History of David Arnold in Timeline

David Arnold is a prolific English film composer best known for his work on five James Bond films between 1997 and 2008. His extensive filmography includes scoring major Hollywood productions such as Stargate, Independence Day, Godzilla, and Shaft, as well as popular movies like Hot Fuzz and 2 Fast 2 Furious. Beyond film, Arnold has also composed for television, notably the series Little Britain, Sherlock, and Good Omens. His work has garnered prestigious awards, including a Grammy for Independence Day and a Creative Arts Emmy (shared with Michael Price) for Sherlock. He is a fellow of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.

January 1962: Birth of David Arnold

David Arnold was born in January 1962.

1994: Stargate Score

In 1994, David Arnold composed the score for the film Stargate.

1996: Independence Day Score and Grammy Award

David Arnold composed the score for Independence Day in 1996, for which he won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television.

1997: James Bond and Other Projects

In 1997, David Arnold began his work on the James Bond franchise, scoring Tomorrow Never Dies. He also produced the album "Shaken and Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project" and contributed to other film scores.

1997: Bond Theme Co-Writing

In 1997, David Arnold co-wrote the main theme songs for The World Is Not Enough and Tomorrow Never Dies.

1997: Shaken and Stirred Album and Bond Recommendation

In 1997, David Arnold released the album Shaken and Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project and was recommended to score Tomorrow Never Dies by John Barry.

1998: Godzilla Score

David Arnold composed the score for Godzilla in 1998.

2000: Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and Little Britain Scores

In 2000, David Arnold scored the TV series Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and Little Britain.

2000: Shaft and Other Scores

In 2000, David Arnold scored the film Shaft and other projects.

2001: Doctor Who Theme Arrangement

In 2001, David Arnold created a new arrangement of Ron Grainer's Doctor Who theme music for the Eighth Doctor audio dramas produced by Big Finish Productions.

2003: 2 Fast 2 Furious Score

David Arnold composed the score for 2 Fast 2 Furious in 2003.

2005: Four Brothers Score

David Arnold composed the score for Four Brothers in 2005.

2007: Hot Fuzz Score

David Arnold composed the score for Hot Fuzz in 2007.

2008: End of Initial James Bond Run

In 2008, David Arnold completed his initial run of scoring James Bond films with Quantum of Solace.

2008: Doctor Who Theme Replacement

In 2008, David Arnold's version of the Doctor Who theme was replaced by a new version arranged by Nicholas Briggs, starting with the audio drama "Dead London".

2009: Shirley Bassey Album Production

David Arnold produced Shirley Bassey's album The Performance in 2009.

2010: Come Fly With Me Score

David Arnold composed the music for the British television series Come Fly With Me in 2010.

February 2011: Musical Director Appointment

In February 2011, David Arnold was appointed Musical Director for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in London.

May 2011: Eurovision Song Contest Jury Member

In May 2011, David Arnold participated as a member of the United Kingdom's jury for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011.

June 2011: John Barry Tribute

On June 20, 2011, David Arnold participated in a tribute to John Barry at the Royal Albert Hall in London, where he sang a song composed by Barry and played guitar on the James Bond theme.

November 2012: Honorary Degree

David Arnold received an honorary degree from the University of West London in November 2012.

2012: Doctor Who Theme Returns

David Arnold's arrangement of the Doctor Who theme returned to the Eighth Doctor audio releases in 2012 with the box set "Dark Eyes".

2012: Olympics and Skyfall

In 2012, David Arnold composed for the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics and some of his work was reused in Skyfall.

2012: 2012 Olympics and Paralympics

In 2012, David Arnold served as the Musical Director for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games held in London.

July 2014: Debut Orchestral Concert

David Arnold performed his debut orchestral concert at London's Royal Festival Hall in July 2014.

2014: The Life of Rock Appearance

David Arnold appeared as himself in The Life of Rock with Brian Pern in 2014.

2014: Made in Dagenham Musical

In 2014, David Arnold collaborated with Richard Thomas to compose the music and lyrics for the West End musical, "Made in Dagenham".

June 2015: Orchestral Concerts in UK

David Arnold performed orchestral concerts in London, Birmingham, and Nottingham in June 2015.

October 2015: Concert in Lucerne

David Arnold was the special guest at a concert of his music in Lucerne in October 2015.

October 2015: 'Come This Far' Collaboration and Jekyll and Hyde Score

In October 2015, David Arnold collaborated with Lethal Bizzle and Sinead Harnett on the song "Come This Far", and he also composed the music for the ITV television series "Jekyll and Hyde" with Michael Price.

February 2016: Independence Day Live Announced

The premiere of Independence Day Live at the Royal Albert Hall was announced in February 2016.

June 2016: Film Music Prague Concert

Film Music Prague performed a concert of David Arnold's work in June 2016, with Arnold as a special guest.

September 2016: Independence Day Live Score Performance

In September 2016, David Arnold gave a pre-show talk at the Royal Albert Hall for an orchestral performance of the "Independence Day" score, performed live to picture.

May 2017: Dublin Concerts

David Arnold hosted two concerts of his music in Dublin in May 2017.

September 2017: Casino Royale in Concert

The first James Bond film to be screened with a live orchestra, Casino Royale in Concert, took place at the Royal Albert Hall in September 2017, with a pre-concert Q&A with David Arnold.

2017: "Vesper" reused in Sherlock

In 2017, part of Arnold's "Vesper" from Casino Royale was reused in the Sherlock episode "The Final Problem".

2019: Good Omens Score

David Arnold composed the score for the BBC/Amazon Prime series Good Omens in 2019.

2019: Production on The Song Diaries

In 2019, David Arnold contributed additional production work to Sophie Ellis-Bextor's orchestral album, "The Song Diaries".

2020: Co-production of "My Favourite Things"

In 2020, David Arnold co-produced an orchestral cover of "My Favourite Things" with Richard Jones for Sophie Ellis-Bextor's compilation album, "Songs From The Kitchen Disco".

July 2023: Collaboration on "Mog's Christmas" Film Track

In July 2023, it was announced that David Arnold would collaborate with Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Don Black on the track "As Long As I Belong" for the film "Mog's Christmas".