Ultimo Tango A Parigi

Released in 1972 on the City Record label, this soundtrack recording for 'Ultimo Tango a Parigi' (Last Tango in Paris) serves as a companion to Bernardo Bertolucci’s provocative cinematic masterpiece. The music, composed by Gato Barbieri, was instrumental in establishing the film's gritty, melancholic atmosphere, utilizing the tenor saxophone to evoke the sense of urban isolation and emotional turbulence central to the narrative.

The sleeve art, featuring the work of Marta Lami, reflects the stark and experimental aesthetic prevalent in Italian film promotion of the early seventies. Lami’s design choices were intended to mirror the film’s controversial nature, favoring a minimalist and moody presentation that resonated with the burgeoning European arthouse scene. At the time of its release, the record was well-received by critics who noted how Barbieri's jazz-inflected score stood as a significant work in its own right, separate from the notoriety of the film's subject matter.