Spaghetti Western Music

 

Spaghetti Western Music: A Short Guide

By Jake Cressy

July 26, 2019

 

Spaghetti Western music specifically refers to Italian produced Western films. They’re also known as Macaroni Westerns in Japan, Italo-Westerns in Germany, and western all’italiana (Italian-style Westerns) in Italy. They technically fit under the broader term, “Eurowesterns” which refers to any Western genre film made in Europe. Alfonso Sánchez, a Spanish journalist, allegedly coined the phrase “Spaghetti Western”

The genre left a remarkable impact on film as a whole, influencing everything from American Clint Eastwood films (Hang Em High) to Bollywood and Japanese films, and of course, Quentin Tarantino, who has directed several films with varying levels of Spaghetti Western influence present. His most recent film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, is very direct about the genre’s influence (There’s even a movie poster within the film entitled “Kill Me Quick Ringo, Said The Gringo,”) an exaggerated homage to the title style of films like “Django, Prepare a Coffin”

The Man Behind The Music

The man who is widely considered to be the father of Spaghetti Western music is Ennio Morricone. IF you doubt his credentials, just take a look at his Spotify page. He’s responsible for the soundtrack to 1966’s The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly which is reason enough to credit him with making the whole genre. Morricone’s total work includes scores for more than 400 movies and TV shows.

In 1963, Morricone worked on his first Western, Duello new Texas, also known as Gunfighters at Red Sands. He saw no notoriety for his work until he partnered with Italian director Sergio Leone in 1964 where he worked on A Fistful of Dollars starring Clint Eastwood.

What Makes Spaghetti Western Music?

Budgetary restraints are partially to thank for the distinct Spaghetti Western sound. Morricone didn’t have access to a full orchestra for The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, so he took advantage of sound effects (whips, gunshots, etc.), choir-like vocalizations, whistling, trumpets, mouth harps, and even the electric guitar.

What Morricone produced was a soundtrack that not only played over the film, but interacted with the action taking place. The music could heighten or downplay the action on the screen to create greater tension or comic relief. It was a revelation at the time, and the effect on modern film score and pop music alike is plain to see.

Beyond the instrumentation used, people online have noted the genres frequent use of “freight train rhythm” (give this a listen if you can’t figure out what that means) and the emphasis on minor modes and scales.

As a primarily instrumental genre, it’s great to listen to if you’re studying or working on something, provided you don’t mind a little intensity in your background music.