Label

BLA BLA

Bla Bla records was created in 1970 by Pino Massara and its first productions were pop-oriented singles and poetry albums. 
Since 1972, with the collaboration of Franco Battiato, it was mainly interested in producing avantgarde or progressive artists, even if they released commercial singles by actors Gino Bramieri and Zeudi Araya, along with some masterpieces of the Italian rock like Battiato's "Fetus" and "Pollution", Osage Tribe's "Arrow head" and Capsicum Red's "Appunti per un'idea fissa". 

Many Bla Bla products had deluxe gatefold covers, including many singles. Most albums had BBXL (the more avantgarde oriented) or BBL (prog-oriented) prefixes. The singles had BBR prefix numbers. The very scarce and little known first production has BBR numbers for albums and BC prefix for singles.

Last records on Bla Bla appeared in 1976.

First production (1970-71) had an orange/yellow shaded label. LP's are very scarce and little is known about them, singles are more common. From 1972 a new label design was used, olive green with black writing (but some singles still used the old orange design). Most labels have the artist or the record title logo.

Some of the early LP's on this label (like the first three by Battiato) had a translucent blue/purple vinyl, only visible if the record is held against a strong light. This is caused by the vinyl used and doesn't indicate promotional copies.

The very first production was distributed by Phonogram, since 1972 Bla Bla passed under the Messaggerie Musicali / CGD distribution, later under Ricordi that reissued some of the label products in their Orizzonte budget price series.

Some of the Bla Bla albums were also released on cassette, among them Fetus (BBXL-M 10001) and Sulle corde di Aries (BBXL-M 10001) by Franco Battiato.

Among the rarities of the Bla Bla production some promotional singles whose existence was doubtful deserve to be mentioned, as they were traced in the RAI archives and their pictures are published below. These are In una sera/Un fiore by Capsicum Red (a single already published under the name Migrants), Sahara by Genco Puro (probably sung by Battiato) and Sacrilegio by the Neapolitan singer Gigi D'Auria (this particular song was banned by Rai), all singles that never had a commercial release and were only issued in promotional form without cover.

In the Bla Bla catalogue there are two odd releases issued under license of foreign companies:
-the LP Tibetan bells by Henry Wolff and Nancy Hennings with Drew Gladstone (issued in Italy in 1974, but recorded in 1971 and first released in the UK on Island, cat.no.HELP 3, in 1972) was the result of an agreement with the Island label that allowed Franco Battiato's album Clic to be issued in the UK.
-the single It's allright Bill by the Dutch singer Peter Bewley (real name Peter van Asten, singer of the groups Amsterdam and later Windjammer) had been originally issued in the Netherlands in 1972 on CNR (cat.no.141.182). The Italian issue, having a different picture sleeve, has the year 1973 on the label, even if, according to the Bla Bla singles numbering order should have been released in 1975.

BBR series LP (1970-71) - two different versions

Standard BBXL/BBL LP (1972 onwards)

Single - first design

Single - second design

Single - juke box white label first design

Single - juke box white label second design

rarities in the singles catalogue

Scarce BBR 007 and BOP 90002 album covers

Original blue/purple Fetus LP, as visible if held against a strong light

A Facebook page on Bla Bla, with pictures and information is at www.facebook.com/BlaBlaRecords

Thanks to Valerio D'Angelo, Pino Orlandi, Alos, Lorenzo Pittan di Amarcord for pictures and information.