FRANCO FABBRI
1. Equipe 84, “Quel che ti ho dato”
From: “Papà e mammà” / “Quel che ti ho dato”. Vedette VVN 33081,
1964, 45 rpm.
Maurizio Vandelli: vocals, guitar; Franco Ceccarelli: vocals, guitar; Romano Morandi: bass (substituting for Victor Sogliani: vocals, bass); Alfio Cantarella: drums.
Both sides of the band’s second single (first on Vedette label) were Italian adaptations of Anglo-American hits: the Beach Boys’ “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow” and the Rolling Stones’ “Tell Me” (the first Jagger-Richards song released by the Stones), with Italian lyrics by Gippi (pseudonym of Giuseppe Piccolo, a professional lyricist). The band’s co-founder Victor Sogliani was drafted just before the recording, and had to be substituted by Romano Morandi.
2. The Rokes, “La mia città”
From: “Grazie a te” / “La mia città”. Arc AN 4067, 1965, 45 rpm.
Norman David (Shel) Shapiro: vocals, guitar; Robert (Bob) Posner: bass; Johnny Charlton: lead guitar; Mike Shepstone: drums.
The song was composed by Shel Shapiro, the band’s leader, with Italian lyrics by Sergio Bardotti (a professional lyricist, known for his collaboration with cantautore Sergio Endrigo, and for his translations of Brazilian songs).
2a. The Rokes, “Stop and Watch the Children Play”
From: The Rokes, Vik VIK 3021, 1966, 33⅓ rpm.
The Rokes also recorded an English version, “Stop and Watch the Children Play”, which at that time was only released in an LP published in 1966 in Spain.
3. I Nomadi, “Noi non ci saremo”
From: “Noi non ci saremo” / “Un riparo per noi”. Columbia SCMQ 7021,
1966, 45 rpm.
Augusto Daolio: vocals; Beppe Carletti: keyboards; Franco Midili: guitar; Gianni Coron: bass; Gabriele (Bila) Copellini: drums.
The song was composed by Francesco Guccini, then an unknown songwriter, who wrote many of the band’s early hits, before becoming one of the best known cantautori.
3a. Francesco Guccini, “Noi non ci saremo”
From: Folk beat N.1. La Voce del Padrone PSQ 027, 1967, 33⅓ rpm.
Francesco Guccini: guitar and voice
Guccini recorded the song in 1967, for his first album Folk beat N.1.
4. I Giganti, “Tema”
From: “Tema” / “La bomba atomica”. RiFi RFN 16144, 1966, 45 rpm.
Mino Di Martino: vocals, guitar; Sergio Di Martino: vocals, bass; Francesco (Checco) Marsella: vocals, keyboards; Enrico Maria Papes; vocals, drums.
The music was composed by Pino De Vita, then a provisional member of the group, while the lyrics were written by each of the four other members, who sang the verses. But neither De Vita nor the other members were officially registered as authors at SIAE, so the song was credited to Albula (pseudonym of Alberto Carisch, one of the owners of Giganti’s record company, and their publisher) and Arrigo Amadesi, a professional composer.
5. New Dada, “Non dirne più”
From: “Non dirne più” / “Batti i pugni”. Bluebell BB 3151,
1966, 45 rpm.
Maurizio Arcieri: vocals; Renato (René) Vignocchi: guitar; Franco Jadanza: guitar; Ferruccio (Ferry) Sansoni: keyboards; Giorgio Fazzini: bass; Gianfranco Longo: drums.
“Non dirne più” (Don’t Say More of This) is an Italian adaptation (by Ermanno Parazzini) of Fats Domino’s 1958 hit “Sick and Tired” (C. Kenner, D. Bartholomew, A. Domino). New Dada also recorded the song in English. New Dada scored third at the 1966 edition of Cantagiro (a packaged tour, and a contest as well), after Equipe 84 and The Rokes, who also presented Italian adaptations of international hits. New Dada had been one of the supporting acts of the Beatles’ first (and only) Italian tour in 1965.
6. Stormy Six, “Il mondo è pieno di gente”
From: “Oggi piango” / “Il mondo è pieno di gente”. Mini Records MINI 2001,
1967, 45 rpm.
Maurizio Masla: vocals; Franco Fabbri: guitar; Giovanni Fabbri: guitar; Fausto Martinetti: organ; Alberto Santagostino: bass; Antonio Zanuso: drums.
With lyrics and music by Franco Fabbri, it was chosen as the B-side for an Italian version of the Small Faces’ “All Or Nothing” (Oggi piango), after the record company quite exceptionally showed no interest for another cover (“Call My Name”, by Them). Recorded at the end of 1966, the single (the band’s first) was released in January 1967. In April, “Il mondo è pieno di gente” (The World Is Full of People) – considered by some fans “a communist song” – was one of the pieces performed by the Stormy Six as one of the supporting bands of the Rolling Stones’ first Italian tour.
7. New Trolls, “Visioni”
From: “Visioni” / ”Io ti fermerò”. Cetra SP 1369, 1968, 45 rpm.
Vittorio De Scalzi: vocals, guitar; Nico Di Palo: vocals, guitar; Giorgio D’Adamo: bass; Mauro Chiarugi: keyboards; Gianni Belleno: drums.
New Trolls were another of the opening bands in the Rolling Stones’ Italian tour in 1967. “Visioni” (Visions), by group members Adamo, De Scalzi, Di Palo, was their second single, released in 1968, and preceded the band’s first (concept) album, Senza orario e senza bandiera (Without a Schedule and Without a Flag; Fonit LPX 3). New Trolls were soon considered among the Italian representatives of progressive rock.
8. Equipe 84, “Auschwitz”
Live performance from the TV show Speciale per voi (Special for You),
presented by Renzo Arbore, 1969.
Maurizio Vandelli: vocals, guitar; Franco Ceccarelli: guitar; Victor Sogliani: vocals, bass; Alfio Cantarella: drums.
Comments on the TV show (in Italian)
Another song by Francesco Guccini, recorded by Equipe 84 in 1966, as B-side of an Italian adaptation of Sonny and Cher’s “Bang Bang.” In the show, a member of the audience compares unfavorably Italian bands to Anglo-American bands, on the account that Italian bands have not recorded “committed” songs. Maurizio Vandelli replies that Equipe 84 actually recorded one, “Auschwitz,” which was only broadcast in “cultural programs”. As the audience protest that it was just one song, Vandelli argues that the band had to make many commercial songs, in order to be allowed to record a song like “Auschwitz”.