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David Arnold (born 23 January 1962) is an English film composer whose credits include scoring five James Bond films (1997-2008), as well as Stargate (1994), Independence Day (1996), Godzilla (1998), Shaft (2000), 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), Four Brothers (2005), Hot Fuzz (2007), 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.
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 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), 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 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.
Arnold scored the four subsequent Bond films: The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day (in which he included references to John Barry's score for On Her Majesty's Secret Service), Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. 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, 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. However, a part of Arnold's composition work on Casino Royale was reused, with a credit, in Skyfall and again in SPECTRE.
Arnold also co-wrote the main theme songs for The World Is Not Enough ("The World Is Not Enough" by Garbage) and Casino Royale ("You Know My Name" 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 was reused in a Sherlock episode entitled "The Final Problem", the third episode of the fourth series, in a track entitled "Pick Up" composed by Arnold himself and Michael Price.
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 had been 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.
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) along with Richard Jones (of The Feeling) for Sophie's 2020 compilation album Songs From The Kitchen Disco.
In July 2023, it was announced that Arnold and Ellis-Bextor would collaborate with lyricist Don Black for the track to Channel 4 and Universal Pictures film, "Mog's Christmas", based upon the children's book series by Judith Kerr. The track, titled "As Long As I Belong", is about "the importance of belonging". The film is slated for a Q4 2023 release.
| 1993 | The Young Americans | Wedding Band | Also composed the score |
| 2000 | The League of Gentlemen | Victorian Gentleman with Fox | TV series (1 episode: "The League of Gentlemen Christmas Special") |
| 2003 | Little Britain | Minicab Controller / Politician | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 1993 | The Young Americans | Danny Cannon
! PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Working Title Films | |
| 1994 | Stargate | Roland Emmerich
! Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Canal+ Centropolis Film Productions Carolco Pictures | |
| 1995 | Last of the Dogmen | Tab Murphy
! Savoy Pictures Pathé Carolco Pictures | |
| 1996 | Independence Day | Roland Emmerich
! 20th Century Fox Centropolis Entertainment | |
| 1997 | A Life Less Ordinary | Danny Boyle
! 20th Century Fox PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Channel Four Films | |
| Tomorrow Never Dies | Roger Spottiswoode
! Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Eon Productions | ||
| 1998 | Godzilla | Roland Emmerich
! TriStar Pictures Centropolis Entertainment | |
| 1999 | Wing Commander | Chris Roberts
! 20th Century Fox Digital Anvil | Main theme only Composed with Kevin Kiner |
| The World Is Not Enough | Michael Apted
! Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Eon Productions | ||
| 2000 | Shaft | John Singleton
! Paramount Pictures Scott Rudin Productions | |
| 2001 | Baby Boy | John Singleton ! Columbia Pictures | |
| The Musketeer | Peter Hyams
! Universal Pictures Miramax Films MDP Worldwide Crystal Sky Worldwide | ||
| Zoolander | Ben Stiller
! Paramount Pictures Village Roadshow Pictures VH1 Films NPV Entertainment Scott Rudin Productions | ||
| 2002 | Changing Lanes | Roger Michell ! Paramount Pictures | |
| Hollywood Ending | Woody Allen ! DreamWorks Pictures | ||
| Enough | Michael Apted ! Columbia Pictures | ||
| Die Another Day | Lee Tamahori
! Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Eon Productions | ||
| 2003 | 2 Fast 2 Furious | John Singleton
! Universal Pictures Original Film | |
| 2004 | The Stepford Wives | Frank Oz
! Paramount Pictures DreamWorks Pictures | |
| 2005 | Four Brothers | John Singleton
! Paramount Pictures Di Bonaventura Pictures | |
| Stoned | Stephen Woolley ! Screen Media Films | ||
| 2006 | Amazing Grace | Michael Apted
! Momentum Pictures Samuel Goldwyn Films | |
| Casino Royale | Martin Campbell
! Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Columbia Pictures Eon Productions | ||
| 2007 | Hot Fuzz | Edgar Wright
! Rogue Pictures Universal Pictures StudioCanal Working Title Films Big Talk Productions | |
| Don't | Edgar Wright
! Dimension Films Vivendi Entertainment Troublemaker Studios The Weinstein Company | Fake trailer segment from Grindhouse | |
| 2008 | Agent Crush | Sean Robinson ! Fantastic Films International | |
| How to Lose Friends & Alienate People | Robert B. Weide
! Paramount Pictures Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Film4 | ||
| Quantum of Solace | Marc Forster
! Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Columbia Pictures Eon Productions | ||
| 2010 | Made in Dagenham | Nigel Cole
! Paramount Pictures BBC Films HanWay Films | |
| Morning Glory | Roger Michell
! Paramount Pictures Bad Robot | ||
| Michael Apted
! 20th Century Fox Walden Media | Contains themes composed by Harry Gregson-Williams | ||
| 2011 | Paul | Greg Mottola
! Universal Pictures Relativity Media Working Title Films Big Talk Pictures | |
| Unwatchable | Marc Hawker ! | Short film | |
| 2012 | The Book of Fire | Mike Christie ! | As part of the 2012 Summer Paralympics closing ceremony Short film |
| Mr Stink | Declan Lowney ! | Television film | |
| 2022 | Confess, Fletch | Greg Mottola ! Miramax |
| 1997 | The Visitor
! Centropolis Television 20th Century Fox Television | Main theme on pilot episode only Rest of score composed by Kevin Kiner |
| 2000–2001 | Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) ! Working Title Films | Main theme only (composed with Tim Simenon). Single release by David Arnold and Nina Persson reached No. 48 (UK). |
| 2001–2002 | ! 20th Century Fox Television | Main theme only Composed with Kevin Kiner |
| 2003 | Bloodlines: The Dracula Family Tree ! | Documentary |
| 2003–2006 | Little Britain ! BBC | |
| 2008 | Little Britain USA
! 19 Entertainment Reveille Productions HBO Original Programming | 3 episodes |
| Crooked House ! Tiger Aspect Productions | TV miniseries | |
| 2009 | Free Agents
! Big Talk Productions Bwark Productions | |
| 2010–2017 | Sherlock
! Hartswood Films BBC Wales WGBH-TV | Composed with Michael Price Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score) British Academy Television Award for Best Original Television Music Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score) |
| 2010–2011 | Come Fly with Me
! BBC Little Britain Productions | |
| 2012 | The Matt Lucas Awards ! John Stanley Productions | |
| 2019 | Good Omens
! Amazon Studios BBC Studios | TV miniseries |
| The Tiger Who Came To Tea ! Channel 4 | Animation narrated by David Walliams, score by David Arnold, song 'Hey Tiger' co-written with Don Black and sung by Robbie Williams | |
| 2020 | Dracula ! | |
| 2023 | Mog's Christmas ! Channel 4 | Animation starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire Foy, score by David Arnold and the theme song “As Long as I Belong” is composed by David Arnold with lyrics by Don Black and performed by Sophie Ellis-Bextor |
| 2010 | GoldenEye 007
! Eurocom n-Space ! rowspan=2 | Activision Nintendo | Re-arranged the main title song only The soundtrack is composed by Kevin Kiner |
| 2012 | 007 Legends ! Eurocom | Wrote and composed the main title theme tune only The soundtrack is composed by Kevin Kiner |
| 2010–2011 | Stiller & Meara ! Red Hour Digital |
| 1993 ! scope="row" | "Play Dead" (with Björk) | 10 | The Young Americans | ||||||||||||
| 1997 ! scope="row" | "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (with Propellerheads) | — | |||||||||||||
| 1999 ! scope="row" | "One Brief Moment" (with Natacha Atlas) | — | Gedida | ||||||||||||
| 2000 ! scope="row" | "Theme From Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)" (with Nina Persson) | — | Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) | ||||||||||||
| 2012 ! scope="row" | "Wish You Were Here" (with Ed Sheeran, Richard Jones, Nick Mason & Mike Rutherford) | — | A Symphony of British Music | ||||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | |||||||||||||||
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