Artist

EDOARDO BENNATO

Not certainly a progressive artist, Edoardo Bennato has always declared, and demonstrated in his records, a true love and commitment to rock'n'roll, always keeping a very good quality in his record releases through a 40-year long career that still lasts today.
After a lonely single in 1966 for Parade (the same label that produced Chetro & Co.'s single), his professional debut came in 1969 with a single on Numero Uno, the first of a very long series of 45's, and while his brother Eugenio (then with NCCP) was more interested in traditional music, Edoardo was since his beginnings a sort of Italian Bob Dylan, always pictured with acoustic guitar and harmonica.

First album came in 1973 for Ricordi, as the later ones, and the main ingredients were already there: sharp lyrics on a rocking background built on acoustic guitar and harmonica but always with large use of electric instruments. An interesting element for the progressive fans is the presence of the Perdio musicians as backing band and the guest appearance of Silvana Aliotta, singer of Circus 2000, here as percussionist.

The long career of Edoardo Bennato still lasts in the 2000's and has given him a huge popularity and many hit singles.

LP (until 1977)
Non farti cadere le braccia Ricordi (SMRL 6109) 1973 rough gatefold cover with folded match and 4 page lyric insert
  Ricordi/Orizzonte (ORL 8039) 1976 single cover - first reissue had white/green label
I buoni e i cattivi Ricordi (SMRL 6129) 1974 single cover with lyric inner - orange/black label
  Ricordi (SMRL 6129) 1976 as above with white/orange label
  Ricordi/Orizzonte (ORL 8841) 1986 single cover - blue label with Orizzonte logo
Io che non sono l'imperatore Ricordi (SMRL 6149) 1975 gatefold cover - first issue with orange/black label, later with white/orange label
  Ricordi/Orizzonte (ORL 8256) 1979 single cover
La torre di Babele Ricordi (SMRL 6190) 1976 gatefold cover with lyric inner - orange/black label
initially with lower case title lettering, later issues have title in upper case
  Ricordi/Orizzonte (ORL 8553) 1982 single cover
Burattino senza fili Ricordi (SMRL 6209) 1977 gatefold cover with glued insert
  Ricordi/Orizzonte (ORL 8870) 1987 as above - blue label
All albums reissued on CD


VARIOUS ARTISTS COMPILATION ALBUMS
Collezione Numero Uno
(with 1941)		 Numero Uno (ZSLN 55012) 1970 singles compilation, with Formula Tre, Jumbo, La Verde Stagione, Anna Maria Rame, Bruno Lauzi, Flora Fauna e Cemento, Computers
Quelli della Numero Uno
(with Marylou, La fine del mondo, 1941, Marjorie, Goodbye Copenhagen)		 Numero Uno (CFD 01080-10) 1999 10 CD - box set with tracks from singles


SINGLES (with picture sleeves - up to 1977)
Era solo un sogno
Le ombre		 Parade (PRC 5017) 1966  
Marylou
La fine del mondo		 Numero Uno (ZN 50004) 1969  
  Numero Uno/Sony Music (19439 91454 7) 2021 reissue with blue vinyl
1941
Vince sempre l'amore		 Numero Uno (ZN 50024) 1970  
Goodbye Copenhagen
Marjorie		 Numero Uno (ZN 50123) 1971  
Detto tra noi
Non farti cadere le braccia		 Ricordi (SRL 10701) 1973 both tracks from Non farti cadere le braccia
Salviamo il salvabile
Ma che bella città		 Ricordi (SRL 10714) 1974 both tracks from I buoni e i cattivi
Meno male che adesso non c'è Nerone
Parli di preghiere		 Ricordi (SRL 10745) 1975 side A also in different version on Io che non sono l'imperatore
Feste di piazza
Io per te Margherita		 Ricordi (SRL 10788) 1975 both tracks from Io che non sono l'imperatore


PROMOTIONAL AND JUKEBOX SINGLES (with blank sleeves - up to 1977)
1941 Numero Uno (JBZN 50028) 1970 split jukebox single coupled with Formula Tre - Se non è amore cos'è
Cantautore
Venderò		 Ricordi (SRL 10822) 1976 promo with white label and company sleeve - both tracks from La torre di Babele

 

All the albums by Edoardo Bennato are rather common and not expensive, being sold in huge quantities at the time. The three singles on Numero Uno are very rare and sought after.
The only rarity in his LP production is the original first album, having a gatefold cover containing a popup match. It also included a foldout lyric insert.
The album was later reissued with a single cover in the Ricordi/Orizzonte series (first with a white/green label, then a blue label). The existence of an issue with single cover and the original catalogue number is unconfirmed.

At least two different issues exist of the original debut album. The first one, very rare, can be identified by the following elements:
- the inner side of the gatefold is made with a grey-coloured rough cardboard; later issues have the inside gatefold made with a smooth white cardboard;
- the base of the match is glued to the cover, only the match is detached. Later issues have a full foldable panel with the rectangular base and the match;
- the inner part of the gatefold where the record is inserted has a reproduction of the match in a monochrome light red coloured print; this image is only present in some early copies and is missing in the later issues, but may easily be a misprint;
- the original Ricordi label has the top half in a dark orange colour, while the common later issues have a lighter orange shade; the "Stereo" writing on the label, is repeated twice and in white type, the Siae stamp is the first type.
Most copies around of this LP, described as first pressings, have in fact a gatefold cover with none of the above elements and a Siae stamp of the second type on the label, dating around 1975.

The earliest pressing of Io che non sono l'imperatore had a laminated cover, which was presumably withdrawn soon afterwards for printing problems and replaced with the common smooth cardboard gatefold cover.

La torre di Babele originally had the title written in lower case letters, with rough, smooth or laminated covers existing. Later issues have the title written in upper case on the cover. The original label has the classic Ricordi orange/black design, but was soon replaced with the new white/orange label.

The three singles on Numero Uno are rare and sought-after. They have been reissued in 1992 under the title 1969-1971: I singoli (Numero Uno/BMG 74321-12266-2, in collaboration with the Raro magazine and in limited pressing), a set with three CD singles in a mini-LP trifold cover..

Third album, Io che non sono l'imperatore, has been released in Germany with the title Canzoni and a different cover by Ricordi/Metronome (0045.015) in 1975. Later, some 80's singles have had foreign releases in Germany, Switzerland, Spain, France, Mexico.

No counterfeits exist, nor other foreign issues.

Non farti cadere le braccia - LP

Non farti cadere le braccia - open gatefold with insert and foldable match
  

Non farti cadere le braccia - first and second issue labels

I buoni e i cattivi - LP

Io che non sono l'imperatore - LP

La torre di Babele - LP

Burattino senza fili - LP

Era solo un sogno - 7" single

 Marylou - 7" single
1941 - 7" single Good bye Copenhagen - 7" single

 

 

Full discography and pictures on Edoardo Bennato's fan club site at http://www.edofansclub.org

 

Thanks to Vincenzo Gatti for a large amount of information and pictures on Bennato's LP production and to Marco Bimbo