#Johnuary continues with a quick look at John Barry’s soundtrack and score for Peggy Sue Got Married.

I had only watched this film for the first time last year for my Time Travel Week and I hadn’t been hugely aware of the musical score back then so I watched it again for this blog post. To be honest when I watched it last time I thoroughly enjoyed it but I hadn’t paid too much attention to who made the film. I had no idea it was directed by Francis Ford Coppola (billed as Francis Coppola) and I also had no idea the score was composed by John Barry.

Again, like Howard the Duck, it doesn’t quite seem like the right vehicle for him. This time being a time travel movie going back to 1960 and filled with songs from artists like Buddy Holly. But once again Barry’s score adds the necessary gravitas and weight to the film to make the emotions even more powerful.

After everything I’ve learnt about John Barry over the course of this week I can recognise that this soundtrack and score is one of his most complete works. It’s got great examples of most of the styles that he can do and a wide range of instruments including saxophones and woodwind, and various different emotions and paces. It’s a very rounded and enjoyable score.

Here’s one of the main themes from the soundtrack