This made me also wonder that according to the Ferrara book the music had apparently been recorded in Naples. But why when one of the production companies was Fono Roma and probably also the recording studio if the Main Title credits are correct? One would have to ask Roberto Liso whether he has an answer about this. But as far as I understand it, he indeed claims that it was Naples where the music was recorded: "A Napoli, nel 1966 (quando il Maestro aveva già divisato di ritirarsi dall´ambiente cinematografica, perché si dedicava ormai pienamente alla docenza per la direzione d´orchestra) Ferrara si presto generosamente ed in via eccezionale a registrare la colonna sonora d´un film italiano, composta dall´amico (allora suo allievo) Francesco De Masi e musicalmente pregevole."
I just heard back from Filippo again and he keeps insisting that Liso's info on this is fake. He seems to be absolutely certain that his father composed '7 Winchester per un massacro' on his own, without any input from Ferrara. He found it quite funny that Liso stated that Ferrara recorded additional music in Naples when, in 1967, there didn't exist any recording studio in Naples that could accomodate an orchestra of 40-50 musicians...and besides, why would he go to Naples and record the music with an inferior orchestra when he lived in Rome and had access to the best studios and musicians of the time. Doesn't seem very likely. Moreover Filippo sent me a SIAE document which proves that the music was recorded in Rome at Fono Roma studios.
Thanks Mikael for your new infos from Filippo De Masi. This whole story gets more and more confusing. I don´t get it why Liso then writes about a recording in Naples when the recording took place at Fono Roma. Or should he have indeed mixed up 7 WINCHESTER PER UN MASSACRO with the other score 7 PISTOLE PER UN MASSACRO? But what´s with the documents among the Ferrara papers - i.e. the manuscript with the title "Musiche per un film di De Masi" and the acetate disc "Ferrara-De Masi"? I can´t imagine that Liso has invented all of this for his book. Above all: Why should he do it and for which purpose? I see that Liso is on Facebook. However, it seems that he has not been active there for some years: https://www.facebook.com/roberto.liso.1 Maybe Filippo De Masi could contact him there and tell him that his comments about 7 WINCHESTER and that the recording took place in Naples can´t really be true. It would be interesting to know what kind of reply he will get.
Could you ask Filippo De Masi, if the score of "7 pistole per un massacro" - directed by Mario Caiano and released in 1967 - was perhaps recorded in Naples, or, if any other Western score of his father was done there during those years (i.e. 1966-1968)?
Remember that Roberto Liso based his info an an account by Francesco De Masi. And the reasons why they recorded in a subpar facilitiy with an inferior orchestra was due to the small budget provided by the film production company. If that story has any truth in it is another question. Did Francesco have any choice?
Could you ask Filippo De Masi, if the score of "7 pistole per un massacro" - directed by Mario Caiano and released in 1967 - was perhaps recorded in Naples, or, if any other Western score of his father was done there during those years (i.e. 1966-1968)?
I did ask him if the score of "7 pistole per un massacro", or any other score from those years, was recorded in Naples and the answer is absolutely not - the music was recorded at Fono Roma just like "7 pistole per un massacro" and many other scores.
I did ask him if the score of "7 pistole per un massacro", or any other score from those years, was recorded in Naples and the answer is absolutely not - the music was recorded at Fono Roma just like "7 pistole per un massacro" and many other scores.
Thanks so much for checking this question with Filippo! It's much appreciated.
I've tried to find ways to contact Roberto Liso, the author of the Ferrara book. But so far without any success. So, it remains Liso's secret why he tells stories like this one here, in print, which don't hold water when checking other sources.
