David Arnold (born 23 January 1962) is a British film composer whose credits include scoring five
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
films, as well as ''
Stargate
''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien Einstein–Rosen ...
'' (1994), ''
Independence Day'' (1996), ''
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produ ...
'' (1998) and the television series ''
Little Britain Little Britain may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Little Britain'' (sketch show), a British radio and then TV show
** ''Little Britain USA'', an American spin-off
* "Little Britain", a song by Dreadzone from the 1995 album ''Second Light''
* ...
'' and ''
Sherlock''. For ''Independence Day'' he received a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television and for ''
Sherlock'' he, and co-composer
Michael Price, won a
Creative Arts Emmy
The Creative Arts Emmys are a class of Emmy Awards presented in recognition of technical and other similar achievements in American television programming. They are commonly awarded to behind-the-scenes personnel such as production designers, set ...
for the score of "
His Last Vow
"His Last Vow" is the third episode of the third series of the BBC Television series '' Sherlock'', which follows the modern-day adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The episode was first broadcast on 12 January 2014, on BBC One and Channel One. It ...
", the final episode in the third series. Arnold scored the BBC /
Amazon Prime series
''Good Omens'' (2019) adapted by
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gra ...
from his book ''
Good Omens'', written with
Terry Pratchett. Arnold is a fellow of the
British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.
Career
While attending a Sixth Form College in Luton, Arnold became friends with director
Danny Cannon. Cannon initially created short films for which Arnold was asked to write the music. The two made their respective major film debuts with ''
The Young Americans
The Young Americans is a non-profit organization and performing group based in Southern California. First founded in 1962 by Milton C. Anderson, the group was credited with being the first show choir in America, mixing choreography with choral ...
''. "
Play Dead", a song from the film with singer
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...
, charted No. 12 in the UK. The following year he scored ''
Stargate
''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien Einstein–Rosen ...
'' and ''
Last of the Dogmen
''Last of the Dogmen'' is a 1995 American Western film written and directed by Tab Murphy (in his feature directorial debut). It stars Tom Berenger, Barbara Hershey, Kurtwood Smith, and Steve Reevis. Set in the mountains of northwest Montana, ...
'', with excerpts from the former ranking third in the most commonly used soundtrack cues for film trailers.
Arnold then composed music for ''Stargate'' director
Roland Emmerich's next two movies, ''
Independence Day'' and ''
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produ ...
'', as well as four movies for director
John Singleton
John Daniel Singleton (January 6, 1968 April 28, 2019) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer. He made his feature film debut writing and directing ''Boyz n the Hood'' (1991), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...
. In addition, he has scored various comedies, dramas, and nineteenth-century period pieces, as well as providing music for several British television shows including the 2000 remake of ''
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'' and ''
Little Britain Little Britain may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Little Britain'' (sketch show), a British radio and then TV show
** ''Little Britain USA'', an American spin-off
* "Little Britain", a song by Dreadzone from the 1995 album ''Second Light''
* ...
''. During film production, his compositions are conducted by Nicholas Dodd. In 2010, he composed the music for ''
Come Fly With Me'', a British television series from the producers of ''Little Britain''.
He is a member of the
British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA).
On Thursday 29 November 2012, Arnold received an honorary degree from
University of West London. Now a university honorary, he will work closely with the University in particular
London College of Music
London College of Music (LCM) is a music school in London, England. It is one of eight separate schools that make up the University of West London.
History
LCM was founded in 1887 and existed as an independent music conservatoire based at ...
, a faculty within the institute. In 2014, he appeared as himself in ''
The Life of Rock with Brian Pern''.
Film music concerts
Arnold performed his debut orchestral concert, showcasing his film and television music, on Sunday 6 July 2014 at London's
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a Grade I li ...
. The line-up featured Nicholas Dodd conducting,
David McAlmont
David Irving McAlmont (born 2 May 1967) is a British vocalist, essayist and art historian. He came to prominence in the 1990s as a singer, particularly through his collaboration with Bernard Butler. In the 2010s he returned to academia, working ...
as surprise guest vocalist ("My secret weapon!" said Arnold) and the Urban Voices Collective choir, plus
Mark Gatiss
Mark Gatiss (; born 17 October 1966) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer and novelist. His work includes writing for and acting in the television series '' Doctor Who'', '' Sherlock'', and '' Dracula''. Together with ...
and
Amanda Abbington
Amanda Abbington (born Amanda Jane Smith; 28 February 1974) is an English actress. She is best known for playing Miss Mardle in ''Mr Selfridge'' and Mary Watson in '' Sherlock'', the BBC adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stori ...
introducing the suite of ''
Sherlock'' music, for which Arnold's collaborator on the project,
Michael Price, replaced Dodd.
He performed his music in a series of orchestral concerts in 2015: Dublin) in January (with the
RTÉ Concert Orchestra); Manchester (with the
Manchester Camerata) in April; and London (with the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works.
The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...
), Birmingham
and Nottingham (with the
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO)) in June 2015. He was also the special guest at 'The music of David Arnold', a concert in Lucerne in October 2015, with Ludwig Wicki conducting the 21st Century Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. On 5 June 2016 Film Music Prague performed a concert of his work, with Arnold in attendance (and performing) as special guest.
In February 2016 the Royal Albert Hall announced
the premiere of ''
Independence Day'' Live on 22 September 2016. This celebrated the 20th anniversary of the film's release with a live orchestral performance. David Arnold gave a pre-show talk about his work and the
Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works.
The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...
and Maida Vale Singers (conducted by Gavin Greenaway) performed the original music while the film screened. The Upcoming magazine gave the event a five star review noting that "with unrivalled acoustics and a ceiling filled with floating UFO-shaped objects, the Hall set the ideal scene for the audience and the musicians alike" and that the production "kept the audience on the edge of their seats as if the film had just been released for the first time."
Arnold hosted another two concerts of his music in Dublin, at the
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on 19 and 20 May 2017, with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. The first concert showcased his career in writing music for film and television,
the second was ''Independence Day'' Live with the film screened as the orchestra played the score alongside.
The first James Bond film ever to be screened with a live orchestra was ''
Casino Royale in Concert'' which took place at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday 30 September 2017; David Arnold held a pre-concert question and answer session.
James Bond
Arnold was a Bond fan from an early age and also a fan of Bond composer
John Barry. In 1997, Arnold produced ''
Shaken and Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project'', an album featuring new versions of the themes from various James Bond films. The album featured a variety of contemporary artists including
Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Branson Cocker (born 19 September 1963) is an English musician and radio presenter. As the founder, frontman, lyricist and only consistent member of the band Pulp, he became a figurehead of the Britpop genre of the mid-1990s. Following ...
,
Chrissie Hynde
Christine Ellen Hynde (born September 7, 1951) is an American musician. She is a founding member and the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band the Pretenders, and one of the band's two remaining original members alon ...
,
David McAlmont
David Irving McAlmont (born 2 May 1967) is a British vocalist, essayist and art historian. He came to prominence in the 1990s as a singer, particularly through his collaboration with Bernard Butler. In the 2010s he returned to academia, working ...
,
Propellerheads
Propellerheads were an English electronic music duo, formed in 1995 in Bath and consisting of Will White and Alex Gifford.
History
Their first release was an EP named ''Dive!'', released in 1996 through the independent label Wall of Sound. ...
and
Iggy Pop
James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the " Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band The Stooges, who w ...
; a version of ''You Only Live Twice'' by
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...
was recorded but not included on the album. John Barry, the composer of many of the themes on the album, was complimentary about Arnold's interpretation of his work; "He was very faithful to the melodic and harmonic content, but he's added a whole other rhythmic freshness and some interesting casting in terms of the artists chosen to do the songs. I think it's a terrific album. I'm very flattered." Barry contacted
Barbara Broccoli, producer of the then-upcoming ''
Tomorrow Never Dies'', to recommend Arnold as the film's composer. Arnold was hired to score the instalment and, returning the compliment to the man he refers to as "The guvnor",
included musical references to Barry's score for ''
From Russia with Love,'' as well as, of course, the ''
James Bond Theme'' composed by
Monty Norman with Barry's arrangement.
Arnold scored the four subsequent Bond films: ''
The World Is Not Enough'', ''
Die Another Day
''Die Another Day'' is a 2002 spy film and the twentieth film in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. It was produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, and directed by Lee Tamahori. The fourth and final film st ...
'' (in which he included references to John Barry's score for ''
On Her Majesty's Secret Service On Her Majesty's Secret Service may refer to:
* ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' (novel), a 1963 novel by Ian Fleming
* ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' (film), a 1969 film adaptation of the novel
** ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' (sou ...
''), ''
Casino Royale'' and ''
Quantum of Solace
''Quantum of Solace'' is a 2008 spy film and the twenty-second in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. It is the sequel to ''Casino Royale'' (2006). Directed by Marc Forster and written by Neil Purvis, Robert Wade, and ...
''. Arnold did not score the 23rd James Bond film, ''
Skyfall'', with
Thomas Newman taking his place. Arnold commented that Newman had been selected by the film's director,
Sam Mendes
Sir Samuel Alexander Mendes (born 1 August 1965) is a British film and stage director, producer, and screenwriter. In 2000, Mendes was appointed a CBE for his services to drama, and he was knighted in the 2020 New Years Honours List. That s ...
, because of their history of working together, rather than because of Arnold's commitment to working with director
Danny Boyle as composer for the Opening Ceremony of the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, th ...
. However, a part of Arnold's composition work on
''Casino Royale'' was reused, with a credit, in ''
Skyfall'' and again in ''
SPECTRE
Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to:
Religion and spirituality
* Vision (spirituality)
* Apparitional experience
* Ghost
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and wri ...
''.
Arnold also co-wrote the main theme songs for ''The World Is Not Enough'' ("
The World Is Not Enough" by
Garbage
Garbage, trash, rubbish, or refuse is waste material that is discarded by humans, usually due to a perceived lack of utility. The term generally does not encompass bodily waste products, purely liquid or gaseous wastes, or toxic waste produ ...
) and ''Casino Royale'' ("
You Know My Name
"You Know My Name" is the theme song of the 2006 James Bond film '' Casino Royale'', performed by American musician Chris Cornell, who wrote and produced it jointly with David Arnold, the soundtrack's composer. The film producers chose Cornell bec ...
" by
Chris Cornell), as well as "Surrender" by
k.d. lang which appears during the end credits of ''Tomorrow Never Dies'' having been originally proposed as the opening theme. Arnold also contributed the main themes to Kevin Kiner's score for Activision's ''
GoldenEye 007'', the remake of the 1997 game of the same name.
In 2017, a part of a track entitled "Vesper" from Arnold's composition work on the
''Casino Royale'' soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrac ...
was reused in a ''
Sherlock'' episode entitled "
The Final Problem
"The Final Problem" is a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring his detective character Sherlock Holmes. It was first published in ''The Strand Magazine'' in the United Kingdom, and '' McClure's'' in the United States, under the title ...
", the third episode of the fourth series, in a track entitled "Pick Up" composed by Arnold himself and
Michael Price.
Other work
Arnold has collaborated with such musical acts as
Cast
Cast may refer to:
Music
* Cast (band), an English alternative rock band
* Cast (Mexican band), a progressive Mexican rock band
* The Cast, a Scottish musical duo: Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis
* ''Cast'', a 2012 album by Trespassers William
...
,
Kaiser Chiefs,
Massive Attack, and
Pulp, and solo artists
Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Anne Bedingfield (born 26 November 1981) is a British singer and songwriter. Bedingfield released her debut album, '' Unwritten'', in 2004, which contained primarily up-tempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B music. It enjoyed intern ...
,
Melanie C,
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...
,
Chris Cornell,
Shirley Manson
Shirley Ann Manson (born 26 August 1966) is a Scottish musician and actress. She is best known as the lead singer of the American alternative rock band Garbage. Manson gained media attention for her forthright style, rebellious attitude, and dis ...
,
Mark Morriss
Mark James Morriss (born 18 October 1971) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the frontman for The Bluetones. He is the older brother of bandmate and bass player/illustrator Scott Morriss. He has released four solo albums, worke ...
,
Nina Persson and in 2009 produced
Shirley Bassey's album ''
The Performance
''The Performance'' is an album by the Welsh singer Shirley Bassey, released on 9 November 2009. It is her first studio album of original compositions in three decades. The album was executive produced by music executive Paul Carey and Englis ...
''.
In 2001, he provided a new arrangement of
Ron Grainer's ''
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...
''
theme music for the
Eighth Doctor
The Eighth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Paul McGann.
The character was introduced in the 1996 TV film '' Doctor Who'', a back-door ...
audio dramas from
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays (released straight to compact disc and for download in MP3 and m4b format) based, primarily, on cult science fiction properties. These include '' Doctor Who'', th ...
. His version was used as the Eighth Doctor theme starting with 2001's ''
Storm Warning'' until 2008, when it was replaced with a new version arranged by
Nicholas Briggs
Nicholas Briggs (born 29 September 1961) is an English actor, writer, director, sound designer and composer. He is associated with the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-offs, particularly as the voice of the Dal ...
starting with ''
Dead London
''The Eighth Doctor Adventures'' is a Big Finish Productions audio play series based on the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. It sees the return of Paul McGann reprising his role as the Eighth Doctor from the 1996 tel ...
''. Arnold's theme returned to the Eighth Doctor releases with the 2012 box set, ''
Dark Eyes''.
Arnold is the second cousin of Irish singer-songwriter
Damien Rice
Damien George Rice (born 7 December 1973) is an Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He began his career as a member of the 1990s rock group Juniper, who were signed to Polygram Records in 1997. The band enjoyed moderate success ...
, and is an ambassador for aid agency
CARE International
CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, formerly Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe) is a major international humanitarian agency delivering emergency relief and long-term international development projects. Founded ...
in the UK. He has made minor appearances in two different episodes of ''
Little Britain Little Britain may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Little Britain'' (sketch show), a British radio and then TV show
** ''Little Britain USA'', an American spin-off
* "Little Britain", a song by Dreadzone from the 1995 album ''Second Light''
* ...
'' as separate characters.
In February 2011, it was announced that he had been appointed Musical Director for the
2012 Olympic Games
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
and the
2012 Paralympic Games
The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Summer Paralympic Game ...
in London.
In May 2011, he was part of the United Kingdom's jury for the
Eurovision Song Contest 2011
The Eurovision Song Contest 2011 was the 56th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Düsseldorf, Germany, following the country's victory at the with the song " Satellite" by Lena. Organised by the European Broadcasting U ...
.
Arnold took part in a tribute to
John Barry on 20 June 2011 at the
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
in London, singing a song that was composed by Barry and playing the guitar part of the James Bond theme.
In 2014, Arnold teamed up with
Richard Thomas Richard Thomas or Dick Thomas may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Dick Thomas (singer) (1915–2003), American singing cowboy and actor
* Richard Thomas (actor) (born 1951), American actor
* Richard Thomas (author) (born 1967), American ...
, to write the music and lyrics for the new
West End musical ''
Made in Dagenham
''Made in Dagenham'' is a 2010 British comedy-drama film directed by Nigel Cole and starring Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins, Miranda Richardson, Geraldine James, Rosamund Pike, Andrea Riseborough, Jaime Winstone, Daniel Mays and Richard Schiff. It ...
''.
In October 2015 he collaborated with
Lethal Bizzle and
Sinead Harnett to create a song combining orchestral,
grime and soul elements. The song, 'Come This Far', was performed live
at a special event at One Mayfair, as part of
Bulmers Cider's LiveColourful LIVE promotion, and made available as a free download from Bulmers' website. He and ''
Sherlock'' co-composer
Michael Price also composed the music for ITV's Jekyll and Hyde television series which premiered in October 2015.
In September 2016 the Royal Albert Hall hosted an orchestral performance of ''Independence Day'' with the score performed live to picture, David Arnold gave a pre-show talk.
In 2019, David Arnold provided additional production for
Sophie Ellis-Bextor's orchestral album, ''
The Song Diaries''. Later in 2020, he co-produced an orchestral cover of '
My Favourite Things' (from ''
The Sound of Music
''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. S ...
'') along with
Richard Jones (of
The Feeling) for Sophie's 2020 compilation album ''
Songs From The Kitchen Disco
''Songs from the Kitchen Disco'' is the first greatest hits album by English singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, released on 13 November 2020 by EGBG's, although it was previously announced for 23 October. It features singles from all her stud ...
''.
Acting filmography
Discography
Films
Television
Video games
Web series
Singles in charts
Awards
* Won:
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
– Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television – ''Independence Day''
* Won:
Ivor Novello Awards – Best International Film Score for ''The World Is Not Enough''
* Won:
Ivor Novello Awards – BASCA Fellowship (2005)
* Nominated:
BAFTA Award – Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music – ''Casino Royale''
* Nominated:
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
– Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media – ''You Know My Name'' from ''
Casino Royale'' (songwriter)
* Won: BBC Radio Awards – Best music production – ''The Sound of Cinema with David Arnold''
* Won: (with
Michael Price)
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Special – ''
Sherlock'' ("
His Last Vow
"His Last Vow" is the third episode of the third series of the BBC Television series '' Sherlock'', which follows the modern-day adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The episode was first broadcast on 12 January 2014, on BBC One and Channel One. It ...
")
References
External links
*
David Arnold Twitter feedat www.reviewgraveyard.com
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arnold, David
1962 births
British classical composers
British contemporary classical composers
British film score composers
British male classical composers
British male film score composers
British television composers
English classical composers
English contemporary classical composers
English film score composers
English male classical composers
English male film score composers
English television composers
Grammy Award winners
Ivor Novello Award winners
La-La Land Records artists
Living people
Male television composers
People from Luton
RCA Victor artists
Varèse Sarabande Records artists