David G. Arnold (born 23 January 1962) is an English film composer best kno… Read Full Bio ↴David G. Arnold (born 23 January 1962) is an English film composer best known for scoring five James Bond films, as well as Stargate (1994), Independence Day (1996), Godzilla (1998) and the television series Little Britain and Sherlock. For Independence Day he received a Grammy Award 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 for the score of "His Last Vow", the final episode in the third series. Arnold scored the BBC / Amazon Prime series Good Omens (2019) adapted by Neil Gaiman from his book Good Omens, written with Terry Pratchett. Arnold is a fellow of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.
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. "Play Dead", a song from the film with singer Björk, charted #12 in the UK. The following year he scored Stargate and Last of the Dogmen, 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, as well as four movies for director John Singleton. 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. 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, a faculty within the institute. In 2014, he appeared as himself in The Life of Rock with Brian Pern.
He has collaborated with such musical acts as Cast, Kaiser Chiefs, Massive Attack, and Pulp, and solo artists Natasha Bedingfield, Melanie C, Björk, Chris Cornell, Shirley Manson, Mark Morriss, Nina Persson and in 2009 produced Shirley Bassey's album The Performance.
In 2001, he provided a new arrangement of Ron Grainer's Doctor Who theme music for the Eighth Doctor audio dramas from Big Finish Productions. 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 starting with Dead London. 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, and is an ambassador for aid agency CARE International in the UK. He has made minor appearances in two different episodes of Little Britain as separate characters.
In February 2011, it was announced that he was appointed Musical Director for the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.
In May 2011, he was part of the United Kingdom's jury for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011.
Arnold took part in a tribute to John Barry on 20 June 2011 at the Royal Albert Hall 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, to write the music and lyrics for the new West End musical Made in Dagenham.
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.
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. "Play Dead", a song from the film with singer Björk, charted #12 in the UK. The following year he scored Stargate and Last of the Dogmen, 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, as well as four movies for director John Singleton. 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. 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, a faculty within the institute. In 2014, he appeared as himself in The Life of Rock with Brian Pern.
He has collaborated with such musical acts as Cast, Kaiser Chiefs, Massive Attack, and Pulp, and solo artists Natasha Bedingfield, Melanie C, Björk, Chris Cornell, Shirley Manson, Mark Morriss, Nina Persson and in 2009 produced Shirley Bassey's album The Performance.
In 2001, he provided a new arrangement of Ron Grainer's Doctor Who theme music for the Eighth Doctor audio dramas from Big Finish Productions. 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 starting with Dead London. 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, and is an ambassador for aid agency CARE International in the UK. He has made minor appearances in two different episodes of Little Britain as separate characters.
In February 2011, it was announced that he was appointed Musical Director for the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.
In May 2011, he was part of the United Kingdom's jury for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011.
Arnold took part in a tribute to John Barry on 20 June 2011 at the Royal Albert Hall 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, to write the music and lyrics for the new West End musical Made in Dagenham.
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.
The Stargate Opens
David Arnold Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by David Arnold:
African Rundown Rise from Hell, Soul tormenting, heads of the gates, burns…
All for One... No more talk of darkness, Forget these wide-eyed fears; I'm …
All Time High All I wanted was a sweet distraction for an hour…
Another Way to Die I know the player With the slick Trigger finger For her maje…
Bond On Bond Now let it lift you, oh! One love will One love will One…
Can't Buy Me Love Can't buy me love, love Can't buy me love I'll…
Come in 007, Your Time Is Up INSRUMENTAL…
Diamonds Diamonds are forever, they are all I need to please…
Die Another Day I know the player With the slick Trigger finger For her maje…
Got To Get You Into My Life Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below…
I Want To Hold Your Hand Oh yeah I tell you somethin' I think you'll understand Whe…
Imagine Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below…
James Bond Theme Now let it lift you, oh! One love will One love will One…
Live And Let Die When you were young And your heart was an open book You…
Maxwell's Silver Hammer Joan was quizzical; studied pataphysical Science in the home…
Moonraker Where are you? Why do you hide? Where is that moonlight…
Nobody Does It Better Nobody does it better makes me feel sad for the…
Opening Titles David Arnold ---Opening Titles Aaaaah Aaaaaaah Aaaaah A…
Surrender I want the love that you deny me That I need…
The James Bond Theme Now let it lift you, oh! One love will One love will One…
The Name's Bond... James Bond [Instrumental]…
The Surrender I want the love that you deny me That I need…
The World Is Not Enough I know how to hurt I know how to heal I…
Thunderball He always runs while others walk He acts while other men…
Tomorrow Never Dies Darling I'm killed I'm in a puddle on the floor Waiting for…
We Have All The Time In The World We have all, the time in the world Time enough for…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Challenger Network
1:08 "Monitors up!"
1:10 "Monitors are up!"
1:15 "Mitch, you want to bring up the details on the center monitor, please?"
1:18 "Yeah!...I got details...on."
1:21 enters a command into the computer, bringing up the details on-screen, which then causes the Stargate to shudder and rumble to life, the dial making its initial startup tracking phase
1:26 change camera angle to close-up shots of the constellation symbols engraved into the dial, making their way around the gate
All these subtle musical cues are ingrained into my brain, I just love this movie so much, and the soundtrack even more.
Hub
Again - this is a wonderful textural piece of music. Every instrument is labouring hard with arpeggios, scales, small melodies and vignettes, it creates an overall impression of immense complexity.
However, it doesn't stop there, David Arnold weaves all of these individual threads every so often into unified moments, and we can't help but pause our breath occasionally.
The build up to 0:19 suddenly evaporates, and the flutes still have wonderful arpeggios in the background giving a wonderful uplifting feel, until at 0:34 when suddenly out of nowhere the horns join in, adding to that layering of experience, but it keeps going and at 0:48 you realise the violins have more to give.
Wonderfully written. Well done Arnold, this is a piece I don't mind repeating over and over in my mind through the day.
Máté Zoltán Kertész
detailed and enthusiastic comment, explains a lot, thank you for the analysis
Malefizia
Watched this in theatre, so amazing. Wonderful soundtrack for an amazing movie.
T L
Such an epic piece of music! Absolutely Superb!
Manuel Alvarado
The beginning portion of this theme as the Stargate is revealed reminds me of the Area 51 Alien Attacker revealed scene in ID4: Independence Day (which David Arnold also composed).
It fit the scene like a glove.
Mojo Siesta
The beginning always sounded like Austin Powers when he comes from the beach wearing a woman's bathing suit, so when both scenes happen I think of the other movies and it just makes me laugh even more 😂
Andrew6000
Beautiful, simply beautiful!!!
Return to Sanity
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wkg19591
I like the whole thing but at about 1:31 theres this bit for about ten seconds that always brings a smile :-)