Le Orme | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Marghera, Venice, Italy |
Genres | Italian progressive rock, pop rock psychedelic rock |
Years active | 1966–1982, 1986–present |
Labels | CAR Juke Box, Telerecord, Phonogram, PolyGram, Charisma, Baby, Crisler Music, Tring |
Members |
Michi Dei Rossi Michele Bon Fabio Trentini |
Past members |
Aldo Tagliapietra Tony Pagliuca Andrea Bassato Francesco Sartori Germano Serafin Tolo Marton Nino Smeraldi Claudio Galieti Marino Rebeschini |
Le Orme (Italian: "The Footprints") is an Italian progressive rock band formed in 1966 in Marghera, a frazione of Venice. The band was one of the major groups of the Italian progressive rock scene in the 1970s. They are one of few Italian rock bands to have success outside their own country, having played concerts across North America and Europe, and releasing an album in English at the height of their success.
Le Orme was founded in 1966 in Venice by Aldo Tagliapietra (vocals, guitar), Marino Rebeschini (drums), Nino Smeraldi (lead guitar) and Claudio Galieti (bass guitar). Originally intending to name themselves Le Ombre, a literal translation of The Shadows, they ultimately decided on the similar-sounding Le Orme. The band's early work evoked a feel somewhere between beat and psychedelic rock, similar to what was coming out of the United Kingdom at the time. One of their first major performances was June 2, 1966, when they and other local bands accompanied a British beat group, The Rokes, at the Teatre Corso in Mestre.
In 1967, the day after recording their first single, "Fiori e Colori", for Milan's CAR Juke Box label (having been rejected by EMI), Rebeschini left for the military. He was quickly replaced by of the dissolved Hopopi. The following year, their second single, "Senti l'estate che torna", was chosen to participate in Un disco per l'estate, a televised music competition organised by the Italian Phonographic Association and RAI. It was at this time that (formerly of Hopopi and Delfini) joined the group on keyboards. Later in the same year, the band began recording its first album, Ad gloriam, to be released in 1969. The title track, was sampled by Irish DJ David Holmes for his 2000 album Bow Down to the Exit Sign, under the name "69 Police". It was then re-used in the Oceans Eleven soundtrack, where it features prominently in the final scene. Soon Galieti left for the military as well, leaving Tagliapietra to cover on bass guitar. Not long later Smeraldi left as well, leaving the trio that would be at the core of the band for its most successful era. An evolution in their sound towards more richness and complexity can already be heard in a non-album single the band would publish in 1970, "Il Profumo delle Viole / I Ricordi Più Belli".