Presented here as part of a dedicated series of Jodorowsky’s ABKCO film scores (alongside the previously unreleased The Holy Mountain and The Dance Of Reality), Finders Keepers bring you the score to the ultimate midnight movie and spiritual pseudo western an album that marks the exact pinprick where Alejandro Jodorowsky’s legacy first bled into the wider public consciousness.
To affirm its 70’s rock credentials, El Topo was originally imported by record producer Alan Douglas (Jimi Hendrix/The Last Poets/Miles Davis) then bought by American Beatles manager Allen Klein under the recommendation of John Lennon and Yoko Ono who shared enthusiasm with late night creatives like Dennis Hopper, Samuel Fuller and Don Cherry (who would later score The Holy Mountain). The acidic folk soundtrack was originally composed by Jodorowsky himself with his long-term Mexican collaborator Nacho Méndez with whom he had previously worked on the avant theatre production and LP H30. The following year Jodorowsky and Méndez’ short cues from the film’s production tapes were given to Ravi Shankar understudy (and George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass orchestrator) John Barnham to add extra score and post-production features making the lo-fi composed-to-scene themes into a viable commercial LP which would share release schedules with The Elephant’s Memory, Badfinger and Mary Hopkins – standing out like a sore thumb in a sea of well manicured talons.
Taken from the original master tapes of engineer Brian Humphries (Black Sabbath/Pink Floyd) and presented with new artwork based on the rare European and South American poster artwork for the film’s original release with exclusive sleevenotes form Andy Votel and actress/director (and Jodorowsky friend/collaborator) Asia Argento this release is an essential companion piece to Finders Keepers exclusive Jodorowsky series and an enthralling and pop culturally significant release in its own right.
