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Review by Stephen Woolston

The troubled musical history of this film is famous. And understandable. The movie is an enjoyable affair but a narrative mess. Is it a sincere study of the sadness of old age? Is it making a nonesense of the construction of myths? Is it a good old British period comic romp? Or is it a love story? At different times it is each of these, but it doesn't know in which of these themes to rest it's final moral. It seems the creative forces involved - director Lester, writer Goldman, and producer Stark - all wanted to pull the film in different directions. Stark, in hiring John Barry to replace Michel Legrand's score, plays his ace card to finally win.

Ordinarily, a producer bringing in a composer to write a good old fashioned Hollywood romance score against the director's more profound conceptions would smack of the low brow. Barry himself is unlikely to have approached this any more profoundly than as a job of work. After all, his life was in a hurry, he had only two weeks and a producer's brief that said little more than 'don't get smart, just give me a love theme they'll remember'. Yet Barry pulls it off tremendously. His theme is one of the greatest love themes in cinema history. And the score has much more. Militaristic marches, pastorals for the country, and some dark study of the internal angers that drive the main characters. He successfully ignores the tug-of-war going on in the film to bring it the only unity the film has. This is one of those examples where, through a coherent music score, Barry most definitely improves an otherwise messy film.

The score was originally issued in short supply on a promotional LP, containing the two Barry cues that were replaced in the final film. It was, however, mono. A more recent bootleg CD was lifted from the isolated score track of the American laser disc, but this did not include the two unused tracks and presented the music with varying sound levels and crude cuts. This is a complete recording in stereo (Dolby Surround, in fact), and having the unusual advantage of being recorded from the original manuscripts, the score is captured in almost perfect form. Only in a very few places can you feel the difference. It clearly becomes the new champion for authenticity in Silva's repertoire. Jon Burlingame's notes reveal interesting facts about the score and Richard Shore's previously little known involvement. Another must-have for lovers of Barry, and for lovers of romantic film music in general.

Stephen Woolston

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One of John Barry's very finest scores brought to stirring, vivid life in this new digital recording. It could be said that in some ways this is a companion piece to his Oscar winning The Lion in Winter (1968), but for me this work is even stronger in stylistic and melodic terms, but whatever your own opinion, it is undoubtedly a bold and striking soundtrack that cries out for attention and appreciation.

Right from 'The Last Valley-Main Titles (part 1)' with its sparkling Germanic choral sound, the entire score is a powerhouse of both grand operatic gravitas and sonorous beauty. While elements of this main theme can be found on many cues such 'The Rape of Khutal' and in more subdued form on 'Vogel Leaves the Valley' (one of several previously unrecorded cues included), it really does the composer great credit the way he varies his interpretations and conjures some remarkably powerful variations, particularly 'The Plague Pit', where guttural male voices lead into a tremendously affecting descending motif and the dynamic 'The Villagers Fight for the Shrine' which packs a real wallop. To contrast this moody material Barry counters with 'Entry into The Last Valley', an expressive cue in his best sensitive, romantic manner and this represents another significant theme which he uses tellingly on the low- key 'Vogel's Dream-The Last Valley' and more assertively on 'Departure From Rhinefelden' and finally utilises both of the major motifs in 'Death of Captain/End Title', where a soft, almost mournful recalling of 'Entry into the Valley' segues into a restrained version of the 'Main Title'.

Among the previously unavailable cues that appear, 'Why Not Winter in the Valley?/The Death of Eskesen' is appealingly subtle, as is the moving 'Captain Meets Erica/Winning Erica'. Add to this a number of acapella choir pieces like 'An Evening Song', 'A Children's Song' and the wonderfully evocative 'The Giving Away of the Women-An Offertory Chant' and you have a score with more than its fair share of variety and invention. And when I add that there are a number of other tracks I haven't named that are very worthy of recognition, it becomes clear that this is a rounded work of great depth and merit.

All in all, an extraordinary accomplishment by the composer, superbly performed and orchestrated, brimming with emotion and vitality, darkness and light, wonder and tragedy. If only John Barry had the opportunity to write music such as this again. That's one dream we all should share.

Mark Hockley

Gary S. Dalkin adds:

- In 1965 John Barry composed the music for Bryan Forbes screen version of James Clavell's novel, King Rat, while between 1964 and 1968 Barry scored four Michael Caine films Zulu (1964), The Ipcress File (1965), The Wrong Box (1966) and Deadfall (1968). In 1970 Clavell wrote and directed The Last Valley , which was not only to be the filmmaker's last work as a director before devoting himself to his much more successful literary career, but the final Michael Caine film which Barry has scored to date.

The film is a dark, complex philosophical story of war and adventure involving a group of mercenaries who find shelter is an isolated, peaceful valley during the Thirty Years War. It was one of the last of the 70mm films of the 1950's-1960's, the commercial failure of this and several other titles such as Ryan's Daughter (1970) killing the format. This was filmmaking on the grand scale, with Barry being given a full six months to write his score. It shows, the complete work being among the most thematically rich in all of Barry's canon, this album presenting a new recording of all the music featured on the original soundtrack LP, plus an additional approximately twenty minutes of material. Indeed, hearing this album now I have little hesitation in saying this is a work to rank only a little way behind Barry's masterpiece, The Lion in Winter (1968).

That however may be because in a sense The Last Valley is "The Lion in Winter Part II". It is again a boldly dramatic, Gothic work filled with rich choral writing - women's voices for the peace of the valley, the male chorus for the mercenaries and the war - with no less than six separate choral settings. The main title itself is a stunning martial/choral setting, full of menace and portents of things to come as the male voices take over from wordless female chorus to intone a 17th Century German lament over relentless snare. Elsewhere there is a "A Christmas Song", "A Children's Song", settings of two liturgical texts and a fragment, "The Plague Pit". Between these the lyrical beauty of "Vogel's Dream - The Last Valley", complete with as lovely a melody as Barry has written contrasts with some of the most savage music the composer has written. Against this, there are familiar 1960's Barry touches, some of the string writing, especially when accompanied by tuned percussion, is reminiscent of the early Bond scores.

Even those who don't like Barry, who consider him merely an elevated "pop" composer or someone capable of little more than lush string arrangements should find much to appreciate in this exception score. The time the composer had to work on this music is strikingly evident compared to Silva Screen's simultaneously re-recorded score for Robin and Marion (1976), a work Barry had to produce in three weeks. For Barry fans it is essential, doubly so for anyone such as myself who particularly consider The Lion in Winter to be so exceptional. The recording and performances are excellent. Incidentally, Silva Screen have also released a new recording of The Lion in Winter, coupled with a suite from Mary Queen of Scots (1971).

Gary S. Dalkin

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James Southall

The Lion in Winter is a highly literate, intelligent movie set in France in 1138: starring Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn, it tells the story of how Eleanor, wife of King Henry II, seeks revenge on her husband as he releases her temporarily from prison in order to name his heir to the throne from his three sons; meanwhile, they are busy plotting against each other. John Barry was already well-known by the time, having scored many Bond movies and Born Free, but must still have seemed like a strange choice to score the movie: a highly classical and refined score was required for the movie, something Barry hadn't really written up to that point. He blew away any misconceptions with his brilliant work on the movie, and deservedly won an Oscar for his troubles.

The score features by far Barry's most extensive use of choral music set to lyrics: the opening choral theme is his most portentous, and the choral writing of other cues such as "Allons Gai Gai Gai", "Eya, eya, nova gaudia" and "Media vita in morte sumus" features much variety but a consistent beauty and relevant dramatic thrust. While not up front, the chorus is still usually heard behind the orchestra, and the dramatic piece "To Rome" is nothing short of stunning, becoming one of the most influential pieces Barry has written (though it is rarely acknowledged as such). In my opinion "We're All Jungle Creatures", the finale, is the ultimate piece of Barry film music, beyond comparison with anything else he has written: he wraps up the score with one last use of the heraldic fanfare from his main theme and throws the choir into the mix for an astonishing climax.

The score has been released twice on CD before, both by Varèse Sarabande in the early days of CDs and later by Sony Legacy in 1995. Sound quality was not the best and so Silva Screen decided to augment their growing Barry collection still further, with a re-recording of the entire score, featuring the few minutes of music from the movie that did not appear on the original release. (Most notable among the "new" music is "Fanfare for Philip / The Great Hall Feast" - certainly a welcome inclusion.) I'm pleased to say that both the City of Prague Philharmonic and Crouch End Festival Chorus have done themselves proud with a superb performance, marvellously captured in the detailed recording by engineers John Timperley and Mike Ross-Trevor. Film scores don't get much better than this, and re-recordings don't get any better than this.

Also featured on the album is a 15-minute suite from Mary, Queen of Scots , another period score by Barry. Sadly it has never been released on CD in any form and therefore it would have been nice to have had a lengthier reconstruction, but we should be grateful for what we are offered and this suite is a good representation of the score as a whole. Terry Walstrom's liner notes are a step above from the norm, and ultimately I can't recommend this album enough. A true classic.

James Southall

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EMI 7243 5 35934 2 1

Geoff Leonard

EMI have just issued yet another John Barry compilation, this time calling it 'The Ultimate John Barry'. Of course it is far from being that, but it is a fairly interesting mix of tracks ranging from the sublime (Cutty Sark) to the ridiculous (Twelfth Street Rag). The full track listing is:

1. Walk Don't Run
2. Beat For Beatniks
3. Blues For Beatniks
4. Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White
5. Hit And Miss
6. It Doesn't Matter Anymore
7. Black Stockings
8. Get Lost Jack Frost
9. Blueberry Hill
10. Volare
11. Cutty Sark
12. Keep A Walkin'
13. I'll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time
14. The Stripper
15. The James Bond Theme
16. Diamonds Are Forever - Shirley Bassey
17. Goldfinger - Shirley Bassey
18. Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - Shirley Bassey
19. The Magnificent Seven
20. Midnight Cowboy
21. Never Let Go
22. Unchained Melody
23. Spanish Harlem
24. Twelfth Street Rag

Listening to this compilation brings home just how much Vic Flick contributed to the success of John Barry’s early career.  I haven’t counted, but I reckon his guitar features prominently on two-thirds of these tracks, and is quite probably present on most of the others, too!

When I originally told John EMI was going to release his recording of ‘Unchained Melody’, he told me he had never recorded it!   What he did record was a vocal version by Johnny De Little which he arranged and accompanied.  The latter is included on ‘John Barry – The Hits & The Misses’, and although I’ve not compared the two, it does seem possible that he simply took his orchestral backing track and added a solo saxophone in place of the vocal.

Anyway, as I was looking through the list I saw ‘Keep A Walkin'’ as the 12th track.  I knew the title but only as the 'B' side of a single released by an obscure singer called Tony Rocco, which JB did accompany back in ‘62.  In fact, we included the A-side, ‘Stalemate’, on ‘The Hits & The Misses’.

So, I thought maybe there was an orchestral version of this song available, although as JB didn't write it, that seemed unlikely. On playing it, it *is* the Tony Rocco vocal but according to the credit, EMI appear to think it's a JB7 track!  Maybe it’s not that important but it seems amazing to me that a company like EMI can release a CD like that, and include a wrong track.  Because, I can't see how they could have meant to include it - it sticks out like a sore thumb, amongst the only other vocals – all by Shirley Bassey!!

The booklet has four pages of sleeve notes by Chris White.  They are certainly good enough for a basic guide to John Barry but reveal nothing new to the committed fan.  No photos are included, save for the quite striking images of John on the cover, but remember this is at best a mid-priced release.

Geoff Leonard