Ibis

1973
Nico Di Palo (guitar, vocals)
Maurizio Salvi (keyboards)
Frank Laugelli (bass, vocals)
Gianni Belleno (drums, vocals)

1975
Parnell and Salvi replaced by
Renzo Tortora (guitar, vocals)
Pasquale Venditto (drums, vocals)

New Trolls' leaders Nico Di Palo and Vittorio De Scalzi came to a legal struggle on the use of the band's name in 1973, with Di Palo taking with him the line up that had released Ut a year before. The four piece recorded an LP due for release with Fonit, but they couldn't yet call themselves New Trolls, so the album was issued with a giant question mark on the cover and no band name, and the group is usually referred to with the name of its members, Nico, Gianni, Frank, Maurizio. A very good album, Canti d'innocenza, canti d'esperienza is the ideal follow-up to Ut, with a convincing mix of classical and hard rock influences. L'amico della porta accanto can be included in an ideal compilation of all the New Trolls related releases.

Soon after the album release, drummer Belleno left the band to venture into a pop career with his side band Tritons, and the remaining trio, with the new name of Ibis (decided after a readers' poll organised by the Ciao 2001 magazine!) found an important replacement in english drummer Ric Parnell, from Atomic Rooster. With the new line-up and a new recording deal with Polydor, they recorded Sun supreme, released in 1974 and completely sung in english. A transition album, its hard rock style and english lyrics make it too similar to many foreign bands and little convincing.

Another change in the line-up came later that year, with Salvi and Parnell leaving Ibis for musical divergences, replaced by Renzo Tortora and Pasquale Venditto, both coming from Forum Livii.
Despite the new line-up the band released in 1975 what's usually defined their best and more mature work with Ibis. Just two tracks were now in english, the rest being sung in italian and with a much more personal style than in their previous album. The soft Passa il tempo was also released as a single.

In 1975 the long awaited New Trolls' reunion finally took place and Ibis disbanded. Nico Di Palo, again with drummer Gianni Belleno returned back to his old band to record Concerto grosso n.2.

LP
Canti d'innocenza, canti d'esperienza	Fonit (LPX 22)	1973	gatefold textured cover with 4-page photo insert pasted in
	Fonit/Pellicano (PL 412)	1980	different single cover
	Fonit/Vinyl Magic (LPP 423)	1991	available as gatefold standard cover, same as original but with no insert, or single cover
Sun supreme	Polydor (2448 022 L)	1974	single textured cover with inner
Ibis	Polydor (2448 036 L)	1975	single laminated cover with inner
CD
Canti d'innocenza, canti d'esperienza	Fonit Cetra (CDLP 423)	1991	reissue of 1973 album
	BTF/Vinyl Magic (VMCD 094)	2004	as above with mini gatefold cover
Ibis	Polydor/Mellow (847 073-2)	1992	reissue of 1975 album - now deleted
	Polydor (523 695-2)	90's	as above
Sun supreme	BTF/Vinyl Magic (VMCD 081)	2003	reissue of 1974 album with mini gatefold cover
SINGLES (with picture cover)
Passa il tempo Noi	Polydor (2060 083)	1974	Side A from Ibis
Dedicated to Janis Joplin Movin' on	Polydor (2060 104)	1975	both tracks from Ibis
PROMOTIONAL AND JUKEBOX SINGLES (with blank cover)
Song of the valley deep Divinity part 3	Polydor (AS 272)	1974	white label promo single - both tracks from Sun supreme

The three albums by Ibis are all rather easy to find at reasonable prices in their original issues.
Canti d'innocenza, canti d'esperienza had a textured cover with a glued in 4-page insert with pictures of the band members.
It was reissued with a different single cover in a Fonit mid-price series and later in 1991 again with its original cover by Fonit and Vinyl Magic. The last issue was available in both single and gatefold versions (like the reissue of Garybaldi's Astrolabio in the same series).

Both Sun supreme and Ibis, released by Polydor, have never been reissued on vinyl in Italy.
A korean issue exists of Ibis (Si-Wan SRML 0004).
Japanese issues exist for Sun supreme (Polydor/King 23MM0144) and Ibis (Polydor/King 23MM0145), while Sun supreme is also on CD (Universal Japan UICY 9121).

While the first and third album have been long available on CD, the second one, Sun supreme had never had the CD repressing treatment. For this reason the recent 2003 reissue by VM2000/Vinyl Magic in their deluxe "Italian Progressive Rock" series is a welcome addition to this label's high number of important re-releases. It has been followed by a 2004 reissue of Canti d'innocenza, canti d'esperienza, both with gatefold mini-LP cover and illustrated information booklets.


Canti d'innocenza, canti d'esperienza - original LP	Canti d'innocenza, canti d'esperienza - Pellicano reissue cover

Canti d'innocenza, canti d'esperienza - inner gatefold with glued photo insert

Sun supreme - LP

Ibis - LP

Passa il tempo - 7" single cover	Dedicated to Janis Joplin - 7" single cover