I recently received this title which I bought during Kronos' black Friday sale ... and upon 1st listen, it sounds more like a Euro Western than a historical gladiator flick.
It is no wonder that you feel this way as De Masi recycled the main theme from SETTE CONTRO TUTTI just a few months later for one of his most famous Spaghetti Western themes. It is called "A Man Must Fight" and used as instrumental version in SETTE DOLLARI SUL ROSSO and as vocal version in LA SPIETATA COLT DEL GRINGO. Both of these westerns got released in March 1966, but SPIETATA COLT DEL GRINGO otherwise has almost only stock music from the CAM catalogue whereas SETTE DOLLARI SUL ROSSO is really one of De Masi´s best western scores ever. "A Man Must Fight" is not the main theme in SETTE DOLLARI, but a subsidiary theme. Here is the vocal version of "A Man Must Fight" which was used in the Main Title of LA SPIETATA COLT DEL GRINGO:
Stefan, are you really sure about "A Man must fight" being used in SETTE DOLLARI SUL ROSSO? I just watched the film but I did not hear the instrumental version, strange. Both versions are used in SPIETATA COLT DEL GRINGO though (also used in this film is the instrumental version of Morricone's "A gringo like me"). I do agree with you that SETTE DOLLARI is one of De Masi's best western scores ever. The main theme with Michele Lacerenza on trumpet is just wonderful.
Stefan, are you really sure about "A Man must fight" being used in SETTE DOLLARI SUL ROSSO? I just watched the film but I did not hear the instrumental version, strange. Both versions are used in SPIETATA COLT DEL GRINGO though.
I have just had a look at the film and indeed you are right. The instrumental version of "A Man Must Fight" doesn´t appear in the film itself which is very strange. However, it has always been part of the original album master of SETTE DOLLARI SUL ROSSO and therefore appeared even on the 1966 CAM LP of this title. The expanded Beat CD of SETTE DOLLARI from 2012 even includes the vocal version of the theme as bonus track and makes it appear as if it had been composed for SETTE DOLLARI which of course is not the case. So it seems that De Masi himself wanted to include the instrumental track on the original CAM LP of SETTE DOLLARI as otherwise it would not have been released on any record in 1966.
Stefan, are you really sure about "A Man must fight" being used in SETTE DOLLARI SUL ROSSO? I just watched the film but I did not hear the instrumental version, strange. Both versions are used in SPIETATA COLT DEL GRINGO though.
I have just had a look at the film and indeed you are right. The instrumental version of "A Man Must Fight" doesn´t appear in the film itself which is very strange. However, it has always been part of the original album master of SETTE DOLLARI SUL ROSSO and therefore appeared even on the 1966 CAM LP of this title. The expanded Beat CD of SETTE DOLLARI from 2012 even includes the vocal version of the theme as bonus track and makes it appear as if it had been composed for SETTE DOLLARI which of course is not the case. So it seems that De Masi himself wanted to include the instrumental track on the original CAM LP of SETTE DOLLARI as otherwise it would not have been released on any record in 1966.
Thanks for the reply, Stefan
So it may be possible that these two tracks (actually one, since the backing track is identical) were recorded during the recording sessions for SETTE DOLLARI. I also noticed that SPIETATA COLT contains some brief variations on the same melody which probably means the music was originally intended for that film rather than SETTE DOLLARI.
I must give a nod to his score to Ringo il volto della vendetta its up there with the best of his scores.
Good point soundtracksi - it is great. And the digital clean up job on it was excellent - i heard a few tracks before it was published and i knew it would be superb.
Bill, regarding De Masi's score to Ringo il volto della vendetta, do you have the most recent CD release from 2017 or the earlier one? I have the old CD and was wondering if the sound quality has been improved for the newer CD.
I'm enjoying this education in all things not Morricone. Being an Ennio fan all my life I'm ashamed of not knowing his rivals. But I've not warmed to the samples so far.
I must give a nod to his score to Ringo il volto della vendetta its up there with the best of his scores.
Good point soundtracksi - it is great. And the digital clean up job on it was excellent - i heard a few tracks before it was published and i knew it would be superb.
Bill, regarding De Masi's score to Ringo il volto della vendetta, do you have the most recent CD release from 2017 or the earlier one? I have the old CD and was wondering if the sound quality has been improved for the newer CD.
Hi mikael, I was at professori Zamori's house around the time he was cleaning up the tapes - the sound was superb. So clear. This wouldve been four or five years ago so pre 2017 i guess.
I'm enjoying this education in all things not Morricone. Being an Ennio fan all my life I'm ashamed of not knowing his rivals. But I've not warmed to the samples so far.
But I can hear promise.
Definitely grab the westerns Paul, De masi uses Ennio's western blueprint but with his own signatures and style.
I must give a nod to his score to Ringo il volto della vendetta its up there with the best of his scores.
Good point soundtracksi - it is great. And the digital clean up job on it was excellent - i heard a few tracks before it was published and i knew it would be superb.
Bill, regarding De Masi's score to Ringo il volto della vendetta, do you have the most recent CD release from 2017 or the earlier one? I have the old CD and was wondering if the sound quality has been improved for the newer CD.
Hi mikael, I was at professori Zamori's house around the time he was cleaning up the tapes - the sound was superb. So clear. This wouldve been four or five years ago so pre 2017 i guess.
Okay, thanks
It sounds like you've got the most recent GDM CD which has one bonus track, a 5 minute suite. The older CD was released back in '05.
There is one I like very much, at least the main theme, sadly unreleased so far, to my knowledge...
IL MOMENTO DI UCCIDERE Francesco de Masi
I suppose that the tapes are lost for IL MOMENTO DI UCCIDERE from 1968 as this was a Nazionalmusic title. Otherwise it would have long been released by now. Beat Records had accidentally discovered the Nazionalmusic tapes for De Masi´s 1972 thriller score I FAMILIARI DELLE VITTIME NON SARANNO AVVERTITI in their archives more than a year ago and then published it on CD, but something like this was almost a miracle. If the same happened for IL MOMENTO DI UCCIDERE, it would certainly get released. But chances are not very high.
Hi mikael, I was at professori Zamori's house around the time he was cleaning up the tapes - the sound was superb. So clear. This wouldve been four or five years ago so pre 2017 i guess.
Wow. Bill Carson is a man about town. He got advice from Lionel Woodman (the hillside volumes on GDM) and was actually inside Zamori's residence! Didn't Zamori restore a lot of master tapes for Hexacord label plus others?
I'm enjoying this education in all things not Morricone. Being an Ennio fan all my life I'm ashamed of not knowing his rivals. But I've not warmed to the samples so far. .
Hi, Paul.
There is no shortage of non-Morricone Italian soundtracks to sample. Perhaps F. de Masi is not your prefered blend of tea. I expect you might be receptive towards more 'cerebral' music, such as works by Gaslini or Macchi or Migliardi for example. FSM has other threads in which we help others (like Leo Nicols or Wagner Almighty) get into non-Ennio albums.
No, real secret zardoz, like a few of the original ennio and soundtrack collectors, ive known Lionel since i was 14 and going to movie jumbles at the Eccleston Hotel. He was selling LPs under Soundtrack Deletions. He has known Zamori since early 70s. Zamori has done hundreds of clean ups, not just the ones for hexacord and hillside, a helluva lot more for gdm releases.
No, real secret zardoz, like a few of the original ennio and soundtrack collectors, ive known Lionel since i was 14 and going to movie jumbles at the Eccleston Hotel. He was selling LPs under Soundtrack Deletions. He has known Zamori since early 70s. Zamori has done hundreds of clean ups, not just the ones for hexacord and hillside, a helluva lot more for gdm releases.
Hmmm...the notes for the Ringo il volto della vendetta 2017 GDM CD says the audio mastering is by Claudio Fuiano. I think he was involved in the old 2005 release too but I'm not sure. Maybe this new reissue is just a reprint with the only difference being one extra track (?)
As for Lionel Woodman, I've bought hundreds of LP's and CD's from him over the years, he's a really nice fellow. It was thanks to him that I finally got a chance to talk with Alessandroni on the phone. I remember that we spoke for over an hour, and later we emailed each other for a few years until he passed away back in 2017...R.I.P. Sandro
Yes i know collectors are obsessed with what is credited and treat it as gospel but in the case of "album prepared by" and "digital remastering by" we know that both zamori and winkler did the actual sound clean up on many 100s of tapes, preparing them for Cd but their names rarely appeared on CDs. I think Daniel has got more credits in recent years but im really not sure who is doing what these days.
As far as Ringo is concerned, it mustve been further back than i thought. Zamori let us listen to an extract of what hed been working on that day and i was blown away by the clarity. Ordered from Lionel the moment it was available. Btw Paola his wife is the best cook in Italy!!
Here's a change of pace. The main title for "Seven Pistols for a Massacre" (not to be confused with "Seven Winchesters for a Massacre") is sung by a woman--Giulia Rei. The song is The Only Girl He Loved.
I am tempted to sing the lyrics "He came, with the name, Cincinnati..."! ;-)
