Back in 2016 we put out the first official reissue of Zoo Folle. It sold out in a matter of months, leaving many vinyl collectors hungry for more. We’re now thinking of them with this new double LP, which contains both the soundtrack as released in 1974 (sides A and B) and previously unreleased gems (sides C and D).
Already a phenomenon among collectors and experts, not only does Zoo Folle keep winning more and more recognition, but, together with The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue and Under Pompelmo, it has established Giuliano Sorgini as one of the great Italian composers of his generation.
And this is no coincidence. Zoo Folle is Sorgini’s most committed and personal work. It reflects at once his beliefs as an animal rightist and his deep friendship with TV director and long-time collaborator Riccardo Fellini (brother of La Dolce Vita director Federico). It was Fellini himself who asked Sorgini to score his documentary on the living conditions of animals in zoos in Western metropolises (Rome, London and Paris in particular).
Originally broadcast by RAI in three primetime episodes, Fellini’s exposé sharply contrasts the lives of caged animals with the freedom they experience in nature and wildlife reserves such as the Amboseli National Park in Kenya, Africa.
For his part, Sorgini offers perhaps his grandest score ever – a magnificent, multifaceted soundtrack that brings together a variety of instruments and the best musicians available at the time, from the lavish string orchestra recorded at the Fono Roma studios, to the angelic voice of Edda Dell’Orso, who conveys the sweetness and melancholy of the African sunset in “Red, Old Skies”.
Also performing on the soundtrack are exquisite soloists – all long-time friends of the composer. Nino Rapicavoli, for instance, whose flute adds a magical touch to the psycho-funk of “Mad Town” and the groove of “Slaves”, as well as Enzo Restuccia —whose afro-tribal percussions have made “Ultima caccia” a legendary track especially among lovers of Balearic grooves — and Enrico Ciacci, whose classical guitar soars beautifully over the nostalgic and poignant “Chains”. Not to mention the fact that Sorgini himself laid down the foundation tracks for the album in his small studio in Rome, playing the piano, drums and several synthesizers.
So, what are you waiting for? Get your turntables ready for the full version of “Amboseli“ (14 minutes of sheer bliss versus less than 6 in the original record) and for stunning, previously unreleased alternate versions of many other themes composed by Sorgini to celebrate the beauty of the savannah.
