John Barry, RIP

A soundtracking genius - whether it was tv (The Persuaders) or film (Midnight Cowboy, Out of Africa) his distinctive sound always gave the final product an extra boost of class. The producers of James Bond owe him a pint not only for keeping their monster series afloat, but for inventing Cold War Spy Music in the classic film The Ipcress File. The man could not be cooler unless he had his own jazz band and shared a house with Michael Caine. Oh wait, he did. RIP.