ENNIOMORRICONE.IT

What actually bothered me for a long time is that unlike for many other Morricone soundtracks they actually NEVER released such version of OUATITW soundtrack that would contain all original versions of compositions that appeared in the movie.
So, if anyone could clarify that for me? If I remember correctly there were on first version of original soundtrack some versions that never appeared in the movie. For example 'main theme' that starts with violins. In next versions of soundtrack they replaced it with original movie version. Also 'As a Judgement".... I don't remember I've heard that version in the movie anywhere, especially first half of the composition.
Also, what bothers me the most is absence of this music part on all soundtrack versions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VspGfO77hrQ
On expanded 27 track version we have 'those', but those are not original versions that appeared in the movie. What came closest to this was always ofcourse 'man with a harmonica' track.
So I'm wondering what happened to those original tracks? Are they lost? Destroyed?
And what about those alternative versions of some tracks on the album? Is there some story behind it?

Hello Nix. I'll try to answer your question in a rather general manner. You have to understand that a soundtrack album is always sort of a compromise. In the case of ONCE UPON THE TIME IN THE WEST, there was first the original LP including only 13 tracks, basing upon a selection probably made by Morricone himself. Due to both the limited duration of the 33rpm format and the subjective choice made, important stuff was lacking such as Morton's theme. We had alas to be satisfied with it for many years to come. Then came a first expanded CD, a couple of years later a second one, which means that the Maestro allowed the concerned labels to add a couple of tracks, now totalizing 27.

As for the complete session tapes, they may lie in the RCA vaults. No idea. But I would say this: don't expect a complete release since it would require 2 CD's. And I doubt EM would validate such a thing. In my humble opinion, the longest album we have is an excellent digest of this score.

Laurent

Thanks for answer Laurent.
I still don't understand why there is no original movie version of final duel on expanded CD.
I'm not big fan of 'too much' expanded soundtracks where can be heard almost same version over and over again... 'Navajo Joe' soundtrack for example.
But this are some really important variations. And of course, to left out 'Morton' is hard to understand. I remember watching movie as a kid long before I got soundtrack that Morton theme really got my attention, so it was hard for me to believe that it's not on first soundtrack.
The biggest mystery to me is that 'final duel' composition in 2 parts in movie didn't appear in it's original version on expanded soundtrack.

Oh yes... same with 'big massacre' from begining on the movie... also not original version from the movie on expanded soundtrack.

Welcome to the world of Ennio Morricone Nix!

Everything Laurent says is absolutely right - but do not try to question the logic of selections on soundtracks by the maestro - you will disappear up your own brain and explode if you let it get to you. This is not the first time "key" if not utterly essential tracks were left off soundtracks. As Laurent rightly says, for many years the time restriction of an LP size created its own limits - and then you are dealing with an Italian maestro who has his own ideas and about what he proud of, what he doesnt like, what was chosen by directors that he wasnt bothered by, what he wants included, what he thinks we do not want - in fact, for a start, he has made it clear in many interviews that he does not like, as a rule, including short tracks on soundtracks.

There have been occasions too numerous to mention where such fan favourite themes have bafflingly not appeared. Two of the worst such instances I can think of were 3 versions of Story of a Soldier on The Good the Bad and the Ugly soundtrack while only one version of the magnificent main theme and no variations whatsoever (something rectified by Ehresmann, Winkler etc for the expanded) and from memory, 3 versions of the Muerte Donde Vas on Five Man Army at the exclusion of several other tracks, especially more variations of the main theme.

So second-guessing the Maestros reasons for allowing and not allowing certain tracks is a waste of time. You may as well just accept it and be glad for the music in the first place - what you get is a bonus!!

For years, many of us collecting back then in the 70s, made do with a suite with music and sound effects recorded off humming black and white TVs onto audio cassette!! I had so much much whistle on my TV back then I thought Alessandroni was crammed into it!!

Thanks KP
Maybe one day they will release all music from 'West' including all original versions that are in the movie like they did now for 'The Untouchables' which is also brilliant soundtrack.
To me, best solution was to convert this from youtube into mp3 and to enjoy in original version... there is no much dialogue except "keep your loving brother happy" which I cut out and blend it smoothly in program for such things and that's it ... the result is suprisingly good

This is a good way to have it.

You will find that for those of us who did do taping, that the dialogue became an integral part of what we were listening to, almost as much as the music - to the point where when I did get soundtracks, I heard the dialgue where there was no longer dialogue, because I was so used to it!!

Even now when I hear that part of Duck you sucker when he picks up the smoking sombrero and peers through it:
"Now do you see why we need de firecracker?"

That's true. Nothing wrong with dialogue, but since I've learned how to use some softwares I can remove dialogue
To me, personally 'West' is IMO Morricone's greatest accomplishment and film is one of the best ever. Even though it's hard to say what is objectively best since I'm enjoying in hundreds or even thousands of his compositions.

Nothing wrong with having favourites, Nix, we all have them.

Due to my young age at the time, I saw the Dollars films some while before I finally got to see OUATIWest, even though I owned the music before seeing the film.
Strangely, my favourite was GBU - both the music and the pace of the film and the characters and the sad hill cemetary build-up with Tuco looking for the grave, the prolonged trio gunfight, all magnificent. It was like the Leone work had taken 3 films to reach its peak, so to speak, and the Morricone music had done the same - starting quite basically with its Fistful of Dollars flute trills and whistling and whip cracks culminating in the operatic throbbing crescendo of Edda and the loud guitar work of Bruno D'Amario.

When I got to see OUATIWest it did not- at the time - impress me as much as GBU. The pace was a little slower and there was more of the typical Leone ambiguous dialogue and initially-unexplained actions of the characters. The music - although wonderful - to me, it was missing the energy of GBU.

As years went on and I matured from action-loving teenager, of course, I learned to appreciate OUATIWest with a different eye. And its music too. I realised that it was yet another step forward in maturity and complexity for Leone and again, cleverly in parallel, another step forward in maturity and complexity for Ennio's music.

It was quite incredible what our Maestro did there, each time mirroring the size and ambition of each film as it went up a level. A very subtle stroke of genius. This was something pointed out by Patrick E in his Italian Western piece on Didier's website and he was right.

One more point. And we could do with Laurence's view on this and one or two of the old western collectors. There does exist, though, a group-think among the world's film professors/students that - clearly because OUATIWest is a mature and unusual and exceptionally stylish western of borderline arthouse pedigree - it is okay to like it. It's cool and trendy to have it as one of your favourite films!! Obviously it is one that many students the world over often study as part of their film and media courses and ranks in there with Battle of Algiers, Apocalypse Now, etc etc.

Me? I dont care if Im trendy or not, and I dont care if people look down their nose a little at me when I say my favourite is the Good The Bad and The Ugly!!! - even if it is viewed as a little rough around the edges, a sort of energetic but unkempt 'backstairs sprog' who is kept on to do the gardening, compared with OUATiWest's classy, posh and groomed Lord of the Manor!

GBU has brilliant and versatile soundtrack too, but with different approach and philosophy behind it if we compare it to OUATITW. To me, all 7 soundtracks for Leone's movies deserve 5 stars...they are even better to me than some widely popular soundtracks like 'The Mission' or 'Cinema Paradiso'. Morricone and Leone together were most possibly inspiring eachother with ideas and it's obvious. They had great professional relationship.
But I'm not that crazy about first 2 Leone movies, especially the first one. It's like trash movie, but very exciting and good trash movie.

What I actually love about music in OUATITW so much is versatility of themes and all that 'larger than life' approach. Music and movie scenes are always on that border to become too melodramatic or even parody of itself, but it never cross that line in any segment.
And that's why I think it's really great piece of art on every level. They pushed boundaries over the top and still it never turned into kitsch or something like that.

And that music... that dramatic electric guitar in western.. I guess it was for people a shock simply to hear something like that in the western movie back then. It gives such geniune and unadulterated feel or ultimate horror like nothing else I've ever heard... and it turns then into that 'larger than life' orchestral part. It's like metal song that none of metal musicians were ever capable to make... not even close. Because metal to me sounds infantile and stupid in it's shallow and fake aggressiveness and not the way they intend it to sound. What they intend, Morricone was the only one who did it.
That's what I like the most about Morricone... his ability to play with psych of the listener and to make him aware of some other dimensions that we didn't know before they existed at all. And that can accomplish only true genius and Morricone is for sure one in a billion when we're talking about musical talent and sensibility.

My dad for example watched that movie long time ago, but he forgot it, but he never forgot the music, so a few years ago when he was older OUATITW on TV started and I was watching it but I'm not sure have I seen it then for the first time.
So movie started, he was watching a few first minutes and then he went to the kitchen. Few minutes later it was that scene of massacre and when boy ran out from the house that music started of course. The reaction of my dad was that he ran back to the room while saying something like "oh god... it's that music". He was so excited simply because of the music that he heard many years earlier and liked it.

And Jill's Theme of course and laid back Cheyenne's tune... Morton's theme too... all great masterpieces.

That doesn't mean that GBU is less better on any level. It's just different, but it's still brilliant piece of movie and even more fun with unforgettable and unique score.