Ennio Morricone

Quartet Records, in collaboration with GDM and EMI General Music, presents a CD reissue of Ennio Morricone’s iconic album Colori, celebrating its 55th anniversary. In the summer of 1971, Morricone entered the legendary Orthophonic Studios in Rome alongside his longtime collaborators Bruno Nicolai, Alessandro Alessandroni and Edda Dell’Orso, and recorded a selection of ten tracks drawn from some of his recent film scores, many of which had not yet been released. He remixed some cues and re-recorded others, always with fascinating results.

Morricone unveils his most experimental side in Colori, an LP that brings together some of his most evocative compositions for early 1970s Italian cinema. Far from the sweeping western soundscapes that made him internationally renowned, this work ventures into more daring territory, where psychedelia, suspense and orchestral sophistication converge. Featuring pieces drawn from soundtracks such as Veruschka, Maddalena, A Lizard In A Woman’s Skin, The Fifth Chord, Senza Movente and The Cat O’nine Tails, Colori unfolds a rich sonic universe: ethereal vocals, innovative arrangements and a distinctive cinematic sensibility that anticipates new ways of storytelling through sound. More than a simple compilation, Colori stands as a testament to Morricone’s creative genius and his ability to transform film music into an autonomous artistic experience.

The album was released in 1971 by General Music in Italy and was only reissued on CD in Japan in the early 1990s, making it a coveted collector’s item. This new CD edition has been remastered by Chris Malone from the original sources and retains the original cover featuring a painting by Alessandra Morricone—the composer’s daughter—as well as the original liner notes by Fabrizio Zampa. An essential work for discovering Morricone at his most adventurous and unconventional.