From Russia With Love - Coloured Vinyl

Original score composed and conducted by John Barry. Recorded at CTS Studios, London, England in March 1963. Includes liner notes by Jeff Bond. From Russia with Love was the first soundtrack in the James Bond series to be composed from beginning to end by John Barry, except for one detail -- the title song -- and it set the pattern for all of the soundtracks to follow in the series. In place of Dr. No's use of indigenous-style music derived from its setting, this soundtrack offered subtle, playful misteriosos for the suspense sections, alternating with ringing, larger-than-life instrumental passages that made the action seem even more thrilling than it was. The most notable part of the soundtrack was "007," a horn-driven piece with heavy string embellishment and a driving beat that became as much the signature tune of the series as Monty Norman's "James Bond Theme" (which appears here in abbreviated form). Of the rest, the best part of this flavorful soundtrack was "Girl Trouble," a suspense theme that played off the dynamics of a solo cello, strings, percussion, and horns; this track was so inspired as action music that a big chunk of it was used as the opening and closing theme music of a local television news show in New York for decades. Everything on From Russia with Love sounded special and memorable, and it yielded a hit single in the title song sung by Matt Munro -- it made the Top 20 in England, but it was the last time that the Bond soundtracks would feature a singer who wasn't at the top of the pop or rock music worlds doing the title song. ~ Bruce Eder