WorldWideGimp Compilations of Italian Music
Many, many years ago I began listening to Italian library music, and soundtracks to Italian films from the 1960s & 70s; a truly prolific time in Italian film/music/art/design culture. It is during this period that the Italians were at the height of their game. Groovy 60s films required a groovy 60s soundtrack. Exploitative sex films required a sexxxy soundtrack, and perhaps most famously, Italian westerns required... well, something a little bit special. We all know the Sergio Leone-directed westerns with soundtracks from 'Il Maestro' himself Ennio Morricone. It simply must've been these 'man with no name' trilogy soundtracks with -much like the 70s cop movie music by Lalo Schifrin- entranced me so much.
So, back in Manchester circa, ohhh let me see now, 1996, I began buying Italian soundtrack compilations. The first series was the Mo'Plen series (more about that here) which I acquired from the best record shop in Manchester at the time, Decoy records. It all began there, and after that year dozens of Italian compilations from Film and Libraries began swamping the record shops of the world. There's just so much of it! And, believe you me, once you get hooked, you'll find yourself in a seemingly un-ending maze of 60s groove. The Italian archives are enormous, and the rarity of some of the vinyl means you need a deep pocket - or a lot of luck - to get the tunes you really want. So it is then, that over the years I've been meaning to put some compilations together... and here's the first one:
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Volume One: Stili Differenti
I almost called this one Ennio Morricone & Chums, as the great man features so heavily. After all, "Il maestro" has written over 200 soundtracks (admittedly some of them do sound remarkably similar), so many in fact, that some are conducted by Morricone's great mate Bruno Nicolai. And Orchestra. And Edda Dell'Orso. Probably.
But there are other composers based in Italy, oh yes. Luis Bacalov also wrote a large number of soundtracks, including some very good Western scores, and Piero Piccioni's soundtracks are some of the finest you'll hear. His Traffic Boom was used in the film The Big Lebowski (when they're watching the porn film - rather fitting, methinks). All in all, Volume 1 is slow, then fast, then slow, then more upbeat, then slow again. Best enjoyed with a LARGE scotch.
Full Tracklist:
Metti Una Sera A Cena (Titoli) - Bruno Nicolai Orchestra & Edda Dell'Orso
Sequence Three - G.P & G.F Reverberi
Ho Messo Gli Occhi Su Di Te ('menage All'italiana') - Dino (Music by Ennio Morricone)
Fmb Shake - Armando Trovajoli
Rebus (Beirut Shake) - Luis E. Bacalov
Piccola Ma Beat - Giorgio Carnini
Liberto Beat - Antonio Riccardo Luciani
Allora, Il Treno - Bruno Nicolai (Vocals Edda Dell'Orso)
Blue Media - Lee Selmoco Orchestra
Tristi Ricordi - Ennio Morricone
Fruscio De Foglie Verdi - Trio Junior (Music by Ennio Morricone)
Gli Intoccabili - Ennio Morricone
La Moda (Alt. Version 1) - Ennio Morricone
Traffic Boom - Piero Piccioni
Dove Vai Tutta Nuda? (Vittorio Gassman Shake) - Armando Trovajoli
A Doppia Faccia (Soho) - Nora Orlandi
Unceasing - Carlo Rustichelli
Easy Dreamer - Piero Piccioni
Beat No.3 - Ennio Morricone
Fai Presto, Fai Presto - Gianni Ferrio
Lady Magnolia - Piero Umiliani
