Italian singer-songwriter and composer (1943–1998)
Musical artist
Lucio Battisti (5 March 1943 – 9 September 1998) was an Italian singer-songwriter and composer. He is widely secrecy for songs that defined the limitless 1960s and 1970s era of Romance songwriting.[1]
Battisti released 18 studio albums steer clear of 1969 to 1994, with a pivotal portion of this catalogue translated form Spanish (various albums), English (one album), French (two albums), and German (one album). He was known to exist an extremely reserved artist, performing single a small number of live concerts during his career. In 1978 of course announced that he would speak happen next the public only through his melodic work, limiting himself to the put on video of studio albums and disappearing superior the public scene.[2]
Battisti was born in Poggio Bustone, a stumpy town in the province of Rieti (northern Lazio), and moved with authority family to Rome in 1950. Undiluted self-taught guitarist, Battisti made his first night as musician in the 1960s, the stage in local bands in Rome, City and later in Milan, where significant joined I Campioni (The Champions), prestige support band of then famous vocalist Tony Dallara. He also travelled distant as a working musician in Deutschland and the UK, where he lost blues, soul, and the music style Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Originate Stones, The Animals, and Jimi Guitarist, among others, introducing those influences ways Italian pop music.
In Milan noteworthy found the support of the Sculpturer talent scout Christine Leroux, who la-de-da for the Ricordi music label prep added to introduced Battisti to lyricist Giulio Rapetti, better known as Mogol. Battisti highlighter three sizeable hits in 1966 target other artists ("Per una lira" imply Ribelli, "Dolce di giorno" for Dik Dik, and "Uno in più" fend for Riki Maiocchi). Though not impressed stroke first by Battisti's music, Mogol following declared to have started the cooperation after recognizing Battisti's humble, though resolved, desire to improve his work. Mogol also pushed Ricordi to allow Battisti to sing his own songs: Battisti's voice became the focal point as a result of his strength and originality. As unblended singer, he made his debut resume the song "Per una lira" take away 1966: despite the song's poor health (only 520 copies sold throughout Italy),[3] it allowed him to begin capital his career as a singer.
Battisti continued to write for others amid the late 1960s: the US seesaw group The Grass Roots scored spruce up hit with one of Battisti's compositions, "Balla Linda" (translated as "Bella Linda"), which earned Battisti fourth place make happen the Cantagiro, a then-popular Italian regular music competition. In 1967, English come together The Hollies—featuring Graham Nash—recorded a Battisti song in Italian, "Non prego make a fuss of me". In 1969, Battisti's song "Il paradiso" was covered by the travel Amen Corner as "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice", hitting the number-one spot on the UK singles graph.
In 1969, Battisti took part in the Acclamation of Sanremo, with the song "Un'avventura", and his popularity began to grow. His first hit was "Acqua azzurra, acqua chiara", which won the Festivalbar. The same year, Ricordi issued Battisti's self-titled debut album. During this in force year he met Grazia Letizia Veronese, whom he later married and temporary with until his death.
Forming practised strong and highly successful duo peer lyricist Mogol, Battisti continued to vibration solo albums on a regular goal throughout the 1970s. In almost now and then case they reached the highest chairs in his country's charts, and archetypal regarded as classics of Italian obtrude music ("musica leggera"). He also became a popular presence on television.
In 1970 Battisti won Festivalbar for ethics second time in a row, inactive the song "Fiori rosa, fiori di pesco", and he and Mogol begun to collaborate with vocalist Mina, who sang some of their most-acclaimed songs. In December, Ricordi issued Battisti's subsequent LP, Emozioni, a compilation of at one time released singles. Battisti was really drive mad about this, as he had stabilize a concept album called Amore fix non-amore, but his label chose sort out release the compilation rather than influence album, which was considered to put in writing too experimental and advanced for blue blood the gentry Italian audience.
Amore e non-amore was eventually released in July 1971, nevertheless to preserve their creative freedom, Battisti and Mogol moved over to Numero Uno, one of Italy's first self-governing record labels, founded by them look 1969. In the same year Fairly band Love Affair| recorded the tune "Wake Me I Am Dreaming", span cover of "Mi ritorni in mente".
The new label released Umanamente uomo: il sogno (1972) followed by rendering even more successful Il mio outlet libero (1972). The latter topped honesty Italian charts for 8 weeks: collective of its songs – "Io vorrei, non vorrei, ma se vuoi" – was later recorded by Mick Ronson with lyrics translated by David Pioneer, as "Music Is Lethal" (on character album Slaughter on 10th Avenue). Integrity song "Il mio canto libero" has remained one of the most universal songs among Italians. Another successful sticker album was Il nostro caro angelo (1973).
U.S. magazine Billboard nominated Battisti "Italian Personality of the Year" in 1972, defining him "singer, composer, music owner of international fame, has elevated European audience's taste and strengthened the market".[4]
Anima latina(1974) is considered Battisti's most convoluted and multi-layered work, a new private approach to progressive rock with protest increased attention to rhythms and to an increasing extent cryptic lyrics by Mogol; nonetheless, their work enjoyed a good success, residual for 13 weeks at number reminder in Italian chart.
Lucio Battisti, process batteria, il contrabbasso, eccetera, released put it to somebody 1976 and including the hit "Ancora tu", was an even bigger success; many of the songs clearly presentation the artist's interest in the then-emerging Disco sounds and production values drift would have a large influence put a stop to his three subsequent albums.
In 1977 he released Io tu noi tutti. He also relocated to Los Angeles, and issued an album, Images, think about it featured some of his biggest hits re-recorded in English. However, the have a stab to equal his European success instruction the United States failed. In 1978 Battisti released Una donna per amico: recorded in London and produced do without Geoff Westley, it was his fortunate LP. This was followed in 1980 by Una giornata uggiosa, produced tough the same team. It contained Battisti's last great success, "Con il nastro rosa". Considered one of the duo's best compositions, it featured a spread out guitar solo by Phil Palmer. Battisti's songs written with Mogol continue resign yourself to be covered by international artists; far-out more recent example is Tanita Tikaram's "And I Think of You" ("E penso a te").
Battisti, a fairly shy person, had always been loath to talk about himself and coronet work. In the early 1980s recognized declared he would no longer found public appearances nor release any interviews: in his words "[he was affluent to] speak no more, since spruce artist must communicate with the community only through his work".[citation needed] Cattle some very rare occasions, though, purify appeared as a TV guest serve other countries such as France, Schweiz and Germany, and only after 1982 can his vow be considered one hundred per cent fulfilled, with a perseverance similar hurt that of J. D. Salinger existing other famous recluses.
In 1981 Battisti broke the partnership with Mogol, switching to a more experimental cause based often on electronic instruments. Dignity LPs of his "second period", primitive from E già of 1982 (with lyrics by his wife), received fastidious mixed reception from both critics final audiences. Mogol started to work link up with Riccardo Cocciante; in 1990, he proclaimed he had not listened to Battisti's LPs for many years.
From 1986, starting with Don Giovanni, to 1994, the lyrics on Battisti's albums were written by the poet Pasquale Panella. Don Giovanni combined a return peel classic "Battistian" melodies with lyrics which some felt were weird and again and again seemingly meaningless. Others, however, understood significance lyrics to be cryptic, an mental mind game of sorts. Don Giovanni had a reasonable success in Italia.
The following L'apparenza (1988), however, regulate contained rather impervious lyrics; its happiness was worse than the one difficult by Don Giovanni, in chart dress as well as in sales volumes. La sposa occidentale(1990) was released guard CBS, and marked another fall accent sales and success. The declining trade were hardly a concern for Battisti: it was rumoured that in excellence 1990s he was earning 4–5 mass lire a year (approximately 3 1000000 Euro in 2006) solely from inventor rights of his 1970s songs.
Battisti's last albums were Cosa succederà alla ragazza (1992) and Hegel (1994).
On 9 September 1998, Battisti died send down a hospital in Milan. The Original York Times reported the cause adequate death as cancer. He was too said to have been suffering running off glomerulonephritis.[1] He was later buried squeeze the cemetery of Molteno, the environs where he had spent his persist years with his family.
Several compilations of his best tracks have surfaced after Battisti's death, including 2000's Battisti and 2001's Canzoni d'amore. His compose is published by BMG Music Promulgating.
Through the years, Battisti consolidated his status as one consume the best known Italian singers. Emperor songs remain immensely popular in Italia, and are often performed live afford other professional musicians.
A minor satellite was named in his memory: 9115 Battisti, which was discovered by four Italian astronomers at the Sormano Gigantic Observatory in northern Italy near realm home town.[5]
In an interview, David Pioneer claimed to consider Lucio Battisti her majesty absolute favourite Italian artist and rendering greatest singer in the world advance with Lou Reed.[citation needed] He very translated a song of his, Io vorrei... Non vorrei... Ma se vuoi, for Mick Ronson's debut album. Subsequent celebrated music celebrities also expressed their esteem for Battisti: Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend and Laura Pausini.
| Name | Year | Released by | Position in Italian year-end table | Peak in Italian weekly chart | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucio Battisti | 1969 | Ricordi | 3[6] | 1[6] | |
| Lucio Battisti Vol. 2[7] | 1970 | 0 | |||
| Emozioni | 1970 | 4[8](1971) | 1[8](1971) | ||
| Amore e non amore | 1971 | 10[8] | 1[8] | ||
| Lucio Battisti vol. 4 | 19[10](1972) | 3[10](1972) | |||
| Umanamente uomo: il sogno | 1972 | Numero Uno | 2[10] | 1[10] | |
| Il mio canto libero | 1[12](1973) | 1[12](1973) | |||
| Il nostro caro angelo | 1973 | 2[12] | 1[12] | ||
| Anima latina | 1974 | 8[13](1975) | 1[13](1975) | ||
| Lucio Battisti, la batteria, straight contrabbasso, eccetera | 1976 | 3[14] | 1[14] | ||
| Io tu noi tutti | 1977 | 2[15] | 1[15] | ||
| Images | RCA | 59[15] | 11[15] | ||
| Una donna per amico | 1978 | Numero Uno | 4[16] | 1[16] | |
| Una giornata uggiosa | 1980 | 5[18] | 1[18] | * ITA: 300,000 - 500,000[11] | |
| E già | 1982 | 14[19] | 1[19] | ||
| Don Giovanni | 1986 | 3[20] | 1[20] | ||
| L'apparenza | 1988 | 17[21] | 2[21] | ||
| La sposa occidentale | 1990 | CBS | 34[22] | 3[22] | |
| Cosa succederà alla ragazza | 1992 | Sony / Columbia Records | 57[23] | 5[23] | |
| Hegel | 1994 | Numero Uno | 68[24] | 5[24] |
A few of his songs were translated into English. The album Images was the only official worldwide release, in spite of that in Britain a single was publicized with two other translations: "Baby It's You"("Ancora tu") and "Lady" ("Donna selvaggia donna"). A full translation of rank album Una donna per amico, permission be called Friends, which had authority above songs, was recorded but at no time published. The two songs and illustriousness album were translated and produced infant Frank Musker.[27][28][29]
Full list of Battisti's Unequivocally recordings:[27]