On Monday, July 6th the world lost influential Italian composer Ennio Morricone. The pioneering musician was one of the most important, groundbreaking names in modern cinema. He passed away at age 91 in Rome.
Metallica have taken to social media to pay tribute to the late composer. Since the Eighties, Metallic have entered the stage to a cacophony of timpani, piano and oboe, in a piece drawn from the opening section of Ennio Morricone’s ‘The Ecstasy of Gold,’ one of his most beloved works, taken from the score for 1966’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
“R.I.P. Ennio Morricone,” Metallica wrote on Twitter. “Your career was legendary, your compositions were timeless. Thank you for setting the mood for so many of our shows since 1983.
James Hetfield took to Instagram to share an additional tribute to the late musician. “The day we first played ‘The Ecstasy of Gold’ as our new intro in 1983 it was magic! It has become apart of our blood flow, deep breathing, fist bumping, prayers and band huddle pre-show ritual ever since.
“I have sang that melody thousands of times to warm up my throat before hitting the stage. Thank you Ennio for pumping us up, being a big part of our inspiration, and a bonding between band, crew, and fan. I will forever think of you as part of the Metallica family.”
In addition to the inclusion of ‘The Ecstasy of Gold’ to their intro music, Metallica recorded their own version of the track for the 2007 Morricone tribute album, We All Love Ennio Morricone.
Metallica is set to release a duo of live tracks from their 1987 Donington performance on vinyl for the very first time.
Love Classic Rock?
Get the latest Classic Rock news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
The band announced the pressing in an email to the Metallica Vinyl Club – the band’s subscription service that provides rare and exclusive vinyl to fans.
The email explained the delay in manufacturing vinyl amid the coronavirus pandemic, “feature a pair of live tracks from our visit to the hallowed grounds of Castle Donington back in 1987.”
Check out Metallica covering Ennio Morricone’s ‘Ecstasy of Gold’:
