This is not known to everyone, but in the world music for cinema he is a true giant. From 1975 onwards he composed nearly a hundred soundtracks – in the seventies also with Vince Tempera and Franco Bixio – for films, fiction and TV films.
From every genre: horror, western, and comedy (even sexy). Successes such as Fantozzi, second tragic Fantozzi, Horse fever, Zombies, Four Apocalypse, Come on idiot, Mandrakata, Captain etc. Apart from Italy, he is also considered a cult writer abroad, so much so that Quentin Tarantino included one of his songs in Kill Bill – Vol. 1, Seven Notes in Black, composed in 1977 for the film of the same name by Lucio Fulci, the horror wizard director with whom he worked for a long time, formed a remarkable partnership. A writer who died in 1996, which he celebrated since 2013 by giving concerts around the world with his F2F Orchestra (an abbreviation of Frizzi to Fulci).
He is Fabio Frizzi74 years old, born in Bologna but always Roman, older brother of the unforgettable Fabrizio (died in 2018 at the age of 60) and father of five children – three boys and two girls, aged 20 to 46 – by three different women. After the concert on November 20 at the Forum Studios in Rome with his orchestra, tonight at Spazio Scena he will be the protagonist of a musical masterclass set, two events included in the program of the 45th edition of Fantafestival, a review of science fiction and fantasy films.
Is it true that Fulci’s music and films still have a large following abroad today?
“Yes. I’ve never been there, but I’m sure even in Tibet there will be fans of Lucio’s films. With this orchestra I have been playing all over the world since 2013, and we have toured ten times in the United States alone. The response from the public is always amazing.”
Have you ever wanted to move abroad?
“About fifteen years ago, yes, I thought about it. In America things were a little better than now and there were interesting offers, but I was and am a family man: I needed a home and to be with my family. But today, if I received an offer to direct a permanent orchestra, not in the US, I would think about it. My children are grown up now. One of them, Federica, has lived and worked in a charity in London for many years.”
With all the things he did, could he collect more or not?
“Fabrizio always told me that I deserved more, but I have to say that over the years the balance sheet has gotten a little better: on balance I can say that I am very satisfied with the way things are going. I’m not complaining. I could never have done another job and I had the advantage that I was young in the good times when everything was happening. I started when I was not even 20, and at 22 I had already written the music for the first film.”
Which soundtrack are you most proud of?
“It’s hard to say. Maybe Fantozzi. That was my first success, so I understood that I could live with music.”
Is it true that he is also an actor?
«In three films called “musicals”, with Mal dei Primitives. I must admit that I entered the world of cinema because my father (the legendary Fulvio Frizzi, ed.) was the commercial director of Cineriz (Angelo Rizzoli’s film production and distribution company, which created and brought successful films by Fellini, Visconti, Rossellini, Antonioni, De Sica, Monicelli, Pontecorvo, ed.), but acting was not for me.”
What phase are you experiencing today?
“It’s very funny. Five years ago in my neighborhood, Balduina, I founded a school, the Octopus Music Factory, which has now become a reality, mainly managed by my wife Francesca, which gives us great satisfaction. We also allow those of a certain age who have never done it before to play. This place is frequented by young people and no, it seems like a kind of social center. We form a big band and sometimes I even have to sing… (laughs, ed.). This summer we performed at the Jazz & Image festival.”
For two months, you also had a weekly column in “Fatti tue”, the program also hosted by your brother, whose theme song you composed…
«Michele Guardì and the author asked me to tell stories related to music every Monday. When it was my turn, the ranking rose by one point…”.
Have you ever talked about Sanremo with Fabrizio?
“Sure. Ever. that was one of his biggest worries. He knew and loved Italian music as a whole, he was friends with many artists, he played with them – having fun like crazy – at dinners after shows. However, Rai was strange: he wanted to do it, but they always turned him down, then when he died they dedicated Sanremo to him.”
Is it true that you have produced five dance records together?
“Of course. And one of them was very fateful for Jovanotti. When in 1989 I wrote the music for the Italian series 1 Classe di ferro, and he sang the theme song, he told me that thanks to one of those recordings, which we made with Luca De Gennaro, he decided to become a DJ and make a living from music.”
Would you return to Ariston?
“Yes. As a conductor, I was there with Peppino Gagliardi. The manager Dino Vitola called me and it was nice. Even if they got rid of us. I remember Pippo Baudo conducting and there was Lorella Cuccarini as his waitress.”
What’s the best thing for you?
«When I travel around the world and people meet me, and sometimes they even start crying, I think that is: giving emotion».
Let’s be honest: do you like horror films or not?
«In short… A good film for me can be of any genre, a cult film for me is Blade Runner. Let’s say when there is a moment of strong tension, I can interpret it well.”
What challenge would you like to enjoy today?
«Maybe work directly with Hollywood, although I’ve done it with Quentin Tarantino».
Is it true that the second time he asked you for a song, he said no?
“Yes. For Inglourious Basterds he wanted to use a cover of one of my songs. But it was a cover, I couldn’t…”.
What do you want to do sooner or later?
“Buying a Harley Davidson, I’ve always loved it. But if I hadn’t done it so far…”.
What is the first thing you would like to say to Fabrizio today?
«”But aren’t you a little late?”. And that’s just because he’s notoriously late. I remember when in 2014 in London, at the Barbican, probably the largest theater in Europe, I gave a concert with my orchestra. He had never seen me abroad and was obviously late, and there they were very punctual, never running out of time. I called Fabrizio, with a taxi, and he immediately told me: “Five minutes and I’ll be there”. I asked the lovely room manager to wait, I couldn’t start without her. “Five minutes, no more,” he answered. At the end of the five minutes Fabrizio entered the room and ran backstage, we hugged, he took his seat, and we began. It’s one of the best memories I have. How I miss him.”
Demi Moore in 1998, after participating in Domenica In, invited him out to dinner, and he said no because he was married: what was he going to do?
«At least coffee, alcoholic drinks, I’ll drink them (laughs, ed.)».
In 1999 defense attorneys named him Al Bano’s music expert in the case against Michael Jackson, accused of copying his “I cigni di Balaka” to create “Will You Be There”. In the end the Court decided that both were inspired by classic blues music: do you repeat such experiences?
“No, but it’s interesting. Among the experts there is also Nicola Piovani and besides the obvious similarities, I remember that in the chorus the beginning of Michael Jackson had been copied from scratch from another gospel recording. They actually recorded it as the original.”
See, “The best is yet to come,” as Sinatra sang, or not?
«Astrologer Paolo Fox says that a quite positive period awaits me on an astrological level. I am a Cancer with a strange influence between Sagittarius and Scorpio, therefore creative. Now I have an agent in America who has arranged two tours for me, I have just been to Helsinki and London, and after Rome Brussels is waiting for me on February 26th. In short, I don’t mind being a world traveler.”
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