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Posts Tagged ‘Italy’

Remigio Ducros - La palla é rotonda

July 1st, 2012

Remigio Ducros - La Palla E RotondaREMIGIO DUCROS

  • La palla é rotonda
  • Vroommm
  • early 1970s
  • Italy

There were several small Italian production music library companies that were active some years from late 1960s to maybe mid 1970s and then just faded away. Vroommm was one of those, it was extablished in late 1960s and released small but diverse selection of records. In honor of the ongoing football European championships I bring up one of their records, a concept album by the Italian composer Remigio Ducros, La palla é rotonda (in English ‘the ball is round’). Different styled compositions relating to sports and especially football was the thing in this album.

Musically this album is quite diverse and maybe not funky as could be expected by the composer. There’s weird moog tracks, dark and spacy synth tracks, light and moody vocal tracks and so on. There’s highlights of course too. The downtempo synth track “Calcio al ralenti” is pretty ok as well as the midtempo moogy and funky “Una partita agitata”. There’s however four tracks above the others. “Contropiede”, a guitar heavy latin influenced uptempo groover. A funky midtempo breakbeat track “La rimonta”. A midtempo drum and percussion track “Pressing” and a little similar sounding but funkier “Sgambetto”. This nowadays very rare album is maybe not worth the full price but if seen cheap enough, don’t hesitate to pick it up.


Calcio al ralenti


Una partita agitata


Contropiede


La rimonta


Pressing


Sgambetto

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Written by Mista Tibbz, at 18.00, filed under cinematic funk, europe, library | No Comments »

Traks - Long train runnin’

November 8th, 2011

Traks - Long Train RunningTRAKS

  • Long train runnin’
  • Mercury
  • 1982
  • Italy

The story of the Italian disco group Traks goes back in the early 1970s when Aax Donnell (born Aurelio Donninelli) and brothers Paul and Peter Micioni were all working as disc jockeys. In 1974 Aax and Paul met in the town of Alba Adriatica and immediately became friends. Meanwhile few years later brothers Micioni had their first recording experiences with the group Easy Going - a brainchild of Giancarlo Meo and Claudio Simonetti. In the early 1980s Aax Donnell started to plan a more dancefloor friendly remake of a regular piece of all of their dj sets, a Doobie Brothers hit “Long train running”. On this project along with vocalist Aax Donnell there was drummer Marian Savati, bassist Pino Santamaria and the former Goblin drummer Walter Martino on percussion. When the track officially released as a part of their Long train runnin’ album the ‘official’ Traks was a little different with it’s line-up - Aax Donnell still on vocals, Paul Micioni on guitar, Peter Micioni on bass and Marian Savati on drums. The band was active only few years releasing two albums and a couple of singles before they broke up.

Basically there’s only four different songs on this album. The mentioned “Long train running”, a seven minute straight up disco beat monster with a long percussion break. There’s also a song called “Short train running”, which is basically just a short version of the song. Another train themed track is “Love train”, a downtempo pluck bass eighties funk jam. “Driving here on Broadway” is an uptempo eighties funk track in a strong funkstyles way. Last track to mention is “Drums power”. There’s more uptempo part 1, that is a better one, but only 53 seconds long. Part 2 is four and half minutes but has a slower pace.


Long train running


Love train


Driving here on Broadway


Drums power (part 1)


Drums power (part 2)

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Written by Mista Tibbz, at 18.00, filed under disco, europe | No Comments »

Goblin - Profondo rosso

October 3rd, 2011

Goblin - Profondo RossoGOBLIN

  • Profondo rosso
  • Cinevox
  • 1975
  • Italy

Inspired by the last weekend’s Goblin gig in Helsinki, I just had to make this post. Although their heavy-prog’ish live sound, the music is really amusing with it’s weird synthesizer sounds and cinematic beats.

After several phases and bands in their early career, Claudio Simonetti and Massimo Morante formed the Goblin band in 1973. During the years they have profiled as one of the top class horror soundtrack scorers in the world. Goblin’s first release was a soundtrack in 1975 to a Dario Argento film called Profondo rosso. Or Deep red as the English title is.

A musician witnesses the murder of a famous psychic, and then teams up with a fiesty reporter to find the killer while evading attempts on their lives by the unseen killer bent on keeping a dark secret buried. (IMDB)

The music in Profondo rosso is clearly divided in two different types. There’s dramatic scoring just perfect for the suspense and horror of the movie. And then there’s jazzy and funky Italian style soundtrack tracks. “Mad puppet” with it’s weird and slightly kaotic start is a little stagnant suspence theme, but rather good one. “Wild session” starts with a long dramatic intro turning to a jazzy cinematic funk track with creeping synths and horns. The title track “Profondo rosso” also starts with some haunting synths and then turns into another cinematic funk meets dramatic soundscapes track. However, in my opinion the best track is the uptempo drum frenzy “Death dies”, although the album version is missing the percussions that appear on the movie version. Profondo rosso sold over million copies within a year and remained in the charts for 52 weeks in a row. So it’s not that hard to find. The single release from the album, “Profondo rosso” / “Death dies” hit #1 on the charts and remained there 16 weeks and that’s a record that is yet to be broken. Overall this is my favorite album from Goblin - along with another great Dario Argento soundtrack, Tenebre.


Profondo rosso


Mad puppet


Wild session


Death dies

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Written by Mista Tibbz, at 18.00, filed under cinematic funk, drama, europe, jazz, soundtrack | No Comments »

I Pyranas - Motivi di ieri, successi di oggi

March 1st, 2011

I Pyranas - Motivi Di Ieri, Successi Di OggiI PYRANAS

  • Motivi di ieri, successi di oggi
  • ARC
  • 1969
  • Italy

Beat and rhythm n’ blues group I pyranas was originally from France but spent most of it’s active time in Italy. When Miami born singer Rocky Roberts (who had moved to Italy to perform) separated from his backing band The airedales (who continued with their bassist Wess a the new leader), he contacted the French group Les pyranas to be his new band. Les pyranas had already released few 45s on a French label Barclay and after request from Rocky, they moved to Italy to record and perform under a name I pyranas. Together with Rocky Roberts they did total three 45s in Italy and France, and continued as an instrumental group. In 1969 their line-up consisted of André Laidli (trumpet), Albert Verrecchia (keyboards), Paul Nicolas (saxophone), André Ceccarelli (drums), Jean Claude Chavanat (guitar), Jean Costa (trombone), Christian Guisien (trombone) and Tony Bonfils (bass).

Their second album Motivi di ieri, successi di oggi was released in 1969 on an Italian RCA sublabel ARC, in a same year as their debut album Tanti successi per I pyranas. Musically they follow the same style as in their debut. Songs vary from bluesy r’n'b and soul to melancholic beat and uptempo funk and it’s all instrumental. There’s mellow downtempo groovers like “Un’ora sola ti vorrei”, there’s very bluesy stuff and then there’s uptempo beat-funk. The midtempo “Portami tante rose” sounds very much of those Italian soundtrack sounds from the same period with a slight easy listening feel. “Angeli negri” is an uptempo funky beat track with very melancholic horn melodies and it’s feelings are almost Finnish’ish. It reminds me of those funkier ones from Danish-Finnish trumpeter Jörgen Petersen. “Parlami d’amore mariu’” is also an uptempo track similar to “Angeli negri” but with more pace and less melancholy. The best track here is “Amor amor amor”, a bboy friendly funky breakbeat track with catchy horn stabs, nice organ and some percussion work.


Un’ora sola ti vorrei


Portami tante rose


Parlami d’amore mariu’


Angeli negri


Amor amor amor

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Written by Mista Tibbz, at 18.00, filed under beat, europe, funk | 1 Comment »

Gil Ventura - Sax club number 5

February 3rd, 2011

Gil Ventura - Sax Club Number 5GIL VENTURA

  • Sax club number 5 - filmusic
  • Emi Odeon
  • 1974
  • Italy

Gil Ventura (born Marcello Olmari) is an Italian easy listening saxophonist who began his career in nightclubs in the 1960s. Since 1972 he did a lot of albums similar in every way to those Fausto Papetti saxophone records. The songs are mostly covers, mostly really cheesy and there’s a naked woman on the album cover. In his career he has recorded over 50 albums so I must admit that he’s been a quite productive musician. In this fifth volume of his Sax club -series he dives into the world of soundtracks. As you can expect, the tracks mostly really cheesy orchestrated numbers with Ventura’s wailing saxophone on top. There’s however quite decent versions of Ennio Morricone’s “Il Mio Nome è nessuno” (”My name is nobody”) and Paul McCartney’s “Live and let die” (”Vivi e lascia morire” here). Of course there’s got to be something on this album, otherwise I wouldn’t have brought it up. The standout track is the groovy version of Armando Trovaioli’s “Sesso matto” (”Mad sex” in English). You know, the track with a catchy saxophone riff borrowed from Manu DiBango’s “Soul Makossa”, nice beat thoughout the track and even a break. It doesn’t beat the original though, but it’s still a good one. And this album is not that hard to find either.


Vivi e lascia morire


Il Mio Nome è nessuno


Sesso matto

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Written by Mista Tibbz, at 18.00, filed under easy listening, europe | No Comments »

Jean-Paul & Angélique - Jean-Paul & Angélique

January 26th, 2011

Jean-Paul & Angelique - Jean-Paul & AngeliqueJEAN-PAUL & ANGÉLIQUE

  • Jean-Paul & Angélique
  • Charter Line
  • 1975
  • Italy

Charter Line was an Italian label that released their pressings of various range of artists from Dionne Warwick and Herbie Mann to Arlo Guthrie and Todd Rundgren. They also released this mysterious Jean-Paul & Angélique album, from which you don’t seem to have any info at all except that there is this Charter Line pressing. Either it was never officially pressed before this or it had so limited quantities that there’s only few existing. The songs on this one sound like they are taken straight from those mid 1970s Italian library records made by Piero Umiliani or Alessandro Alessandroni. Songs vary from sensuos rare groove tracks like “Latte saldo” and the over 8 minute “Flute’s wind” to uptempo flute funk breakbeat groovers “Saucy san”, “Mooning” and the magnificent “Africa sound”. Really beautiful album, no fillers at all.


Latte caldo


Flute’s wind


Saucy san


Mooning


Computer man


Africa sound

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Written by Mista Tibbz, at 23.08, filed under europe, rare groove | No Comments »

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