Artist

DELIRIUM

1970-72
Ivano Fossati (vocals, flute, acoustic guitar)
Mimmo Di Martino (guitar, vocals)
Ettore Vigo (keyboards, vocals)
Marcello Reale (bass, vocals)
Peppino Di Santo (drums, percussion, vocals)

1972-74
Fossati replaced by:
Martin Grice (flute, sax, keyboards, vocals)

1975
Rino Dimopoli (guitar, keyboards, vocals)
Ettore Vigo (keyboards, vocals)
Marcello Reale (bass, vocals)
Peppino Di Santo (drums, percussion, vocals)

Delirium came from Genova, from a previous beat band called I Sagittari, and formed in 1970, releasing their first single a year later. 
Canto di Osanna
, presented at first Viareggio pop festival was a successful single and gave the band an immediate notoriety. They had also won a Radio Montecarlo rock contest in 1971. 

First album, Dolce acqua, also from 1971 contains a good and original mix of prog, jazz and some tuneful melodies, the leading role of singer Ivano Fossati is evident, with his furious flute soloing being one of the band's most distinctive elements. The album, housed in a nice triple gatefold cover, is structured in various movements like a classical suite, but here and there some parts seem a little incoherent with the whole LP. It was not a great success, as demonstrated by the fact that no less than three tracks from it appeared on singles a year later.

In February 1972 their memorable TV presence at Sanremo music festival gave them their best success ever with the hit single Jesahel, soon followed by a similar song, Haum! Always during their career Delirium mixed the commercial side of their singles with the more difficult approach of their albums, and this is particularly evident in this first phase.

Around mid-1972 Ivano Fossati suddenly had to leave the group for his military service, later to pursue a solo career that's still successful today, even with a lighter (but always full of jazzy and ethnic influences) kind of music. His replacement was englishman Martin Frederick Grice (from Boomerang) who, along with the ever present flute, was also a brilliant sax player.

Second album Lo scemo e il villaggio still has some jazz influences and a stronger use of sax by the new member Grice, with the evident lack of a role singer in the band, all members taking the lead singer role. The track La mia pazzia is the closest to first album's style.

Third album follows in 1974, called Delirium III (Viaggio negli arcipelaghi del tempo) and judged by many as their most mature work. La battaglia degli eterni piani contains a dark-inspired atmosphere never heard in their previous releases, the flute has again a prominent role and the sax is only present in Viaggio n.2. This is also the first album to feature electric guitar, as Mimmo Di Martino only played the acoustic in previous albums.

The band was at the end of their career, also due to the low interest shown by the media, and after some more commercial singles in 1974-75, the last of which with new singer/keyboardist Rino Dimopoli replacing Grice, they came to a split.

Apart from Ivano Fossati the only other member to stay in the professional music field was keyboard player Ettore Vigo with rockers Kim & the Cadillacs.
In early 90's, following a successful Jesahel disco remix, the band reunited with some CD's containing new versions of their best tracks, playing live for many years.

At the beginning of 2007 the new line-up featuring original members Ettore Vigo, Peppino Di Santo and Martin Grice with Roberto Solinas (vocals, acoustic and electric guitars) and Fabio Chighini (bass, vocals) released the Live-Vibrazioni notturne CD, also as 2-LP set, for the Black Widow label, including tracks from the LP's and some singles made by the group, along with a new cut, Notte a Baghdad, and 2 covers, showing the excellent form of the revamped Delirium.
In 2009 the fourth studio album in the story of Delirium (now with the additional name International PROGressive Group) was released, Il nome del vento, with help from various guest musicians including their original
guitarist Mimmo Di Martino, while the live line-up included again for a short time the multi-instrumentalist Rino Dimopoli. The album, including brand new compositions except some small excerpts from Van Der Graaf Generator's Theme one and Dio del silenzio from Delirium III, was well played and a pleasant listen, mainly based on not particularly heavy sounds.
The following year, the long career of Delirium was celebrated with the release of a nice retrospective DVD, Il viaggio continua: La storia 1970-2010, which includes a concerto in Genoa from 2008 (also on the bonus CD) and the complete series of RAI TV clips made between 1971 and 1975.
The line-up had a new change in 2014, with Vigo, Grice and Chiglini assisted by Michele Cusato (guitar), Alfredo Vandresi (drums) and with the strong vocal and live presence of singer Alessandro Corvaglia (Maschera di Cera, Aurora Lunare) for the first time as a sextet. This group released L'era della menzogna on LP and CD in 2015, presented live at Marseille Prog Sud festival.

 

 

LP
Dolce acqua Fonit (LPX 11) 1971 triple gatefold laminated cover
  Fonit 3000 (SFC 188) 1978 reissue with diferent single cover, simply entitled Delirium
  Fonit / Vinyl Magic (LPP 432) 1991 reissue with standard gatefold cover
  BTF/Vinyl Magic (VMLP 144) 2010 reissue with triple gatefold cover
  Fonit/De Agostini (LPX 11) 2018 triple gatefold cover with inner and 8-page insert - no.22 in the De Agostini "Prog Rock Italiano" series
Lo scemo e il villaggio Fonit (LPX 18) 1972 gatefold laminated cover
  Fonit (LPX 18) 1974 second issue with non laminated gatefold cover
  Fonit / Vinyl Magic (LPP 434) 1991 as above with standard gatefold cover
  BTF/Vinyl Magic (VMLP 145) 2010 as above - issued on black vinyl first, later (2017) red
Delirium III (Viaggio negli arcipelaghi del tempo) Cetra (LPX 29) 1974 gatefold laminated cover
  Fonit / Vinyl Magic (LPP 421) 1991 as above with standard gatefold cover
  BTF/Vinyl Magic (VMLP 126) 2008 as above with glossy gatefold cover
Delirium Live (Vibrazioni notturne) Black Widow (BWR 100) 2007 2LP - recorded live in 2006 - gatefold cover with inners and 4-page photographic insert glued in - early copies in clear blue vinyl
Il nome del vento Black Widow (BWR 113) 2009 gatefold cover
L'era della menzogna Black Widow (BWR 180) 2015 200 copies with textured gatefold cover, poster, 16 page booklet and bonus single


CD
Dolce acqua Fonit Cetra (CDM 2025) 1989 reissue of 1971 album
  Warner/Fonit (26620-2) 1999 as above
  BTF/Vinyl Magic (VM 149CD) 2010 as above - mini-LP triple gatefold cover - 1 bonus track
  Gruppo Ed.L’Espresso (10) 2014 as above with mini-LP gatefold cover – no.10 in the “Progressive Rock Italiano" series
Lo scemo e il villaggio Fonit Cetra (CDM 2027) 1989 reissue of 1972 album
  Warner/Fonit (28913-2) 1999 as above
  BTF/Vinyl Magic (VM 145CD) 2010 as above - mini-LP gatefold cover
Delirium III (Viaggio negli arcipelaghi del tempo) Fonit Cetra (CDLP 421) 1991 reissue of 1974 album
  Warner/Fonit (27119-2) 1999 as above
  BTF/Vinyl Magic (VM 126CD) 2007 as above - mini-LP gatefold cover
Live - Vibrazioni notturne Black Widow (BWRCD 100-2) 2007 recorded live in 2006
Il nome del vento Black Widow (BWRCD 113-2) 2009 new studio album - CD exists with standard jewel case or 3-fold digipack cover
A night in Genoa Black Widow (BWR 127) 2010 live in Genoa in 2008 - bonus CD with the DVD Il viaggio continua: La storia 1970-2010
L'era della menzogna Black Widow (BWRCD 180-2) 2015  


VARIOUS ARTISTS COMPILATIONS
Nuovi complessi d'avanguardia da Radio Montecarlo
(with Canto di Osanna)
Fonit (LPQ 09060) 1971 laminated single cover - compilation with La Quinta Faccia, Valerio Valerisce Group, le Macchine per Sognare, Jimmy M.E.C, i Tibu', le Mummie, Aspidi, i Cliffters


SINGLES
(with picture sleeve)
Canto di Osanna
Deliriana
Fonit (SPF 31284) 1971 both unreleased tracks
Jesahel
King's road
Fonit (SPF 31293) 1972 both unreleased tracks
  Fonit/Warner (50541 97042 386) 2019 reissue on blue vinyl - 500 numbered copies issued for the 2019 Record Store Day
Haum!
Dubbio
Fonit (SPF 31295) 1972 B-side from Dolce acqua
Dolce acqua
Favola o storia del lago di Kriss
Fonit (SPF 31297) 1972 both tracks from Dolce acqua
Treno
È l'ora
Fonit (SPF 31300) 1972 both unreleased tracks
Dimensione uomo
La mia pazzia
Fonit (SPF 31301) 1972 both tracks from Lo scemo e il villaggio - probably a promo or a withdrawn single
Leoa de laoa
Pane vero vino puro
Aguamanda (AG 9002) 1974 both unreleased tracks
Jill
Live love and be free
Aguamanda (AG 9007) 1975 both unreleased tracks
Cowboy
Corri bambino
Cetra (SPB 36) 1975 both unreleased tracks
Signore
Buana, the rainbow
Fonit (SPF 31313) 1975 both unreleased tracks


PROMO-ONLY AND JUKEBOX SINGLES
(with white label and plain covers except where noted)
Canto di Osanna
Deliriana
Fonit (JBF 612) 1971 jukebox single
Dolce acqua
Favola o storia del lago di Kriss
Fonit (JBF 613) 1972 jukebox single
Dolce acqua (Speranza)
Johnny Sayre (Il perdono)
Fonit (JBF 614) 1971 jukebox single
Preludio
Fonit (JBF 399) 1971 juke box three-track single - backed with Osanna/L'uomo and New Trolls/La prima goccia bagna il viso
Dolce acqua
Fonit/Besana "Gran regalo" (JBF 623) 1972 free with Panettone Besana - custom picture sleeve - backed with Franz Liszt/Rapsodia ungherese n.2
Dubbio
Fonit/Besana "Gran regalo" (JBF 624) 1972 free with Panettone Besana - custom picture sleeve - backed with Benedetto Marcello/Adagio dal film "Anonimo veneziano"
Haum
Fonit (JBF 407) 1972 juke box single - backed with Osanna/Canzona (There will be time)
Treno
Fonit (JBF 627) 1972 juke box single - backed with Greyhound/I've been trying

    

All the Delirium releases are rather common due to the great success many of them had, with the only notable exception of the third album, Delirium III (Viaggio negli arcipelaghi del tempo). Interesting to notice that, though it was the same label, the third album appeared on Cetra rather than Fonit label (see Fonit page for further explanations).
The three original albums are all housed in laminated gatefold covers, the first having a triple gatefold while Lo scemo e il villaggio has a thick gatefold cover.
Along with the standard black vinyl version, the 2008 reissue of the Delirium III (Viaggio negli arcipelaghi del tempo) album was also released by BTF in a limited 21 numbered copies pressing on gold/black splattered vinyl.

The 2007 live album Vibrazioni notturne was first released on CD and after some months as a double LP, in a limited early pressing on clear blue vinyl and standard pressing on black vinyl. The double album has a gatefold cover with a 4-page colour photographic insert glued in, and picture inner covers.
The 2015 album L'era della menzogna was released in standard 9-track CD issue and limited 200 copies vinyl pressing with 8 tracks and a bonus single coupling L'angelo del fango and La voce dell'anima (the latter was only on the CD version and not on the LP). The limited issue also included a poster and a 16-page book.

An interesting little known single is mentioned in the RAI Italian Radio/TV archives, coupling Dimensione uomo and La mia pazzia from the second album Lo scemo e il villaggio. Having an official Fonit release catalogue number, this was probably intended as a promotional-only single or withdrawn right after its release, as it's usually not mentioned in any discography of the band.

Some tracks from the early production of Delirium and Osanna were used in the soundtrack of the 1972 western film Scansati...a Trinità arriva Eldorado directed by Dick Spitfire (Aristide Massaccesi, a.k.a. Joe D'Amato). Among these an instrumental version of Jesahel used as main theme and in the end titles. This soundtrack never appeared on record.
The group also appears in the 1972 movie with Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia Continuavano a chiamarli i due piloti più matti del mondo, while playing Favola o storia del lago di Kriss in a small club.

The Canto di Osanna single has been released in France (on Sonopresse), Spain (Zafiro 00X-246) and Portugal (Cetra CET 4.003), while Jesahel had foreign releases in Sweden (Sonet), Germany (Ariola 12073 AT), Turkey (Yanki YP24), Portugal (Cetra CET 4.004), Argentina (Fermata 3F 0412), Yugoslavia (Cetra /Jugoton SCE 88549) and many other european countries. The single Haum/Dubbio was also issued in Greece on Pan Vox (PAN 7576) with company sleeve, in Yugoslavia (Cetra /Jugoton SCE 88571), in Turkey (Yanki YP29) and in Germany and Holland (same label and number, Ariola 12.287 AT, year 1974). The single Dolce acqua/Preludio was issued in Yugoslavia in 1972 on Cetra/Jugoton label (SCE 88603) with picture sleeve.
In Brazil Haum! appeared on a promotional 1972 single on the Fermata label (993.0104 - no picture cover), backed with Troglomen by Alluminogeni.
The first
LP Dolce acqua was issued in 1972 in Brazil with gatefold cover (Importa/Som Livre 310.1007) and in Yugoslavia with single cover (Cetra/Jugoton LSCE 70500).
Dubbio was also included on a Japanese 7" 33rpm 5-track compilation from 1985, called Italian Rock Special (Seven Seas/King 7SSY-7), though it only contains this track in a rock vein, others are closer to pop, by Caterina Caselli, I Dik Dik, Lucio Battisti.
The same label released in Japan a promotional single in 1987 containing King's road by Delirium coupled with Fiaba by Procession (Nexus/King 7SSY-16)

Odd to say that Jesahel was also covered (with translated lyrics) by many international artists including Shirley Bassey and the English group Congregation. 

No counterfeits exist.

Dolce acqua - triple gatefold cover

Lo scemo e il villaggio - gatefold cover

Delirium III - LP

Canto di Osanna - 7" single

Jesahel - 7" single

Haum - 7" single

Dolce acqua - 7" single

Treno - 7" single

Leoa de laoa - 7" single

 

 

Jill - 7" single

Signore - 7" single

Dolce acqua - promo 7" single Dubbio - promo 7" single
Canto di Osanna - 7" single (Portugal) Jesahel - 7" single (Portugal)
Haum! - 7" single (Holland) Jesahel - 7" single (France)
Jesahel - 7" single (Turkey) Haum!  - 7" single (Turkey)
Live-Vibrazioni notturne - CD
Il nome del vento - CD L'era della menzogna - CD

 

 



Click on pictures to enlarge

 
Delirium 2007 - promotional pictures
Live at Stazione Birra, Morena (Roma)
15-feb-2008

 

 

Delirium's own website is www.deliriumband.it

 

 

Thanks to Black Widow for pictures and information on current Delirium activities and to Mirko Ferrarini, Lorenzo Pittan, Luciano Fassa, Alessandro Cumbo, Gustavo Castagna Machado for information included in this page