Guido and Maurizio De Angelis began their musical journey together in the orchestra of the Italian record label RCA, long before their melodies would echo across cinemas and generations. In 1971, they turned their path toward film music, composing their first soundtrack for Per grazia ricevuta by Nino Manfredi. The music resonated deeply, becoming a great success in Italy.
That same year, destiny called again: they were asked to compose the score for Vier Fäuste für ein Halleluja. It was the beginning of a collaboration that would span nearly four decades with Bud Spencer and Terence Hill. And with it came a song that still lives on in the hearts of fans – “Trinity Stand Tall”, a melody no admirer of the Spencer/Hill universe has ever truly forgotten.
A rising voice – the birth of Oliver Onions
In the years that followed, the De Angelis brothers became some of the most sought-after film composers in Italy. Yet amidst their relentless work, they found something unexpected: their own voice.
Out of necessity, they began to sing.
For “Flying Through the Air” from Zwei Himmelhunde auf dem Weg zur Hölle, they searched for a band that could capture the spirit they imagined – and found none. So they took the leap themselves. What began as a solution became a revelation. The song soared up the charts, and in that moment, Oliver Onions were born.
What followed was a cascade of melodies that would define an era: “Angels and Beans,” “Dune Buggy,” “Bulldozer,” “Sheriff,” “Fantasy.” Songs inseparably tied to the world of Bud and Terence – yet their music also traveled beyond it, finding success in “Orzowei,” “Sandokan,” and of course, “Santa Maria.”
In 1980, “Santa Maria” climbed to the very top of the German charts, later reaching even wider audiences when Roland Kaiser released his German version of the song – a melody crossing borders, languages, and time.
A return to the stage
After years of quiet, the brothers returned – not with nostalgia, but with renewed spirit. Their album “Future Memorabilia” breathes new life into their timeless songs, reimagined with care and passion, often alongside celebrated guest artists.
There is “Banana Joe” with the unmistakable presence of Bud Spencer, “Sheriff” with the voice of David Hasselhoff, and a German-Italian rendition of “Santa Maria”, once again joined by Roland Kaiser. The album quickly climbed to the top ranks of the Italian charts, proving that these songs have lost none of their magic.
Live on stage, in Rome and Milan, the music lives and breathes once more – and even on German television, their melodies continue to find new ears and open hearts. Another concert awaits in Bergamo, another chapter in a story that refuses to fade.
A bond that remains
And despite full schedules and distant stages, they always return – to the fans, to the spirit, to the place where it all still feels alive. At the Spencer/Hill Festival, their presence is more than a performance.
It is a reunion. A celebration. A shared memory.
And every time they return, the feeling is the same:
Some songs never grow old.
Some stories never end.
They simply keep playing.
