Why JAWS composer John Williams is the greatest of all time
John Williams is one of the greatest composers in the history of film music, known for his iconic scores for numerous Hollywood blockbusters. He has collaborated with Steven Spielberg on many of his films, producing some of the most memorable and enduring film scores in movie history.
Williams was born in 1932 in Floral Park, New York and began playing the piano at the age of six. He attended the Juilliard School of Music and later went on to study composition with regular Hitchcock composer Bernard Herrmann, one of the most important composers of film music at the time.
John Williams conducting the recording of 'JAWS'
He began his career in Hollywood as a session pianist and composer of TV scores, and Williams soon established himself as one of the most versatile and talented composers in the film industry.
One of the hallmarks of John Williams' style is his ability to create music that is both simple and memorable, yet deeply emotional and powerful, giving us some of the most memorable musical themes in film history, such as JAWS, Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones.
JAWS the film is unthinkable without JAWS the score, in fact Spielberg has attributed 50% of the success of the film to its unforgettable score. However, when John Williams first played the JAWS theme for Spielberg, he laughed. That's right, the young director thought that Williams was pulling his leg, which is somewhat ironic as that is what the shark would end up doing to the estuary victim.
Spielberg had thought he was going to get something other worldly and grandiose, and initially laughed at the repeated notes presented to him, those two alternating notes - E and F or F and F sharp - representing something primal and relentless in the shark and our fear.
He had the following to say on the original JAWS LPs linear notes: "In doing the score for Jaws...John Williams has really outdone himself. The soundtrack is a stunning symphonic achievement and a great leap ahead in the revitalization of film music as a foreground component for the total motion picture experience...He has made our movie music more adventurous, gripping and phobic than I ever thought possible."
The JAWS theme, as important and well-remembered as it is, is but the aperitif. This section of the score is the main course; it is both exhilarating and exhausting at the same time and has echoes of Korngold from 40 years earlier. It is sublime swashbuckling at its very best…or should that be beast?
These cues are a real showcase for the thrill of the chase, it’s resounding, it can’t fail to make you smile and it really captures the hope of Brody, Quint and Hooper. Real boys own adventure stuff.
Justifiably, John Williams has been recognised for his exceptional talent and his contributions to the film industry with numerous awards, including five Academy Awards – one of which was for JAWS - (he is also nominated for The Fabelmans), four Golden Globe Awards, and twenty-one Grammy Awards.
He has also been inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and has been awarded the Kennedy Center Honors, among many other accolades. Basically, he’s gonna need a bigger shelf.
Ross Williams, Founder of The Daily Jaws, said: “John Williams has had a profound impact on the film industry, and his scores have helped to define some of the most memorable and enduring films in movie history.
"His score for JAWS is nothing short of a masterpiece and is synonymous with the film itself, it is hard to separate them. The JAWS score has become an integral part of the cultural lexicon, reminding us of the power of music to evoke fear and tension, whether that be on the cinema screen or playing in the swimming pool.”
Words by Dean Newman
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