Kaleidon

FREE LOVE
Steve Stogel (guitar, vocals)
John Picard (violin)
Stefano Sabatini (keyboards)
Carl Stogel (bass)
Gianni Caia (drums)

KALEIDON
1973
Stefano Sabatini (keyboards)
Massimo Balla (sax, flute)
Franco Tallarita (bass)
Giovanni Liberti (drums)

1974
Stefano Sabatini (keyboards)
Francesco Bruno (guitar)
Massimo Balla (sax, flute)
Gianni Colaiacomo (bass)
Francesco Froggio Francica (drums)
Mandrake (percussion)

Despite strong differences in their musical style, these groups are often mentioned together because Kaleidon came out from the ashes of the promising Free Love after two of these band's members died in a car accident. One of the surviving members, Stefano Sabatini, formed the new group that dedicated their only album in 1973 to the old band.

Born at the end of the 60's in Rome, Free Love only released two good rock singles in their short career, one of which was used as soundtrack to a spaghetti-western film. The original line-up featured the US-born brothers Carl and Steve Stogel, Gianni Caia and a singer whose name was Tony, and it recorded both the band's singles, being pictured on their covers. Later, towards the end of 1969, the group was joined by Canadian violinist John Picard and, for a short time, singer/percussionist Ricky Cellini. The line-up became more stable in 1970 with new keyboardist Stefano Sabatini (after Tony and Cellini had left) and various concerts in Northern Italy, Switzerland and Sardinia. They seemed to have a very promising career ahead, as demonstrated by their participation in Rome's Caracalla Pop festivals in 1970 and 1971, but before the last of these two events had to suffer a line-up change when Sabatini left, replaced by Fabio Cammarota. A few months later Picard quit, moving to France.
This group broke up towards the end of the year and Caia and Steve Stogel, along with bass player Mauro Montaldo, reunited with Stefano Sabatini to tour as backing band of Mia Martini. It was in February 1972, while coming back from a concert in Sicily, that the musicians' van was involved in a road accident: two of them, Gianni Caia and Steve Stogel, died while the others, Stefano Sabatini and Mauro Montaldo were severely injured.
A concert was held at Rome's Piper to commemorate the musicians and collect some money to support their families.
A new line-up with the namd Free Love was assembled in the summer, and this included Stefano Sabatini, Carl Stogel, drummer Giovanni Liberti and saxophonist Stefano Cesaroni, later replaced by Massimo Balla for the Caracalla-Wembley concert in Rome in Autumn 1972.

From this line-up, with newcomer bassist Franco Tallarita, derived the new group Kaleidon, whose only album in 1973 was in fact entitled Free love; totally instrumental, strongly veering toward jazz, it went unnoticed, with the band having a strong line-up change right after its release and splitting after the fourth edition of the "Festival d'Avanguardia e Nuove Tendenze" held in Rome in June 1974.

After leaving Kaleidon, bassist Franco Tallarita joined Ut. His replacement Gianni Colaiacomo later played with Banco del Mutuo Soccorso.
The last Kaleidon drummer, Francesco Froggio Francica, had previously played with Raccomandata con Ricevuta di Ritorno and shortly Procession.
Stefano Sabatini was involved in the short-lived Samadhi supergroup and later Mediterraneo (featuring some ex-Samadhi members), in 1978 he moved to Los Angeles where he played with many important jazz musicians, and after returning to Italy in 1982 he has had an intense activity in the jazz field, which lasts today.

FREE LOVE SINGLES (with picture cover)
Sandy Il tempo di pietra	Vedette (VVN 33190)	1970
Roy Colt Dove	Cinevox (MDF 019)	1970	A-side included in the soundtrack of the film Roy Colt e Winchester Jack
PROMOTIONAL AND JUKEBOX SINGLES (with blank cover)
Sandy Il tempo di pietra	Vedette (VVN 33190)	1970	same as standard single, jukebox version with white label and blank cover
Dove	Cinevox (MDF JB023)	1971	jukebox single, backed with Augusto Martelli/Il dio serpente-Djamballà
VARIOUS ARTISTS COMPILATION ALBUMS
Roy Colt e Winchester Jack (with Roy Colt)	Cinevox (MDF ???)	1970	soundtrack to the film of the same name, music by Piero Umiliani
	Cinevox (CD MDF 331)	2001	CD reissue of the above album

A very rare album released on Fonit label, in the LPQ series, Free love has never been reissued.

Free love / Sandy - 7" single cover

Free love / Roy Colt - 7" single cover

Kaleidon / Free love - LP

Thanks to Fabio Besani, Fabio Marchignoli, Nicola Di Staso, John Picard, J.J. Martin, for information and some pictures on this page

KALEIDON LP
Free love	Fonit (LPQ 09074)	1973	laminated single cover
CD
Free love	Mellow (MMP 250)	1996	reissue of 1973 album