Underground Set

Like Planetarium, Blue Phantom or Fourth Sensation this was an italian group whose members have remained unknown and that has often been wrongly considered english, their first album having been issued in many european countries.
According to an interview with drummer Paolo Siani on the italian Musikbox magazine, the musicians playing on this band's two albums were in fact Nuova Idea, Radio Records (the label on which the first album and singles appeared) being distributed by their label Ariston at the time, but surely the mastermind behind the Underground Set name was composer Gian Piero Reverberi, that also produced many albums by Le Orme.

Mainly instrumental, with just some choral vocal parts, the albums are typical of a late 60's organ-led psychy pop sound and some tracks were used as TV film themes.
It's interesting to notice that the group has been mentioned as english in Vernon Joynson's Tapestry of Delight book, and all their tracks were by Reverberi (partly under the nickname of Ninety, like on the first album by another mystery band, The Psycheground Group featuring the same musicians).

LP
The Underground Set	Radio (RRS 134)	1970	single cover - black/white label
War in the night before	Tickle (TLPS 5002)	1971	front laminated single cover
VARIOUS ARTISTS COMPILATIONS
Canta e balla le tue corse d'estate (with Meditazione, Emisfero, Underground in blue)	Radio (RRS/PR 164)	1976	Pirelli Motovelo promo-only LP - also featuring Buddy Merrill, Franco Chiari, Lou Grind Ensemble
SINGLES (all with picture covers)
Arcipelago La filibusta	Radio (RR 1030)	1970	A-side taken from The Underground Set - green/white label - B-side credited on the label to Reverberi Orchestra also issued as promo with blank cover
Motor road underground Slaughter on the motor road	Radio (RR 1043)	1970	both unreleased tracks black/silver label
Tanto per cambiare Emisfero	Radio (RR 1048)	1970	unreleased track B-side taken from The Underground Set
Una lettera Libitum	Tickle (TSP 1301)	1971	both tracks from War in the night before
La casa aperta agli ospiti	Tickle (TSP 1304)	1972	unreleased track - taken from the soundtrack of the film La casa aperta agli ospiti - backed with Messaggio per te by Gian Piero Reverberi

Both albums by the Underground Set are very rare, and were never reissued on vinyl. No counterfeits exist.

The first album was also issued at the time with a slightly different cover in the UK (on Pantonic PAN 6302), Germany and France (both on Vogue LDVS 17189).
A CD reissue of it by the japanese Shagadelic label (no.SDCD4) was released in 2002 with a nice mini-gatefold cover.

Two tracks from the first Underground Set album also appeared on a single credited to Gianfranco Reverberi (sung by Giorgio David), Arcipelago/Emisfero (Las Vegas LV-1054), and Arcipelago was also released on single by Giancarlo Branca (Radio RR-1049).

The soundtrack to the italian version of the movie L'uomo dal pennello d'oro was credited to The Underground Set, with tracks from their albums. The soundtrack also contained a song by J.Plep, another group connected with Nuova Idea.
The film came out in Italy in 1972, but it had originally been released in Germany in 1969 with the title Der Mann mit dem goldenen Pinsel with a different soundtrack.


The Underground Set - LP and label

The Underground Set - LP, english and german issues

War in the night before - LP and label

Arcipelago - 7" single cover	Motor road underground - 7" single cover

Una lettera - 7" single cover

Thanks to Giorgio Meloni of Metrodora for information on the Underground Set/Nuova Idea connection.
Also thanks to Danilo Ragonesi for the use of first album scan, to Mauro Costa for the german issue and to Boris Jerschensky for scans and information on the second album.