Artist
ALLUMINOGENI
Patrizio Alluminio (keyboards, vocals)
Enrico Cagliero (guitar, bass)
Daniele Ostorero (drums)
A trio from Turin, formed in 1970 by keyboard player Alluminio (hence the name of the band) and drummer Ostorero with various guitarists (Guido Maccario, Aldo, Andrea Sacchi, Piero Tonello, then Enrico Cagliero), they only lasted for a couple of years and their only album, Scolopendra, was issued when they had already split.
The group had obtained their record deal by a lucky chance, a demo tape was sent around and they were contacted by Fonit for a single and to play the Cantagiro festival with no previous live experience, in front of 15000 people audiences.
After four singles released between 1970 and 1971, in
which the band limits are evident, the album is very well made, mainly based on
Hammond organ and other keyboards, with good instrumental parts even if the
voice is a bit thin and the sound seems dated now.
First side has more
vocal parts and is lightweight in comparison, the second side is more instrumental and
much better.
Despite a long time spent in rehearsing the album tracks, the group was totally
unsatisfied by the production work made by Fonit
to transform it into a more commercial product, and this was one of the main
reasons for them to split.
Keyboardist/singer Patrizio Alluminio also released a solo single, Tu anima mia on Fonit in 1975, that was in fact an unreleased cut from the Alluminogeni LP.
The band reformed in 1993 and released two CD's for Vinyl Magic, with good results. The last of these, Green grapes (this has been the name of the group before changing it to Alluminogeni) is a compilation of old and new unreleased recordings, and also includes an English version of their first single L'alba di Bremit.
A new CD, Metafisico, was released in 2019 by a line-up formed by Alluminio, Ostorero and original guitar/bass player Guido Maccario along with two new musicians (Ludovico Bragante and Alberto Rondano). Since the initial notes of Samsahara of Mr. Jackson the album shows the influence of the 70's sound with mixed results.
GLI
ALLUMINOGENI LP |
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Scolopendra | Fonit (LPQ 09065) | 1972 | gatefold laminated cover with inner opening |
Fonit/Vinyl Magic (LPP 436) | 1991 | same cover but not laminated and with side opening | |
BTF (VMLP 121) | 2008 | gatefold cover - later reissued with clear (2016) and red (2019) vinyl | |
CD |
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Scolopendra | Fonit (CDM 2029) | 1991 | reissue of 1972 album - now deleted |
Fonit/Warner (3984 28914 2) | 1999 | as above - now deleted | |
BTF (VM 121) | 2007 | new reissue with mini-LP gatefold cover | |
Geni mutanti | Vinyl Magic (VMNP 07) | 1993 | new recordings |
Green grapes | Vinyl Magic (VM 046) | 1994 | compilation of unreleased old and new tracks |
Metafisico | Ma.Ra.Cash (PRGIT535) | 2019 | new studio album |
SINGLES (all with picture covers) |
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L'alba di Bremit Orizzonti lontani |
Fonit (SPF 31262) | 1970 | |
Dimensione prima La vita e l'amore |
Fonit (SPF 31273) | 1970 | |
Solo un attimo Psicosi |
Fonit (SPF 31280) | 1971 | |
Troglomen Costruendo astronavi |
Fonit (SPF 31291) | 1971 | |
PROMO-ONLY AND JUKEBOX SINGLES (with blank covers except where noted) |
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L'alba di Bremit | Fonit-Cetra (JB 136) | 1970 | juke box 4-tracks EP - no
cover backed with Filarmonica di Vienna/Allegretto, Al Bano/Quel poco che ho, Romina Power/Armonia |
L'alba di Bremit Orizzonti lontani |
Fonit-Cetra (JBF 598) | 1970 | promo issue of corresponding single, with picture cover |
Orizzonti lontani | Fonit-Cetra (JB 349) | 1970 | juke box single - backed with New Trolls/Una nuvola bianca |
Solo un attimo | Fonit-Cetra (JB 376) | 1971 | juke box single - backed with New Trolls/Venti o cent'anni |
La stella di Atades | Fonit-Cetra (JBF 617) | 1972 | juke box single - no
cover backed with Creedence Clearwater Revival/Someday never comes |
VARIOUS ARTISTS COMPILATIONS |
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A taste of New Prog 90 (with Mass media) |
Vinyl Magic (PRM 01) | 1993 | picture cover promo 7" single with excerpts of album tracks, also includes Calliope, Syndone, Castello di Atlante, Romantic Warriors, Unix - distributed with Melodie e Dissonanze magazine |
The return of Italian pop (with Opera) |
Vinyl Magic (VM 201) | 1996 | CD sampler included in The return of Italian pop book - also includes Romantic Warriors, Calliope, Syndone, Secret Cinema, Castello di Atlante, Tower, Mosaic, Circle of Fairies, Next, Empire |
PATRIZIO
ALLUMINIO SINGLES (with picture cover) |
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Tu anima mia L'isola |
Fonit (SPF 31314) | 1975 |
Scolopendra has
been reissued on vinyl in Italy, and the reissue keeps the same design as the
original, but with no laminated cover and side opening, where the first issue
has a heavily laminated cover with the record inserted from the inner side of
gatefold.
Despite being released by a major label, Fonit, it
seems that the record has been released in very limited quantity, and it's very
rare nowadays.
A new vinyl reissue was released by BTF for the first time in 2008.
The song Troglomen was used as main theme of the Bruno Corbucci 1971 movie Quando gli uomini armarono la clava e... con le donne fecero din don (known abroad as When men carried clubs and women played ding-dong or simply Ding-dong).
Both tracks from the only single by Patrizio Alluminio, Tu anima mia and L'isola, issued in 1975, appear on a Japanese 9-track promo compilation on Nexus, called Nexus International Italian Rock Special (cat.no.SSY-17) that also includes singles' tracks by Hunka Munka, New Trolls, Krel (pre-PFM) and Ricordi d'Infanzia.
The single Troglomen was issued in Thailand around 1972 on a single (with no label details, backed with Living free theme by Julia Budd, from the Living free film soundtrack) and on a four-track EP (also including Daniel Boone/Beautiful Sunday, Gallery/Nice to be with you, Mouth & Macneal/How do you do, also with no label and catalogue number KS 009).
In Brazil Troglomen appeared on a promotional 1972 single on the Fermata label (993.0104 - no picture cover), backed with Haum! by Delirium.
A Japanese CD issue of Scolopendra exists, on Strange Days (1006), with mini-LP cover.
No counterfeits exist.
Scolopendra - front cover |
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Scolopendra - back cover |
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L'alba di Bremit - 7" single cover |
Dimensione prima - 7" single cover |
Solo un attimo - 7" single cover |
Troglomen - 7" single cover |
Geni mutanti - CD | Green grapes - CD |
Metafisico - CD | |
Ding dong (Troglomen) - 45 giri (Thailand) |
Ding dong (Troglomen) - EP (Thailand) |
Patrizio Alluminio / Tu anima mia - 7" single cover |
Thanks to Simone Corsi, John Martin, Gustavo Castagna Machado for some information included in this page