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This might only apply to those in Ireland / UK, but you never know ....

The Irish radio station RTÉ Lyric FM schedules two film music-related programmes every week. On Sundays, between 4.30 and 6.30 p.m. (UK time) and on Mondays between 7 and 8 p.m. They also commission occasional film music concerts.

Host Aedín Gormley appears very knowledgeable on the subject of films and music, and is an excellent presenter. I recommend giving it a try, especially tomorrow when she is giving away two copies of John Barry: The Man with the Midas Touch as prizes.

It's available via radio in Ireland, via various TV cable and satellite providers in the UK and on-line anywhere in the world - I think. Go to http://www.rte.ie/lyricfm/movies/ and test the listen live link if you live outside Ireland.

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Prometheus are releasing "ROBIN AND MARIAN (COMPLETE SCORE)"

IN GLORIOUS FULL BODIED MONO

Robin Hood, aging none too gracefully, returns exhausted from the Crusades to woo and win Maid Marian one last time. Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn, Robert Shaw. Directed by Richard Lester. 1976.

3000 EDITION.

Music Composed, Conducted by John Barry
Performed by The Hollywood Studio Orchestra
All tracks mono

1. MAIN TITLE (Film Version) / LEADING IN 2:48
2. RIDE TO SHERWOOD (Version #2) 2:10
3. FIGHT AND RECOGNITION / MARIAN AND ROBIN MEET / HE WAS MY KING 3:05
4. DAWN IN SHERWOOD 2:22
5. RIDE TO NOTTINGHAM 1:26
6. OVER THE WALL (Original Version) 2:05
7. THE ESCAPE (Original Version) 2:02
8. NUNS 2:01
9. FIRST LOVE THEME - BY THE STREAM 1:22
10. SECOND LOVE THEME 2:53
11. IN THE CHURCH / TROOPS MAKE CAMP 2:11
12. IN POSITION 2:20
13. THIRD LOVE THEME - DO YOU LOVE ME? 2:16
14. THE PREPARATION 2:28
15. THE FIGHT / THE FIGHT MUST GO ON 4:15
16. JOHN BURSTS IN / THE END / END TITLES 4:34

Bonus tracks
17. MAIN TITLE (Alternate Version) / LEADING IN (Alternate Version) 2:52
18. RIDE TO SHERWOOD (Alternate Version ) 2:10
19. END TITLE (Alternate Version-Orchestra Mix) 1:47

Total Time: 47:56

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"John Barry - The Man With the Midas Touch" is now available. Order now! Please visit this page The book is also available from high street bookshops and the usual online (film-music) stores.

Reviews, discussions and articles about the book:

- November 2008: amazon.co.uk book page
- November 2008: Bristol Books and Publishers
- November 2008: Redcliffepress
- December 21, 2008: Filmscoremonthly.com , discussion forum.
- December 26, 2008: Quinton author's labour of love , "For Quinton author Pete Walker completing his “labour of love” took more than two decades."
- January 16, 2009: Record Collector " top marks all round to everyone involved for getting it so right."
- January 17, 2009: This Is Derbyshire. Interview with Gareth Bramley.
- November 5, 2009: Ain't It Cool "Perhaps one of the most comprehensive and interesting composer biography to hit the shelves in recent memory is JOHN BARRY: THE MAN WITH THE MIDAS TOUCH written by Geoff Leonard, Pete Walker, and Gareth Bramley (you know with three authors it has to be good!). "

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The South Bank Show
On: ITV1 (103)
Date: Wednesday 22nd October 2008 (starting in 8 days)
Time: 22:40 to 23:40 (1 hour long)

Bond - Bond.
The world of James Bond is examined in an exclusive profile of one of the most enduring icons of popular culture. This programme looks at the unrivalled impact of Bond, examines the longevity, success and impact of the character, and investigates the creative and artistic aspects particular to the Bond brand. Melvyn Bragg interviews the first James Bond, Sir Sean Connery, and goes behind-the-scenes on the set of the new film Quantum of Solace where he speaks to the current James Bond, actor Daniel Craig, as well as various other members of the cast and crew.

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A workshop of "Billy" took place in early October, apparently with a view to a possible regional tour / West End production.

The cast was:

Lee Mead - Billy Fisher
Denise Welch - Mrs Fisher
Tim Healey - Mr. Fisher
Stephen Matthews - Stamp
Stephen Tate - Shadrack
Sarah Lark - Rita
Georgina Rich - Liz
Kathryn Rooney - Barbara

Directed by Paul Kerryson
Produced by Kenny Wax

Don Black and the writers were apparently in attendance.

Paul Kerryson is the artistic director of the new Leicester Curve Theatre and does do musicals. Kenny Wax is a general manager/producer for a number of shows, usually in collaboration with other, bigger production companies.

If it happens, they might use Leicester as the out-of-town try-out and see how it goes down, then tour it if they think it'll work.

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Lyrics by Don Black

The outstanding lyric-writing of Don Black was celebrated on Sunday 17th August at the London Palladium. A BBC Radio 2 presentation, hosted by Sir Michael Parkinson, the star-studded cast included: David Arnold, Jonathan Ansell, Gary Barlow, Elkie Brooks, Craig David, Maria Friedman, Raza Jaffrey, Joe Longthorne, Lee Mead, Ryan Molloy (Jersey Boys) Mica Paris, Matt Rawle, Marti Webb, Hayley Westenra and Michel LeGrand. Musical director Mike Dixon, conducted the seventy-piece Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in a tribute that included: 'Born Free', 'Thunderball', 'To Sir With Love', 'Diamonds Are Forever', 'On Days Like These', 'Ben', 'Sam', 'Love Changes Everything', and many more.

There was also a special appearance by Don Black himself and a world premiere of songs from Don's new musical, written with Michel Le Grand, 'The Count Of Monte Cristo'.

Fortunately, the concert was recorded and will be broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on Friday 22nd August at 7.30 p.m. BST.  It's likely that the programme will be available afterwards, for 7 days, as part of BBC's "listen-again" facility. We cannot guarantee, however, that it will be available to those not living in the UK.

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August 11, 2008
Vic Flick, Guitarman
(Paperback - 192 pages)
by Vic Flick
reviewed by Geoff Leonard

The John Barry Seven only existed for about eight years, and in truth was only really successful for around half of that time. Yet all four of the men who led the band during its relatively short existence have now written or had biographies written about them. John Barry was the first, followed by drummer Bobby Graham, trumpeter Alan Bown and now guitarist Vic Flick becomes the fourth. His is a fascinating book concerning the life and career of a man who always wanted to make his living through playing the guitar. By no means a household name on either side of the Atlantic, we learn how Flick nevertheless became the leader of the incomparable John Barry Seven and eventually the man to turn to for those crucial studio recordings.

he book includes a vivid account of growing up in the UK during the Second World War, before a brief attempt at a non-musical career faltered when the lure of playing music professionally proved too strong. The atmosphere of Butlins Holiday Camps at Skegness and Clacton in the fifties is perfectly captured, as Vic becomes a member of Les Clark and his Musical Maniacs & The Vic Alan Quintet. We re-live the days of endless, tiring, variety tours with The Bob Cort Skiffle group, leading to a meeting with John Barry on a Paul Anka tour which became the first big break for him when John later asked him to join the JB7.

There are tales of the nerve-wracking "live" performances on BBC TV's Drumbeat show - the series which introduced Adam Faith to the general public. Also the JB7 recording sessions at the famous Abbey Road Studios and at CTS Bayswater - where the original version of The James Bond Theme was recorded, and on which Vic played solo guitar. There is even an extract from his diary verifying the time and date on which the recording of probably the most famous film theme of all time took place!

The book is full of hilarious anecdotes of both off and on-stage antics at pop concerts, touring with Adam Faith & Shirley Bassey, characters he worked with and for at recording sessions at virtually every studio in London, often at four different ones in a day. The idiosyncrasies of the powerful session "fixers", meeting and working with star names at both recording sessions and on TV shows. Painful and seemingly endless recording sessions with Burt Bacharach and Tony Newley, embarrassing ones with Angela Morley and Basil Kirchin. Clashes with Sacha Distel and Lita Roza. What happened during a drowsy moment on a Parkinson show recording on which James Stewart was the guest.

There are also some poignant and moving moments, when we learn that the career of a freelance musician is not all roses, including the devastating moment when he eventually discovered he had been denied the chance to become "Britain's answer to Duane Eddy" when executives at EMI were told he was under contract to John Barry during the early sixties - which was not the case. He was later denied the chance of another stab at fame, when his recording with Eric Clapton on a James Bond film theme was ultimately replaced by a pop-ballad.

“Names” are scattered like confetti throughout the book, but never gratuitously. This is simply a reflection of the variety of people he encountered during a long career as one of Britain’s foremost session guitarists. What is apparent is the integrity and honesty of the writer, whose career was well-supported by his family. If you want to read a factual and absorbing account of the life of a professional musician during the heady days of the fifties, sixties, seventies and beyond, this book is thoroughly recommended.

Geoff Leonard

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Vic Flick, Guitarman (Paperback - 192 pages) by Vic Flick

The John Barry Seven only existed for about eight years, and in truth was only really successful for around half of that time.

Yet all four of the men who led the band during its relatively short existence have now written or had biographies written about them.

John Barry was the first, followed by drummer Bobby Graham, trumpeter Alan Bown and now guitarist Vic Flick becomes the fourth.

His is a fascinating book concerning the life and career of a man who always wanted to make his living through playing the guitar.

By no means a household name on either side of the Atlantic, we learn how Flick nevertheless became the leader of the incomparable John Barry Seven and eventually the man to turn to for those crucial studio recordings.

Read entire article here ...

Available now direct from
the publishers, Bearmanor Media
or from Amazon.com

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SOUND COPYRIGHT: THE EU POSES A SERIOUS THREAT TO MUSIC LOVERS

It seems that politicians always think they know better than experts. The Irish EU Commissioner, supposedly charged with guarding Europe's musical heritage, is proposing changes that could well have the opposite effect.

Despite two exhaustive studies which have come down firmly against extending the present 50 year term for sound copyright, the EU wants to raise it to 95 years.

Consider the following scenario:  a major record company issues a recording which does not sell very well, so it is deleted from the catalogue after five years.  Another record company could ask for permission to license the recording for reissue, but it would involve significant payments in fees which would force a high charge to be made for the CD, and possibly render the whole exercise uneconomic. Fifty years after the original recording was released any record company could reissue the music without having to pay a fee, thereby reducing the cost of production, although royalties would still have to be paid to the composers and lyricists. This is the current situation, and it has resulted in a number of small record companies offering the public many interesting, but previously neglected, recordings of unique material which is no longer of any interest to the major record companies.

If the EU proposals become law, the same recording, deleted five years after the original release, could remain 'lost' to music lovers for a further 90 years. Not only would this greatly diminish the wide variety of recordings currently available, it would also deprive many composers of the opportunity to earn royalties on their music.

Surely it is possible to devise a fair scheme whereby the original recording companies retain the copyright so long as they make the recordings continually available to prospective record buyers. If they fail to keep the recordings in their catalogue, then it should fall into the public domain after a few years so that anyone else could release it if they wished. This would ensure that many fine recordings from the past would be available, rather than locked up in record company vaults for longer than the lifetime of most people on earth.

The main concern must surely be to increase the availability of music, to the general advantage of everyone – especially musicians. The fear is that the EU's proposals would have the opposite effect.

Most of the major record companies are part of giant international entertainment conglomerates controlled by accountants in the USA or Japan. Are these really the right people to be charged with the future of Europe's musical heritage?

The British Government has asked for the public's opinions. Please visit the following website and make your feelings known.

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/press/press-release/press-release-2008/press-release-20080718.htm

If you need further evidence of the weakness of the European Union's proposals, you need look no further than the USA, where the term of sound copyright was increased in the late 1990s. It has resulted in hardly any releases of vintage recordings. American music lovers now look to Europe for recordings of their great artists from the first half of the last century.

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RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra
Nicholas Dodd conductor
John Barry special guest
Aedín Gormley presenter

John Barry, one of the most celebrated film composers of modern times, is guest of honour for this very special evening of his music.

Presented by RTÉ lyric fm's Movies and Musicals and hosted by Aedín Gormley, the concert features famous themes from Goldfinger, Out of Africa, Dances with Wolves, Zulu, Midnight Cowboy, Chaplin and many more, all heard to thrilling dramatic effect with the full might of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra.

For tickets: www.nch.ie