Black Emanuelle's Groove

When I saw Dago Red's compilation CD of tracks from the Italian 'Black Emanuelle' films with its sleazy cover and insert it was a must buy.

Sad to report, however, the story of black Emanuelle is probably more interesting than the music on offer here.

Emmanuelle was one of the big hits of the early 70s. Starring Dutch actress Sylvia Kristel as the eponymous heroine, a diplomat's wife, and directed by Just Jaekin, the film's tasteful eroticism ensured it's acceptability to audiences and territories hostile to the hardcore pornographic material emerging from the US around the same time.

Its success also spawned a host of official and unofficial sequels. The latter, invariably directed by Italian exploitation expert Aristide Massaccesi under his Joe D'Amato pseudonym and starring Indonesian-born actress Laura Gemser as black Emanuelle – note the single M – reworked the character as an ace reporter whose undercover investigations into the likes of snuff movies in Emanuelle in America and cannibal cults in Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals inevitably led into more hardcore, not to mention sleazy and violent territory.

It's not that there is anything particularly wrong with Nico Fidenco's scores for the films, tracks from four of which are compiled here. The music is decent enough (sl)easy listening. What's lacking is that extra something so good/bad that it makes you sit up and take notice.

Some of the tracks do come close: Emanuelle Nera Orient Reportage, the only cut with lyrics, could easily feature on Eurotrash. Red Hot Wax features some deliciously cheesy home organ-isms, perhaps what Martin Rev would have sounded like had be scored porn soundtracks. The final track, Spellbound, sounds like one of Morricone's western themes, except that all the elements – drum rolls, jangly guitar, moans and whines – never quite come together and build to a climax.

Recommended for those who have already worked their way through Gerd Wilden, Hubler and Schwab et al. Less committed listeners would be better starting elsewhere.