Talk:Derek Watkins (trumpeter)

Latest comment: 7 years ago by 31.19.46.170 in topic Bond trumpeters

Correction

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Correction had to be made on the Derek Watkins page as per the James Bond sound tracks. Trumpet sections for John Barry composed Bond soundtracks 1962 to 1975 is Stan Roderick, Tony Fisher, Greg Bowen and Eddie Blair. Watkins was not on these films and you hear Fisher and Bowen playing the very high lead trumpet notes; Watkins does play the prominent lead trumpet parts on later Bond films. Derek Watkins is hired to play on James Bond sound tracks after the point composer John Barry is not used for one film (Marvin Hamlisch composed that one).

Typically there is no official personnel listed as per the studio or production company for a film soundtrack but this list of four trumpet players is confirmed by Tony Fisher and Greg Bowen. It is unfortunate but there is misinformation that was possibly given (or misconstrued) through Watkins or other interviewers.

British trumpeter Tony Fisher clears this up in several published notes. I personally spoke with Greg Bowen on several occasions in Berlin, Germany this past year (I was the musical director for several performances Greg performed on). While Bowen had played with Watkins on many gigs in the UK, he confirms that Watkins is not on the earlier Bond soundtracks. Unfortunately this has been essentially 'folklore' perpetuated by one badly researched Guardian obituary written at the time of Derek Watkins death in 2013. Watkins would be in his early 30's when first hired, not 17 (in 1962) as has been widely reported. John Barry did not really know of Watkins and the four trumpets are as stated.

1. Note from Tony Fisher on Trumpetherald.com 2. Note from Tony Fisher on Britmovie.com

Shelyric (talk) 19:08, 23 September 2016 (UTC)Reply

Bond trumpeters

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It is more than doubtful that Stan Roderick, Tony Fisher, Greg Bowen and Eddie Blair were the only trumpeters playing on the Bond soundtracks between 1962 and 1975, as the above comment implies. This photography (http://www.johnbarry.org.uk/images/yoltphoto/Twice124.jpg ) from the YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE sessions (1967) for instance shows John Barry with Leon Calvert and Ray Davies, and probably there were other trumpeters involved with the Bond music. Moreover, MOONRAKER (1979) was recorded in Paris – probably without English musicians at all. 31.19.46.170 (talk) 23:43, 26 January 2017 (UTC)Reply