Artist

FORMULA 3

Alberto Radius (guitar, vocals)
Gabriele Lorenzi (keyboards, vocals)
Tony Cicco (drums, vocals)

One of the most popular bands in Italy at the beginning of the 70's, not only among rock fans because of their long collaboration with singer Lucio Battisti who took them to the newly formed Numero Uno label producing their first album.

Dies irae, housed in a nice psych-inspired sleeve, introduced the typical Formula 3 sound, based on the guitar/organ interplay (the band used no bass, the bass parts being played by keyboard player Lorenzi), with the nice lead voice of drummer Cicco. 
Their sound was a blend of pop, prog and hard rock influences, that brought them to be the most important rock band before the Banco/PFM years. On the album are noteworthy the nice title track with a dark atmosphere (Dies Irae had originally been released on single in 1967 by Samurai, a group that included keyboardist Gabriele Lorenzi along with Area's Paolo Tofani), a cover of the Left Banke's Walk away Renee and one of their most important tracks and an Italian rock classic, Questo folle sentimento.

Second album, simply entitled Formula 3, was entirely based on songs by Lucio Battisti with lyrics from his co-writer Mogol and contained two more classics, Eppur mi son scordato di te and the long Nessuno nessuno, also released as a single in shortened form. The rest of the album was on a minor level and the group was too tied to the Battisti-Mogol production, but they were very successful and there is no one in Italy that still nowadays doesn't know some of their songs.

In the third album, Sognando e risognando from 1972, the band included some original compositions, along with the usual Mogol-Battisti tracks, and the result is probably their best work ever. The most interesting track here was a 10:30 minutes long version of the title track (a song already recorded by Lucio Battisti), but even the Aeternum suite is noteworthy.

In the same year Formula Tre took part in the "VII Festival Internacional da Canção 1972" in Rio de Janeiro and the song Aeternum gave them the Popular Jury Award.

Fourth and last album, La grande casa, saw the group's split from Lucio Battisti's production and compositions, the album being produced by lyric writer Mogol with original music by Alberto Radius. This is usually considered their lesser album, with large use of acoustic guitar and very different from the previous one. 
The band kept playing as Lucio Battisti's backing band but Formula 3 officially ceased to exist since  late 1973.

Gabriele Lorenzi and Alberto Radius joined the short-lived supergroup Il Volo while Tony Cicco started a solo career with the name of Cico
Radius, already an appreciated sessionman since the 60's, also released many solo albums starting with the now rare Radius in 1972, and up to the early 80's.

The band reformed in 1990 with the same line-up and releasing three new albums among which King Kong, that also included reworkings of the old songs. 
A new album was released in 2002, La folle corsa, containing once again re-recordings of the band's old hits with new keyboardist Maurizio Metalli replacing Lorenzi. Metalli was then replaced by Ciro Di Bitonto in 2006.

Radius and Cicco stayed together for a few more years then they parted ways, each with his own group playing Formula Tre's old classics. Alberto Radius, always considered among the best Italian rock guitarists, passed away in 2023.

 

 

LP (until 1973)
Dies irae Numero Uno (ZSLN 55010) 1970 single laminated cover
  Numero Uno (NL 74271) 1990 as above
  Sony/BMG (88985 36522 1) 2017 new remastered reissue
  Numero Uno/De Agostini (ZSLN 55010) 2018 single cover with 8-page insert - no.13 in the De Agostini "Prog Rock Italiano" series
  Numero Uno/Sony Music (19439 85677 1) 2021 numbered issue - orange vinyl - issued for Record Store Day 2021
Formula 3 Numero Uno (ZSLN 55013) 1971 single cover
  Numero Uno (NL 74272) 1990 as above
  Numero Uno/De Agostini (93) 2021 single cover with 8-page insert - no.93 in the De Agostini "Prog Rock Italiano" series
  Numero Uno/Sony Music (19658 70023 1) 2022 numbered issue - orange vinyl
Sognando e risognando Numero Uno (ZSLN 55152) 1972 gatefold cover with top opening
  Numero Uno (NL 74430) 1991 gatefold cover with side opening
  Numero Uno/De Agostini (ZSLN 55152) 2020 gatefold cover with 8-page insert - no.65 in the De Agostini "Prog Rock Italiano" series
  Numero Uno/Sony Music (19439 91457 1) 2022 numbered issue - gatefold cover and pink vinyl
La grande casa Numero Uno (DZSLN 55655) 1973 gatefold cover
  Numero Uno (NL 74273) 1990 as above
  Numero Uno/De Agostini (DZSLN 55655) 2019 gatefold cover with 8-page insert - no.45 in the De Agostini "Prog Rock Italiano" series
CD (until 1973)
Dies irae Numero Uno (ND 74271) 1990 reissue of 1970 album - now deleted
  BMG (74321-89448-2) 2000 as above
  Sony/BMG (88697-92267-2) 2011 as above with mini-LP cover
  Gruppo Ed.L’Espresso (12) 2014 as above with mini-LP gatefold cover – no.12 in the “Progressive Rock Italiano" series
Formula 3 Numero Uno (ND 74272) 1990 reissue of 1971 album - now deleted
  BMG (74321-91006-2) 2000 as above
  Sony/BMG (88697-97694-2) 2011 as above with mini-LP cover
Sognando e risognando Numero Uno (ND 74430) 1990 reissue of 1972 album - now deleted
  BMG (82876-54405-2) 2003 as above with mini-LP gatefold cover
  Sony/BMG (88697-89997-2) 2011 as above
  Numero Uno/Mondadori (14) 2019 mini-LP gatefold cover with booklet - no.14 in the Mondadori "Prog Italia" series
La grande casa Numero Uno (ND 74273) 1990 reissue of 1973 album - now deleted


VARIOUS ARTISTS COMPILATIONS
Collezione Numero Uno
(with Io ritorno solo and Nanananò)
Numero Uno (ZSLN 55012) 1970 singles compilation, with Edoardo Bennato, Jumbo, La Verde Stagione, Anna Maria Rame, Bruno Lauzi, Flora Fauna e Cemento, Computers
Qui giovani
(with Aeternum)
Numero Uno (2G2KY 19279) 1972 compilation, also featuring Demetrio Stratos, Premiata Forneria Marconi, Alberto Radius, Adriano Pappalardo
Quelli della Numero Uno
(with Questo folle sentimento, Avevo una bambola, Sole giallo sole nero, Se non è amore cos'è, Io ritorno solo, Nessuno nessuno, Eppur mi son scordato di te, Nanananò, Storia di un uomo e di una donna, Rapsodia di Radius, Sognando e risognando, Aeternum, Cara Giovanna, La ciliegia non è di plastica, Bambina sbagliata, La grande casa)
Numero Uno (CFD 01080-10) 1999 10 CD - box with tracks from singles


SINGLES
(with picture sleeve)
Questo folle sentimento
Avevo una bambola
Numero Uno (ZN 50001) 1970 B-side unreleased
  Numero Uno (19439 79679 7) 2020 reissue of the above
Sole giallo sole nero
Se non è amore cos'è
Numero Uno (ZN 50023) 1970 both tracks from Dies Irae
Io ritorno solo
Nanananò
Numero Uno (ZN 50035) 1970 both unreleased tracks
La folle corsa (pt.I)
La folle corsa (pt.II)
Numero Uno (ZN 50115) 1971 both unreleased tracks
Nessuno nessuno
Eppur mi son scordato di te
Numero Uno (ZN 50117) 1971 both tracks from Formula 3
Sognando e risognando
Storia di un uomo e di una donna
Numero Uno (ZN 50148) 1972 both tracks from Sognando e risognando
La ciliegia non è di plastica
Cara Giovanna
Numero Uno (ZN 50303) 1973 both tracks from La grande casa
Rapsodia di Radius
Bambina sbagliata
Numero Uno (ZN 50317) 1973 both tracks from La grande casa


PROMO-ONLY AND JUKEBOX SINGLES
(with blank cover)
Questo folle sentimento
Avevo una bambola
Numero Uno (JBZN 50001) 1970 same as ZN 50001 single, but juke-box version
Se non è amore cos'è Numero Uno (JBZN 50028) 1970 split jukebox single coupled with Edoardo Bennato - 1941
Io ritorno solo
Nanananò
Numero Uno (ZJN 50035) 1970 same as ZN 50035 single, but juke-box version
La folle corsa (pt.I)
La folle corsa (pt.II)
Numero Uno (ZN 50115) 1971 same as ZN 50115 single, but juke-box version - green label
Storia di un uomo e di una donna Numero Uno (JBZN 50260) 1972 split jukebox single coupled with La Verde Stagione - L'onestà
Aeternum Numero Uno (JBZN 50270) 1972 split jukebox single coupled with Premiata Forneria Marconi - Il banchetto
La ciliegia non è di plastica Numero Uno (JBZN 50307) 1973 split jukebox single coupled with Nomadi - Un giorno insieme

    

The Formula 3 releases are all rather common due to the great popularity of the band, the only exception being the original issue of Dies Irae, that was also the first release of the Numero Uno label and housed in a heavy laminated single cover with a nice psych design.

Sognando e risognando originally had a gatefold cover with the LP inserted from the top side, reissue has a standard side opening.

All the albums have been reissued in early 90's but are easily recognised by the different numbering.

Sognando e risognando has been issued in Japan (King K22P111), Korea (Si-Wan SRML 1004) and Brazil (RCA 104.7015-B, with different cover design), La grande casa has been issued in Japan (King K22P153), Korea (Si-Wan SRML 1007) and in Brazil on CD only.
A German issue exists of Sognando e risognando (Numero Uno UNL-403 - year 1973), with single laminated cover, and other european and south American issues have probably been released for the band's albums.
It's worth to mention a French single from 1972, with Storia di un uomo e una donna and Eppur mi sono scordato di te, issued on Vogue (45 NUV 4088) with the same cover picture that had been used in Italy for the La folle corsa single.

All the Formula Tre albums were released in Brazil, particularly interesting is Sognando e risognando (RCA Victor 104.7015) that had a different laminated single cover with band's colour photos on both sides. The track Aeternum, that gave the group an award at the “Festival Internacional da Canção”, was also issued as a promo single (RCA Victor 991.7103).

In Argentina the first album Dies irae was released under the Spanish title Este loco sentimiento (RCA Victor AVL 3990), with the LP sides in reverse order and a totally different cover.
The song Este loco sentimiento (Questo folle sentimento) was issued along with No es Francisca (Non è Francesca) on an RCA single (31A-1746 - Xahl 2841) and on a compilation from 1970, Solano Beat a todo calor (RCA Vik LZP 1178). All the songs with Spanish titles are sung in Italian.

Also a Venezuelan issue of La grande casa exists in single sleeve with a Spanish lyric insert (RCA).

No counterfeits exist.

Dies irae - LP

Dies irae - back cover

Formula 3 - LP

Sognando e risognando - LP

La grande casa - gatefold cover

Questo folle sentimento - 7" single cover

Sole giallo sole nero - 7" single cover

Io ritorno solo - 7" single cover

La folle corsa - 7" single cover

Nessuno nessuno - 7" single cover

La ciliegia non è di plastica - 7" single cover

Rapsodia di Radius - 7" single cover

Sognando e risognando - Brazilian issue LP

 

 



Click on pictures to enlarge



 
Formula 3 - live in Todi (PG) 26-jul-2007

 

 

 

Thanks to Humberto Luna from www.progresiva70s.com for information on argentine compilation.