Italo Disco

[Masdefi]

Originally Posted by JussiK

Do check out the Claudia Cardinale ( Sun..I Love You & Love Affair) and the Lucio Battisti (El Velero & Nessun Dolore)tracks, as quite contrary to what some people claim ( !), these are proud and powerful Disco titles and that's a fact. There's so much to be discovered in Italian vaults, from odd tasteless one-off wonders like Must's Sado Maso Disco to discoey movie soundtracks from the respected Ennio Morricone ( Aniatra All'Arancia ) to the criminally neglected Nico Fidenco (Emanuelle in America). And if you got a taste for gourmet cheese there's Marisa Mell, the late starlet and actual Star of the immortal cult fave Danger: Diabolik! by Mario Bava ( Lady O ), unknown American showgirl turned Italian tv celeb Heather Parisi (Disco Bambina, Ti Rockero)and of course the eternal, maternal Raffaella Carra ( Jogging, Black Cat, etc). And going back to Italian film music it really is so much better than American, once you get hooked into the cinemascope & technicolor bossa sounds of Piero Umiliani, Piero Picconi, Armando Trovaioli, Morricone and the rest there's no turning back.

Jussi, you've an excellent memory. But let me say that the artists you noticed have had a very low success in the italin disco scene. I can assure you no DJs would have never spinned Heather Parisi, because of immedeately empty of the dancefloor. Worst would have been with (the poor) Lucio battisti or -worst than worst- Raffaella Carra'. In Italy is pure trash, Raffaella is no more used, even in the baby-parties. :lol:
What do you think about BBQ band, Double Dee, Den Harrow, Mike Francis? Those are better....
Ciao

[Voyage]

I haven't heard Rafaella sing ever but I've seen her on TV as a show host on RAI TV called Che Sorpresa!. :D

Den Harrow did very good stuff. What do you think of Fun Fun?

Voyage

[JussiK]

Masdefi - I can well understand why you Italians would rather see the world embrace Armani, Prada, D&G, contemporary arthouse film directors, sports cars, opera divas, industrial designers or culinary delights than someone like Raffaella. When I enthused about her in Rome people looked at each other totally aghast and mortified - " no, nobody likes her here, she is horrible, please do not at any cost spin ANY of her records tonight, promise!!" I'm not saying she's not bad, of course she is. She's horrible by any conventional standards. But the truth is Rafu is also good trashy fun! And look at a rag such as CHI - that Raffaella look abounds there, the same glittering low cut dresses, hairdos, gestures and multiple layers of Rimmel on most of the media starlets of today. Plus Raffaella herself is still making appearances in those magazines herself, along with the rest of the old skool gang of Sydne Rome etc. Cheesy glamour is eternal.

- Lucio Battisti? I don't believe you've actually heard the long version of El Velero - that track is WICKED, mate, as the young of today put it! I've spinned it to clubbers in London who loved it. So if hardcore revellers like that 1976 track in the club capital of the world I think we can safely assume the record works.

Everyone more or less likes Mike Francis and the rest of the 80's output plus the 90's piano house ditties but those do not quite reach the impact, good or bad, of Heather of Raffaella.

[Italo Disco]

Hello,


I have a lots of italo videos and not only to send in ebay...
Look at:

that section:
"For Sale Or Trade"


Because I am an in italo fans!!!

[Masdefi]

Originally Posted by JussiK

Masdefi - I can well understand why you Italians would rather see the world embrace Armani, Prada, D&G, contemporary arthouse film directors, sports cars, opera divas, industrial designers or culinary delights than someone like Raffaella. When I enthused about her in Rome people looked at each other totally aghast and mortified - " no, nobody likes her here, she is horrible, please do not at any cost spin ANY of her records tonight, promise!!" I'm not saying she's not bad, of course she is. She's horrible by any conventional standards. But the truth is Rafu is also good trashy fun! And look at a rag such as CHI - that Raffaella look abounds there, the same glittering low cut dresses, hairdos, gestures and multiple layers of Rimmel on most of the media starlets of today. Plus Raffaella herself is still making appearances in those magazines herself, along with the rest of the old skool gang of Sydne Rome etc. Cheesy glamour is eternal.

- Lucio Battisti? I don't believe you've actually heard the long version of El Velero - that track is WICKED, mate, as the young of today put it! I've spinned it to clubbers in London who loved it. So if hardcore revellers like that 1976 track in the club capital of the world I think we can safely assume the record works.

Everyone more or less likes Mike Francis and the rest of the 80's output plus the 90's piano house ditties but those do not quite reach the impact, good or bad, of Heather of Raffaella.

Hi Jussi, I appreciate the italian fashion all over the world as Armani but i wouldn't never buy that because I found not so sane to spend €200 for a shirt, as example. But I can spend €100 for a rare 12"!!!!
I actually like Raffaella just for TV entertrainement, I was a fan when I had 10 years old... I still have in my collection some old 45 from Raffaella. I only say that I have never spinned Raffa, that's all. But I LOVE that you like Raffaella, that's a milestone in Italy TV scene and I like of course if someone likes stuff or people from my country.
I agree to you that actually noone exist with the same success as Raffa and Heather had when they come out! Ciao!!!

[Giovanni]

This is just to point out that nobody here ( :lol: ) in this thread but Euroflash exactly understand the meaning of italo-disco.

One thing are italian acts that may have released disco records (and my friend Jussi is the undisputed king of italian, as also world's, trash!! :D )

Other thing are those italian artists that released disco records, in the style of american disco, ie Malavasi etc, that we all here like (being Marteen the undisputed king of trivia about that :D )

Lastly, a different thing is italo disco, a term that refers to italian productions, made in Italy and released by italian labals in the mid 80s (mostly 83 to 87), whose musical features have been well described by Euroflash :D . These records were mostly done by djs turned "musicians" (!!!) with a very low budget and had a very regional diffusion even here in Italy. Only a few got mainstream success. Like it or not (I personally don't) the so called italo disco remains an important moment in he evolution of dance music, and some of those italo records are considered pivotal in the birth of house sound of Chicago.

[euroflash]

for your kind words and aknowledgement.

I met recently with a friend of mine a resident DJ from Chicago who is really keen on Electro stuff. He is about 15 years younger than me and was very enthusiastic when I played for him Charlie "Spacer Woman", Some Bizarre "Don't be afraid", Sun-La-Shan "Catch", Myxoma "Don't runaway", Delanua "Black breast", Expansives 'Life with you".. Does it ring the bell? All Italian productions of very early 80's. Along with Sharevari and Afrika Bambaata, these productions have created something pretty special and this ELECTRO sound is really hot at the moment in Holland and Germany, where 17-18 year old deejays mixing "the old" stuff and think that that retro sound is the best thing... ever.... I just wanted to add a few points towards the importance of italo-disco movement.

Ciao!

[midas]

im lookin for an artist and name of song.
its in italic, and its disco and i think from early 80.
now the lyrics i dont know I dont speak italic.
it might be spanish.
it has got funky bass, male vocals,
he goes like this.....
...balla...balla (i think that means dance)
and sometimes he sing/talks (almost rappin)
..strato fancsonaro....balla....balla,

any italo know what im talkin bout


____________
midas

you without me is like cornflex witout the milk,
its my world, you just a scirrel trying to get a nut.
-orange juice jones

[euroflash]

is my best guess - he did a series of medley "BALLA" part I & II. To be correct, Francesco is from Spain and worked with German producers Peter Columbus & CO, great shlager-meisters.. Hope this helps!!

[midas]

thanx friend, any link to mp3?

__________
midas

I stand up from the crowd and shout out loud
you are the one for me- _ -_____

[Sierra-Leone]

I think so-called Italo sucks a little bit, doesn't it?
Real disco must have juicy live orchestral sound, not those poor sinthy-beats.

[euroflash]

Personally, I feel that Italo-Disco minimalistic style (simple synths, and basic orchestration) is the REAL THING and that is what makes it great to me. Accents? the stronger -- the better!! The more idiosyncratic -- the better...

I hear such arguments all the time, regarding Disco too.

[barronc]

Actually, I never really thought of Italo Disco as being underground at all. It was basically hi-nrg for the most part. I'm talking about artists like Albert One, Joe Yellow, Gary Low, Fun Fun, Doctor's Cat, The B.B. Band, etc. There were some great Italo Disco records to be had in the 80's. I myself have a rather exstensive collection of Italo Disco from the early eighties up thru the early nineties. The Italians were masters at encorporating synthesizers into their music. That was my favorite type of dance music during the eighties.

[paul]

Once again, I appreciate the knowlede I gain here. I would have never known Kano and Jimmy Ross were Italian acts. "First True Love Affair" will always have a warm spot in my heart because I had my first true love affair when it came out. Did Jimmy Ross do anything else that was similarly good?

[Giovanni]

Originally Posted by midas

it has got funky bass, male vocals,
he goes like this.....
...balla...balla (i think that means dance)
and sometimes he sing/talks (almost rappin)
..strato fancsonaro....balla....balla,

Pino D'Angiò: "Ma quale idea" from 1980
Is is a classic disco groove (a clone of "Ain't no stopping us now") sampled several times for house tracks