Touch of Evil

Henry Mancini - Touch Of Evil - OstIt took the genius of Orson Welles to make this supreme labyrinth of a film noir classic, sleaze meets fated tragedy on a Shakespearean level?and it took the genius of Henry Mancini, working on his first full standalone movie soundtrack, to give it the soundscapes which were so vital to the vision of the film. Welles' experience creating some of the most innovative radio programs of all time earlier in his career had made sound and music loom large in his world view. In Mancini, Welles found the perfect partner: then toiling in the lower levels of film music, he was experienced in the concept of 'source music' i.e. music which appears to emanate from radio, records, televisions movies etc taking place within the story, background, found sounds in the scuzzy dreamlike border town created for A Touch Of Evil, Mancini and Welles created an increasingly nightmarish soundscape of Latino jazz, early generic sounding instrumental Rock n Roll, Burlesque bump n grind, and creepy player piano.the climax of the movie, where sound recording itself is used to nail the tragic villain, is very suggestive indeed. His future's all used up make of that what you will. One of Mancini's finest scores, available again on vinyl. Beautifully remastered.