I GIGANTI

Best known for releasing one of the earliest concept albums of Italian progressive rock with its classic 1971 release "Terra In Bocca," I GIGANTI ( Italian for "The Giants" ) began as far back as 1964 as a beat group called Amici and the Ghenga's Friends which featured the brothers Sergio and Mino Di Martino (guitar and vocals), Enrico Maria Papes (singer and drummer) and Checco Marsella (vocals and keyboards). Formed in Milan the renamed I GIGANTI was the quintessential 60s pop band by taking influences from beat music, gospel and rock'n'roll.

Having honed its skills as one of Italy's tightest beat pop bands with four singles having been released in 1965, I GIGANTI found success in 1966 when it participated in the television program "Un Disco Per L'Estate" which subsequently found the band's fifth single skyrocketing up the charts and remained a #1 hit for seven weeks. The track was included in an Enzo Dell'Aquila film and the band remained popular throughout the remaining years of the 1960s.

This self-titled debut emerged in 1966 and likewise also increased the band's fame and fortune especially after having participated in several other competitions and ranking high. By this time Sergio Di Martino was added as bassist / guitarist / vocalist making the band a quartet. While the two albums of beat music are usually ignored as pop shlop from the past, I GIGANTI were quite competent at this style of music. There was a clear Beatles influence with strong pop hooks, rich and exhilarating vocal harmonies which featured a wide range reminding a bit of The Beach Boys and characterized by the deep bass tone of drummer Enrico Maria.

This short 33-minute debut featured 12 strong tracks that incorporated everything from doowop and rhythm and blues to the English beat sounds and American gospel. The lyrics were performed exclusively in Italian thus guaranteeing these early albums would never really catch on outside of the Italian speaking world however the musical and vocal delivery is impeccable and when listening to these early recordings of I GIGANTI, it's not very hard to figure out why they experienced such success as one of Italy's greatest beat music groups of the era. While this debut of I GIGANTI is hardly essential especially to the prog rock stalwarts who are only interested in the band's third album "Terra In Bocca," for those who love beautifully crafted 60s pop music, I GIGANTI will easily scratch that itch and then some.