The music of James Bond

Roger Moore, the oldest and longest-running actor to play James Bond, recently died of cancer at age 89. Moore was often seen as the man who brought tongue-and-cheek attitude to the character, and was respected in Hollywood for his personal kindness and generosity. As fans mourn his loss, they'll be hearing that iconic theme — as well as the many voices who've contributed theme songs to films in the longstanding franchise. Those voices even include recently deceased Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell.

Moore's first Bond outing, Live and Let Die (1973), was scored by Beatles producer George Martin, with a theme song by Paul McCartney. Subsequent efforts were handled by a number of composers, including John Barry, who composed four of his 12 James Bond scores during Roger Moore's era and is seen as the architect of the franchise's sound — unifying jazzy brass with moody sensuousness.

Barry loved Russian Romantic composers, and that aesthetic is prominent through his work as he spent time reshaping the theme, working with artists like Duran Duran and Shirley Bassey for title tracks, and eventually firming up what's thought of as the "Bond sound" with 1964's Goldfinger. He also composed the original Bond signature theme, despite that being credited to Monty Norman for many years due to the original contract. The sound we've come to identify as James Bond is very much the work of John Barry.

By the time Moore arrived, Bond's musical framework was in place, which allowed for the franchise to evolve into more comedic territory without the music losing any of its authority. In some ways, the thrilling and confident music helped to maintain the weight of Bond's character. Years on, and many iterations later, this malleability of the music has allowed it to withstand whatever filmmakers could throw its way.

The current iteration of Bond has been framed by two composers: David Arnold (of Sherlock fame) and Thomas Newman. Their efforts have coincided with a renaissance in the franchise, as it reframed its feel to respond to a global audience influenced by the speed and kineticism of films like The Bourne Identity.

David Arnold was no surprise: in 1997, he released an album of James Bond music. The music was predominantly that of John Barry, who approved of the new versions so much he called the producer of Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). The film was in development at the time, and Barry recommended Arnold for the film. Arnold went on to score four more Bond films, rounding out the Pierce Brosnan era and bringing in Daniel Craig through Quantum of Solace.

What Arnonld brought to the franchise was an energy and modern sensibility in line with the quality of John Barry, but in recognition of where the franchise needed to go. There's a subtler understanding of the films' emotional dynamics, with the music reflecting the stories' growing complexity. Arnold also brought an extensive percussion palette, along with that signature big brass, which gave the music more of a sense of acceleration.

Newman took over for the most recent two films in the franchise, arriving with the director Sam Mendes, a longtime collaborator. His contributions are some of the more drastic departures to date, as there is no removing Thomas Newman from his compositions. Rather, this is Thomas Newman interpreting James Bond. There's more texture to the orchestrations, and a certain subtlety of expression unique to Newman's aesthetic. There is a certain old-world class he brings to every project.

In many ways, Newman is the composer best suited for the type of story taking shape now: offering a deeply organic, humanistic focus to the outlandish narratives and weighty historical lineage. Even as Spectre tried to bring a return to the Roger Moore sensibility, the music held tight and maintained the character's gravity. With his balance of daring and comedy, Moore now looks like one of the best Bonds ever.

Garrett Tiedemann is a writer, filmmaker, and composer who owns the multimedia lab CyNar Pictures and its record label American Residue Records.