Author
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Topic: Barry´s MIDNIGHT COWBOY: Worth getting?
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Philipp
Oscar® Winner
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Hi Fellas,I am thinking of getting Barry´s Midnight Cowboy. But I would like to hear some of your opinions first. And secondly: What do you think of Barry overall? I lioke him very much. My favorite score is definetely SOMEWHERE IN TIME. So, reveal your innermost thoughts to me  Thanks in advance Philipp np: swept from the sea (barry)
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posted 04-01-2002 05:05 AM PT (US) ip
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Timmer
Oscar® Winner
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Philipp you got me on one of my favourite subjects and I've not much time here right now!  First off MIDNIGHT COWBOY, great score, love the tracks Joe Buck Rides Again, Science Fiction and Florida Fantasy (which ended up being the tv theme of more than one British tv show) and of course the main title theme! Nilson's song Everybody's Talkin At Me is also a highlight. Most of my favourite Barry is his earlier work such as The Ipcress File (available, unfortunately as an expensive Japanese release), Boom! (a very dark brooding score), Petulia (some cool as hell jazz in this), The Lion In Winter/The Last Valley (2 'must have' scores), Walkabout (on a brilliant Silva recording), Zulu, Born Free, King Rat, The Knack, and of course ALL Barry's Bond scores but particularly Goldfinger, OHMSS, You Only Live Twice and The Living Daylights! Of his later work I rate Out Of Africa, Body Heat, Dances With Wolves and Playing By Heart. Sorry I can't give you more precise descriptions (time is not permitting), I'm sure others here can be of help and I'll be back on the board later this evening NP : OHMSS...on the TV 
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posted 04-01-2002 05:32 AM PT (US) ip
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soundtrackman
Oscar® Winner
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"Midnight Cowboy" has an excellent theme, extremely successful at catching the tone of the film, and a few nice interior cues, but overall the soundtrack is songs and period cues. I am a dedicated Barry fan, but before I'd recommend this, there are many other items you should go for first. There are so many - where to start? In no particular order, the Bond films, of course, "Thunderball" and "Goldfinger" are probably my favorites. "The Knack" is unusally bouncy and fun for Barry, "Born Free" is a classic, "The Lion in Winter" and "Last Valley" are great examples of high drama, although "Lion" is more subdued. "Out of Africa" is quintesential "new" Barry, although I am partial to "Across the Sea of Time." "Deadfall" has that great 14 minute concert-within-a-movie, "Petulia" is offbeat and fascinating. Well, that's plenty for starters. Enjoy. Mark T.
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posted 04-01-2002 05:42 AM PT (US) ip
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Timmer
Oscar® Winner
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Can't believe I forgot that fantastic 14 minute cue from DEADFALL, the soundtrack from which is also great and available from FSM, very eerie, sublime title song performed by the ever excellent Shirley Bassey!NP : 1962-1966 - The Beatles
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posted 04-01-2002 04:40 PM PT (US) ip
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Howard L
Oscar® Winner
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I have the LP and must be close to wearing out the groove containing the MC theme. That theme coupled with Everybody's Talkin' remains for me the quintessential music capturing one looking at the Big Apple from the outside in.Hey Timmer--ever heard the alternate take on ET called I Guess The Lord Must Be in New York City?
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posted 04-02-2002 12:32 PM PT (US) ip
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Luscious Lazlo
Oscar® Winner
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I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City is a dull tune that was wrongfully included on a Harry Nilsson greatest hits record. Harry did a far better tune called I Will Take You There, from the SKIDOO soundtrack.Have you ever noticed that Barry semi-plagiarized himself in Theme from MIDNIGHT COWBOY? Consider the descending string phrases which begin You Only Live Twice. Then consider the descending notes which begin Theme from MIDNIGHT COWBOY. The similarity is a hoot! Theme from MIDNIGHT COWBOY is almost unendurably sad. Barry has a high threshold for "melancholia capability". The ability to tolerate (and to musically convey) an enormous amount of sadness. His FRANCES score is perhaps his greatest testament to his melancholia capability.
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posted 04-08-2002 04:49 PM PT (US) ip
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Luscious Lazlo
Oscar® Winner
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MIDNIGHT COWBOY also contains a psychedelic tune called Old Man Willow done by a unit called Elephant's Memory. And I just found out that the singer is Carly Simon.
http://www.carlysimon.com/timeline/HerWords1.htm CARLY SIMON SAID: "In 1968(ish) I left the TV production company and got a job as the lead girl singer for the band Elephant's Memory. In that I have a poor memory for dates, I don't remember like the good elephant that I purported to be. In fact I don't remember much about it at all, except that no-one liked each other very much, and the trombone and sax player were very good, and someone's name was Stan and someone else's name was Myron and there was a Rick and a Richie. I hated the gigs. We played clubs where everyone smoked dope and cigarettes at the same time. The sound systems were so dreadful I lost my voice easily and regularly, and after a summer I quit. They then became John and Yoko's band for a while."
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posted 04-10-2002 02:27 PM PT (US) ip
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