John Barry and the James Bond sound

The James Bond films rely heavily on music to provide both continuity and
innovation: John Barry‟s early Bond scores set a template for subsequent films with
their combination of repeated musical elements that remain consistent across the
series, and original material written specifically to reflect the narrative of each film.
Barry‟s involvement in the James Bond series began with the first film in the series,
Dr No, where he was engaged to orchestrate and record Monty Norman‟s „James
Bond Theme‟. Barry was subsequently hired to write the score a further eleven Bond
films, making him by far the most influential composer behind the distinctive Bond
„sound‟.