“…it is always and forever pure Ennio – the Maestro” – Hans Zimmer
CAM SUGAR & DECCA ANNOUNCE FURTHER SOUNDTRACK RELEASES
IN THE ‘MORRICONE SEGRETO’ SERIES
CONTINUING THE MUSICAL LEGACY OF OSCAR-WINNING COMPOSER
ENNIO MORRICONE
DELUXE ‘COLLECTOR’S EDITION’ OUT TODAY
© MARKA: Alamy
CAM Sugar and Decca Records announce two further soundtrack releases and a deluxe Collector’s Edition in the Morricone Segretoseries, which launched last month to commemorate the life and work of Italian composer Ennio Morricone. It follows the success of a special mini-documentary, Celebrating Ennio Morricone: The Secrets Behind His Genius, which captured an emotional reunion of his closest collaborators in Rome to mark what would’ve been his 92nd birthday – watch itHERE.
The Morricone Segreto: Collector’s Edition, out today (4th December), includes plenty for fans of the Maestro to enjoy, including previously unreleased audio of Morricone in the studio on transparent yellow 7” vinyl and brand new artwork and photos from Morricone’s personal collection. This deluxe edition also includes an exclusive poster, with an unreleased photo of Morricone in the front, as well as anecdotes about the films and soundtracks on the back.
In February 2021, the soundtrack to the 1964 documentary film I Malamondo will be released on LP, CD and digital formats, followed in the spring by Il Bandito Dagli Occhi Azzurri (The Blue-Eyed Bandit), one of Morricone’s only jazz soundtracks. Both releases are remastered from the original master tapes.
I Malamondo is one of Morricone’s earliest scores, directed by Paolo Cavera. The soundtrack, quirky and colourful, moves through bossanova, jazz, latin and exotica, with panoramic orchestral numbers and soulful, romantic themes. The release includes seven unreleased tracks and two released on vinyl for the first time. One of the pieces, ‘L’Ultima Volta’, has been chosen by director Wes Anderson for the soundtrack of his forthcoming movie The French Dispatch.
The score to 1980’s Il Bandito Dagli Occhi Azzurri is marked by its unusual 5/4 time signature which creates a relentless rhythm reflecting the high-octane themes of the film. Morricone often deviates from his usual influences, utilising jazz improvisation and atonality for the edgy, dynamic drive of the score. This marks the first official vinyl reissue of the score since its original release in 1982 on the Cerberus label.
In the meanwhile, fans can enjoy delving into the composer’s unique sound world through Morricone Segreto – his first posthumous release – andthe mini-documentary, Celebrating Ennio Morricone: The Secrets Behind His Genius. The video was premiered on what would have been Morricone’s 92nd birthday on 10th November and captured a special reunion of his closest collaborators at the Fountain Studios in Rome. The five celebrated musicians, who worked alongside the composer on some of his most iconic scores, shared memories and stories about him and reminisced about his glittering career, spanning more than six decades. The mini-documentary has achieved over 700,000 views in three weeks.
Morricone Segreto is a treasure trove of rare and forgotten pieces and alternate takes from the historical archives of CAM Sugar. Morricone Segreto explores what is possibly Morricone’s richest creative period, between the end of the 1960s to the early 80s, demonstrating his long-lasting influence on generations of musicians and film directors to this day.
Composer Hans Zimmer shared words of support for his life-long friend, saying “Ennio Morricone always surprised and delighted. And, here is a last surprise, a last delightful gift for us. It shows an artist at his most imaginative, daring, yet charming. Stretching some concepts of music to their most surrealistic limits, and probably asking near impossibly commitment from his musicians… however abstract the music becomes, it is always and forever pure Ennio – the Maestro.”
Morricone Segreto: Collector’s Edition is out now on CAM Sugar and Decca Records