Celso Valli: a producer of Italian disco
Celso Valli - Italian arranger and producer who worked with Azoto, Raf, Matia Bazar and at Fonoprint studio. From "San Salvador" to "Self Control": how his classical training shaped the Italo Disco sound.
Sixth track already - save favourites and download without limits
Sign upProducers
People behind the desk: Moroder, Farina, Pulga, Giombini and other architects of sound.
23 articles newest first
Martinelli's “Cenerentola”: Italo benchmark
Aldo Martinelli - a composer with a diploma from the Alessandria Conservatory. Simona Zanini - lyricist and vocalist. Projects: Martinelli, Moon Ray, Doctor's Cat, Topo and Roby. “Cenerentola” - a genre benchmark. Return in 2011.
1 view
Ivana Spagna before “Call Me”
16 December 1954: Ivana Spagna is born. In 1971 - “Mamy Blue”. In the early 80s - vocals and songs for Fun Fun, where she was the ghost voice. In 1986 - “Easy Lady”, in 1987 - “Call Me”, UK #2. 10 million sold over a 46-year career.
4 views
Larry Pignagnoli: Spagna and Fun Fun
July 31, 1951: Alfredo Pignagnoli is born - “one of the pop maestros of Italy” according to BMG. As Larry Pignagnoli he wrote hits for Fun Fun, Spagna, Whigfield's “Saturday Night” (№1 UK, Guinness record) and Benny Benassi's “Satisfaction”. Forty years, one studio, one formula.
2 views
High Energy Records: Italo meets Hi-NRG
1989: the Italian label High Energy Records releases a series of 12″ singles, HE 105 to HE 121. Behind it stand Severo Lombardoni and producer Julio Ferrarin. The label lasts until 1991 and puts out about 62 releases - exactly at the junction of Italo Disco, Hi-NRG and Eurobeat for the Japanese market.
2 views
Robyx: from Savage to the DWA empire
28 November 1956, Massa, Tuscany: Roberto Zanetti is born - Savage as artist, Robyx as producer. From Don't Cry Tonight (1983, Germany #2) to Ice MC, Double You and Alexia in the 90s. Debunking the Eiffel 65 myth: Bliss Corporation was founded by other people.
2 views
Miki Chieregato: the hidden hit-maker
1983. Roberto Turatti and Miki Chieregato create Den Harrow. Face - Stefano Zandri, voice - Tom Hooker. Chieregato is the invisible producer behind the hits of Italian disco.
1 view
Silent Circle: German synth-pop
December 1985: Silent Circle release "Touch in the Night" - #15 in Germany, 14 weeks in the chart. A West German trio: Tychsen, Breitung, Behrens. Producers Dietrich and Simons, label Blow Up. Ten tracks, charts and Russian popularity.
3 views
Roberto Turatti: Den Harrow producer
24 April 1956: Roberto Turatti is born in Milan. With Miki Chieregato he created Den Harrow - a project named after the Italian "denaro" (money). Stefano Zandri was the face, Tom Hooker the voice. An Italo-disco factory, 1983-1988.
4 views
“Let's Dance” Bowie, 1983
14 March 1983: Bowie with producer Nile Rodgers. UK #1 for 3 weeks, US #1 for 1 week. Cut in 17 days at Power Station, NYC. Bowie met Rodgers at the Continental Club in December 1982 and asked, “Can you make me a hit?”. Stevie Ray Vaughan's solo - one take on a 1962 Strat. Album 10.7M copies - more than every prior Bowie album combined.
4 views
“Together in Electric Dreams” Moroder/Oakey, 1984
September 1984: Moroder and Philip Oakey (Human League) cut the title theme of “Electric Dreams” - a comedy about a computer in love with the neighbour. #3 UK, #1 Denmark. Musicland Munich, four days, one-take vocal. LinnDrum, Moog Source, DX7. The film bombed ($4.6M), the song lived - and is timely again in the AI era.
6 views
“Call Me” Blondie, 1980
February 1980: “American Gigolo” soundtrack, producer Moroder. Debbie Harry wrote the lyric in one Chateau Marmont evening. #1 Billboard for 6 weeks, Billboard #1 single of 1980, 6M copies. Bernard Edwards of Chic on live bass.
3 views
Stock Aitken Waterman: 44 UK #1s and the London “Hit Factory”
January 1984: Pete Waterman, Mike Stock and Matt Aitken open PWL Studios on Borough High Street. In six years - 44 UK #1s, 100+ top-40 hits and 120M records sold. Conveyor method: a single a week, £25-40K each. In August 1988, 15 SAW tracks sat in the UK top-40 at once. The trio split in 1991.
4 views
Trevor Horn: the ZTT producer, 34 UK #1s and the Fairlight era
Trevor Horn was born 15 July 1949 in County Durham. By 2024 - 34 UK #1s, 3 Grammys and 9 Ivor Novellos. From Buggles' “Video Killed the Radio Star” (1979) through ABC, ZTT with Frankie Goes to Hollywood to Seal's “Kiss from a Rose” (1994). The “studio as instrument” method shaped 80s production.
3 views
“Take My Breath Away” Berlin, 1986
June 1986: Moroder and Tom Whitlock write a ballad for “Top Gun”. Moroder first offered it to Donna Summer and Linda Ronstadt - both said no. Third pick - Terri Nunn of Berlin at $40,000. By September - Billboard and UK #1, soundtrack 9M copies. 1987 Oscar - Moroder's third. Berlin fell apart in 1987.
6 views
Giorgio Moroder: the Munich Sound basement that cut the 70s
Musicland Studios ran from 1969 to 1992 in the basement of Munich's Arabella hotel - no windows, no daylight. Moroder cut Donna Summer, Queen, the Stones and Led Zeppelin here. And in 1977 he invented Moog↔MC-8 CV/Gate sync here - the MIDI prototype, ten years early.
10 views
“I Feel Love”, 1977
July 1977: Donna Summer at Musicland. 36 hours of tracking, 6,000 Deutschmarks, the whole backing built on one Moog Modular. Brian Eno will hear it in Berlin and tell Bowie: “The next fifteen years are going to sound like this”. The first all-electronic disco #1.
6 views