An album with a very basic cover, but one that's got a very deep dimension in sound – thanks to some very groundbreaking work from Italian sound library giants Ennio Morricone and Luis Bacalov! The music is maybe mostly in the territory of Morricone's experimental work – especially his contributions to the legendary Il Gruppo – and the style is very different than we're used to hearing from Bacalov, who we know best for sweeter themes and action-drenched soundtrack work! Instead, the music here comes from a variety of familiar instruments – piano, violin, cello, trombone, and voice – but all used in really unusual ways, with properties that go far beyond their usual sonic expectations – at a level that's really striking throughout! The vocal numbers almost recall some of the dadaist experiments of earlier in the century, and the piano and string passages would be right at home next to work by Luigi Nono or Gyorgi Ligeti. The work was created for an exhibition of paintings by the painter Masci – and titles include "Corpopaesaggio 2", "Mela", "La Gioconda", "SB", "Conchiglia", and "Venere D'Urbino". LP, Vinyl record album

A great Italian spy soundtrack – and one with a cool English-language theme from Ennio Morricone! Morricone's "Bloody Mary" leads off the score – a driving groovy number with rattling drums, spy sounds, and great lyrics sung by Maurizio Graf. Other titles on the soundtrack are quite different, but equally great – penned by Angelo Lavagino with a mix of different spy modes – sometimes upbeat and jazzy, at other times nicely subdued and mellow – almost with "watery" sort of tones on piano and vibes! The core instrumental theme is offered up in a number of great variations, and interspersed with other moody music – and the "Bloody Mary" tune is also repeated twice in instrumental versions. CD

A lost treasure from the legendary Ennio Morricone – a soundtrack written for a crime film starring Charles Bronson & Telly Savalas, and handled with all the spare subtlety of his best work! Bruno Nicolai's directing the orchestra on this one – and isolated instruments include electric harpsichord and woodwinds that drift along nicely in the tunes – mixed with some harder arrangements on a few of the album's more driving cuts. Morricone strikes a great balance here – occasionally hitting sweet notes, but then often falling into these dark depths that perfectly fit the bleak world of the film. Tracks include the lovely slow groover "Riassunto", plus the tracks "Rito Finale", "Svolta Definitiva", "Dolcemente Acre", "Norme Con Ironie", "Citta Violenta", and "Mille Volte Un Grido". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost treasure from the legendary Ennio Morricone – a soundtrack written for a crime film starring Charles Bronson & Telly Savalas, and handled with all the spare subtlety of his best work! Bruno Nicolai's directing the orchestra on this one – and isolated instruments include electric harpsichord and woodwinds that drift along nicely in the tunes – mixed with some harder arrangements on a few of the album's more driving cuts. Morricone strikes a great balance here – occasionally hitting sweet notes, but then often falling into these dark depths that perfectly fit the bleak world of the film. Tracks include the lovely slow groover "Riassunto", plus the tracks "Rito Finale", "Svolta Definitiva", "Dolcemente Acre", "Norme Con Ironie", "Citta Violenta", and "Mille Volte Un Grido". LP features 5 previously unissued bonus tracks! LP, Vinyl record album

A key look at two different slices in the mighty soundtrack career of Ennio Morricone – his legendary work for Italian director Sergio Leone, and his later re-use by Quentin Tarantino – the American director who was strongly influenced by Leone's work in the 60s! If you've never heard Morricone's music for the films of Leone, it's amazing – sounds that completely transform the work on screen, and which also helped push the genre of western forward a few notches too – a sonic landscape that's completely different from American western soundtracks, and filled with amazing sounds, unusual musical flourishes, and a level of scoring that's still light years ahead of its time! It's that quality that made the music so influential for Tarantino – who first re-used some of his favorite Morricone moments from the past, then had the maestro score some new music for films as well. That amazing link is presented strongly here – in a package that features 3 CDs of work for Leone – extensive material from the scores to For A Fistful Of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, The Good The Bad & The Ugly, and Once Upon A Time In The West – plus a fourth CD that features Morricone music used in the Tarantino films Kill Bill, Inglorious Basterds, Django Unchained, and Hateful Eight – with bonus material too! CD

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A landmark record – not only in the history of the western, but in that of Ennio Morricone! The soundtrack, written for this hit Clint Eastwood spaghetti western, is everything you'd want in a 60s western – driving orchestral passages, twanging guitar parts, and spooky little bits that isolate the mood of a scene nicely. The work's an instant classic, and is still one of Morricone's strongest western soundtracks – even if it is one of the most familiar. 8 tracks in all – titles include "Almost Dead", "The Chase", "Without Pity", "The Result", "A Fistful Of Dollars", "Square Dance", and "A Fistful Of Dollars Suite". CD

A fantastic album from Italian soundtrack genius Ennio Morricone – done for a film titled G-Force, and which deals with jet pilots – but one that moves at a much slinkier pace overall! The tunes here bubble and brew in that early 70s Morricone warmth that we love so much – not the tension of his horror soundtracks, but instead the spacious sounds that he opened on some of his more majestic mondo scores of the time – delivered here with very light strings, floating woodwinds, isolated instrumentation, and slow-stepping piano lines that are really beautiful! The complete charm here is the way in which Morricone can make the music still sound so striking – very different than more common sleepy or romantic modes that are usually at this pace – and instead completely rapturous throughout. There's lots of warm and subtle passages on the album – gently swelling as the tracks move on, occasionally giving way to jazzier numbers, but always retaining the charm of mellow Morricone. Titles include a number of tunes called "Forza G" and "Sospesi Fra Le Nuvole" – with a total of 15 tracks in all! CD

An overlooked 80s score from Ennio Morricone – not done for an Italian or American film, but for one of Sam Fuller's later directorial efforts in France! The music is fantastic – very much in the best spirit of some of Morricone's genius from the start of the 70s – almost echoing some of those classics at times, in the way that a solo woodwind might snake out, or some bracing string lines might pulse to create tension – all with this slow-building sense of wonder and majesty that reminds yet again why Morricone at his best is so blindingly brilliant! Titles include "A Fake", "Counterpoints", "Unconscious Happiness", "Thieves After Dark", "Lancinant For Two", and "Expressive Suspense". CD features 9 more bonus tracks too! CD

One of the first big moments of global fame for the legendary Ennio Morricone – and a record that still stands as one of his landmark albums all these many years later! The set's famous for its haunting theme – that "wah-wah-wah" melody that led to countless covers and samples over the years – but the whole thing's a lot more complex than just that tune – with lots of the same sense of space and brooding that Morricone brought to his music for Once Upon A Time In The West – with careful use of key instruments on a track by track basis, and these floating lines that almost signaled a whole new way of recording music for a film soundtrack. And yes, there's certainly key western elements like guitar or harmonica – but maybe more striking are all the points at which these obvious tropes disappear – to leave us with those really unique Morricone sounds that go way beyond music! Titles include "Insequimento", "Il Deserto", "Il Bandito Monco", "Fine Di Una Spia", "Marcetta", "Padre Ramirez", and "La Carrozza Dei Fantasmi". CD

Beautiful work from Ennio Morricone – 2 soundtracks from different genres of film, but both linked together nicely through their styles! Il Grande Silenzio is a spaghetti western, but Morricone's music for the film is remarkably sweet – done in that blend of light melody, isolated instrumentation, and slight electric touches that show up on some of his best work of the Mondo Morricone era. A few tracks are more dramatic or moody, but there's a great feel overall – set up by the theme "Il Grande Silenzio", and followed up by tunes that include "Viaggio", "Voci Nel Deserto", "E L'Amore Verra", and "Invito All'Amore". Un Bellissimo Novembre is a completely different style of film – one that deals with the flowering of young love – but it's also got some sweet Morricone themes that sparkle nicely, done with lusher string orchestrations, but also some key touches that include whistling and a bit of that trademark Morricone "boing"! Includes vocal and instrumental versions of the tune "Nuddu" – plus "Sensi", "Buio Mattino", and "Ancora Piu Dolcemente". CD

A later score from Ennio Morricone – but an incredibly beautiful one too – penned for a mid 80s mafia film set in Sicily, but featuring some of his sweetest, most sensitive work of the time! There's a very bittersweet feel to most of the music here – a quality that's almost romantic at times, but touched with really blue notes too – as the tunes spin out in slow, thoughtful progressions that echo the darker choices and themes of the film. There's a few more upbeat tracks, and a few darker, atonal numbers – but overall most of the score is steeped in melancholy – with gentle strings and woodwinds that have plenty of trademark Morricone touches! Titles include "Il Pentito", "Messaggio", "Retata", "Momento Decisivo", "Sicilia", "Durante L'Omelia", "Confusi Ricordi", "Sicilia Dei Ricordi Lontani", and "Evento Finale". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more obscure 70s cinematic efforts handled by maestro Ennio Morricone – but a set of tracks that really show the composer at the top of his game! There's a nice undercurrent of melancholy in the music – hard not to do for a film set during the Nazi regime – and Morricone makes great use of some isolated elements in the music, including the harmonica of Franco De Gemini and flugelhorn of Italian jazz great Oscar Valdambrini – both soloists whose work is a nice match for those incredible Ennio orchestrations, handled in ways that are still as breathtaking today as they were back in the 70s! Titles include "Disperazione Dentro", "L'Agnese Va A Morire", "Alla Stazione", "Repressione", "Ricordo Dei Compagni", and "Canzone Della Nostalgia". CD

An overlooked Morricone score – one that contains some of his coolest themes! The soundtrack was written for an obscure 1968 thriller starring Vittorio Gassman – and the overall approach has some wonderfully imaginative orchestrations – dark at times, but lightly floating with some really catchy tunes at others! Includes a male vocal version of "Canzone Della Liberta", the classic "Belinda May", and other tracks that include "Pennellate", "Una Fotografia", "Recitazione Corale", "Lo Libero", "Sognando", and "Immagini Del Tempo". This expanded CD features a whopping 27 tracks in all – including some great alternate takes and other unusual versions! CD

One of the most striking Morricone soundtracks we've heard from the early 70s – a really dark little score that's filled with harsh tones and cool electronic effects! The film itself deals with the hardship of life in an Italian factory – and Morricone's music is filled with machine-like moments – stark, stiff rhythms that stamp out in repetition – cold electronic sounds that are without any soul – and a few softer, gentler moments that offer just a bit of relief – then quickly bring you back to the realm of the industrial! The soundtrack is proof that the maestro was always working at the height of his creative powers – setting his music apart from the rest of his contemporaries. Bruno Nicolai gets a nod too – as he directed the orchestra – and titles include "Il Sogno", "Metamorfosi", "La Classe Operaia Va In Paradiso", "Alienazione", "Inventario", and "Sinfonia Dell'Ottimista". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic score from Ennio Morricone – one of those extra-special soundtracks of his that really seem to elevate from the rest – with a sublime blend of elements that's completely unique! The sound here is in the best Mondo Morricone mode – often slowly stepping, kind of a loungey approach to funk – with isolated strings, moody instrumentation, and some great highlights that include work by Oscar Valdambrini on flugelhorn, Edda Dell'Orso on voice, and I Cantori Moderni on wordless vocals! The sound is beautiful and spooky at the same time – post-bossa, with that more sophisticated sound that Morricone built up as the 70s moved in. The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "La Cugina", "La Sera La Nott, Il Giorgno", and "De Copalamo". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Ennio Morricone's first groundbreaking scores for the western – a brilliant batch of tunes composed for The Big Gundown, handled in a way that mixed the typical western guitar-based themes with some of the maestro's other compulsions – like wordless vocals and isolated instrumentation amidst lush orchestral backdrops! There's barely any "spaghetti" on the plate of this one – as the sound is often quite lean and very clean – a real change from some of the more dramatic, romantic styles that were being used in American westerns. Titles include "La Corrida", "La Vedova", "La Resa Dei Conti", "Dopo La Condanna", "Rune Man Run", "Primo Deserta", and "Corri Uomo Corri". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost Morricone gem – originally written for Italian television in the 70s, but with a sublime quality that's right up there with the best of the maestro's film work from the same decade! The main theme has this beautiful feel – slowly vamping strings with a nice gentle groove, punctuated by a cool whistle that's very much in classic Morricone spirit. Other tracks continue in this lightly playful style – often using woodwinds, or a specific woodwind instrument, to create a gently percussive mood. Titles include variations on the theme, in versions titled "Dolce Mistero", "Burlesco", "Titoli", "Saltarello Della Rana", "Tema D'Amore Ripresa", and "Indagine Su Un Navigatore". LP, Vinyl record album

Bruno Nicolai conducted this score by Morricone for the film The Sicilian Clan – a bit of a hit back in 1969, and a dark little gangster film! The soundtrack's got a number of different classic Morricone approaches – it starts with a power "boing" on the track's grooving opener, has some darker orchestral passages that glide along nicely, and mixes slow-grooving organ with a bit of whistling and more boings on other numbers! You'll love that boing – which really sets the whole thing off in a crazy mood – and you'll understand why Morricone's range of expression on the soundtrack makes it one of his biggest hits from the time! Titles include "Tema Per Le Goff", "Jeanne E La Spiaggia", "Il Clan Dei Siciliani", "Tema Italiano No 2", and "Francobolli". LP, Vinyl record album

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A really interesting set of recordings – as the regular group of reedman Willem Breuker is expanded to a string quartet – for recordings of works by George Gershwin, Ennio Morricone, and Breuker himself! LP, Vinyl record album

A contemporary combo, but one who really get the sound of older soundtracks right – particularly the late 60s/early 70s Italian generation that's inspired the name and artwork of this set! Instrumentation is nice and lean – keyboards, guitar, bass, and percussion – used more in the tight ways of a mod funk combo, but with strong soundtrack leanings in the tunes – no surprise, as the songs here are all pulled from vintage scores by Ennio Morricone, Luiz Bacalov, Armando Trovajoli, and others of the golden age of Italian soundtracks! And if you're suspicious about the sound, don't be – because these guys are totally great – no fake-retro moments, or overly programmed rhythms – just live instrumentation handled beautifully, in ways that bring something new to the tunes, but remain very faithful to their original inspiration. Titles include "Preludio", "Italia Amano Armata", "Titoli", "Notte In Bovisa", "Summertime Killer", "La Polizia S'Incazza", "Shake Balera", "Spiralys", and "Gangster Story". LP, Vinyl record album

This Godfather's got a mighty long arm – and a mighty groovy sound, too – one that includes some great leaping rhythms bubbling up with basslines, and plenty of fantastic vocals from both Edda Ell'Orso and I Cantori Modern! Edda sings in that wordless breezy style she brought to some of her best Ennio Morricone soundtracks – and I Cantori Modern often scat along in a cool harmony-drenched style that's pretty wonderful too – and instrumentation includes a bit of light flute, sweet Hammond, and fuzzy guitar – in a very nice blend that only gets stronger on the mostly instrumental tracks that dominate the second half of the record! Titles include "Raffica", "Fuga In La Minore", "Sabina", "Streap", and "Porto Cammelli". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best records ever from the Gruppo D'Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza – an obscure side project of Ennio Morricone and other Italian composers – working here in a freaky, psychedelic setting! The album mixes sonic experiments with fuzzy guitars, freaky keyboards, and some surprisingly funky rhythms at times – at a level that's even more compelling than some of the group's other projects – especially given that the album's three tracks are all quite long, with lots of room for instrumental experimentation! Yet as in some of the best prog work of the period – such as by Can or Faust – there's a sense of focus and groove that really holds the whole thing together. And given that these guys had already had years of experience in the studio – on both sides of the production booth – they really have a wonderful ear for extremely inventive sounds. Titles include "Kumalo", "The Feed-Back", and "Quasars". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare work from this legendary Italian improvisational group – a lineup that features famous modernists Mario Bertoncini, Egisto Macchi, and Walter Bianchi – as well as soundtrack genius Ennio Morricone! The sounds are quite dark and abstract – often somewhere out in the space of Morricone's more atonal soundtracks from the early 70s, but even looser overall – as you can feel the improvisational energy of the players coming together – feeling out space between spare percussion, strings, and horns. The record actually has one famous funky number – "Haschich", which has this amazing break underneath some off-tuned sitar and other odd noises – but most other tracks are much darker and more outside. Other titles include "Orgasmo", "Eroina", "Aghi", "Warum", "Raptus", and "Stridori" – plus another take on "Haschich". LP, Vinyl record album

An extremely unique Henry Mancini soundtrack – scored for this European film that starred Marcello Mastroianni and Ingrid Bergman – with a sound that's almost in a similar mood to the work of Ennio Morricone from the same time! Most of the tracks are fairly dark and moody – with simple themes running through them, handled by spare strings, augmented by bits of instrumentation on guitar or melodica – really nice touches, and that same sense of restraint that Henry Mancini was bringing to some of his own instrumental albums of the early 70s. The overall sound is quite compelling – if less groovy than most of Mancini's more famous work from the 60s. Titles include "Two Girls", "The Retreat", "Invitation", "Love Theme From Sunflower", and "Giovanna". CD features lots of bonus tracks in mono – 19 more numbers that include film versions from the score, and a demo of "Loss Of Love", and a piano demo of "Love Theme From Sunflower". CD

A groovy little Italian soundtrack – straight in some parts, but very nice in others! There's some sweet tunes that features wordless female vocals – in the mode of work by Armando Trovajoli or Ennio Morricone from the time – and there's other tunes that have a dancing groovy style that are right in the Easy Tempo mode. The tracks are very short, but groove around nicely – and really fit the feel you might expect from a title like The Wild Eye! Titles include "Bali Street", "The Sultan", "Don't Go Away", "The Kiss", "Two Lovers", "Love Comes Back", "Goodbye", and "Golden Age". LP, Vinyl record album

The world premiere of this sweet 70s soundtrack from Franco Micalizzi – a great batch of erotic-tinged tunes originally penned for an Italian film about teenage lust! The music has a warmly gentle quality that's similar to some of Ennio Morricone's work in this mode – tunes that alternate between soft strings, stepping instrumentation, and even bits of vocals from the lovely Edda Dell'Orso, sounding a bit sweeter here than on some of her spookier soundtracks! The tunes float very nicely in the breeze – sometimes hanging bit a single piano note or two – sometimes getting a bit more drive from rhythms that verge on funky, but hang back just a bit. And as with any of the great Morricone scores from the time, there's a few key variations on the themes that spin out beautifully as the set rolls on – creating a great sense of sonic interplay! LP, Vinyl record album

Classic cop soundtrack work from the Italian scene of the 70s – a funky nugget that rivals our own American police scores of the time, but one that also has some darker elements too! The upbeat tunes here often feature lots of keyboards, funky bass, and guitar – quick-tempo grooves that move with lots of fast action – offset by some mellower numbers that mix in spookier strings and some creepier orchestrations, of the sort you might hear in an Ennio Morricone soundtrack. Micalizzi's always been one of the best Italian composers for crime/cop work like this – and the score is right up there with his best work – beautifully presented in this package that features 17 cuts from the film! CD

Classic cop soundtrack work from the Italian scene of the 70s – a funky nugget that rivals our own American police scores of the time, but one that also has some darker elements too! The upbeat tunes here often feature lots of keyboards, funky bass, and guitar – quick-tempo grooves that move with lots of fast action – offset by some mellower numbers that mix in spookier strings and some creepier orchestrations, of the sort you might hear in an Ennio Morricone soundtrack. Micalizzi's always been one of the best Italian composers for crime/cop work like this – and the score is right up there with his best work – beautifully presented in this package that features 12 cuts from the film! LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from one of the grooviest singers of the 60s – the amazing Mina, a vocalist who hardly made waves on this side of the Atlantic, but who served up a wealth of wonderful material from the Italian scene at the time! You might know Mina from a few key soundtrack contributions she made over the years – her vocal range is stunning – and arrangements here are often by important forces from the Italian cinema scene – like Ennio Morricone, Piero Piccioni, Augusto Martelli, and Bruno Canforna – all of whom give Mina these full, rich backings that really match the vivid quality of her voice! But there's also groovy elements at the core, too – styles that are similar to French or British female pop of the period – especially with some of the soul currents of the latter – but shaped differently, given both Mina's style, and the Italian language and the way it comes across in song. The package is long overdue – maybe the first-ever done for the international market on Mina's music – and as with all work on Ace, the presentation is great, with very detailed notes that will teach you plenty while you enjoy the songs – a lineup that includes "Se Telefonando", "E L'Umo Per Me", "Io Sono Quel Che Sono", "No", "Citta Vuota", "Tu Farai", "Beve Amore", "Addio", "Insensatez", "Se C'E Una Cosa Che Mi Fa Impazzire", "TA Ra Ta Ta", and "La Banda". CD

Two of the grooviest tracks from the soundtrack to Gli Angeli Del 2000 – one of the best musical moments from Mario Molina! Edda Dell'Orso sings in the lead on "Ash" – but the tune is funky, and Edda's actually singing real lyrics – not the wordless vocalizations she usually does with Ennio Morricone! The tune's got a strutting bassline over the drums, and some mighty nice horns – and it's backed by the main theme of the soundtrack, which has a mix of groovy guitar, funky drums, and chimes that seems very inspired by the Messe Pour Le Temps Present of Pierre Henry! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Some of the darkest work we've ever heard from Bruno Nicolai – an Italian soundtrack composer who's usually in the more groovy side of the spectrum – but who here proves that he can be as moody and offbeat as his frequent musical partner, Ennio Morricone! The tunes have some occasional swinging moments, but often move into more offbeat, atonal modes – such as those explored by Morricone in his tenser horror soundtracks, or in his music with Gruppo D'Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza – the latter of whom would be a great comparison to the sound of this set. We've always loved Nicolai's music, and we're even more impressed that he can come up with work of this nature too – especially when he still finds a way to make things feel slightly cinematic. Titles include "Simbolica", "Risolutiva", "Metodica", "Vocale", "Immaginativa", and "Integrante". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest soundtracks of the 60s – presented here in a massive package that brings forth a wealth of never-reissued music! Piero Piccioni really hit his stride for the music to this film that was directed by its star – the effervescent Alberto Sordi – a fantastic send-up on the London scene of the time, set to a range of modly romping tunes! Piccioni handled the main music – often with loads of great piano and organ lines – but there's also some great vocal moments too, sung by Lydia MacDonald, Julie Rogers, and even Sordi – and the record also features a few touches from I Cantori Moderni, and a bit of music from Ennio Morricone too. Titles include the wonderful "Mr Dante Fontana", a nutty groover about the mod fashion scene in London – and it also features the famous tracks "Richmond Bridge" and "You Never Told Me". Titles include a few versions of "Fontana" and "Richmond", plus "Ascot Dream", "Magic Castle", "Tango Walk", "Drag Beat", "This Is Life", "Palace Parade March", "Babylon, I'm Coming", and "His Dream Has Come True". 3CD set features the full original album in both mono and stereo – plus 71 bonus tracks from the film score! CD

One of the coolest, grooviest Christmas records we've heard in years – a set that's the first-ever effort from Roman Coppola's Molto Groovy Productions – and which has a mod 60s vibe all the way through! The styles here are steeped in the best Italian soundtrack modes from years back – cool keyboards, fuzzy organ, funky basslines, and lots of offbeat instrumentation that really transforms the tunes – almost as if someone like Piero Umiliani or Ennio Morricone recorded a whole album of Christmas instrumentals! The sound is perfect – even better than you might suspect from the cover – and you can take it from us, as we're not easily fooled by "fake" retro projects – and really tip our hat to these guys for getting the instrumentation, arrangements, and production just right. Most titles are familiar songs, but done in very unusual styles – and tracks include "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "Joy To The World", "Jingle Bells", "Sleigh Ride", "Feliz Navidad", "Little Drummer Boy", "Silver Bells", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". CD

A nice little package dedicated to the films of Bernardo Bertolucci – one that features a host of great themes from a variety of different films – including Partner, Novecento, Last Tango In Paris, Little Buddha, Dreamers, The Conformist, and Prima Della Rivoluzione. The CD offers up a full range of themes from famous Bertolucci movies – and includes "Cha Cha Cha Cantato" by Piero Piccioni, "Vecchia Hollywood" by Ennio Morricone, "Chi Pi Felice Di Me" by Georges Delerue, "Il Conformista" by Augusto Martelli, "Splash" by Ennio Morricone, "Why Did She Choose You" by Gato Barbieri, "Tema Di Ada" by Ennio Morricone, "The Last Emperor" by John Williams, "Little Buddha" by Ryuichi Sakamoto, and "La Tragedia Di Un Nomo Ridiculo" by Ennio Morricone. CD

A set that includes great soundtrack work from Ennio Morricone, Georges Delerue, Francois De Roubaix, Daniel Patucchi, Nino Rota, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest Italian soundtracks of the 60s – and a motherlode of tracks by the great Piero Piccioni! The soundtrack is the source of the oft-compiled "Mr Dante Fontana", a nutty groover about the mod fashion scene in Italy – and it also features the famous tracks "Richmond Bridge" and "You Never Told Me". Most of the music is by Piccioni and the wonderful vocal group I Cantori Moderni, with Edda Dell'Orso on vocals – but the CD also features some work by Lydia Mac Donald, Julie Rogers, and Ennio Morricone. Includes a few versions of the "Fontana" and "Richmond", plus "Ascot Dream", "Magic Castle", "Tango Walk", "Drag Beat", "This Is Life", "Palace Parade March", "Babylon, I'm Coming", and "His Dream Has Come True". Very groovy – and this special Japanese CD features 33 tracks in all! CD

A double-header of material from Italian maestro Piero Piccioni – presented in a wonderfully rich, heavily-detailed style – the first time we've ever seen his music handled in the lavish Film Score Monthly manner! First up is the obscure soundtrack to Kenner – a late 60s Jim Brown film, done by Piero with a wonderfully sensitive soundtrack – really lovely woodwind interplay, with an undercurrent of jazz – almost a Johnny Mandel sort of mode, but with some of the occasional mod touches you'd expect from Piccioni on some of his better-known scores. There's some cuts that have a nicely pronounced soul jazz vibe – while others move between some lyrical sounds that are mighty sweet – and there's some bits that feature organ played with the raspy edges that always make Piero's handling of the instrument so different from others'. CD 1 features 32 tracks from Kenner – including some rare bonus material too – all conducted by Bruno Nicolai! CDs 2 and 3 feature More Than A Miracle, a dreamy little soundtrack by Piero Piccioni – not as mad as some of his more famous Italian work, but with plenty of nice touches! Piccioni's going for more of an atmospheric approach here with isolated instrumentation drifting over rhythmic string passages, in a way that's halfway between Ennio Morricone and Francis Lai. A few tracks have more whimsical musical touches – and the main theme is played by Roger Williams on piano with chorus backing. Titles include "The Chef", "The Tournament", "The Eggs Are Bewitched", "The Contest", "Prince Rodrigo", and "Rodrigo Leaves The Monastery". This expanded package features very detailed notes – and a whopping 70 tracks from the film – the full soundtrack album initially issued on MGM, 19 cuts from the film score itself, and an additional 36 bonus tracks too! CD

New material from the legendary Alessandro Alessandroni – one of the key forces in helping define the sound of Italian film scores in the 60s and sound library material in the 70s – still alive and well here, and working in a style that's maybe a more intimately focused presentation of his talents! The maestro handles lead instruments throughout, echoing all of the special solo sound he'd use on soundtracks – both under his own name, and with other composers, like Ennio Morricone – and the set features Alessandroni on guitars, keyboard, recorder, mandolin, and accordion – plus some of his famous whistling work too! The set was produced by his son, who handles some other instruments too – and there's light touches of strings on a number of tunes. Titles include "My Moon", "Una Favola", "The Milky Way", "Walking On The Lane", "Melody On The Hill", "A Waltz Under The Stars", "Summer Of Emotions", "Drive To Nowhere", and "Rhino Poaching". CD