Artist

I VULCANI

Piero Gori (vocals)
Gianni Paganelli (organ, vocals)
Giuseppe Savoia (guitar, vocals)
Claudio Telloli (sax, flute)
Gabriele Giorgetti (bass)
Luigi Ceccarelli (drums)

One of many groups which evolved their sound from the sixties' beat to the seventies' "pop music", i Vulcani were active in the Rimini area between 1966 and 1974, their members originating from S.Mauro Pascoli, Forlì, Cesenatico. The group had been founded by Telloli and Savoia as Map 91, before changing their name to I Vulcani.

During their long career they mainly played in Emilia Romagna, with some live appearances in Piemonte, Lombardia and Veneto, but only managed to produce a single, the very rare Era d'estate, in 1970. The album was recorded with a five-piece line-up because sax player Telloli was out for his army duties, and was totally unsuccessful.
Its sound is progressive-styled with some beat influences in the vocals, and a very good use of organ, flute and fuzz guitar. Both tracks were written by composer Valbruno (Bruno Valesi).

It was later re-recorded in June 1972 at Il Vecchio Mulino recording studio in Milan with the full line-up, now comprising new bass player Gabriele Toni (another bassist, named Nerio, had briefly played in the group before him).
The second issue, released by the Metropole label, was disappointing, for its bad audio quality and arrangement due to the short studio time the group was allowed. The musicians, tired of bringing with them the singles to sell at concerts, and disappointed with the record companies, destroyed all the remaining copies throwing them in a ravine, as if they were flying saucers!

Ceccarelli was later replaced by Walter Cicognani, while Angelo Fregnani (guitar and keyboards) took the place of organist Paganelli.
In 1974 Telloli and Savoia kept playing, changing name to Pierrot (a group which became Genio e i Pierrots and still plays in dancehalls).
The late Piero Gori was since 1983 the singer in the metal group Death SS, with the nickname Sanctis Ghoram, while Gianni Paganelli still plays in pianobars.
Drummer Luigi Ceccarelli switched to electronic music, with an activity as teacher at Conservatory of Perugia as well as composer. His works have been played throughout the world and in some of these (Tupac Amaru, La Guerra dei dischi and especially La Mano, de profundis rock issued by Luca Sossella Editore, some signs of his past activity as drummer with I Vulcani can be distinctly heard.

The single is extremely rare in both its issues.
Of the second issue on Metropole, printed in around 1000 copies, only about 100 were sold, most of the rest were destroyed by the group itself.

Era d'estate - single Liberty issue

Era d'estate - single Metropole issue

Click on pictures to enlarge

I Vulcani - live in the 70's

I Vulcani - promotional poster 1970

The website of Luigi Ceccarelli, drummer of Vulcani and later a well known composer of electronic music is www.luigiceccarelli.net

Many thanks to Luigi Ceccarelli and Claudio Telloli for the precious and detailed information and the pictures of I Vulcani.
Also thanks to Luigi Papi, Fabio Marchignoli, Maurizio Fabbri and Antonio Rosetti for other details and pictures for this page.