Italian Beat - "I complessi"

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A list of italian beat groups (in Italian, at that time, called "complessi") with some essential information about them. Additional groups and more complete information (in Italian) are reported here. The main Italian groups are described here.


Aldo e i Falisci / Ancients / Angeli / Anonima Sound / Apostoli / Astrali / Balordi / Barabba / Bisce / Bisonti / Blacks / Blande Figure  / Chetro & Co. / Chewing Gum /Chiodi / Cuccioli / Evy / Fantom's / Ferry, Franco, Renè, Danny & Gaby / Frenetici / Fuggiaschi / Generali / Gene Guglielmi / Gens  Pipers / Pops / Planets / Ragazzi del Sole / Rokketti / Rogers / Satelliti / Scooters / Le Stelle di Mario Schifano / Uragani    

 

The Groups

 

Aldo e i Falisci

A group from Civita Castellana (Lazio) founded by the singer Aldo Angeletti.
Discography: Le rondini bianche (dedicated to Martin Luther King) / Preludio alla fine - CDB db 1129 - 1968
[Aldo Angeletti (voice), Goffredo Chiodi (guitar), Marco Manoni (bass), Franco Spitoni (drums)]

Ancients

A group founded in Rome by Federico D'Andrea, Manuel De Sica, Stefano Marcucci and Bruno Biriaco. Bruno Biriaco will be afterwards the drummer of the famous Italian jazz-rock band  Perigeo, and Manuel De Sica, son of the famous director Vittorio De Sica, a soundtrack composer.
Discography: Ci ripenserai / Non penso più a lei (Edibi 1966), Quando verso sera / Questa squallida città (Parlophone 1966).
[Manuel De Sica (guitar solista and voice), Federico D'Andrea (guitar ritmica and voice), Bruno Biriaco (drums), Stefano Marcucci (bass and voice)]

Angeli

A different group, not related with the well known Nuovi Angeli from Milan, were founded in Chiedti (Abruzzo) from previous members of a group with the same name and the Savage.Discography: Dove vuoi" (a cover from "I'm a Boy", Who) / Butta la corda (Pake).
[Alfonso Di Berardino (guitar and voice), Ettore Desiderio (guitar), Fabrizio De Angelis (guitar), Tonino Taddeo (bass), Ernesto De Angelis (drums)]

Anonima Sound

The first group of Ivan Graziani, in the following years an important and popular singer and author in the Italian music scene.
Discography: Fuori piove / Parla tu (CBS 3048 - 1967), L'amore mio, l'amore tuo / I tetti (CBS 3418 - 1968), Josephine / Mille ragioni (CBS 4214 - 1969), Ombre vive / Girotondo impossibile (Numero Uno 50006 - 1969) (In the image of the three "Anonima sound", Ivan Graziani is in the middle)

Apostoli

A group of Rome, founded in 1965, frequently in concert at the famous Piper Club.
Discography: Robinson / Chi mai lo sa? (Sunstar sp 216 - 1965), Il lupo e l'agnello / Sento già andar l'estate (RCA 1966, inedito), E' meglio che mi muova / Le cose che tu cercherai (Roman rm 001 - 1968).
"Chi mai lo sa" is a cover of Where Have All The Flowers Gone by Pete Seeger, wth lyrics by Daniele Pace. "Sento già andar l'estate" is a cover of the same song, with different lyrics written by Ettore Paparazzo.
[Angelo Piperno (voice), Francesco Berichelli (guitar), Angelo Alessandra (tastiere), Ettore Paparazzo (bass), Roberto Conrado (drums)]

Astrali

An Italian pshychedelic group from Turin. Gli Astrali (The Astral Men) have performed many concerts but no discs during their period of activity (1967 - '68). A LP almost ready at that time, "Viaggio allucinogeno" (hallucinatory travel) was edited on CD many years later (1995) by the label Destination X. In the album were included Yardbirds' covers (Mr. You Are a Better Man Than I, in italian "Noi non siamo come voi", we aren't like you), Byrds (Eight Miles High, "Vado su in alto") and an original suite  la instrumental suite "Un Altro Viaggio Allucinogeno" (another Hallucinatory travel). The LP: 1) Non Siamo Come Voi 2) Viaggio Allucinogeno 3) Improvvisazione 4) Credi (Rari by The Standells) 5) Vado Su In Alto 6) Una Notte Al Bar 7) La Libertà 8) Intro / Un Altro Viaggio Allucinogeno.
[Dante Menotti (voice and guitar), Angelo Presti (keyboards), Terry Fanelli (bass), Vito Salice (drums)]

Balordi

Discography: Vengono a portarci via, ah! Ah! / Don Chisciotte (1966 Durium Ld A 7494), Domani devo fare una cosa! / Buona fortuna (1967 Durium Ld A 7516), '0 matusa / A cammesella (1967 Durium LJ A 7525), Non è Francesca / Guardando te (1967 Durium Ld A 7538), Diamoci la mano / Fateli tacere (1968 Carosello CI 20204)
[Gianni Muratori (voice, bass el.), Andrea Muratori (guitar, fratello di Gianni), Bruno Pellegrini (guitar), Beppe Panzironi (drums); then Pino Matteucci instead of Pellegrini, andMarco Ferradini instead of Gianni "Gion" Muratori.

Barabba

A group from Bologna, founded in 1966 by the sax player Mike Alfieri together with Robert Gillot, an english keyboardist at that time living in  Bologna, and that would be in the same year one of the founder of the  Pooh, the most famous italian group remained after the beat era.
Discography: Barabba / Caino (River rl 0516), Sono stufo di te / Non hai capito (CBS 2414 - 1966)

Bisce

A group from Milan. The name (Le bisce = The grass snakes), as reported by Franco Ruggiero, first guitar, derived by a car accident: the four members escaped the revolted car creeping as snakes. Only one single in their career, label North Star, year 1967: "La danza della morte" / "Una che dice sì", cover with unraletad lyrics of "Here There And Everywhere" by The Beatles.
[Roberto Bernucca (keyboards and main voice), Franco Ruggiero (guitar and voice), Franco "Franchino" Mariani (guitar and voice), Luigi Di Santo (bass), Albertino (drums)]

Bisonti

At the beginning their name was Bruno Castiglia e i Bisonti, then simply I Bisonti (The Bisons). After a first period as concert band in many dance-halls in North Italy, they had the opportunity to publish many singles, in comparison with  other Italian groups of that period. Globally 11 singles and 2 LPs between 1965 and 1970, all with the same label, a small indie of Milan called City Records (still in the music business). Almost all the songs published were originals, including their minor hit Crudele (1967).
[Bruno Castiglia (voice), Fulvio Carotti (guitar), Paolo Cocchi (electric bass), Gianni Calabria (drums), Paolo Pasolini (keyboards), Giorgio Speranza took the place of Fulvio Carotti in 1967 approx.]
See also: Bisonti's discography.

Blacks

Blacks - Tu sei come me / Rimani

A group of Milan very much appreciated during their period of activity. During a concert at the Shaker night club in Milan, in 1966, a very well known Italian talent scout, Piero Trombetta, proposed them a contract with the EMI label. The single published by The Blacks soon after included "Tu sei come me" (you're like me), a cover of Hot Pastrami of The Dartells, and "Rimani" (stay with me) (disc EMI PATHE' AQ 1334). Under the direction of the famous music manager Leo Watcher The Blacks were in tour in Sardinia for a long period in 1967, together with Pino Donaggio, I Giovani Giovani, Vittorio Inzaina, Wilma Goich, Arturo Testa, Gilda.
[Flavio "Stecco" Maggioni (first guitar), Edo "Pelato" Muti (rythmic guitar), Eros "Gitano" Catania (bass), Leo Catania (drums), Eros e Leo Catania will be in the following the founders of the group Rubi Strubi]

Le Blande figure

A group that started the activity in Modena (Emilia) in 1965, their first name was The Garden.
Discography: Il mondo non lo sa / Nemmeno una lacrima, 1967, Plaisir d’amour / Un nuovo giorno, 1968, Sei come il mare / Quando chiuderai la porta, 1969, all published with the label Cgo.
[Gildo Orsini, Gianni Orsini, Franco Zona, Silvano Corradini, Vanni Baisi, Alfonso Seghedoni]

Chetro & Co.

A very peculiar group, in the Italian musical scene of mid sixties. Founded by Ettore De Carolis (Chetro), in the following years co-founder of the Nuovo Canzoniere del Lazio, a  philological folk group, the other members of Chetro & Co. were Franco Coletta (guitar) and Gianni Ripani (electric bass); they remained in the beat history for their first (and last) single (1967) published with the label Parade. On the A-side a long suite written by De Carolis and called "Danze della sera"  (evening's dances), based on lyrics of the great Italian contemporary poet Pier Paolo Pasolini, on B-side "Le pietre numerate" (milestones), based on the classical and homonym tune of  Miles Davis. One of the most remarkable examples in the italian psychedelia, completed by a "monster" cover, on six pages with a collage of strong and surprising images. (see all the images).

Chewing Gum

Between the few groups that can be considered part of the psychedelia in Italy they can be included the Chewing Gum from Florence, Tuscany. Their first names was The Black Angels then, after the way out of the american electric bass player Richard Ursillo (in the following years member of a well known group of the Italian progressive scene, i Campo di Marte) that joined another group of Florence (I Tremendi), they changed their names in Chewing Gum. The producer Moreno Polidori gave them the opportunity to publish a single for the major label RCA, in 1967. On the A-side an impressive tune called "Senti questa chitarra" (hear this guitar) and on the B-side "Tu sei al buio" (you're in the dark). Both songs are characterized by strong solos played by the lead guitarist Flavio Cucchi, at that time very young (18 years), surprisingly modern. Cucchi embraced, after this experience, a brilliant career as guitar solist of classic and contemporary music.

Chiodi

I Chiodi di Bergamo negli anni '60I Nuovi Chiodi - Canta e balla

A beat group from Bergamo, Lombardia. The story of I Chiodi (the nails) started in the beginning of the decade, their acknowledge between the most known groups dates to the years 1965-67. In this two years they published several singles, including some covers, as Accendi una stella  (turn on a star) from I'm A Believer, the famous international hit by The Monkees, in Italy known, nevertheless, mostly for the cover by Caterina Caselli with the title Sono bugiarda (I'm a liar). On the B-side of the same 45rpm another cover, from Homeward Bound of Simon & Garfunkel, in italian "Mai mi fermerò" (I'll never stop).
Chiodi's front-man Silvio Rossi started a solo career in 1967, and another disc was published as Nuovi Chiodi.  "I Chiodi" are still on the road, and information about them can be found on their web site.
Discography - I Chiodi: Ai au a et a ae? / 100 Lire Mamma! (Novelty 801 – 1965), Goldfinger / L’uomo che non sapeva amare (Novelty 802 – 1965), Quando la mamma la fa i calsett / Tu, tu solo tu (Novelty 803 – 1966), Nel solaio dei tuoi sogni / Quando in cielo (Novelty 808 – 1966), Mai mi fermerò / Accendi una stella (Losiérès 3002 -1967), L’amore ha cambiato anche te / Soltanto allora siamo noi (Losiérès 3004 -1967), Il mondo così non va / Ti devi lavare il cervello (Losiérès 3006 -1967) //

Chiodi - Accendi una stella / Mai mi fermeròNuovi Chiodi: Canta e balla / Il tuo viso (Vedette 33178 – 1969) // Silvio Rossi: Arcobaleno / Se rimango qui (Losiérès 3007 -1967) // Annamaria Mazzola & I Chiodi: Torno a pregare / Come ti amo (Novelty 804 – 1966) // Loro Cinque: Ruzzola l'onda / Dolce mistero (1967?).

[Silvio Rossi (voice), Andrea "Rino" Denti (guitar), Dario Capelli (bass), Gigi Rossi (tastiere), Franco Carminati (drums)]
Per saperne di più: intervista a Dario Capelli dei Chiodi, Il sito dei Chiodi

Cuccioli

A "mod" group from Varese, I Cuccioli (the pets) were very well knownn for their concerts in North Lombardia and they published a single 45 rpm in the sixties: "La strada che cerco / Tu non sai". The B-side was a cover of "The Kids are All Right" of the Who, the song dedicated to the young british "mods". I Cuccioli are most known anyway as the nucleus of an Italian progressive group of the next decade, called Franchi-Giorgetti-Talamo (by the names of the three members) that published in 1972 an interesting LP called "Il vento ha cantato per ore tra i rami dei versi d'amore" (the wind has sung for hours love lyrics between the branches), with arrangements by the composer Nicola Piovani.
[I Cuccioli were: Danilo Franchi, electric bass, Bruno Casagrande drums, Roberto Carlotto alias "Hunka Munka" on keyboards (afterwards he will join Dik-Dik, one of the most famous Italian groups of the sixties), Vittorio Giorgetti on guitar, Marco Gusmini on lead guitar; on the keyboards also, for a short period, Flavio Premoli, in the following in the PFM(Premiata Forneria Marconi), the Italian rock group most famous abroad; Oliviero Talamo, guitar, joined the group in the seventies]

Evy

Evy (Evelyn Lenton Verrecchia) was one of the few beat singers and performers active in Italy during the sixties. She's grow up in France, and she started her career as a singer there. When she arrived in Italy she started to publish some traditional song ("Giochi proibiti"), arriving soon after to the beat genre with "protest songs" as "L'abito non fa il beatnik" (it's not enough to dress as a beatnik) and "Domani il mondo sarà nelle nostre mani" ("the world will be ours tomorrow", a song about "women liberation", many years in advance). She remained in the world of music in the following decades, working in England and in France.

Fantom's

The group named I Fantom's (something as The Ghosts) was founded in Turin in 1963. In their first years, as many others Italian groups, their source of inspiration were Beatles and Rolling Stones, but in the middle of the decade they were among the firsts to propose the new psychedelic sound in Italy. During 1966 they published their first EP single "Le Insegne Pubblicitarie" (the neon signs); on the other side "Nadia" and "Il Treno". In the following year they recorded and issued a second 45 rpm containing a cover of "We Shall Overcome", and another one by "Come by Here" (Kumbaja), with Italian title "Vieni Qui Vicino" (come close to me).
[Luigi Nagliero (lead guitar), Walter Nagliero (guitar ritmica), Spartaco Nagliero (bass), Gino Nagliero (drums), Gino Amatone (keyboards)]

Ferry, Franco, Renè, Danny & Gaby

The New Dada were one of the most influential beat group of the sixties in Italy. Troubles between the members led the group to a separation in the first months of the 1967 and to the birth of a new formation. The new band was formed by Ferry Sansoni (the keyboardist), Franco Jadanza and Renè Vignocchi (guitars) of the original group and Gaby Lizmi (drummer in the Patrick Samson Group) and Danny Besquet (bass player of the group I Profeti). The name was simply Ferry, Franco, Renè, Danny & Gaby (maybe inspired by the UK group Dave, Dee, Doozy, Beacky, Mick & Tich).
During the same year they had the opportunity to be the special guest group during the Italian tour of the Rolling stones and to publish two singles: Un treno che parte, Se te lo raccontassi.

:
Frome the left: Danny, Ferry, Gaby, Franco, Renè

Frenetici

Since the beginning of their activity in 1959 in Voghera (Pavia, Lombardia), I Frenetici (the frantics) was more a pop group than a beat one, but they had the opportunity to participate to several concerts and events, even in television, and also at European level (Oscar della canzone 1968, in Switzerland). They are known in Italy also as the group in which started his activity Giampiero Anelli, who will become in the seventies and in the '80s a very much popular Italian singer and performer with the name Drupi.
Discography: Non t'amo più / L'amico Gianni (Tiffany 510 - 1966), E loro dicono / Il matusa (Tiffany 523 - 1967), Qualche santo pregherà per noi / Fatalità (cover of the homonym song by the Bertas) (Tiffany 537 - 1967).
[Gian Paolo Romanelli (guitar), Antonio Maitilasso (guitar and voice), a cui è subentrato nel 1967 da Drupi (Giampiero Anelli) proveniente da Le Calamite, Bruno Risi (keyboards), Enrico Moi (bass), Maurizio Legè was the lead guitar in the first years, when the group was "Paolo e i Frenetici"]

Fuggiaschi

The support group of the famous italian singer and musician Don Backy during his first years within the Clan, the label and the team of the well known italian rocker Adriaino Celentano (Don Backy was in turn a brilliant performer and author, active also in the following decades). They came from Mantova (Lombardia), their first name was I Delfini (the dolphins) then they choose I Fuggiaschi (the escaping men) from the lyrics of a Don Backy's song.
Discography: "Droga" / "Nulla per me" (1964), "Tipperary" (lyrics by Don Backy) / "Proprio lei", "Una ragazza facile", "Gira Gira" (cover of  "Reach Out, I'll Be There" by The Four Tops) / "Saludos Amigos" (label Jolly 1967)., "Niente di niente" / "Cos'è l'amore" (1967)
[Aldo e Mario Pavesi, (bass and lead guitar ), Claudio Paterlini (keyboards), Rinaldo Schilingi (drums). After the death in a car accident of Aldo Pavesi (1965) Carlo Alberto "Charlie" Paterlini (brother di Claudio) took the second guitar and Maurizio Bellini the electric bass]

Generali

I Generali with Riki Maiocchi at the Piper Club of MilanGenerali's first singleI Generali were for a short period the support band of Riki Maiocchi (previously the front-man of one of the best known Italian "complessi": I Camaelonti). From Milan, their line-up included a keyboardist (not a common choice at that time), they were also in the cast of a movie of that period, inspired by the famous song of Don Backy "L'immensità".
Only one 45 rpm single disc in their career: "La vita è una battaglia",(the life is like a battle), "Pensaci un po'" (think about it) (1966).
[Tommaso "Thomas" Cafagna keyboards, Nino Cafagna lead guitar, Angelo Cafagna drums (three brothers), Santino Martoscia bass and voice, Danilo Zoletti, editing and support)

Gene Guglielmi

One of the first beat singers and performers in Italy, one of their single discs was "I capelli lunghi" (long hair), a sort of declaration of the beat principles, another one about this movement was "Preghiera Beat" (beat prayer). Afterwards he interpreted and published in Italian two french hits of Jacques Dutronc: Et moi, et moi, et moi" and "Mini, mini, mini". Gene Guglielmi abandoned the musical scene when the beat movement started to disappear, to escape a commercial career.

Gens

A group from Messina (Sicily) of the last years of the sixties. They are well remembered for their hit "In fondo al viale"  (at the end of the alley), their song for the summer event "Cantagiro" in 1969 (inspired to the alley "Viale San Martino" of the sicilian town). The B-side of this 45 rpm single was "Laura (dei giorni andati)" (something like "remembering Laura"). During the seventies a participation to the Sanremo Festival (the main musical event in Italy, then and now) with "Lo schiaffo" del 1971), the first place at the Cantagiro in 1972 with the song "Per chi" (cover of "Without you" by Harry Nilsson), and a LP inspired to the progressive rock "Gens" in 1974).
Other discs: "La stagione di un fiore", "Cara amica mia", "Anche un fiore lo sa", "La nostra realtà".
[William Ricciardi, "il Baronetto" voice, Pippo Landro keybooards, Pino Salpietro drums, Ettore Cardullo electric bass, Gilberto Bruno guitar, then Mauro Culotta].
Official site: www.igens.net 

Pipers

A group created by te well known music manager Alberico Crocetta, the owner of the Piper Club, the most famous dance hall in Italy during the sixties, to capitalize his brand and to act as "house" group and support group of Patty Pravo the famous "Ragazza del Piper" (Piper's girl). The four "pipers" came from Milan, and participated also to the soundtrack of the film  "L'estate" (the summer) by Paolo Spinola (1966, with Enrico Maria Salerno and Mita Medici, a girl that was another icon of the Piper) and (as actors) to "Una ragazza tutta d'oro" by Mariano Laurenti (1967, with Iva Zanicchi and Enrico Simonetti). To register also their participation in the opera beat Then an Alley by Tito Schipa Jr.
Discography: Amore lo sai / Pagherò (ARC 1966), La bamba / Cherry Cherry (ARC 1967), Un sogno dopo l'altro / Anni '30 (Kansas 1967)
[Augusto "Ago" Ancillotti (guitar), Alberto Visentin (keyboards), Virgilio "Billy" Anastasi (bass and voice), Achille "Kiaki" Manzotti (drums)]

The Pops

Discography: Un uomo rispettabile / Lalla Chicchi (GTA 1966), La ruota / Uomini uomini (GTA 1966), Il successo / Se la tua mano (Cinevox 1967)
[Aldo Besozzi, Massimo Brambilla, Giuliano Votta, Nino Sfregola, Marco Battistella]

The Planets

A group active in Rome in the mid sixties, coming from the town of Taranto (Puglie). Even if they did not publish any 45rpm single, they had the opportunity to publish an entire LP for a major label, RCA, in 1967  (see the LP's cover image on the right) , including many original songs and some covers.

The title of the LP was "The Planets" and the songs' list was: 1) Ci piace star cosí (Bumble bee dei Searchers); 2) Sono una roccia (I Am a Rock di Simon & Garfunkel); 3) Puoi farmi piangere (I Put a Spell on You); 4) Beatniks; 5) Sono stanco; 6) Ma perché 7) No, non temere; 8) Requiem per un ricordo; 9) Perché te ne vai (Just Like Me di Paul Revere); 10) Più di un Re; 11) La pagherai; 12) Non c'é amor. I brani 5,6,7 e 12 erano scritti dagli stessi Planets (Chimenti e Cirelli).
[Silvano Chimenti (guitar solista), Nello Lentinello (guitar ritmica), Tonino Cirelli (bass), Alberto Maggi (drums), Marco Cippitelli (voice)]
See also: Sito di Silvano Chimenti' site
(in the image on the left the Planets with the Italian singer Gianni Morandi)

Ragazzi del Sole

A group from Turin remarkable for their genuine rock approach, expecially in their famous song Atto di forza n.10 (a sort of premonition of the "hell's angels"). In the following years they published also some more traditional and melodic songs, and several covers.
Their LP and their singles are the most requested by the Italian discs' collectors.
It's possible to see also their complete discography
[Danilo Pennone (guitar); Arcangelo Aluffi (drums); Carlo Marcoz (bass); Pier Carlo Bettini (keyboards); Franco Castellani (voice)  then Paolo Melfi]

Rogers

Discography: 1966: "Quanto ho pianto" / "Se tu mi lascerai" (disco Kansas, una etichetta di proprietà di Duilo Del Prete, allora collegato al Clan Celentano), "Ma con chi" / "Guardo l'ora" / "Se con me vuoi tornare" (45 giri con tre brani, sempre etichetta Kansas), "Little Man" / "Non chiederò aiuto" (vincitrice a Bandiera Gialla); 1967: "Chiedimi tutto" / "Ho tanta paura" (et. Bentler, con il lato A partecipano al Cantagiro 1967 nel girone cantanti come "Frankye e i Rogers", 1968: "Guarda" / "Cos'è l'amore" (et. Bentler, il loro più grande successo), "Chewy Chewy" / "Vorrei davvero" (et. Bentler, il lato A è una cover del successo bubble-gum music degli Ohio Express), "Tam Tam" / "Vorrei davvero" (il lato A era una cover di "Come Together" dei Beatles); 1970: "Cristina" / "In questa città" (nuovamente su etichetta Kansas).
[First band (1966): Piergiorgio Bussacchetti (guitar and voice), Romy Regruto (bass), Carlo Reposi (drums), Gerardo Monteforte (guitar and voice), Bruno Bosio (keyboards); in the second half of the year the singer Frankye Florio joins the band, during 1967 and '68 all the original members left the group, only Frankye Florio remained of the '66 group)]

Rokketti

From Civitavecchia (Rome) their career started in 1965, they were guest band many times at the famous Piper Club.
Discography: Il settebello / Zorba's Dance (CDB 1072 - 1965), Una bambolina che fa no, no, no / Ha ha (CBS 2427 - 1965), Goodbye My Love / Chi vince in me (CDB 1073 - 1965), Black Time / L'amaro in bocca (CDB 1101 - 1967), Ti rivedrò tra gli angeli / Non ti fermare mai (CDB 1116 - 1967), Black Time / Mr. Gold (CDB e-003 - 1967, il retro Mr. Gold faceva parte della colonna del film citato in precedenza), Due ali nel cuore / Sei tu (CDB 1142 - 1968), Una serata al Piper (LP ARC sa 9 - 1966) (I Rokketti eseguivano due cover in inglese [Wooly Bully di Sam The Shame e Candy Man] in questo LP antologico)
[Santino Rocchetti (guitar and voice), Mario Rocchetti (guitar), Mario Paparozzi (bass), Gianni Bonavera (sax e tromba), Giorgio Grandi (drums); in '66 Gianni Rocchetti instead of Bonavera and Tassilo Burckard instead of Grandi]

Satelliti

A group created in Livorno (North Tuscany) by five friends in the year 1964, their first name was The Criker's. As many other groups the first activity of I Satelliti was in the dance halls, mainly in Tuscany. During a concert in Certaldo (a small town near Florence) they had the opportunity to perform their set soon after Ricky Gianco, one of the first Italian rockers, and at that time still famous (he will became during the sixties and afterwards also an appreciated songs' author). Gianco had been positively impressed by the five boys and had decided to propose them a contract as his group.
Included in the agreement the change of the name, from Crikets' to an Italian one: I Satelliti (The Satellites) and the opportunity to publish a single.

Their choice was an Italian version of a well known song, For Your Love by The Yardbirds. In Italian the title was Finirà (it will end up) and the performance of the Italian boys was not so far from that of the famous UK group of Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton.The disc was their key access to the Piper Club, the famous dance hall in Rome, in which the five Satellites have performed their songs and many covers for almost a month.

The following year they had the opportunity to sign a contract with the most important Italian label of that period, Dischi Ricordi, and to publish another 45 rpm single with other Italian versions (covers) of You Didn’t Have to be So Nice” by The Lovin’ Spoonful, in Italian “Perché non scegli me” (Why you don't prefer me?), and “Catch the wind” by Donovan, in Italian “La vita è come un giorno” (Life is as a day). Their greater successes will arrive in the following two years, with other covers, Ba-ba-ba-ba (from With A Girl Like You by The Troggs) and "Loro sanno dove" (they know where) from Holiday by The Bee Gees.
This disc was a good success but it was also the last recording from the group of Livorno, as many others Italian's "complessi" they disbanded at the end of the decade.

Scooters

From Ovada (Alessandria, Piemonte) they started as a band for dance-hall in 1964.
Discography: La motoretta / Credimi amore mio (Jolly 20357 - 1966), Le pigne in testa / Una minigonna (Jolly 20400 - 1966), Mi seguirai / Ieri, oggi e domani (Jolly 20412 - 1967), La figlia del re del pomodoro / Se fossi re (Jolly 20434 - 1967), Zum bai bai / Nasce una vita (Victory 018 - 1968), Divorzista / Romanzo (Victory 021 - 1968)
[Franco Sorrenti (lead guitar solista), Mirko Mazza (rhythmic guitar), Alfredo Ferrari "Fred" (keyboards), Mario Bocca (bass), Dino Crocco (drums)]
In the image on the cover of their first single the scooter ("la motoretta" in Italian) is a model from the factory Inoocenti, called Lambretta, the preferred one by the mods in UK. Most famous in Italy was nevertheless at that time the Vespa by the Piaggio industries, in production (with a different model, but the same approach, also nowadays).

Le stelle di Mario Schifano

Mario Schifano was a famous Italian artist, a painter that, during the sixties, as Andy Wharol, became a multimedial artist, expanding his interests to theater, music, scenography and more.
"Le Stelle di Mario Schifano" (The stars of Mario Schifano) was his project in the musical area. Together with the guitar player Urbano Orlandi and other musicians acting then in Rome, he created one of the first groups of the Italian psychedelia, together with Chetro & Co., Chewing Gum, Fantom's, Astrali and few others. A collaboration that resembles the partnership between Wharol and the Velvet Underground of Lou Reed, Nico and John Cale. The group was very interesting indeed, being their first (and last) work, the 1967 LP "Dedicato a... " (dedicated to ...) closer to the forthcoming progressive scene that to the contemporary psychedelia. On the first side a long suite with a very long title: "Le ultime parole di Brandimarte, dall'Orlando Furioso, ospite Peter Hartman e fine (da ascoltarsi con TV accesa, senza volume" (the last words of Brandimarte from the Orlando Furioso (the poem of Ludovico Ariosto), special guest Peter Hartman and end, to be listen to with the TV set switched on, but the audio switched off), and five songs on the other side of the vinyl disc. In the following year their single "E il mondo va / Su una strada" (and the world goes on / on a road) and the conclusion of the interesting experiment.
The LP was printed only in 500 copies and became during the following years one of the rarest discs, not only for the italian musical scene, being very much requested even in Japan.
Remarkable also their concerts, with a innovative (for the period) light show, in particular those in the famous dance-hall of Rome, the Piper Club.
[Urbano Orlandi (guitar), Nello Marini (keyboards), Giandomenico Crescentini (bass), Sergio Cerra (drums), Peter Hartman (voice on LP), Ettore Robosch (piano), Anton Mario Semolini (flute), Francesca Camerana (images)]

Uragani

Da sinistra e dall'alto: Erminio Baso, Silvano Berteggia, Luciano Carradori, Fabio Vio, Franco Carradori, Mario Zanetti

Gli Uragani (the hurricanes) were a group formed in Mestre (Venezia) in 1963, active since 1967. During the 1965 they were selected by the Piper Club of Rome, the famous dance hall, to perform their concerts. They gathered a good success by the young people frequenting the club and so they had the opportunity to sign a contract with the Carisch label (one of the most active at that time in Italy, the label of the Beatles in Italy). With the Carisch label they published four 45rpm singles during the two years period 1966-'67, mostly excellent covers from Who, Animals, Cuby & The Blizzards. Their sound was very well focused and their playing technique very professional, in comparison with many others groups of that time, and they let so a good memory among beat era fans.

Their first name was The Sharks and they won with this name the contest "La Pennetta d'Oro" in Mestre, performing "Be-Bop-A-Lula" by Gene Vincent, an Italian cover from The House of the Rising Sun ("La casa del sole" in Italian) and a song by The Rokes.
 
Their discs have gathered a good success and were presented also on the Italian radio, specifically during the most known program of the period (Bandiera Gialla [yellow flag], by Gianni Boncompagni and Renzo Arbore).
During the 1968 they were forced anyway to close the activity, for the same reasons of many other groups of the period: military service, wedding, changing of the public expectations.
 
Discography: Con quella voce / Questa è la mia vita (vca 26180 - 1966), Vuoi arrivare su / Giusto o no (vca 26182 - 1966), Mary Anna / Lei (vca 26186 - 1967), Al primo che dirà / La città è vicina (vca 26190 - 1967)
[1963-'64: Erminio Baso (keywords), Franco Carradori (drums and voice),  Luciano Carradori (voice, he was the brother of Franco), Mario Zanetti (bass), Silvano Bertaggia (lead guitar), Fabio Vio (second guitar ); in the following years Gianni Da Re and  Dario Rigato (guitar) in place of  Bertaggia e Vio]

 

 Sources  many information were received directly form the members of the mentioned groups; other information by the magazine "Anni '60" of Claudio Scarpa e by the books "Una generazione piena di complessi" (Claudio Pescetelli) and "Beati voi" (Alessio Marino, director of the Beat Boutique 67).


       

© Alberto Truffi -  Musica & Memoria 2002 - 2009

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