Artist

CLAUDIO ROCCHI

Claudio Rocchi was the original bass guitarist of Stormy Six, and played on their first album Le idee di oggi per la musica di domani, leaving the band soon after the album release for a solo career that started in 1970 with the first album, Viaggio, mainly acoustic and with good flute playing by PFM's Mauro Pagani.

Always influenced by eastern doctrines (he later became a Hare Krishna), he was also active in anti-war movements and always present at the various Italian pop festivals of the early 70's.
A second album in 1971, Volo magico n.1, is usually considered as his best effort, in much the same style as Alan Sorrenti's Aria with a side-long title track and softer tracks on the other side. The 18 minute long title track starts with a soft introduction and goes on with hypnotic move based on the guitars of Alberto Camerini and Ricky Belloni (from Nuova Idea and later New Trolls).

Next album, La norma del cielo (subtitled Volo Magico n.2) was similar, but weakest in comparison, and after a long journey to India he released Essenza at the end of 1973, with help from Elio D'Anna (Osanna) and Mino De Martino (Giganti) among others. 

Il miele dei pianeti, le isole, le api was a six-track album mainly based as usual on Rocchi's acoustic guitar folk-psych compositions, but featured well-known guests such as Walter Maioli (from Aktuala), Trilok Gurtu (that played with the same band at that time) and violinist/multi instrumentalist Lucio Fabbri (from Piazza delle Erbe, then a long time Eugenio Finardi collaborator and from 1978 with PFM, he also released a solo album on Cramps).

Later production had more use of electronics and interest in experimental sounds. In 1980 while in a Hare Krishna community he released Un gusto superiore with Paolo Tofani (Area).

In 2007 Claudio Rocchi directed the film Pedra Mendalza (the name of a popular volcanic hill in Sardinia) and its soundtrack, released on CD in 2008.

Between 2011 and 2012 the huge discography of Claudio Rocchi had many new productions added. In 2011 came two new albums, one with the psychedelic group from Piedmont, Effervescent Elephants on the Psych-Out label (Claudio Rocchi & Effervescent Elephants - on CD and LP) and another as soloist for the revived Cramps, In alto. In 2012 Psych-Out released two interesting vinyl LP's (both as limited pressings) with unreleased 70's recordings: the 2-LP set Concerti 1973/4/5 and Mirage (a live recording from 1976).

The long and multiform career of Claudio Rocchi suddenly came to an end in June 2013, aged 62, due to a degenerative disease.
His musical testament, showing his creativity and interest for any style, can be the very nice album made with producer and musician Gianni Maroccolo (ex-Litfiba, CSI and many others), issued in late 2013 and entitled VDB23/Nulla è andato perso. The album, mixing rock and electronic influences, features many guests in the long Rinascere Hugs Suite, among which Franco Battiato and Piero Pelù.

The early albums by Claudio Rocchi are not easy to find, but never particularly expensive. all were released by Ariston.

Viaggio appeared with two different cover artworks, the first had a green background, the other had a black and white picture of Claudio sitting in the clouds.
The green-coloured cover may exist in two slightly different variants, with the artist's name in black or white letters (but the existence of the white letter version is not confirmed, while the cassette edition was issued with this artwork). This cover has the Ariston logo in the bottom right corner of the front side, but copies without that logo also exist.
Some of these covers were also sold with a round sticker containing the text "Disco vincitore del 1. premio Critica Discografica 1971", as the album won a critics' poll in that year.
Moreover, to make the album dating more difficult, some copies exist with the green-coloured cover and a type II Ariston label (with silver neon effect logo) and the vinyl had the date 19-5-1971.

It has been reissued on CD in March 2003 by BMG with mini-LP cover and obi, as part of their "Dei di un perduto rock" series, and later repressed in October of the same year when a second batch of those CD's came out (including, among others, Volo magico n.1).

The same CD was announced by BMG as being also available with standard jewel case (cat.no. 74321-98507-2) but was probably never issued in this form.

Volo magico n.1 came in a centre opening foldout cover, textured, and with an inner sleeve (but apparently not all the copies came with the inner). 
The very first batch of copies came on the old black/silver Ariston label (soon replaced by the newly introduced Gnomo beige label) and only had the title on the "wall" side, but this was soon added on the back side where there is a colour picture of Claudio. Allegedly this was made to help the shops selling the record because it was usually exposed with the colour picture as the LP.
While the early pressings of this cover are textured, it was later issued with a smooth cover (still opening from the centre).
The Gnomo label edition exists in two different versions, one with the "Produzione Gnomo" text written on the gnome picture, the other with text moved on its right side.

La norma del cielo has a laminated gatefold cover with light blue background, but some copies exist with the same cover design on white background.

Essenza had a gatefold cover and the inner sleeve with lyrics on a black and white rising moon. In later copies the rising moon was gold tinted.

Il miele dei pianeti, le isole, le api had a gatefold cover and a foldout insert reproducing the cover on a side and including the lyrics on the other.

Suoni di frontiera has on vinyl the year 1976, though on Rocchi's site and other sites centered on his activity it is usually listed as issued in 1975.

As it was common at the time, the cassette tape and 8-track cartridge versions of these albums have different artwork than the LP's.

Non ce n'è per nessuno was issued on CD in Japan in 2007 by Strange Days (POCE-1185) with gatefold mini-LP cover in the "Cramps label collection" series.

The LP's issued by Psych-Out are all in limited pressings with thick vinyl and heavy cardboard gatefold covers: Concerti 1973/4/5 (PO-LP 33027) and Mirage (PO-LP 33028, with DVD) were issued in 500 numbered copies
The 2013 album with Gianni Maroccolo, VDB23/Nulla è andato perso was released through the crowdfunding site Musicraiser on CD; later, in 2014, it was also issued on vinyl by Psych-Out (PO-LP 33032, with bonus single) in 1000 numbered copies having a hand-painted thick cardboard cover.

No counterfeit exists, nor foreign issues of the official albums. A Spanish compilation, Strepitoso (Carnaby, 1972) contains La tua prima luna, from the Viaggio LP, along with another Rocchi track, Io volevo diventare, sung by Giovanna.

Viaggio - LP (two different cover artworks)
Flying (Viaggio) - reissue LP in Oxford series
Volo magico n°1 - LP
Volo magico n°1 - back cover (first pressing with no name and title)
Volo magico n°1 - foldout back cover (second pressing with name on the back picture)
Volo magico n°1 - Ariston and Gnomo (two different versions) labels
Volo magico n.1 - reissue LP in Oxford series
La norma del cielo (Volo magico n.2) - LP
Essenza - LP
Il miele dei pianeti, le isole, le api - gatefold cover
Some cassette tape and 8-track cartridge releases
Rocchi - LP
Suoni di frontiera - LP
A fuoco - LP
Non ce n'è per nessuno - LP
Indiscutibilmente - 7" single	Grazie - 7" single
Vado in India - 7" single, cover + poster

Click on pictures to enlarge

Promotional photo - 2005

Many thanks to Maurizio Fulvi, Armando Lanni, Manuel da Achada, Alos, John Elvis Gualtieri, Pio De Bellis, Antonio Calcagno and Alessandro Cristini for scans and information. 
Also thanks to Gianni Martin for encouragement, useful information on collectible Rocchi releases and the 2005 promotional picture.