit so, much to the delight of the audience, the whole show had to be re-run.(there was no editing facilities in those days).
I complained to Stewart Morris that there were no close-up camera shots of finger fret work - his reply being that, being television, he had to emphasize rhythm visually (so all we got was strumming or pick work) I also suggested to him that the Drifters (Shadows) be given their own spot - as they did on stage shows! At least this later happened!
And as far as Jack Good goes - he destroyed Gene Vincent by giving him the black leather image!
Andrew Cox
Footnote by Geoff Leonard:
There is often some confusion about Drumbeat. However, studies of the BBC "programmes as broadcast" records confirm that apart from one episode, it was transmitted "live" on Saturday evenings.
Where the confusion can arise is that many of the performances of The Poni-Tails were filmed for later insertion into the otherwise live shows. This was because they were a visiting American group who would either no longer be in England, or on tour elsewhere in the country, at the time of the broadcast.
So, although the Drumbeat episodes the Poni-Tails appeared in were broadcast "live", Stewart Morris would cut to a filmed insert for their contribution at the appropriate moment - often as the final act.
The one exception, as I said, was the episode that was pre-recorded in its entirety, in which the Poni-Tails also appeared. That was recorded on a Thursday.
July 22, 2011
My dad (Harry Taylor) was the lead singer in the Kingpins. The 3 guys in the red suits at the front on the cover, Harry was the one in the middle.
Simon James Taylor
July 9, 2011
Although I enjoyed Drumbeat, it never had the same buzz as Oh Boy!
Adam Faith hadn't really developed his style, and sang horrible things like Runk Bunk. Roy Young was, and still is terrific. Sylvia Sands looked lovely, but was really a band singer. I think Dusty appeared, when still in the Lana Sisters.
Mick Daley
April 2, 2011
My Dad was in Bob Miller and the Millermen. His name was Bill Golding. He is on the Drumbeat cover (above)directly behind Danny Williams. He was the Tenor Saxophone player. Denise Golding.
I did my best to identify all the people on the cover of Drumbeat when it was recently re-issued on CD, mainly through asking some of the ones there I recognised, but sadly nobody identified your father. Geoff Leonard.
As a teenager growing up in Shepherds Bush, I attended many of the Drumbeat shows. Some were at the Riverside studios in Hammersmith and others at the Television theatre in Shepherds Bush.
I remember one show when before the show started John Barry and his band were doing sound checks and he noticed someone in the audience.
Waving aknowledgement he then went off and Stewart Morris came on to warm up the audience and then introduced the mystery man as "The producer of the greatest rock n roll TV show Oh Boy....Jack Good. And he was sitting a few seats away from me...
Brian Dolan
Vince Eager was the first and last singer each week. I remember one programme not ending with Vince, he was second last. This particular progamme ended with three drummers on the studio floor in front of the bandstands. The three drumkits were on a low step-high platform. I never forgot the sight of three drummers soloing.
John Doyle
I'm getting in touch because, as you may be aware, voting in the Hall of Fame 2015 is now open.
At the moment John Barry's highest entry in the chart is the Dances with Wolves at No. 107 and it would be lovely to see some of his work climb higher in the top 300 this year.
I wondered if you might want to let your members and followers know that voting is now open – and if they vote they'll be entered into a prize draw in which they could win £1,000.
Voting closes on 28 February and the results are announced on Classic FM over the Easter weekend.
Please note that although we try to ensure any information placed on this site is accurate, we cannot accept any responsibility should an item of news ultimately prove not to be correct.
Please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any news items.
If you wish to send an email, for example with content for the website, please contact Geoff Leonard:
Email
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Location
Bristol, UK
Geoff (owner) and Ruud (webmaster) have been running the John Barry website since June 18, 2001.
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Geoff Leonard writes CD booklet notes, articles, and occasionally books, in partnership with Pete Walker. You can read more about this here: