New Trolls

The New Trolls are one of the most popular bands of the Italian progressive rock scene of the seventies. Among their works are some of the milestones of the genre, such as the famous Concerto Grosso by New Trolls. In the late seventies the production team has been moving towards more pop-rock sound, while maintaining some of the hallmarks of progressive as the elaborate arrangements, the technical virtuosity of the performances and singing polyphonic highly structured (often compared to those of songs like Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen).

The Trolls

The first formation of the group, known simply as Trolls, was born in Genoa in 1966 by an idea of ​​Scarpettini Pino (keyboards) and Vittorio De Scalzi (vocals and guitar). The group also appeared Ugo Guido (vocals and bass), Giulio Menin (drums) and Peter Darini (guitar and vocals). With the name “The Trolls” the group recorded for the label His Master’s Voice, 45 laps behind the fog (B-side this evening). Later in 1966, and Cherish the world that you and others with a different cover but without training and De Scalzi.

The onset of the New Trolls

In 1967 the group changed its name to “New Trolls”, with a new line: Vittorio De Scalzi (vocals and guitar), Nico Di Palo (guitar and vocals), Giorgio D’Adamo (bass), Mauro Chiarugi (keyboards) and John Belleno (drums and vocals).According to a legend (denied by De Scalzi), this group was chosen on the basis of an article published in a newspaper of Genoa, where a music critic, had listed the best musicians in town. However, it is known that the choice of this training took place after many vicissitudes, at first they had to belong to the group even Renato Rosset (replaced by Chiarugi) and Sergio Blandini (replaced by Di Palo).
The group began performing in local citizens, offering a style combining elements of beat and psychedelic. In the spring of 1967 the New Trolls were already sufficiently known to be chosen by François Bonnier as the opening act of the Italian concerts by the Rolling Stones. At the same time, the group recorded a 45 rpm”sensations / Before there was light with which the New Trolls won the Critics’ Prize at the Festival of Rieti. In 1968 he participated in the competition a record for the summer with the single Visions / I’ll stop you, which sold over 200,000 copies.Also in 1968 was released their debut album, the concept album entitled Without time without a flag.
In 1969 the New Trolls landed at the Festival of Sanremo with the song that I have you, which was followed by two more hit singles, in front of my eyes and a mine.The following year he was released the album New Trolls, which collected individual products from the group until then.

The turning progressive

The turning progressive
The 1971 was a major turning point for the group. After having participated in the Sanremo Festival again (with a cover of the song is a story of Sergio Endrigo), the band recorded what many critics consider their masterpiece: Concerto Grosso for New Trolls. The album features sounds now fully progressive, combining elements of classical music passages that recall the great British bands of the progressive era (such as Jethro Tull and King Crimson). The Concerto Grosso material was written by Luis Bacalov, and the making of the album saw the participation of Maurizio Salvi.
In the same year was born the first fan club in the group, based in Turin, Corso Ferrucci 72. It was one of the first Italian fan club (at the time the word “fan” was not commonly used) still in operation, is also one of the oldest fan club in Italy.
Transformations
In 1972, D’Adamo left the band, replaced by Frank Laugelli. Maurizio Salvi Even in this period became a permanent member of the New Trolls. In 1972, with this lineup the band released two albums: Searching for a land and Ut.
The next few years in which members of the group, some differences which have arisen during the recording of Ut, is devoted to some side projects: Di Palo, Laugelli, Belleno Salvi and released the album Songs of innocence songs of experience, while De Scalzi and D’Adamo, gave birth to the New Trolls Atomic System with Tullio De Piscopo on drums, Renato Rosset on keyboards, George Baiocco to the wind, Ramasandiran Somusundaran on percussion, recording two albums.
During this period he worked as a De Scalzi also label, the label founded Magma, based in Genoa and distribution Discs edited by Ricordi.
Palo then forms the Ibis, which released two albums.
After the publication of a new collection, entitled (as a previous work of 1969) simply New Trolls, and the participation of the tour Belleno D’Adamo and Fabrizio De André, the group back together in 1976 with the arrival of guitarist RickyBelloni (coming from a New Idea and on tour with De André with bassist and drummer) and the return of Di Palo. With this new feature released New Trolls Concerto Grosso No. 2 (1976), although not reaching the success of the first Concerto Grosso, this work was well received by audiences and critics.
In the mid-seventies Di Palo had to be away for health reasons, and while remaining formally a member of the group ceased to participate actively in the recordings and live performances, this is the period in which the group began working with Giorgio Usai, former keyboardist of New Ideas. Meanwhile, the New Trolls were dedicated to the creation of two albums by Ornella Vanoni, I am in and out of I (both 1977), which followed a successful tour. The official record production team had a new short stop, filled with the publication of a live album (Live, 1976) and a collection (Revival, 1977).
In 1978 came two new hits, the caress of evening That individual and his back Aldebaran, Aldebaran and the album.
In 1979 he sang the theme song of the TV show “Luna Park” presented by Pippo Baudo, with the song-style disc: We, too, in the same year, took part in the movie Dear Dad, with Vittorio Gassman and oversaw some of the reasons included in the film.
During this period, is published only for the Spanish market, the album Nunca en horas de clase and containing 45 turns It’s downtown and I can see the rain (with English lyrics written by Douglas Meakin and Mike Fraser).

The eighties
After Aldebaran, the style of New Trolls was gradually losing the last elements of progressive, in favor of a style more tied to pop-rock, although characterized by increasingly sophisticated compositions and performances. The New Trolls albums of 1979 was influenced by the Bee Gees (songs like That idea), but also picks up sounds of the past in songs like OK! (Flames on the Pacific) and Sunday in Naples (with text written by Lucio Dalla and with an introduction to music by Ricky Belloni obtained from a recorded content in the song A horse, a love album Sacrifice Equipe 84).
In 1980 the group released a 45 rpm music, a rock song, with a cover of Posters of Claudio Baglioni on the B side, was the last recording of the New Trolls with Giorgio Usai. 1981 was also marked by a hit single, There the angel in the house (with a B-side, The train, which is characterized by the virtuoso guitar Di Palo) in this recording was followed by a new and definitive abandonment of D’Adamo.The New Trolls, were now a quartet, continued their discography with albums FS (1981, a concept album on the theme of the trip) and America OK (1983 (in collaboration with Mogol).
Followed by further investments in the Sanremo Festival: in 1985 he won the critics’ prize dog face (with text by Fabrizio De André and Roberto Ferri, but signed only by the SIAE Irons), and in 1988 was presented in San Remo Clear Sky (completed, Friends as a whole next album just by De Scalzi and Di Palo Belleno). Belloni in that same period he played with Frank Sinatra album Physiognomy and the next tour, which is taken the live album Redcoats.
The nineties
In 1991, without a Pole who had embarked on a solo tour accompanied by session musicians, the group collaborated with Anna Oxa, writing songs for her album All the thrills of the world and accompanied on a tour during which the songs were recorded for a live album. Later, Belleno decided to abandon the group and continue working with Oxa. In 1992 he replaced Alfio Vitanza (formerly Milk and honey). With the new drummer, and the return of Di Palo’s return Usai, New Trolls is still performed at the Festival of Sanremo with those of us (1992), releasing the album of the same name where, in addition to the San Remo song of old tracks are reincisioni .
After Ricky Belloni also leaves the band to work at Channel 5 and to play in the “Extras”. Come in, however, in organic Roberto Tiranti participating in the group’s last appearances in San Remo, including one with Greta and the last with Umberto Bindi Bindi and presenting a piece of Renato Zero, “Beds” (inserted, then, in ‘ Official New Trolls’ last CD, “Salt of the New Trolls”). The last act of the New Trolls chapter, before further dissolution, is a song called prophetic free Gliders (1997).
The year two thousand
In 2006 there was a reunion of New Trolls, with a new team, led by the two historical components, De Scalzi and Di Palo. This training has published at the end of June 2007, the new album New Trolls Concerto Grosso The Seven Seasons in November 2007 and the casket New Trolls Concerto Grosso Trilogy Live, a DVD and two CDs of live concert big three played together for the first time in Trieste Unification of Italy in Piazza 05/08/2007.