Artist
IL VOLO
Alberto Radius (guitar, vocals)
Mario Lavezzi (guitar, mandolin, vocals)
Vince Tempera (keyboards)
Gabriele Lorenzi (keyboards)
Bob Callero (bass)
Gianni Dall'Aglio (drums, percussion, vocals)
Usually described as a "supergroup", Il Volo was a studio band formed by very popular musicians all coming from famous bands: Alberto Radius and Gabriele Lorenzi from Formula Tre, Mario Lavezzi from Flora Fauna Cemento and Camaleonti, Bob Callero from Osage Tribe and Duello Madre, Gianni Dall'Aglio from Ribelli, along with composer Vince Tempera who also had his own band Pleasure Machine.
With such a pedigree it's obvious that both albums are
very well played, and enjoyable but not memorable, lacking originality.
An obvious similarity with Formula Tre is evident, along with a certain
jazz-rock feel present throughout both albums, whose only distinctive element is
the voice, almost missing in the second (all instrumental except Essere).
In 1975 the musicians from Il Volo collaborated with Fausto Leali for his LP Amore dolce, Amore amaro, Amore mio.
After the second album Callero (who was photographed from behind on the first LP cover, hiding under the nickname Olov) was replaced for a short time by Michele Seffer ex-Era di Acquario, then the group broke up.
LP | |||
Il Volo | Numero Uno (DZSLN 55667) | 1974 | gatefold cover |
Sony (88883 70168 1) | 2013 | as above | |
Sony Music/BMG (88985 36521 1) | 2017 | new remastered reissue with gatefold cover | |
Numero Uno/De Agostini (DZSLN 55667) | 2018 | gatefold cover with 8-page insert - no.24 in the De Agostini "Prog Rock Italiano" series | |
Numero Uno (19439 85671 1) | 2021 | gatefold cover - blue vinyl - 500 numbered copies | |
Numero Uno (19658 70431 1) | 2022 | gatefold cover - splatter vinyl - numbered issue | |
Essere o non essere? | Numero Uno (DZSLN 55679) | 1975 | gatefold laminated cover |
Numero Uno/De Agostini (86) | 2021 | gatefold cover with 8-page insert - no.86 in the De Agostini "Prog Rock Italiano" series | |
CD |
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Essere o non essere? | Numero Uno/BMG (ND 74119) | 1989 | reissue of 1975 album -
now deleted also available as part of the limited 5-CD box set Rock progressivo italiano (RCA ND 74116-5) |
BMG (82876-63030-2) | 2004 | as above with mini gatefold cover - now deleted | |
Sony/BMG (82876-63030-2) | 2011 | as above | |
Il Volo | Numero Uno/BMG (ND 74682) | 1990 | reissue of 1974 album - now deleted |
BMG (82876-54413-2) | 2003 | as above with mini gatefold cover - now deleted | |
Sony/BMG (88697-9000?-2) | 2011 | as above | |
Gruppo Ed.L’Espresso (20) | 2015 | as above with mini-LP gatefold cover – no.20 in the “Progressive Rock Italiano" series | |
PARTECIPAZIONI A RACCOLTE DI ARTISTI VARI |
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Quelli della Numero Uno (with Il calore umano e La canzone del nostro tempo) |
Numero Uno (CFD 01080-10) | 1999 | 10 CD - box set with tracks from singles and albums |
PROMO-ONLY AND JUKEBOX SINGLES (with blank covers) |
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Il calore umano | Numero Uno (JBZN 50331) | 1974 | jukebox single, backed with Premiata Forneria Marconi - Four holes in the ground |
Come una zanzara | Numero Uno (JBZN 50336) | 1974 | jukebox single, backed with Oscar Prudente - Infinite fortune |
Gente in amore Medio Oriente 249.000 tutto compreso |
Numero Uno (ZN 50339) | 1975 | promotional single, never commercially released |
Both LP's are easy to find in Italy, printed in large
quantities as most Numero Uno releases. Both have gatefold covers, the second
one being laminated.
An odd release of the first album which has been reported, is a
totally instrumental version, issued with the same cover as the original though
it contains in the inner gatefold the text "versione strumentale" on blue
background. Catalogue number is the same. This record, if really existing, is very rare,
having probably been released only for promotional distribution.
No counterfeits exist, but both albums have been
printed at the time in Germany by Hansa/Ariola with single sleeves, Canada by RCA
(nos.KPL1-0094 and KPL1- 0103), and later in Japan (King K22P112, in both
gatefold and single cover, and K22P152). Also on RCA there are a Spanish (cat.no. SPL1-9153 - gatefold cover) and Venezuelan issue (single cover) of the first album.
Il Volo also exixts in a later Korean issue (Si-Wan SRML 1011) with gatefold
cover.
The 1975 LP by Fausto Leali, Amore dolce, Amore amaro, Amore mio (CBS 69173), was released with help from Il Volo, but the cover only mentions the name of the group and not the single musicians that played on it.
Il Volo - LP |
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Il Volo - 8-track cartridge |
Essere o non essere? - LP |
Thanks to Oscar Larizza, Guilherme Tofani and Corrado Donati di Mondocafe, Mauro Degrassi, Marco Risadelli, for some pictures and information in this page