John Barry

(PA)

Further to yesterday's obituary, John Barry's music inspired me to start collecting film soundtrack records in the 1960s, which eventually led to my own record company being formed, releasing archival film soundtrack recordings on CD that had never previously been available in that format, writes Michael S Fishberg, CEO, Harkit Records. This included several John Barry compositions including "Boom!" (1968) and "Follow Me!" (1972).

I took a very keen interest in Barry's output and watched the celebrated Monty Norman trial at the High Court referred to in Spencer Leigh's fine piece. Some months after that, Barry was interviewed for the film buff's magazine Film Score Monthly; the editor, Lukas Kendall, knowingly pressed him about who did write the "James Bond Theme". Barry was very circumspect and gallant but did wonder just what Norman had played on the piano in Cubby Broccoli's office when auditioning his music! He also suggested that fans of his should go back and listen to his own "Bees Knees" composition which was the theme tune to Drumbeat, a 1958 television series, as if to reinforce his point.