Artist
CLAUDIO ROCCHI
Claudio Rocchi was the original bass guitarist of Stormy Six, and played on their first album Le idee di oggi per la musica di domani, leaving the band soon after the album release for a solo career that started in 1970 with the first album, Viaggio, mainly acoustic and with good flute playing by PFM's Mauro Pagani.
Always influenced by eastern doctrines (he later became
a Hare Krishna), he was also active in anti-war movements and always present at
the various Italian pop festivals of the early 70's.
A second album in 1971, Volo magico n.1, is usually considered as his
best effort, in much the same style as Alan Sorrenti's
Aria with a side-long title track and softer tracks on the other side. The 18
minute long title track starts with a soft introduction and goes on
with hypnotic move based on the guitars of Alberto Camerini and Ricky Belloni
(from Nuova Idea and later New
Trolls).
Next album, La norma del cielo (subtitled Volo Magico n.2) was similar, but weakest in comparison, and after a long journey to India he released Essenza at the end of 1973, with help from Elio D'Anna (Osanna) and Mino De Martino (Giganti) among others.
Il miele dei pianeti, le isole, le api was a six-track album mainly based as usual on Rocchi's acoustic guitar folk-psych compositions, but featured well-known guests such as Walter Maioli (from Aktuala), Trilok Gurtu (that played with the same band at that time) and violinist/multi instrumentalist Lucio Fabbri (from Piazza delle Erbe, then a long time Eugenio Finardi collaborator and from 1978 with PFM, he also released a solo album on Cramps).
Later production had more use of electronics and interest in experimental sounds. In 1980 while in a Hare Krishna community he released Un gusto superiore with Paolo Tofani (Area).
In 2007 Claudio Rocchi directed the film Pedra Mendalza (the name of a popular volcanic hill in Sardinia) and its soundtrack, released on CD in 2008.
Between 2011 and 2012 the huge discography of Claudio Rocchi had many new productions added. In 2011 came two new albums, one with the psychedelic group from Piedmont, Effervescent Elephants on the Psych-Out label (Claudio Rocchi & Effervescent Elephants - on CD and LP) and another as soloist for the revived Cramps, In alto. In 2012 Psych-Out released two interesting vinyl LP's (both as limited pressings) with unreleased 70's recordings: the 2-LP set Concerti 1973/4/5 (PO-LP 33027) and Mirage (with a bonus DVD, a live recording from 1976, PO-LP 33028).
The long and multiform career of Claudio Rocchi suddenly came to an end in June 2013, aged 62, due to a degenerative disease.
| LP (up to 1979) | |||
| Viaggio | Ariston (AR/LP 11020) | 1970 | single cover - three different designs - black/silver label |
| Ariston/Oxford (OX 3025) | 1976 | different single cover - reissued as Flying | |
| Volo magico n.1 | Ariston (AR/LP 12067) | 1971 | centre
opening textured
foldout cover with inner - initially with black/silver label, later on Gnomo beige label
later issues have a smooth cover |
| Ariston/Oxford (OX 3061) | 1977 | different single cover | |
| La norma del cielo (Volo magico n.2) |
Ariston (AR/LP 12088) | 1972 | gatefold laminated cover - Gnomo beige label |
| Ariston/Oxford (OX 3092) | 1978 | different single cover | |
| Essenza | Ariston (AR/LP 12112) | 1973 | gatefold cover - Gnomo beige label - inner sleeve |
| Il miele dei pianeti, le isole, le api | Ariston (AR/LP 12135) | 1974 | Gnomo beige label - gatefold cover with lyric foldout insert |
| Sony Music (88691 98899 1) | 2012 | reissue of 1974 album with gatefold cover | |
| Rocchi | Ariston (AR/LP 12279) | 1975 | single cover with inner - Gnomo beige label |
| Suoni di frontiera | Ariston (AR/LP 12293) | 1976 | single cover with inner - Gnomo beige label |
| A fuoco | Cramps (CRSLP 5451) | 1977 | gatefold cover with lyric inner |
| Non ce n'è per nessuno | Cramps (5205 452) | 1979 | gatefold cover with inner |
CD |
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| Viaggio | Vinyl Magic (VM 044) | 1994 | reissue of 1970 album - now deleted |
| BMG (74321-98508-2) | 2003 | as above with mini LP cover - now deleted | |
| Sony/BMG (88697-90003-2) | 2011 | as above with mini LP cover | |
| Volo magico n.1 | Vinyl Magic (VM 047) | 1994 | reissue of 1971 album - now deleted |
| BMG (82876-54409-2) | 2003 | as above with mini LP centre foldout cover - now deleted | |
| Sony/BMG (88697-92265-2) | 2011 | as above with mini LP centre foldout cover | |
| La norma del cielo (Volo magico n.2) |
Vinyl Magic (VM 048) | 1994 | reissue of 1972 album - now deleted |
| BMG (82876-63741-2) | 2004 | as above with mini LP cover - now deleted | |
| Sony/BMG (82876-63741-2) | 2011 | as above with mini LP cover | |
| A fuoco | Mercury/Cramps (525566-2) | 1994 | reissue of 1977 album - now deleted |
| Edel (CRA 0151982) | 2003 | as above with digipack cover | |
| Claudio Rocchi (Lo scopo della luna) | Mercury/Cramps (522883-2) | 1994 | new studio album |
| I think you heard me right | Vinyl Magic (VM 055) | 1995 | compilation of outtakes and unreleased tracks from the 70's |
| Visioni prima | BMG/Ricordi (74321 51302 2) | 1997 | compilation with tracks from the Ariston albums (1970-75) |
| Sulla soglia | Vinyl Magic (VM 063) | 1998 | live recording with Mauro Pagani guesting |
| Non ce n'è per nessuno | Edel (CRA 0151992) | 2003 | reissue of 1979 album with digipack cover |
| Pedra Mendalza | AMS/BTF (AMS 130CD) | 2007 | soundtrack of the film of the same name (also on DVD) |
| Suoni di frontiera | Die Schachtel (DS18) | 2009 | reissue of 1976 album with digipack cover and different artwork |
| Claudio Rocchi & Effervescent Elephants | Psych Out (PO-33023) | 2011 | new recordings |
| In alto | Cramps (CRSCD 0211) | 2011 | copertina digipack - new recordings |
VARIOUS ARTISTS COMPILATIONS |
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| Progressive rock with (I cerchi, Grazie, La televisione accesa, Indiscutibilmente) |
Vinyl Magic (VM 058) | 1995 | CD compilation with singles tracks from Nuova Idea, Simon Luca, I Top 4 |
SINGLES (with picture sleeve - up to 1974) |
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| Indiscutibilmente La televisione accesa |
Ariston (AR 0341) | 1970 | both unreleased tracks |
| Cerchi Grazie |
Ariston (AR 0506) | 1971 | both unreleased tracks |
| Vado in India part I & II |
Ariston (AR 0559) | 1972 | both unreleased tracks - some copies include a poster |
| Radici e semi Templi e mercati |
Ariston (AR 0621) | 1973 | both tracks from Essenza |
PROMOTIONAL AND JUKEBOX SINGLES (with blank cover - up to 1974) |
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| Indiscutibilmente La televisione accesa |
Ariston (AR 0341) | 1970 | jukebox single with white label |
| Grazie | Ariston (AR EP/1018) | 1971 | promotional EP - also includes Nuova Idea/Non dire niente, Giovanna/Io volevo diventare... and Giovanna/Sono solo una donna |
| Tutto quello che ho da
dire La realtà non esiste |
Ariston (AR 0534) | 1972 | promotional single with blank cover |
| La norma del cielo L'arancia è un frutto d'acqua |
Ariston (AR EP/1034) | 1973 | promotional EP Free Line series no.11 with cover - also includes R.Porridge/Harmony and Mirror/US woman |
| Il miele delle api Adesso |
Ariston (AR 0645) | 1974 | promotional single with white, text-only cover |
First albums are not easy to find, but never particularly expensive. all were released by Ariston.
Viaggio appeared with three different single
covers, the first and second had a green background with the album title in
large white letters (first issue had the author's name in black letters, second
issue had it in white), while a third one had a black and white picture of
Claudio sitting in the clouds. Apparently the three different designs were
changed in a few months, and all have the same catalogue number and label
design.
The album has the year 1970 on the label, but the vinyl carries the date
19-5-1971, it's not clear if different masters exist. Some copies also have a
round sticker with "Disco vincitore del 1. premio Critica Discografica
1971", as the album won a critics' poll in that year.
It has been reissued on CD in March 2003 by BMG with mini-LP cover and obi, as part of their "Dei di un perduto rock" series, and later repressed in October of the same year when a second batch of those CD's came out (including, among others, Volo magico n.1).
The same CD was announced by BMG as being also available with standard jewel case (cat.no. 74321-98507-2) but was probably never issued in this form.
Volo magico n.1 came in a centre opening foldout
cover, textured, and with an inner sleeve (but apparently not all the copies came with the
inner).
The very first batch of copies came on the old black/silver Ariston
label (soon replaced by the newly introduced Gnomo beige label) and only had the title
on the "wall" side, but this was soon added on the back side where there
is a colour picture of Claudio. Allegedly this was made to help the shops
selling the record because it was usually exposed with the colour picture as the
LP.
While the early pressings of this cover are textured, it was later issued with a
smooth cover (still opening from the centre).
La norma del cielo has a laminated gatefold cover with light blue background, but some copies exist with the same cover design on white background.
Essenza had a gatefold cover and the inner sleeve with lyrics on a black and white rising moon. In later copies the rising moon was gold tinted.
Il miele dei pianeti, le isole, le api had a gatefold cover and a foldout insert reproducing the cover on a side and including the lyrics on the other.
Suoni di frontiera has on vinyl the year 1976, though on Rocchi's site and other sites centered on his activity it is usually listed as issued in 1975.
The recent LP's issued by Psych-Out in 2011 and 2012 are all in a limited pressing of 500 numbered copies with thick vinyl and heavy cardboard gatefold covers.
No counterfeit exists, nor foreign issues of the official albums. A Spanish compilation, Strepitoso (Carnaby, 1972) contains La tua prima luna, from the Viaggio LP, along with another Rocchi track, Io volevo diventare, sung from Giovanna.
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Viaggio - LP (first and third design) |
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Flying (Viaggio) - reissue LP in Oxford series |
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Volo magico n°1 - LP |
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Volo magico n°1 - back cover (first pressing with no name and title) |
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Volo magico n°1 - foldout back cover (second pressing with name on the back picture) |
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Volo magico n°1 - first label design |
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Volo magico n.1 - reissue LP in Oxford series |
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La norma del cielo (Volo magico n.2) - LP and 8-track cartridge |
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Essenza - LP |
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Il miele dei pianeti, le isole, le api - gatefold cover |
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Rocchi - LP |
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Suoni di frontiera - LP |
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A fuoco - LP |
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Non ce n'è per nessuno - LP |
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Indiscutibilmente - 7" single |
Grazie - 7" single |
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| Vado in India - 7" single, cover + poster | |
Click on pictures to enlarge
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| Promotional photo - 2005 |
Claudio Rocchi has an odd website at http://www.claudiorocchi.com, but it contains little info on his career and record releases
A fansite is at http://digilander.libero.it/martingianni/claudiorocchi.htm.
Many thanks to Maurizio Fulvi, Armando
Lanni, Manuel
da Achada, Alos, John Elvis Gualtieri and Pio De Bellis for scans and information.
Also thanks to Gianni Martin for encouragement, useful information on collectible Rocchi
releases and the 2005 promotional picture.
