John Barry: The Man with the Midas Touch

John Barry, far and away Britain's best-known film and popular composer, has made not one but four outstanding contributions to the international music scene. For rock 'n roll fans, The John Barry Seven were pioneers of the emerging British music scene in the 1950s, while his distinctive pizzicato string arrangements for Adam Faith's pre-Beatles successes like What Do You Want? are part of pop music history. Chart aficionados point to commercial successes like Hit and Miss for TV's Juke Box Jury and The Persuaders. But, for millions of film-goers, Barry's greatest achievements, apart from the memorable James Bond film themes and scores, have been the Oscar-winning scores for Born Free, The Lion in Winter, Out of Africa and Dances with Wolves. In John Barry The Man With The Midas Touch, this astonishing 50-year career is celebrated in all its musical facets. The authors, each one an authority as well as a fan, draw not only on their own experience, but also on conversations with Barry himself and people who have known him since his formative years as performer, producer, arranger and writer. More than 300 photographs (120 colour and 180 black and white) celebrate John Barry's entire career, including many never previously published. The most detailed and complete discography yet compiled is another feature of the book, making it an essential reference for enthusiasts and music historians.