Le Orme (Italian: "The Footprints") is an Italian
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
band formed in
1966 in
Marghera
Marghera is a ''municipalità'' (borough) of the ''comune'' of Venice, Italy. It includes the industrial area known as Porto Marghera (English: Marghera Port) or Venezia Porto Marghera.
Etymology
The name Marghera is said in popular myth to come ...
, a ''
frazione
A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...
'' of
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
. The band was one of the major groups of the
Italian progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Initi ...
scene in the
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.jpg, Clockwise from top left: U.S. President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office following the Watergate scandal in 1974; The United States was still involved in the Vietnam War i ...
. They are one of few Italian rock bands to have success outside their own country, having played concerts across North America and Europe, and releasing an album in
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
at the height of their success.
History
Beginnings (1966–1970)
Le Orme was founded in 1966 in Venice by
Aldo Tagliapietra
Aldo Tagliapietra (born February 20, 1945) is an Italian singer, songwriter and musician best known for his work with the progressive rock band Le Orme.
Biography
Aldo Tagliapietra was born in Murano on February 20, 1945. The son of a master ...
(vocals, guitar),
Marino Rebeschini Marino, Mariño or Maryino may refer to:
Places
* Marino, Lazio, a town in the province of Rome, Italy
* Marino, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide
** Marino Conservation Park
** Marino Rocks Greenway, a cycling route
** Marino Rocks railway ...
(drums),
Nino Smeraldi
Nino or Niño may refer to:
*Nino (name)
*Niño (name)
*Antonin Scalia, American Supreme Court justice whose nickname was "Nino"
*El Niño, a climate pattern in the tropical Pacific Ocean
*NINO, an abbreviation for National Insurance number in the ...
(lead guitar) and
Claudio Galieti
Claudio is an Italian and Spanish first name. In Portuguese it is accented Cláudio. In Catalan and Occitan it is Claudi, while in Romanian it is Claudiu.
Origin and history
Claudius was the name of an eminent Roman gens, the most important me ...
(bass guitar). Originally intending to name themselves Le Ombre, a literal translation of
The Shadows
The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in the pre- Beatles era. They served as the backing band for Cliff Richard ...
, they ultimately decided on the similar-sounding Le Orme. The band's early work evoked a feel somewhere between
beat
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery (c ...
and
psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
, similar to what was coming out of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
at the time. One of their first major performances was on 2 June 1966, when they and other local bands accompanied a British beat group,
The Rokes
The Rokes were a pop rock band formed in 1963 in Italy by English expatriates. Their most successful songs included "Piangi con Me", the original version of " Let's Live for Today", a US hit when re-recorded by The Grass Roots; and "Che Colpa ...
, at the Teatre Corso in
Mestre
Mestre () is a borough of the ''comune'' (municipality) of Venice, on the mainland opposite the historical island city in the region of Veneto, Italy.
Administratively, Mestre forms (together with the nearby Carpenedo) the ''Municipalità di ...
.
In 1967, the day after recording their first single, "Fiori e Colori", for
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
's
CAR Juke Box label (having been rejected by
EMI
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...
), Rebeschini left for the military. He was quickly replaced by
Michi Dei Rossi of the dissolved
Hopopi. The following year, their second single, "Senti l'estate che torna", was chosen to participate in
Un disco per l'estate
Un disco per l'estate (translation "A Record for the Summer") was an Italian Summer festival held from 1964 to 2003. It was organized and sponsored by the Italian record industry association, AFI, and by RAI, except for the editions between 1995 ...
, a televised music competition organised by the Italian Phonographic Association and
RAI
RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...
. It was at this time that
Tony Pagliuca
Le Orme (Italian: "The Footprints") is an Italian progressive rock band formed in 1966 in Marghera, a ''frazione'' of Venice. The band was one of the major groups of the Italian progressive rock scene in the 1970s. They are one of few Italian r ...
(formerly of Hopopi and ) joined the group on keyboards. Later in the same year, the band began recording its first album, ''
Ad gloriam
''Ad gloriam'' is the first album by the Italian rock music, rock band Le Orme. Released in 1969, the album's sound differs significantly from the progressive rock that Le Orme would become known for, having more of a beat music, beat and psychede ...
'', to be released in 1969. The title track, was sampled by Irish DJ
David Holmes for his 2000 album
Bow Down to the Exit Sign, under the name "69 Police". It was then re-used in the
Oceans Eleven soundtrack, where it features prominently in the final scene.
Soon Galieti left for the military as well, leaving Tagliapietra to cover on bass guitar. Not long later Smeraldi left as well, leaving the trio that would be at the core of the band for its most successful era. An evolution in their sound towards more richness and complexity can already be heard in a non-album single the band would publish in 1970, "Il Profumo delle Viole / I Ricordi Più Belli".
Mainstream success (1970–1977)
In the spring of 1971 Le Orme recorded their second studio album, ''
Collage
Collage (, from the french: coller, "to glue" or "to stick together";) is a technique of art creation, primarily used in the visual arts, but in music too, by which art results from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole. ...
''. Thanks to its promotion through the
RAI
RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...
radio program
Per voi giovani, the album was quickly successful, earning a top 10 placing in the Italian charts. This was followed up with ''
Uomo di pezza'' in 1972, which topped the Italian charts. ''Uomo di pezza'' also generated a hit single, "Gioco di bimba", and the band toured Italy in December 1972 with
Peter Hammill
Peter Joseph Andrew Hammill (born 5 November 1948) is an English musician and recording artist. He was a founder member of the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Best known as a singer/songwriter, he also plays guitar and piano and ...
of
Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester by singer-songwriters Peter Hammill and Judge Smith, Chris Judge Smith and the first act signed by Charisma Records. They did not experience much commerc ...
(VdGG being on hiatus at the time). It was with their next album however, ''
Felona e Sorona'', considered to be one of the "finest examples of Italian progressive rock", that Le Orme truly gained prominence beyond their home country. At the request of
Tony Stratton-Smith
Tony Stratton-Smith (29 October 1933 – 19 March 1987) was an English rock music manager, and entrepreneur. He founded the London-based record label Charisma Records in 1969 and managed rock groups such as the Nice, Van der Graaf Generator and ...
, Le Orme recorded an English version of ''Felona e Sorona'' for
Charisma Records
Charisma Records (also known as The Famous Charisma Label) was a British record label founded in 1969 by former journalist Tony Stratton-Smith. He had previously acted as manager for rock bands such as The Nice, the Bonzo Dog Band and Van der ...
, with translation provided by Peter Hammill. The band toured the United Kingdom in support of the album, including dates at the
Marquee Club
The Marquee Club was a music venue first located at 165 Oxford Street in London, when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. Its most famous period was from 1964 to 1988 at 90 Wardour Street in Soho, and it finally closed whe ...
and the
Commonwealth Institute
The Commonwealth Education Trust is a registered charity established in 2007 as the successor trust to the Commonwealth Institute. The trust focuses on primary and secondary education and the training of teachers and invests on educational pro ...
.
In January 1974, Le Orme recorded their first live album, ''
In concerto'' at the Teatro Brancaccio in Rome. Later in the year a further studio album, ''
Contrappunti'', followed. It also was successful, charting in the top ten, but failed to reach the lofty heights achieved by ''Felona e Sorona''. In 1975 Neil Kempfer-Stocker's Cosmos imprint issued ''Beyond Leng'', a largely instrumental compilation to introduce the band to a wider American audience. The band then headed to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
to record their next album. At the same time, they hired a guitarist, Tolo Marton, bringing the group to four members. The resulting ''
Smogmagica'', boasting a cover by
Paul Whitehead
Paul Whitehead is a British painter and graphic artist known for his surrealistic album covers for artists on the Charisma Records label in the 1970s, such as Genesis and Van der Graaf Generator.
__TOC__
Life and work England: Liberty Records ...
, was significantly more commercially oriented than their previous work, and was largely viewed as a disappointment by fans. Marton left soon after the album was completed, and Germano Serafin was recruited in his stead. The following album, however, ''
Verita nascoste'', was a return to form and would prove to be a high point as the band would soon suffer from the downturn in progressive rock's popularity.
Changes in direction (1977–1982)
Following the release of their eight studio album, ''
Storia o leggenda'', Le Orme retired from touring to focus on exploring new directions for their music.
The result was 1979's ''
Florian'' in which the band members traded in their electric instruments for classical ones, emerging with a sound more akin to
chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...
than rock. The album was critically acclaimed, winning an Italian Music Critics' Award. They followed up with ''
Piccola rapsodia dell'ape'', which, although stylistically similar was not nearly as successful. Reverting to their classic trio formation, the band attempted to return to the mainstream with a straight-
pop effort, ''
Venerdi''. This album was also unsuccessful, and the band split amiably following its release.
Reformation (1986–1992)
Le Orme would reform in 1986, intending to play concerts only.
They were soon persuaded to enter a single, "
Dimmi che cos'e", at the 37th annual
Sanremo Music Festival
The Sanremo Music Festival, officially the Italian Song Festival () and commonly known as just (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria. It is the longest-running annual ...
, where it finished seventeenth. Though concentrating their efforts on concerts, the band released another studio album, titled simply ''
Orme'' in 1990. Another pop effort, the disc went largely unnoticed. In 1992, Pagliuca ended more than two decades with the band to be replaced by
Michele Bon. Later the same year the band added
Francesco Sartori
Francesco Sartori (born 1957) is an Italian composer and piano and trumpet player.
Works
Sartori composed "Con te partirò" ("With you, I will leave") with Lucio Quarantotto for Andrea Bocelli. ''Con te partirò'' was also recorded by Jonas Kau ...
on piano.
Return to form (1992–2009)
Encouraged by the success of their concerts and strong sales of their 1970-1980 anthology, the band returned to the recording studio. The resulting product, 1995's ''
Il fiume'', a "triumphant return" to the sound that made them famous more than twenty years before. A string of concerts, culminating in appearances at progressive rock
festivals
A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival co ...
in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...
and
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, followed. Two further albums were released, ''
Elementi'' in 2001 and ''
L'infinito'' in 2004, completing with ''Il fiume'' a trilogy around the concept of the "becoming" of the human being. Le Orme headlined
NEARFest 2005, and later returned to a trio formation, playing concerts both inside and outside of Italy.
Post Tagliapietra (2009–)
At the end of 2009, Aldo Tagliapietra left the band. He was replaced as lead singer by Jimmy Spitaleri of fellow Italian progressive rock band
Metamorfosi
Metamorfosi ( el, Μεταμόρφωση, Metamórfosi, transfiguration; before 1957: Koukouvaounes ( el, link=no, Κουκουβάουνες, Koukouváounes) is a suburb in the northern part of the Athens agglomeration, Greece, and a municipalit ...
.
In 2011 the group released ''
La via della seta'' a concept album inspired by the
Silk Road
The Silk Road () was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles), it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and reli ...
, with lyrics written by Maurizio Monti, former collaborator of
Patty Pravo
Patty Pravo (born Nicoletta Strambelli on 9 April 1948) is an Italian singer. She debuted in 1966 and remained most successful commercially for the rest of the 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Having suffered a decline in popularity in the followin ...
,
Mina and
Riccardo Cocciante
Riccardo Cocciante (; born 20 February 1946), also known in French-speaking countries and the U.S. as Richard Cocciante (), is an Italian singer, composer, theatre man and musician. He acquired French citizenship.
Personal life
Cocciante was b ...
. With the new organic, Le Orme started a tournée, sharing the stage with
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso (English: ''Bank of Mutual Relief'') is an Italian rock band. A popular progressive rock band in the 1970s, they continued making music in the 1980s and 1990s. Recently, they were still active, playing live in 2001 and ...
to promote the new album.
Member history
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from:1966 till:2008 text:"Aldo Tagliapietra (vocals, bass guitar)"
color:2color from:1966 till:1970 text:"Nino Smeraldi (guitar)"
from:1966 till:1969 text:"Claudio Galieti (bass guitar)"
color:2color from:1966 till:1967 text:"Marino Rebeschini (drums)"
from:1967 till:2008 text:"Michi Dei Rossi (drums)"
color:2color from:1968 till:1992 text:"Tony Pagliuca (keyboards)"
from:1975 till:1976 text:"Tolo Marton (guitar)"
color:2color from:1976 till:1980 text:"Germano Serafin (guitar)"
color:2color from:1992 till:1998 text:"Francesco Sartori (piano)"
from:1992 till:2008 text:"Michele Bon (keyboards)"
color:2color from:1998 till:2007 text:"Andrea Bassato (piano, violin)"
Discography
;Studio and live
*''
Ad gloriam
''Ad gloriam'' is the first album by the Italian rock music, rock band Le Orme. Released in 1969, the album's sound differs significantly from the progressive rock that Le Orme would become known for, having more of a beat music, beat and psychede ...
'' (1969)
*''
Collage
Collage (, from the french: coller, "to glue" or "to stick together";) is a technique of art creation, primarily used in the visual arts, but in music too, by which art results from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole. ...
'' (1971)
*''
Uomo di pezza'' (1972)
*''
Felona e Sorona'' (1973)
Later re-recorded in English and released in the UK as ''Felona and Sorona''.
*' (1974)
*' (1974, live)
*' (1975)
*' (1976)
*' (1977)
*' (1979)
*' (1980)
*' (1982)
*' (1990)
*' (1996)
*''
Amico di ieri'' (1997)
*' (2001)
*' (2004)
*' (2011)
;Compilations
*''Beyond Leng'' (1976)
See also
Other Italian progressive rock bands:
*
Il Balletto di Bronzo
*
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso (English: ''Bank of Mutual Relief'') is an Italian rock band. A popular progressive rock band in the 1970s, they continued making music in the 1980s and 1990s. Recently, they were still active, playing live in 2001 and ...
*
I Cervello
*
La Locanda delle Fate
Locanda delle Fate (The Fairy Inn) is an Italian progressive rock band from the end of the Italian progressive rock movement.
The band formed in 1974 and in 1975 the vocalist Leonardo Sasso entered the group.Enzo Giannelli. "Locanda delle Fate". G ...
*
Osanna
Osanna are an Italian progressive rock band.
Origin
The group originated in the Vomero neighborhood of Naples with the union of Lino Vairetti (voice), Danilo Rustici (guitar), Massimo Guarino (drums), Lello Brandi (bass), from the first line ...
*
Nova
A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
*
Premiata Forneria Marconi
Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM) (translation: ''Award-winning Marconi Bakery'') is an Italian progressive rock band founded in 1970 which continues to the present day. They were the first Italian group to have success internationally. The group ...
*
Il Rovescio della Medaglia Il Rovescio della Medaglia, or RDM, were an Italian hard rock and symphonic rock band. They are most famous for their symphonic rock piece '' Contaminazione'', released in 1973. It contained four pieces from Bach's '' Well-tempered Clavier'' seamles ...
References
External links
Le Orme on Prog ArchivesLe Orme on ProgboardTony Pagliuca official website2010 interview with Aldo Tagliapietra on Prog Sphere
{{DEFAULTSORT:Orme, Le
Italian progressive rock groups
Italian rock music groups
Musical groups established in 1966
Symphonic rock groups
1966 establishments in Italy
Philips Records artists
Musical groups from Veneto