I Giganti

Giacomo "Mino" Di Martino (vocals, guitar)
Francesco "Checco" Marsella (vocals, keyboards)
Sergio Di Martino (vocals, bass)
Sergio "Enrico Maria" Papes (vocals, drums)

Many prog fans from outside Italy probably only know I Giganti for their much looked-after Terra in bocca album, but this band from Milan was formed in 1964 with the same line-up and was one of the most successful beat groups in Italy during the sixties, with two albums and around 15 singles before a short split. They even played with the Beatles during one of their italian dates.
All the members were also good singers and the nice contrast between their different voices (including the characteristic bass tone of drummer Enrico Maria Papes) was one of the most impressive elements in their 60's production.

Terra in bocca is a very ambitious concept album about mafia, with strong and brave lyrics and complex music arrangements, that sometimes are not perfectly combined with text. All the tracks are connected to form two side-long suites. For its contents the album was also banned by the italian radio.
Some guests appear on it, among which Area's bass player Ares Tavolazzi, drummer Ellade Bandini, guitarist Marcello Dellacasa from Latte e Miele and composer Vince Tempera (who also played with The Pleasure Machine and Il Volo).
This is an interesting work though a bit disjointed, very hard to follow for non italian listeners, the album is rare and well regarded by many.
A single was also taken from the LP, having the same cover design (by Gianni Sassi and his al.sa studio before he founded the Cramps label), and the band released another 7" single a year later before disbanding.

Keyboardist Marsella was involved in the only album by Track in 1974, along with members of Nuova Idea and Jumbo.
Guitarist Mino Di Martino was briefly involved in Telaio Magnetico, then formed the avantgarde group Albergo Intergalattico Spaziale in late 70's, releasing a rare album in 1978, and has collaborated with Franco Battiato and Claudio Rocchi.
Bassist Sergio Di Martino died in 1996.
Two of the original members have played many times under the name Giganti in the latest years.

LP
I Giganti	RiFi (RFM-LP-14801)	1966	laminated single cover
Mille idee dei Giganti	RiFi (RFL-LP-14034)	1969	laminated single cover
Terra in bocca (poesia di un delitto)	RiFi (RDZ-ST-14207)	1971	laminated gatefold cover with poster
	Akarma (AK 1023)	2000	as above - also includes a bonus track
CD
Terra in bocca (poesia di un delitto)	Vinyl Magic (VM 013)	1989	reissue of 1971 album but in a totally different version - includes mini poster
	Vinyl Magic (VM 013)	1993	as above - exact reissue of 1971 album
	Akarma (AK 1023)	2000	as above with mini gatefold cover - also includes a bonus track
I Giganti - Concerto live al Teatro Regio di Parma	DVMore (CDDV 5953)	late 90's	1968 live recording
SINGLES (with picture sleeves)
Morirai senza di lei Giorni di festa	RiFi (RFN-NP 16074)	1965
Fuori dal mondo Solo per voi	RiFi (RFN-NP 16100)	1965
Una ragazza in due Lezione di ritmo	RiFi (RFN-NP 16121)	1965
Tema La bomba atomica	RiFi (RFN-NP 16144)	1966
Ora siamo qui Son così	RiFi (RFN-NP 16159)	1966
'Na guagliona ye-ye Ce vo' tiempo	RiFi (RFN-NP 16168)	1966
E lei ti aspetterà Piri piri uà	RiFi (RFN-NP 16170)	1967
Proposta La tomba dell'amore	RiFi (RFN-NP 16181)	1967
Io e il presidente In paese è festa	RiFi (RFN-NP 16216)	1967
Da bambino Tabù	RiFi (RFN-NP 16243)	1968
Un uomo va Summertime	RiFi (RFN-NP 16275)	1968
Una storia d'amore Sixteen tons	RiFi (RFN-NP 16288)	1968
Solo per voi Summertime	RiFi/Disco Strip (STP 92001/3)	1969
Charlot Voglio essere una scimmia	Miura (PON-NP 40106)	1970	multi-foldout cover
Corri uomo corri Mia cara ti odio Tutta tutta	Miura (PON-NP 40116)	1970
Il viso di lei Gioventù, amore e rabbia	Miura (MIU 40117)	1971
Lungo e disteso Pieno di sole	RiFi (RFN-NP 16460)	1971	both tracks were on Terra in bocca but with no titles
Sono nel sogno verde di un vegetale Sul tuo letto di morte	RiFi (RFN-NP 16487)	1972	side B taken from Terra in bocca but with a different title
PROMOTIONAL AND JUKEBOX SINGLES (with blank sleeves, except where noted)
Lasciati baciare col letkiss	Pop (200 003)	1966	promotional single - backed with Tony Dallara
Lasciati baciare col letkiss	Pop (300 002)	1966	promotional single - backed with Fabrizio Ferretti
Tema Ora siamo qui	RiFi/Bella (19)	1966	picture sleeve - released by the Bella magazine
Voglio essere una scimmia	Miura (???)	1970	juke box single - backed with The New Christy Minstrels/A thousand diamonds on the sea
Il viso di lei Gioventù, amore e rabbia	Miura (PON-NP 40117)	1971	juke box single

Rare to find in its original issue (especially with the poster) on RiFi, Terra in bocca has recently been reissued by Akarma on vinyl, and this reissue also includes a song from their last single. The unusual cover and poster were designed by Gianni Sassi and remind the style of his later works with Cramps.

The Vinyl Magic CD issue of Terra in bocca exists in two different forms, the first one was released in 1989 and is curiously different from the original LP, probably coming from a demo tape. The total length of the album is 44:11 minutes, and opposed to the final version this sounds less rich and orchestrated but more intense at times. This first reissue also included a miniature reproduction of the original poster.
A second issue from 1993 (almost identical to the first in the CD cover, though with a different disc label), has a 46:44 minutes length and is presumably taken from the original masters. This doesn't include the mini-poster.

A korean issue exists on Si-Wan (SRML 2014), with gatefold cover.
The album has never been counterfeited.

Thanks to Alessio for the live CD scan and to Ivan Scarcelli for info on Miura promo single