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 an odd one:
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The Italian Experience
So, as 2017 begins, yet another Italian compilation is unleashed. This is an epic of epic proportions... A celebration of odd, experimental & just plain beautiful music from Italy. I think that this is my most mature compilation yet. No funny dialogue or movie samplings, no real general silliness or over-kitsch tracks, just very, very good, very, very interesting tracks. I must be getting old.
Beginning with a 2001 vibe, the Italian Experience veers off into another musical universe, and ends up with lots of vocal tracks all produced by the great Ennio Morricone. There's also lots of Edda Dell'Orso's vocals scattered all over the place. I might of called this 'Worldwidegimp's soundtrack to Italy'. I'm gonna have to go to Italy very soon, I think, and play this the whole time.
Full Tracklist:
Diafanoidi - Diafanoids (War Of The Planets) - Angelo Francesco Lavagnino
Apollo Beat - Mario Migliardi
Alpen Express - Bruno Nicolai
La Caccia ('Hunting') - Bruno Nicolai Orchestra & Edda Dell'Orso
Canzone Arrabbiata - Nino Rota
Indagine Notturna - Alessandro Alessandroni
Cattura - Giuliano Sorgini
Bracconiere - Giuliano Sorgini
Danza Primitiva - Piero Umiliani
I Pendolari - Bruno Nicolai
Chukeba Bay - Gianni Marchetti
La Seduzione - Luis Enríquez Bacalov
Rendez-Vous in the Castle - Stelvio Cipriani
Amore A Forza - Piero Piccioni
La Damma Rossa Uccide Sette Volte (Preludio & Titoli) - Bruno Nicolai
La Notte Dei Diavoli (edit) - Giorgio Gaslini
Red Old Skies - Giuliano Sorgini
El primo baso - Ennio Morricone
12 Monody For Guitar (Version 3) - Ennio Morricone
Thrilling - Rita Monico
Deep Down - Christy
Scetate (Wake Up) - Miranda Martino
Cantata Basilisca (The Lizard Song) - Fausto Cigliano
Quello Che Conta - Luigi Tenco
La Piovra 3 - Una Strana Bambina - Ennio Morricone Orchestra & Edda Dell'Orso
