Label

Big record companies with thin prog connections
(CGD - DURIUM - PDU - PRODUTTORI ASSOCIATI - RIFI)

       

A single page for five record companies that were not particularly interested in the Italian rock and progressive scene, and just released a couple of interesting records each.

CGD (Compagnia Generale del Disco) was probably the biggest among them, being the distributor for Italy of many important foreign labels such as CBS/Columbia, Epic, United Artists. Sometimes these foreign releases appeared on different labels than their original issues (like the elusive Arzachel and Raw Material albums, two big rarities on Italian CBS!). Their Italian releases were mostly in the pop field, but some good exceptions were made with Gleemen, Garybaldi and Il Paese dei Balocchi, along with the first Campo di Marte album that was strangely issued on United Artists.
A minor Italian label which was distributed by CGD was Derby, that released the only album by Triade.

Durium was a long established record company, operating since the late 40's in the popular music field. Their connection with rock music is very thin and a single album, the J.E.T. Fede speranza e carità masterpiece, is to be remembered from their production.

Same applies to Produttori Associati, created in the early 70's by Antonio Casetta from the ashes of Bluebell and Belldisc, and distributed by Ricordi. Worth noticing in their production are Duello Madre and Maxophone's lonely albums. An US subsidiary, called Produttori Associati USA, or simply PAUSA, was also active for a few years.

PDU was closely connected to the most important female singer of the Italian 60's and 70's, Mina. This company (whose name meant "Platten Durcharbeitung Ultraphone") alternated mainstream pop releases to avantgarde, producing, among others, the Italian issues for most of the German labels Ohr and Kosmische Kuriere albums. One of their only progressive releases was the first and only album by Cincinnato

RiFi's was mainly concentrated in the 60', but continued working until early 80's, though on a minor level. Rock and progressive releases were limited, most of the production being in the beat and pop field. Among the most important of their beat releases are the debut albums by I Califfi, Giganti, Fausto Leali, while in the prog/psych field it's worth mentioning both Circus 2000 albums, the first and only albums by Odissea and Mack Sigis Porter, and Terra in bocca, again by Giganti
The label also acted as a distributor for some foreign labels, like Rare Earth and Variety.

CGD
60's label was black with silver logo and writing, it was replaced since around 1971 with a new one, tan coloured with an orange stripe on the top carrying the CGD logo. 
Only some relevant LP's are mentioned below:

LP

number


Band/Artist(s)


Title


year


notes
FGS 5073 Gleemen Gleemen 1970 gatefold laminated cover
FGS 5091 Le Particelle Azimut 1970 gatefold laminated cover
FLG 5113 Garybaldi Nuda 1972 triple gatefold laminated cover
FLG 5115 Il Paese dei Balocchi Il Paese dei Balocchi 1972 gatefold laminated cover with inner

 

UNITED ARTISTS

LP

number



Band/Artist(s)



Title



year



notes
UAS 29497 Campo di Marte Campo di Marte 1973 single cover with inner

 

DERBY

LP

number



Band/Artist(s)



Title



year



notes
DBR 65801 Triade 1998: la storia di Sabazio 1973 golden foil gatefold cover

 

 

CGD LP label (until 1970)

CGD LP label (1971 onwards)

United Artists (CGD distribution) LP label

Derby (CGD distribution) LP label

CBS (CGD distribution) LP label

 

 

DURIUM
Labels were black with silver logo and writing. 
Only some relevant LP's are mentioned below:

LP

number


Band/Artist(s)


Title


year


notes
MS AL 77214 I Nuovi Angeli I Nuovi Angeli 1970  
MS AL 77307 J.E.T. Fede, speranza e carità 1972 gatefold cutout cover
MS AL 77354 La Strana Società Fai tornare il sole 1974  
MS A 77360 La Pera L'acqua purificatrice 1975 trifold cover
SAI 77399 Vito Paradiso Noi belli noi brutti 1978 former De De Lind singer
MS AL 77407 Gli Alisei Gli Alisei 1979  

 

Durium LP label

 

 

PDU
Labels were black with silver logo and writing. 
Up to around 1973 the label had an unboxed PDU logo on the lower side, this was later moved to the right and enclosed in a box.
PDU was distributed by Durium until 1970, later by EMI.
Some of the LP were also released as quadraphonic recordings with PLDSQ number.
Only some relevant LP's are mentioned below:

LP

number


Band/Artist(s)


Title


year


notes
PLD A 5054 Logan Dwight Logan Dwight 1973 gatefold cover
PLD A 5091 Cincinnato Cincinnato 1974 laminated gatefold cover
PLD A 6008 Aulehla & Zappa Aulehla & Zappa 1974 gatefold cover with 12-page booklet glued in the inner
PLD A 6025 Roberto Cacciapaglia Sonanze 1975 textured single cover with inner
PLD A 6050 Elektriktus Electronic mind waves 1976 laminated single cover
PLD A 6096 Hydrus Midnight in space 1978 single cover

 

PDU - LP label (up to 1973)

PDU - LP label (after 1973)

 

 

PRODUTTORI ASSOCIATI
Labels were black with cream circular logo on the top edge. 
The same label was also used for the German release of Maxophone, but with orange background instead of black. 
Only some relevant LP's are mentioned below:

LP

number


Band/Artist(s)


Title


year


notes
PA/LP 35 Leone Tieri Un fiore sulla mondezza 1970 laminated single cover with lyric inner - issued with OFF label
PA/LP 37 Salis Sa vida ita est 1971 gatefold cover
PA/LPS 38 Gli Alunni del Sole Dov'era lei a quell'ora 1972 gatefold cover
PA/LP 44 Franchi Giorgetti Talamo Il vento ha cantato per ore 1972 gatefold cover with screws and spices in a PVC window - lyric inner
PA/LP 47 Duello Madre Duello Madre 1973 gatefold cover with inner
PA/LP 50 Gli Alunni del Sole ..e mi manchi tanto 1973 gatefold cover
PA/LP 57 Maxophone Maxophone 1975 gatefold cover

 

Produttori Associati LP label

 

 

RIFI
A record company founded at the end of the 50's in Milan by Giovanni Battista Ansoldi, whose son Tonino was the art director and talent scout, discovering many artists.
Labels were black with rainbow rim and multicoloured logos on the centre, laminated with a clear film that often peels off after many years.
In 1971-72 many records produced by this company had a protective inner bag made of orange thin paper with the round label logo.
Like other major companies, RiFi had a budget price label in the late 70's, called "Linea Penny", but this suffered from poor quality covers.
Only some relevant LP's from late 60's-early 70's are mentioned below:

LP

number


Band/Artist(s)


Title


year


notes
RFS ST 14030 I Califfi Così ti amo 1969 laminated gatefold cover
RFL ST 14049 Circus 2000 Circus 2000 1970 single cover with fluorescent writing
RDZ ST 14207 Giganti Terra in bocca 1971 laminated gatefold cover - poster
RDZ ST 14213 Mack Sigis Porter Peace on you 1972 laminated gatefold centre opening cover with bird-shaped cutout
RDZ ST 14215 Circus 2000 An escape from a box 1972 laminated gatefold cover
RDZ ST 14228 Odissea Odissea 1973 laminated gatefold cover with inner
RDZ ST 14237 Il Segno dello Zodiaco Il Segno dello Zodiaco 1974 single cover
RDZ ST 14238 Homo Sapiens Homo Sapiens 1974  

 

RiFi LP label