Artist
OFFICINA MECCANICA
Luciano Maiozzi (vocals)
Gianni Barbati (guitar)
Luigi Canini (trumpet)
Vincenzo "Bitto" Bentivegna (sax)
Randolfo Canini (bass)
Bruno Dionisi (drums)
A six-piece from near Rome, Officina Meccanica deserve a mention because judging from their Bambini innocenti single and the TV clip that was released at the time, they could have been a very important group had they ever had the chance of recording an album.
The band only released five singles, the first three on the elusive Picci label that also produced La Seconda Genesi. They mixed brass rock influences (including in the line-up a horn section) like in Stranger in his country or Signora Marisa, with a dramatic prog feeling, like in the marvellous Bambini innocenti or Un prato e poi sognare. Their first single had a seven-piece line-up that included a second guitarist, Roberto Morvillo, that later left the band.
The group disbanded in 1978, and three of the original members (Maiozzi, Barbati and Bentivegna) formed rock band Stazione Termini (from the name of Rome central railway station) with three new members, being augmented by Officina Meccanica bass player Canini in 1985. Guitarist Gianni Barbati now plays in Genesis cover band Estro.
A nice tribute to this group has arrived in 2007 with the release of the La follia del mimo di fuoco CD (also issued on vinyl in 2015), that includes some of the singles tracks and many unreleased recordings and shows their strength, unfortunately unnoticed at the time.
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| La follia del mimo di fuoco | AMS/BTF (AMS LP 98) | 2015 | LP compilation with five of the eight singles tracks and unreleased recordings already issued on CD in 2007 - gatefold cover |
CD |
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| La follia del mimo di fuoco | AMS/BTF (AMS 116CD) | 2007 | compilation of singles tracks and unreleased recordings - mini-LP gatefold cover |
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| Signora Marisa La mia strada in periferia |
Picci (LG 3014) | 1973 | red label |
| The land of a thousand
dances Un prato e poi sognare |
Picci (LG 3020) | 1973 | red label |
| Bambini innocenti Bambini innocenti (strumentale) |
Picci (LG 3029) | 1973 | black label |
| Stranger in his country Un attimo di vita |
BASF (06-13306Q) | 1974 | B-side played by Orchestra Vassil Kojucharov |
| Amanti di ieri Insieme al sole |
Vedette (VVN 33285) | 1977 | |
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| Signora Marisa | Picci/Bla Bla (JB 102) | 1973 | jukebox single - backed with Zeudi Araya/Oltre l'acqua del fiume |
| Stranger in his country | BASF (03-17002) | 1974 | jukebox single - called Strangers in his own country on the label - backed with The Soul's Soul/Guardian angel |
| Amanti di ieri Insieme al sole |
Vedette (VVN 33285) | 1977 | promo white label single |
All the singles by Officina Meccanica are very rare,
especially the first three on Picci.
Some copies of Bambini innocenti had a small round yellow sticker on the cover with text "Un successo di Supersonic" [Supersonic was a popular radio program].
The fourth single, Stranger in his country, was taken from the soundtrack of the 1974 film La sensualità è... un attimo di vita directed by Dante Marraccini. The B-side track was played by the Vassil Kojucharov Orchestra.
The album La follia del mimo di fuoco, issued on CD in 2007 contains eight tracks, some from singles, the other unreleased. It was reissued on LP in 2015 with five tracks only.
The third single was also included in the Meteora
CD compilation privately released in 1997.
The compilation LP This is Italian progressive rock issued in 2010 contains, along with Bambini innocenti, a track, Nel grattacielo delle idee il pensiero più alto è la pazzia, that is also on La follia del mimo di fuoco.
Two unreleased tracks by former Officina Meccanica members Luciano Maiozzi and Gianni Barbati have been included in 2008 in the bonus CD sold with the ItalianProg book, published by AMS/BTF.
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Signora Marisa - 7" single cover |
The land of a thousand dances - 7" single cover |
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Bambini innocenti - 7" single cover |
Strangers in this country - 7" single cover |
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Amanti di ieri - 7" single cover |
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La follia del mimo di fuoco - CD |
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Guitarist Gianni Barbati's current band Estro, a Genesis tribute band, has a website, www.estroband.it,with a full Officina Meccanica story and pictures.
