Delirium

1970-72
Ivano Fossati (vocals, flute, acoustic guitar)
Mimmo Di Martino (guitar, vocals)
Ettore Vigo (keyboards, vocals)
Marcello Reale (bass, vocals)
Peppino Di Santo (drums, percussion, vocals)

1975
Rino Dimopoli (guitar, keyboards, vocals)
Ettore Vigo (keyboards, vocals)
Marcello Reale (bass, vocals)
Peppino Di Santo (drums, percussion, vocals)

Delirium came from Genova, from a previous beat band called I Sagittari, and formed in 1970, releasing their first single a year later.
Canto di Osanna, presented at first Viareggio pop festival was a successful single and gave the band an immediate notoriety. They had also won a Radio Montecarlo rock contest in 1971.

First album, Dolce acqua, also from 1971 contains a good and original mix of prog, jazz and some tuneful melodies, the leading role of singer Ivano Fossati is evident, with his furious flute soloing being one of the band's most distinctive elements. The album, housed in a nice triple gatefold cover, is structured in various movements like a classical suite, but here and there some parts seem a little incoherent with the whole LP. It was not a great success, as demonstrated by the fact that no less than three tracks from it appeared on singles a year later.

In 1972 their memorable TV presence at Sanremo music festival gave them their best success ever with the hit single Jesahel, soon followed by a similar song, Haum!

Always during their career Delirium mixed the commercial side of their singles with the more difficult approach of their albums, and this is particularly evident in this first phase.

Ivano Fossati left the band during 1972 to pursue a solo career that's still successful today, even with a lighter (but always full of jazzy and ethnic influences) kind of music.
His replacement was englishman Martin Frederick Grice (from Boomerang) who, along with the ever present flute, was also a brilliant sax player.

Second album Lo scemo e il villaggio still has some jazz influences and a stronger use of sax by the new member Grice, with the evident lack of a role singer in the band, all members taking the lead singer role. The track La mia pazzia is the closest to first album's style.

Third album follows in 1974, called Delirium III (Viaggio negli arcipelaghi del tempo) and judged by many as their most mature work. La battaglia degli eterni piani contains a dark-inspired atmosphere never heard in their previous releases, the flute has again a prominent role and the sax is only present in Viaggio n.2. This is also the first album to feature electric guitar, as Mimmo Di Martino only played the acoustic in previous albums.

The band was at the end of their career, also due to the low interest shown by the media, and after some more commercial singles in 1974-75, the last of which with new singer/keyboardist Rino Dimopoli replacing Grice, they came to a split.

Apart from Ivano Fossati the only other member to stay in the professional music field was keyboard player Ettore Vigo with rockers Kim & the Cadillacs.
In early 90's, following a successful Jesahel disco remix, the band reunited with some CD's containing new versions of their best tracks, and still plays live today.

At the beginning of 2007 the new line-up featuring original members Ettore Vigo, Peppino Di Santo and Martin Grice and newcomers Roberto Solinas (vocals, acoustic and electric guitars) and Fabio Chighini (bass, vocals) has released the Live-Vibrazioni notturne CD, also as 2-LP set, for the Black Widow label, a great return for this excellent italian prog group. The record contains tracks from the LP's and some singles made by the group, along with a new cut, Notte a Baghdad, and 2 covers, and shows the great form of the revamped Delirium.
The same line-up is now working on a new studio album entitled Delirium IV.

LP
Dolce acqua	Fonit (LPX 11)	1971	triple gatefold laminated cover
	Fonit 3000 (SFC 188)	1978	reissue with diferent single cover, simply entitled Delirium
	Fonit / Vinyl Magic (LPP 432)	1991	reissue with standard gatefold cover
Lo scemo e il villaggio	Fonit (LPX 18)	1972	gatefold laminated cover
	Fonit / Vinyl Magic (LPP 434)	1991	as above with standard gatefold cover
Delirium III (Viaggio negli arcipelaghi del tempo)	Cetra (LPX 29)	1974	gatefold laminated cover
	Fonit / Vinyl Magic (LPP 421)	1991	as above with standard gatefold cover
Delirium Live (Vibrazioni notturne)	Black Widow (BWR 100)	2007	2LP - recorded live in 2006 - gatefold cover with inners and 4-page photographic insert glued in - early copies in clear blue vinyl
CD
Dolce acqua	Fonit Cetra (CDM 2025)	1989	reissue of 1971 album - now deleted
	Warner/Fonit (26620-2)	90's	as above
Lo scemo e il villaggio	Fonit Cetra (CDM 2027)	1989	reissue of 1972 album - now deleted
	Warner/Fonit (28913-2)	90's	as above
Delirium III (Viaggio negli arcipelaghi del tempo)	Fonit Cetra (CDLP 421)	1991	reissue of 1974 album - now deleted
	Warner/Fonit (27119-2)	90's	as above - now deleted
	BTF/Vinyl Magic (VM CD126)	2007	as above - mini-LP gatefold cover
Live - Vibrazioni notturne	Black Widow (BWRCD 100-2)	2007	recorded live in 2006
VARIOUS ARTISTS COMPILATIONS
Nuovi complessi d'avanguardia da Radio Montecarlo (with Canto di Osanna)	Fonit (LPQ 09060)	1971	laminated single cover - compilation with La Quinta Faccia, Valerio Valerisce Group, le Macchine per Sognare, Jimmy M.E.C, i Tibu', le Mummie, Aspidi, i Cliffters
SINGLES (with picture sleeve)
Canto di Osanna Deliriana	Fonit (SPF 31284)	1971	both unreleased tracks
Jesahel King's road	Fonit (SPF 31293)	1972	both unreleased tracks
Haum! Dubbio	Fonit (SPF 31295)	1972	B-side from Dolce acqua
Dolce acqua Favola o storia del lago di Kriss	Fonit (SPF 31297)	1972	both tracks from Dolce acqua
Treno È l'ora	Fonit (SPF 31300)	1972	both unreleased tracks
Dimensione uomo La mia pazzia	Fonit (SPF 31301)	1972	both tracks from Lo scemo e il villaggio - probably a promo or a withdrawn single
Leoa de laoa Pane vero vino puro	Aguamanda (AG 9002)	1974	both unreleased tracks
Jill Live love and be free	Aguamanda (AG 9007)	1975	both unreleased tracks
Cowboy Corri bambino	Cetra (SPB 36)	1975	both unreleased tracks
Signore Buana, the rainbow	Fonit (SPF 31313)	1975	both unreleased tracks
PROMO-ONLY AND JUKEBOX SINGLES (with white label and plain covers except where noted)
Canto di Osanna Deliriana	Fonit (JBF 612)	1971	jukebox single
Dolce acqua (Speranza) Johnny Sayre (Il perdono)	Fonit (JBF 614)	1971	jukebox single
Dolce acqua	Fonit/Besana "Gran regalo" (JBF 623)	1971	free with Panettone Besana - custom picture sleeve - backed with a classical music track
Dubbio	Fonit/Besana "Gran regalo" (JBF 624)	1971	free with Panettone Besana - custom picture sleeve - backed with a classical music track
Preludio	Fonit (JBF 399)	1971	juke box three-track single - backed with Osanna - L'uomo and New Trolls - La prima goccia bagna il viso
Haum	Fonit (JBF 407)	1972	juke box single - backed with Osanna - Canzona (There will be time)
Treno	Fonit (JBF ???)	1972	juke box single - backed with other artist's track

All the Delirium releases are rather common due to the great success many of them had, with the only notable exception of the third album, Delirium III (Viaggio negli arcipelaghi del tempo). Interesting to notice that, though it was the same label, the third album appeared on Cetra rather than Fonit label (see Fonit page for further explanations).

The three original albums are all housed in laminated gatefold covers, the first having a triple gatefold while Lo scemo e il villaggio has a thick gatefold cover.

The 2007 live album Vibrazioni notturne was first released on CD and after some months as a double LP, in a limited early pressing on clear blue vinyl and standard pressing on black vinyl. The double album has a gatefold cover with a 4-page colour photographic insert glued in, and picture inner covers.

An interesting little known single is mentioned in the RAI italian Radio/TV archives, coupling Dimensione uomo and La mia pazzia from the second album Lo scemo e il villaggio. Having an official Fonit release catalogue number, this was probably intended as a promotional-only single or withdrawn right after its release, as it's usually not mentioned in any discography of the band.

The Canto di Osanna single has been released in France (on Sonopresse) and Spain (Zafiro), while Jesahel had foreign releases in Sweden (Sonet), Germany (Ariola 12073 AT), Turkey (Yanki 24), Portugal (Cetra CET 4.004), Argentina (Fermata 3F 0412), Yugoslavia (Cetra /Jugoton SCE 88549) and many other european countries. The single Haum/Dubbio was also issued in Greece on Pan Vox (PAN 7576) with company sleeve, in Yugoslavia (Cetra /Jugoton SCE 88571), and in Germany (Ariola 12.287 AT, year 1974).
First LP Dolce acqua had a foreign issue in Brazil with gatefold cover (Importa/Som Livre 310.1007, year 1972), this should be the only foreign LP release ever made.
Dubbio was also included on a japanese 7" 33rpm 5-track compilation from 1985, called Italian Rock Special (Seven Seas/King 7SSY-7), though it only contains this track in a rock vein, others are closer to pop, by Caterina Caselli, I Dik Dik, Lucio Battisti.

Odd to say that Jesahel was also covered (with translated lyrics) by many international artists including Shirley Bassey and the english group Congregation.


Dolce acqua - triple gatefold cover

Lo scemo e il villaggio - gatefold cover

Delirium III - LP

Canto di Osanna - 7" single	Jesahel - 7" single

Haum - 7" single	Dolce acqua - 7" single

Treno - 7" single	Leoa de laoa - 7" single

Jill - 7" single	Signore - 7" single

Dubbio - 7" promo single

Live-Vibrazioni notturne - CD

Thanks to Black Widow for pictures and information on current Delirium activities


Delirium 2007 - promotional pictures


Live at Stazione Birra, Morena (Roma) 15-feb-2008