Pino Rucher (1 January 1924 – 16 August 1996) was an Italian guitarist active in orchestral settings and in film soundtracks.
Biographical notes and musical career
Early life Rucher started playing the guitar when his father came back from the United States in 1933 and presented him with a guitar. His parents decided that he should take private music lessons. After a few years’ study, he started playing in public in his hometown and in Naples and Bari.
American influence The presence of American troops in the province of Foggia (and particularly in the area of Manfredonia, Rucher's hometown), between 1943 and 1946 led to Rucher joining several Allied Army's orchestras, where he came into contact with American musical atmosphere and jazz.
In 1946, Rucher entered the Carlo Vitale orchestra after coming first in a competition for the position of guitarist at Radio Bari. After the dissolution of the Vitale orchestra, Rucher went to work for Radio Milano as a member of the Carlo Zeme orchestra. In the 1950s and the early 1960s he also worked with two forerunners of Italian "swing", Pippo Barzizza and Cinico Angelini.
Angelini Orchestra Angelini selected Rucher as a member of his orchestra, with which Rucher worked for about ten years. He participated in events including the First International Song Festival in Venice in 1955 and several San Remo Music Festivals, among which the 1957 Festival, where Claudio Villa came first with Corde della mia chitarra.
Pino Rucher collaborations Rucher took part in many musical events and radio and television broadcasts (San Remo Music Festivals, Festival di Napoli, Festival delle rose, Mostra Internazionale di Musica Leggera in Venice, Canzonissima, Gran varietà, Studio Uno) playing in a number of orchestras and, at the same time, went on cultivating his passion for American music, as can be seen from his transcriptions, with his own arrangements. He devoted himself to jazz and performed in live concerts or in studios under the direction of many conductors. The influence of American music can be noticed from his performance of Italian songs E se domani, Una zebra a pois (sung by Mina) and Amore twist (sung by Rita Pavone). He also worked for orchestra conductor and composer Elvio Monti, who asked him to play in a number of his recordings. Rucher played the guitar in L’Estasi, a composition written by Monti for Andrea Giordana and Marina Solinas.
Rucher took part in Sorella Radio, a production with the RAI orchestra. From the second half of the 1970s to December 1983, Rucher was engaged in playing in concerts as a guitarist in the RAI orchestra Ritmi moderni, which came to be known as the RAI Big Band. In 1984, owing to health problems, he stopped working for RAI, left Rome and retired.
Other activities Rucher performed in film soundtracks from the late 1950s to the mid-1970s, with at least two hundred performances including those under the direction of orchestra conductors Luis Bacalov, Gianni Ferrio, Elvio Monti, Ennio Morricone, and Riz Ortolani.
Rucher was the first guitarist to play the electric guitar in Italian westerns, performing as "electric guitar soloist" in A Fistful of Dollars. Rucher also appears in some shots from Sanremo - La grande sfida, a 1960 movie including scenes from the San Remo Music Festival. During his career he took part in musicals including Alleluja brava gente and his guitar ideas are present in numerous Italian songs, including Casetta in Canadà (sung by Carla Boni), Flamenco Rock (Milva), Se non ci fossi tu (Mina), Andavo a cento all'ora (Gianni Morandi), Che m'importa del mondo (Rita Pavone), L'edera (Nilla Pizzi) and Adesso no (Neil Sedaka).
Rucher played not only the electric guitar, but also the folk (or acoustic), the classical, the bass and the twelve-string guitar, and then the banjo, the mandolin and the double bass.
Awards The Municipal Authority of Manfredonia dedicated a street to Rucher. On 5 October 2008, the local authorities supported a commemorative event to Rucher in his home town. The event took place in Piazza Giovanni XXIII (Manfredonia's central square).
On 16 October 2010, the Municipal Authorities of Manfredonia and of San Nicandro Garganico dedicated a special evening to Rucher. The event took place at the Cine-Teatro Italia of San Nicandro Garganico.
The main songs with Pino Rucher as electric guitarist The main songs with Pino Rucher as electric guitarist:
1953 - No pierrot sung by Achille Togliani 1953 - Viale d'autunno sung by Carla Boni 1953 - Buonasera sung by Carla Boni 1953 - Duska sung by Nilla Pizzi 1956 - Musetto sung by Domenico Modugno 1956 - Io, mammeta e tu sung by Domenico Modugno 1956 - Guaglione sung by Claudio Villa 1957 - Corde della mia chitarra sung by Claudio Villa 1957 - Cancello tra le rose sung by Claudio Villa 1957 - Il pericolo numero uno sung by Claudio Villa and Gino Latilla 1957 - Un filo di speranza sung by Claudio Villa 1957 - La più bella canzone del mondo sung by Claudio Villa 1957 - Scusami sung by Gino Latilla 1957 - Casetta in Canadà sung by Carla Boni with the Duo Fasano and Gino Latilla 1957 - Le trote blu sung by Carla Boni and the Duo Fasano 1957 - Un sogno di cristallo sung by Carla Boni 1957 - Un certo sorriso sung by Gianni Ravera 1957 - Serenatella sciuè sciuè sung by Gino Latilla and Carla Boni 1958 - L'edera sung by Nilla Pizzi 1959 - Un pizzico di musica sung by Carla Boni and Gino Latilla 1959 - Le rififì sung by Milva Biolcati 1959 - Vivrò sung by Milva Biolcati 1959 - Nel blu dipinto di blu sung by Milva Biolcati 1959 - Due croci sung by Milva Biolcati 1960 - Senza il tuo amore sung by Milva 1960 - Crudele tango sung by Milva and Walter Romano 1960 - Flamenco rock sung by Milva 1960 - Da sola a sola sung by Milva 1960 - Una zebra a pois sung by Mina 1960 - Mi vuoi lasciar sung by Mina 1960 - Non voglio cioccolata sung by Mina 1960 - Tessi tessi sung by Mina 1961 - Mafia sung by Domenico Modugno 1961 - Legata ad un granello di sabbia sung by Nico Fidenco 1961 - Come nasce un amore sung by Nico Fidenco 1962 - Aspettandoti sung by Tonina Torrielli 1962 - La partita di pallone sung by Rita Pavone 1962 - Amore twist sung by Rita Pavone 1962 - Andavo a cento all'ora sung by Gianni Morandi 1962 - Loredana sung by Gianni Morandi 1962 - Go-kart twist sung by Gianni Morandi 1963 - Adesso no sung by Neil Sedaka 1963 - Goccia di mare sung by Nico Fidenco 1964 - Questi vent'anni miei sung by Catherine Spaak 1964 - Penso a te sung by Catherine Spaak 1964 - Che m'importa del mondo sung by Rita Pavone 1964 - Viva la pappa col pomodoro sung by Rita Pavone 1964 - Datemi un martello sung by Rita Pavone 1964 - E se domani sung by Mina 1965 - Rimpiangerai, rimpiangerai sung by Gino Paoli 1965 - Piangerò sung by Nicola Di Bari 1965 - Gioia mia sung by Tony Cucchiara 1966 - Se non ci fossi tu sung by Mina 1966 - Non ho dormito mai sung by Paolo Bracci 1967 - Che vuole questa musica stasera sung by Peppino Gagliardi 1970 - Pensando a cosa sei sung by Peppino Gagliardi 1971 - Love story sung by Peppino Gagliardi 1971 - Maga maghella sung by Raffaella Carrà 1978 - Il trenino sung by Christian De Sica (tune of the television broadcast of the same name)
Soundtracks The main soundtracks with Pino Rucher as electric guitarist:
1958 - Poveri milionari - Music: Armando Trovajoli 1959 - La grande guerra - Music: Nino Rota 1960 - Caravan petrol - Music: Piero Umiliani 1960 - La dolce vita - Music: Nino Rota 1960 - Via Margutta - Music: Piero Piccioni 1960 - Le signore - Music: Michele Cozzoli - Musical direction: Pierluigi Urbini 1960 - I dolci inganni - Music: Piero Piccioni 1961 - Kanjut Sar - La montagna che ha in vetta un lago - Music: Gino Marinuzzi jr. 1961 - A porte chiuse - Music: Piero Umiliani 1961 - Io amo, tu ami... - Music: Carlo Savina 1961 - Un giorno da leoni - Music: Carlo Rustichelli - Musical direction: Pierluigi Urbini - Tema partigiani 1961 - Il giudizio universale - Music: Alessandro Cicognini - Musical direction: Franco Ferrara 1962 - Boccaccio '70 - Music: Piero Umiliani (episode: Renzo e Luciana), Nino Rota (episode: Le tentazioni del dottor Antonio), Nino Rota (episode: Il lavoro) 1962 - Ti-Koyo e il suo pescecane - Music: Francesco De Masi - Noa-Noa - La pioggia - La laguna magica 1962 - La spada del Cid - Music: Carlo Savina 1962 - L'amore difficile - Music: Piero Umiliani 1963 - La donna nel mondo - Music: Nino Oliviero, Riz Ortolani - Orchestration and musical direction: Riz Ortolani 1963 - 8½ - Music: Nino Rota - L’illusionista 1963 - Ro.Go.Pa.G., episode: La ricotta - Music: Carlo Rustichelli 1963 - La vita provvisoria - Music: Carlo Savina 1963 - La parmigiana - Music: Piero Piccioni 1963 - Tutto il bello dell’uomo - Music: Piero Umiliani 1963 - Tutto è musica - Music: Domenico Modugno - Musical arrangements and Musical direction: Ennio Morricone 1963 - Totò sexy - Music: Armando Trovajoli 1963 - Il boom - Music: Piero Piccioni - The main theme 1963 - I 4 tassisti - Music: Fiorenzo Carpi - Musical direction: Bruno Nicolai 1963 - La calda vita - Music: Carlo Rustichelli - Musical direction: Pierluigi Urbini 1964 - Full Hearts and Empty Pockets - Music: Ennio Morricone 1964 - I malamondo - Music: Ennio Morricone 1964 - Il giornalino di Gian Burrasca - Music: Nino Rota - Musical arrangements and musical direction: Luis Enriquez Bacalov - Viva la pappa col pomodoro 1964 - Per un pugno di dollari - Music: Ennio Morricone - Titoli (electric guitar soloist) 1964 - Un mostro e mezzo - Music: Franco Mannino 1965 - I tre volti - Music: Piero Piccioni 1965 - La congiuntura - Music: Luis Enriquez Bacalov 1965 - Per un pugno nell'occhio - Music: Francesco De Masi - The Ciccio and Franco ballad 1965 - Non son degno di te - Music: Ennio Morricone 1965 - Una moglie americana - Music: Nino Oliviero - Musical direction: Pierluigi Urbini 1965 - E venne un uomo - Music: Franco Potenza 1965 - Una pistola per Ringo - Music: Ennio Morricone - Una pistola per Ringo (electric guitar soloist) - Angel face (electric guitar soloist) 1965 - Altissima pressione - Music: Ennio Morricone, Luis Enriquez Bacalov 1965 - Agente S03 operazione Atlantide - Music: Teo Usuelli - Relaxing swing - Relaxing shake - S03 blues (alternative version) 1965 - Gli amanti latini - Music: Carlo Savina - The shower scene at the beginning of the movie 1965 - Giulietta degli spiriti - Music: Nino Rota 1965 - Il compagno Don Camillo - Music: Alessandro Cicognini - Giovane amore 1965 - 100.000 dollari per Ringo - Music: Bruno Nicolai 1965 - Thrilling (Third episode: L’autostrada del sole) - Music: Ennio Morricone - Scene: Sylva Koscina at the table with Alberto Sordi 1965 - Idoli controluce - Music: Ennio Morricone 1965 - Per qualche dollaro in più - Music: Ennio Morricone - Per qualche dollaro in più (electric guitar soloist) - Il vizio d’uccidere (electric guitar soloist) 1965 - Due marines e un generale - Music: Piero Umiliani 1965 - Made in Italy - Music: Carlo Rustichelli 1965 - Adiós gringo - Music: Benedetto Ghiglia - Adios (the guitars and harmonicas version) 1966 - Avventure di mare e di costa - Music: Franco Potenza 1966 - Mi vedrai tornare - Music: Ennio Morricone 1966 - Sette dollari sul rosso - Music: Francesco De Masi 1966 - Io, io, io... e gli altri - Music: Carlo Rustichelli - Cocktail - Attesa al bar 1966 - The Texican - Music: Nico Fidenco - Musical direction: Robby Poitevin 1966 - Fumo di Londra - Music: Piero Piccioni - Musical direction: Bruno Nicolai - Drag beat - Drag beat (alternate) 1966 - Django - Music: Luis Enriquez Bacalov 1966 - L’affare Beckett - Music: Nora Orlandi 1966 - Una rosa per tutti - Music: Luis Enriquez Bacalov 1966 - Arizona Colt - Music: Francesco De Masi - The Arizona theme 1966 - La battaglia dei Mods - Music: Robby Poitevin