Yeti49

Hi,

This is a question from the sixties (I know, If you can remember the sixties,.......).

I saw the Bond film Goldfinger in Poole, Dorset when it was first released (1964, I think). At the end of the film a wonderful piece of Hammond organ music was played. I can't remember if it was over the credits or possibly as the audience was leaving. If it was the latter it was very well chosen as the melody echoed the first three notes of the Goldfinger theme exactly. It then developed into a bluesy, funky number that has stayed with me all these years. I believe I caught a snatch of it in the meantime on the radio and formed the impression that it was a classic by one of the Hammond organ greats (maybe Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff or even Billy Preston).

I would be grateful if anyone out there could give me a clue as to what it was.

Geoffers

I wasn't there, of course! But Billy Preston certainly recorded Goldfinger, so maybe it was his version you heard.

Interesting that the song won the Channel 4 "James Bond's Greatest Hit" the other night.

alan gowdy

I only caught the latter part of the Channel 4 programme, but as Goldfinger remains my favourite in the Bond franchise I could not disagree with the verdict. Immediately after Shirley Bassey's title number there is a great sequence (well, a montage really) progressing from a helicopter shot along Miami Beachfront which closes in through one or two reasonably subtle shot changes ending with Bond and Leiter having a conversation alongside the observation window by a swimming pool. It is accompanied by a wonderfully sleazy instrumental called "Into Miami", composed by John Barry. Did that feature anywhere in the programme?

Geoffers

No, since this was purely about the songs. It is a wonderful cue, I agree, which, incidentally, features Johnny Scott on alto saxophone. Johnny later became John and a leading film music composer himself, with scores like The Deceivers, The Whistle Blowers, King Kong Lives, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Antony & Cleopatra and many others.

Yeti49

Sadly that wasn't the one. In fact the tune wasn't stricly the Goldfinger theme. The first three notes (after a repeated descending four note introduction) were the same but they had equal musical length and were followed by a slightly different phrase. the whole thing was done on the Hammond organ IIRC. If it was a totally unrelated track thenit was an inspired choice by the cinema manager. Maybe I'll find it one day....

djdave

I've got the Goldfinger soundtrack, so I'll have a look for you.

JamesM

Maybe the manager had got a Hammond himself and was playing it behind a curtain?

Stephen Pickard

Yeti49, I saw this film twice in a row at the Odeon, Leicester Square in September, 1964 and then projected it about 100 times at the Odeon, Southend. I do not recollect any exit music. End credit music, yes, but no exit. It is, however, quite common for a projectionist to run something from a source either tape or disc, which was known as non-sync, that closely matched the mood of the film through the theatre speakers. I can't even recall from your description what this might be and I know the score pretty well. Sometimes, the theatres would be provided with a disc of the theme of the film to play between performances but I don't recall anything for "Goldfinger".
Also it is possible the manager bought the LP soundtrack to play, but ofcourse that would have been illegal as it would have been a public performance.

Stephen Pickard

Geoffers

Yes, it sounds more and more likely somebody played some kind of cover version of the theme - and there were many at the time. Or perhaps some related library music.

Getting slightly off-topic now, but the other day I went to see Casino Royale. Before the film started, well, before the adverts started, the audience was treated to a selection of music. It was somewhat ironic that they were all film themes composed by John Barry - no doubt taken from a compilation CD - when the film we were about to see was James Bond minus a John Barry score. As I looked around the cinema I found myself wondering who else besides me would have recognised the themes from The Ipcress File, Quiller Memorandum and The Knack, to say nothing of the old TV series Vendetta & the advert for Sunsilk theme, The Girl with the Sun in Her Hair. It's a pity David Arnold couldn't have come up with something as memorable for the film that followed.

djdave

NO!!!! Don't say that I've asked for the Casino Royale soundtrack for Christmas, film unseen.

djdave

Can't beat this answer.

shinerchina

As the curtains closed, I suspect your cinema manager quickly segued into
a gramophone record of 'Mirage' played by Alan Haven at the organ
(very Goldfingery)

It was on a Fontana single TF 542 & a few LP reissues - but no idea if it's availible on CD - sorry

A.G.

Stephen Pickard

Alan Haven played organ on "The Knack" (1965 - John Barry) and on the main title version of "From Russia With Love" which was not featured on the soundtrack album version issued in 1963.

Stephen Pickard