Baffo Banfi

Giuseppe Banfi, former keyboardist of Un Biglietto per l'Inferno started a solo career with an album in 1978, though it had been recorded a year before and released just when he was in the army by the small jazz-oriented Red Record label.
Inspired by the German electronic music of the 70's, Banfi attracted the interest of Tangerine Dream's Klaus Schulze, whom he had first met when on tour in the latest days of Biglietto in 1975. Schulze had already been approached to be the producer of the band's second album, but was never released at the time.

Galaxy my dear was entirely played by Banfi and shows strong comparisons with the German cosmic music, including five long tracks, one of which, Goodbye my little star, is 18 minutes long.

Second album Ma, dolce vita was recorded for Schulze's label, Innovative Communication, and released in Germany, again including all instrumental electronic tracks, while a third work, Hearth from 1981, was the only one to feature a rhythm section of guest musicians.

Following the release of this album Banfi quit the music, creating a video production studio in Milan called La Vetraia, and he's strongly involved in the recent Biglietto per l'Inferno celebrative releases.

LP
Galaxy my dear	Red Record (VPA 123)	1978	single cover - as J.B.Banfi
Ma, dolce vita	Innovative Communication (IC 58.066) - Germany	1979	single cover - as Baffo Banfi - also released in USA
Hearth	Innovative Communication (KS 80.008) - Germany	1981	single cover - as Baffo Banfi - also released in USA
CD
The sound of southern sunsets	Innovative Communication (IC 710.065) - Germany	1988	CD compilation including the full Ma, dolce vita LP, two tracks from Hearth and an unreleased track
Galaxy my dear	BTF/Vinyl Magic (VM 099 CD)	2005	reissue of 1978 album with 1 bonus track - mini LP gatefold cover + obi
VARIOUS ARTISTS COMPILATION ALBUMS
New age music (with Quella dolce estate sul pianeta Venere and Astralunato)	Innovative Communication (KS 80.051-52) - Germany	1985	2LP compilation with Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Jean Michel Jarre and others

While the two albums released as Baffo Banfi are rather common and cheap, the first one on Red Record is difficult to find though not particularly expensive.
The second and third album have originally been released in Germany and in the USA, they never had an Italian release.

The recent CD reissue of Galaxy my dear by BTF comes in a mini-LP gatefold cover with illustrated booklet and an unreleased bonus track.