ROVESCIO DELLA MEDAGLIA io come io Lp Medallon ITA PROG

	£		23
	$		30

IL ROVESCIO DELLA MEDAGLIA - Io come Io Lp 

limited edition reissue gimmik cover

with medallion

on SONY Records

Cat n: 88697369481

ROVESCIO DELLA MEDAGLIA HISTORY:

First LP La Bibbia, released in 1971, was basically a very good hard-rock album with slight prog influences, recorded live in studio and accompanied by a distinctive round medallion-shaped booklet
The second one, Io come io a year later, was in the same style, with ambitious philosophical lyrics inspired from Hegel works. A short album (less than 30 minutes) but again a really good one!

In 1973 a fifth member was added, keyboard player Franco Di Sabbatino, also from Pescara, like Pino Ballarini, and briefly with Il Paese dei Balocchi.
With their sound enriched by the keyboards, Il Rovescio released the third album, Contaminazione, with the help of argentine composer Luis Enriquez Bacalov, who had already worked with New Trolls for their Concerto Grosso and Osanna.
The album was obviously more in a symphonic direction, and was also released in an English-sung version and issued in many foreign countries, to try to launch the group abroad. The English language album appeared in Italy in 1975 only, when the band had already split up.

By this time the band was being renowned for their powerful performances, always played at the loudest possible volume and helped by a unique sound system. This is what the Contamination LP liner notes said about it (originally written in English, mistakes and all...): "Their instrumentation is among the moste interesting in Europe. The 6000 watt Mack vocal equipment is quadrophonic and is equivalent to 36 track amplifiers. The console table is really a portable recording studio with filters, compressors, etc. The guitar, the battery and the keyboards have 900 watt amplifiers. The keyboards consist of a vertical B Hammond organ, a harmonium, an eminent for the reproduction of strings, two VCS synthesizers, a 200 Harp [it was probably an ARP], and two mini moog synthesizers. The lighting equipment is also important. There are 50 spotlights which produce colors and special effects. On a special screen behind the group, slides and films are projected to produce abstract musical effects.". 
Not bad for an Italian band, and no one else in Italy had such a powerful live act!

But... in December 1973 the stealing of their big and expensive PA brought the band close to the end, with Pino Ballarini leaving for Switzerland (briefly replaced by Michele Zarrillo from Semiramis) and the others continuing as an instrumental-only band. The live album Giudizio avrai, privately released by the band in the late 80's, contains a recording from this period, with the band's sound dominated by the keyboards.

Last release is a single from 1975 (there's a mention on its cover of a new album, but this was never released), then the band had various line-up changes up to 1977. 

Bassist Stefano Urso founded Europe, authors in the early 80's of an album (Bubble BLU-19609) and some singles in pop/rock style.
In early 90's guitarist Enzo Vita reformed the band with a new line-up and released a new CD called Il ritorno, different from their past production and more AOR-inspired, as its follower Vitae (recorded earlier).

Io come io has never been reissued on vinyl, original has a thin cardboard gatefold cover with a large hole in the middle where a bronze medallion was housed in very few early copies (a real rarity among collectors, and a very expensive one indeed!). Apparently, according to the press advertisements issued at the time of its release, 7000 copies of the album came with the medallion, created by the florentine artist Brandimarte (whose signature is visible on the back of the originals).
The gatefold cover contains a single sheet glued in the centre, which has the lyrics printed on the back. Three different versions exist of the front side of this sheet, see the pictures below:
-the first one is almost completely black on the front side and the sheet can be folded in four parts; this was the one used to contain the bronze medallion;
-a second one has a large picture of the band on front, and this can be viewed through the centre hole on the cover; 
-a third one, the rarest of them all, has a picture reproducing the medallion that can be seen through the hole.
This LP was reissued for the first time on vinyl by BMG in 2008, in a limited pressing having the same cover as the original and a reproduction of the medallion, this time in silver/grey metal rather than in bronze colour.

(www.italianprog.com)

TOP RARE!!

Condition:

STILL SEALED!

Shipping & Handling :

Europe airmail registered postage is £ 12 (UK included).

USA airmail registered postage is £ 17

AUSTRALIA airmail registered postage is £ 20

ITALY (Traco - Executive) is £ 7

Records will be shipped in boxes specially designed for records, the record will be removed from its cover to avoid damage in shipping and plastic covers or a bag will be included. 

PAYPAL PREFERRED!

ITALY: Paypal, Vaglia postale, Bonifico Bancario, Bollettino di c/c postale, EuroCash in reg. letter (your risk)

EUROPE: Paypal, Bank Transfer, Euro Cash in reg. letter (your risk)

USA and MOST OF OTHER COUNTRIES: PAYPAL ONLY

WE SHIP FROM ITALY! 

Payment must be received within 7 days of auction's end.

Bid with confidence!!

Thanks for looking

RESTITUZIONE ACCETTATA. SPEDIZIONE ENTRO 5 GG. DAL RICEVIMENTO SPESE A CARICO DELL'ACQUIRENTE.
RIMBORSO IMMEDIATO DOPO AVVENUTA RICEZIONE MERCE RESTITUITA PER IL VALORE MERCE ESCLUSE SPESE DI SPEDIZIONE.

RETURNS ACCEPTED WITHIN 5 DAYS. SHIPPING CHARGES TO BE PAID BY THE BUYER.
PAYMENT RETURNS WILL BE MADE IMMEDIATELY AFTER RECEIVING ITEM WITH THE EXCLUSION OF SHIPPING.

 Be sure to add me to your favorites list!Check out my other items!Sign up for PayPal; the fast, easy, and secure way to pay online.