| Member Since | 8/29/2007 | | Band Members | 1969-71:
Marco Zoccheddu (guitar, vocals)
Claudio Ghiglino (guitar, vocals)
Giorgio Usai (keyboards, vocals)
Enrico Casagni (bass, flute, vocals)
Paolo Siani (drums, vocals)
1972:
Zoccheddu replaced by
Antonello Gabelli (guitar, vocals)
1973:
Gabelli replaced by
Arturo "Ricky" Belloni (guitar, vocals) | | Influences | A group from Genova, they had much in common with New Trolls, even
because two of their members, Usai and Belloni, have even played with that band
in different stages. The origins of the group lay in the 60's, with a quartet
called Plep from the names of the four musicians, Paolo Martinelli, Luciano
Biasato, Enrico Casagni and Paolo Siani, but after the line-up change, the name
became J.Plep for the release of a single for Carosello in 1969 (even if the
label has the name "Gil dei J.Plep" who was in fact the singer Giorgio Usai).
After many concerts the name Nuova Idea was chosen in 1970 for their
first single, presented at the Disco per l'Estate and including two tracks based
on a similar theme; but the real success came in 1971, when the band played at
the first Viareggio pop festival with "Come, Come, Come", and a long 20-minute
version of that track was also included in the Ariston sampler Al Festival Pop
Viareggio 1971 along with tracks by Stormy Six and Top 4.
The same track was chosen as leading theme of a popular TV show (A Come
Agricoltura) and appeared on the first side of their debut album In The
Beginning, while on the other side there were four shorter songs in a more
melodic style (three of these had already appeared on the band's early singles).
The record was issued by Ariston with none of the musicians knowing about it.
In 1971 guitarist Marco Zoccheddu, a leading figure in their concerts, left the
band to form Osage Tribe. His place was taken, for short time by
Antonello Gabelli, who played on the second album Mr.E.Jones, a concept
album based on a clerk's life, with good lyrics and some nice tracks like the
long Illusione da poco. The band makes a strong use of multivocal and falsetto
parts not unlike New Trolls', but the instrumental parts are very well played.
At the end of 1972 another new guitarist, Ricky Belloni from the Milan group
Il Pacco, and the band releases their best product, Clowns, where the
particular (and disturbing, to many listeners) voice of the newcomer adds an
original touch to a majestic instrumental background. The success is still far
from Nuova Idea, and the band members split, with Belloni joining New Trolls in
1975 to record their Concerto Grosso n.2, Usai following his example in
1978, and drummer Siani playing with Equipe 84 and Opus Avantra. Another
drummer, Flaviano Cuffari (from Simon Luca's backing band), had briefly played
in the group when Siani left in the summer of 1973, just before the split.
After the end of Nuova Idea Ricky Belloni and Paolo Siani formed the short-lived
supergroup Track that only released an album on Ariston in 1974, Track
Rock, a sort of all-stars jam session. Belloni also had a solo single on PDU
(Ricordi da bruciare/Letto sfatto) in 1974 before joining New Trolls. Drummer
Siani released two easy pop singles under the name Pappy Mammy & Son in 1975 and
1976 on Ariston.
The first line-up of Nuova Idea was also behind the Underground Set name
with a totally different kind of records.
(source: www.italianprog.com) | | Record Label | Unsigned |
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