Matt Monro Forum

Just released on the 24th August by Film Score Monthly is The Original Full Score Soundtrack to ' BODY HEAT ' (1981), composed and conducted by John Barry, starring William Hurt and Kathleen Turner. Barry wrote a sultry, smoky score that emerged from a tradition of small jazz combos in late-night big city bars-but while the key musical elements of BODY HEAT derive from jazz ideas and jazz instrumentation (there is a certain amount of jazz style improvisation around the melody in some cues), a good deal of the score is traditionally orchestral and the strings play an important role throughout. The score is as hot as the Florida heat in the film!.

The 2 CD set includes bonus tracks, source music and demo recordings with a small combo to demonstrate how it might sound with various instruments playing the melody. Any Harry James fans will love this soundtrack. Now available in the USA from SAE Screen Archives Entertainment priced $24.95. My limited edition (3000) copies LP which I purchased in 1983 is now worth £300 to a collector.

This is a wonderful Double CD to own and ranks amongst Barry's finest film scores. This will bring my collection up to 130.....not good for the bank balance. Enjoy if this is your style of Jazz.

You have 130 John Barry CDs - I didn't know he had done that many scores. My collection is much smaller than that. Other than Body Heat which ones do you recommend?

I'm tempted by Body Heat. I'm still hoping for a complete King Kong.

Hi Mike,

Go onto that site SAE in the USA (Postage is around $9 for each CD), and they have The Original Score for ' King Kong'. You will love Body Heat, it is very bluesy/sexy sound with a deep alto sax main theme. Try and get a CD on Amazon by JB called 'Americans,' on the polydor label. It contains a non filmusic jazz suite and a few of his alternate themes from his films and a TV series he did called Orson Welles Mysteries, back in the 70's. Another favourite out there is a film by Wim Wenders called 'Hammett'. A fictional story set in the 30's about Dashiell Hammett. The CD is still available. Let me know what else you might like. I'm sure I can find further scores that will boost your collection