Did you have any thoughts about I Like Chopin becoming such a huge hit, selling more than 10 million copies?
As I said… At the time my only worry was to find a good follow up to Masterpiece. A good hit in the dance scene. The success of this song is unbelievable.The other day I was in Kazakhstan and the audience sang it accappella from the first word to the last!!

After introduction with I Like Chopin, i would like to start talking about your beginning. Your biography is very interesting, so please tell me about your childehood, where you were born and some other data, to know you better ?
I was born in Beyrouth (Lebanon) as my father was working at the Italian Embassy at the time (he was a diplomat). That was in 1960. Then we moved to Jordany and then after the 6 days war we went to Copenhagen in Denmark (a much safer place !) That's where I spent my best time in an American school, learning my first Bob Dylan and Simon and Garfunkel things on guitar. After that, we moved to France (and my studies got more academic) and then, finally, in 1975, back to Rome.
In Rome I started my first experiments with bands and songwriting while going to highschool. After school I went to London (on and off), working as a guitarist in Italian restaurants, and trying to find my way in the music scene. I met a lot of interesting musicians amongst which Denis Haines (at the time with Gary Numan's Tubeway Army) with whom I worked later on. In the meantime as I said when I was in Rome I'd meet Pierluigi either at his place or mine (we both had 4 track recording machines) to write songs. The idea was to put up a band but it was hard to find someone willing to invest So we gave up at a certain point and he went to the army while I started knocking at record companies' doors trying to get signed.

Paolo Micioni had produced a couple of projects of ours (China Express and Range) and wanted to do something with me. We decided to start with Masterpiece, called Pierluigi in and did it. It was first released as a "white label" but the feedback was great and we released it with a wholesaler in Milan called DiscOtto. One day Freddy was on the highway and heard the song on the radio. He called his secretary and said " I want this artist !! at any cost !" The rest is .. Well you probably know it :-)) !!

Did you choose your name Gazebo, or someone else did, and how ?
At the time DJs in Italy (we never dreamt of selling outside of Italy) were quite provincial and would have snobbed the record if we released it with my real name (hopefully that has changed now !) so I chose gazebo from the lyrics of Masterpiece ("Talking of cinema in the gazebo...") and that I kept :-))

I think 1981 was crucial for your music career, when you met Paolo Micioni. He produced your first hit Masterpiece. How did you meet him, and tell me about your first steps with him ? Did you work with him only till year 1983 ?
I must admit he was the first (and only at the time) producer who believed in me. He liked my music (even the one I did alone) and so I gave him credit. But then he did a couple of mistakes (so called) and that deteriorated our relationship. After Masterpiece we did some demoing together with another couple of musicians from his entourage but the material was not strong in my opinion so I asked Freddy if I could call in Pierluigi and that's how it all went.

In the same year, 1983., you signed for Baby Records. Would you tell me about your work with them ?
I am also interested in the way how you, or they, contacted you, I mean how all began ?
As I said Freddy wanted to sign me, and at the time Baby Records was the most dynamic record company in Italy, and I knew that I couldn't sign with a wholesaler. I needed a good record company who would invest on promotion and on a video. Baby was my first choice. I went to Milan, Freddy asked me "Can you dance ?" I said "No". He frowned.Then said "What will you do in front of the TV camera ?". I said : " I won't" move a muscle. I want the camera to look in my eyes" He started sweating. Then he said:"You're crazy..." I left the building with my first record deal an hour later !! Hehehe....

Did you met other Baby records artists, like Joe Yellow, La Bionda...? I am trying to gather as many information as I can about other italo disco artists so I hope you can understand why I am asking you this ?!
No, sorry. I met La Bionda but much later .. The other artists I met at Baby Records were people like Pupo, Toto Cutugno and Ricchi e Poveri...

When did you leave Baby Records and why ? I guess that's happend in 1985 when you set up your own company Lunatic?
After the army, I realized that Freddy was not interested in me as an artist with perspective... Basically as soon as I'd flop a record I'd be put in the back. So even if it was the hard way, I chose my independence. Also Freddy didn't want to work with Pierluigi and offered me to cooperate with Chieregatto and Turatti whom I didn't know at the time except from a demo of what was going to be USSR sung by Eddy Huntington. The song was not bad, but it was not in my musical direction.

I wonder, Lunatic is your song released for Baby Records in 1983 and you set up Lunatic S. r. l. in 1985, two years later. Did Baby Records allow you to use the name of the song you released under their label ? What I wanna ask, it's about copyrights, how things going in that filed ? Did you "own" rights on all your songs (names, lyrics, production etc.) and later you can use it in a way you want ?
Well... Lunatic was my intellectual property. No one could have stopped me from using the name for the company unless there already was another company with the same name.

You co-wrote song Dolce Vita for Ryan Paris. This song became huge hit as well as I Like Chopin and still today we can here this song play on various radio stations around the world ?
Yeah! It was supposed to be in my first album (actually I thought it was a good follow up to Masterpiece because they talked about the movie scenes. Hollywood and Cinecittà) but Freddy didn't like it. Nobody's perfect he he he... It was a good idea and it came to me while I was reading a gossip magazine. I called Pierluigi and he had this cool bass line. And there you go :-)

Could you tell me about you co-operation with Ryan Paris ? Who is Ryan Paris ? I know so little about him, so if you could tell me in a few words something about him ?
Ryan Paris (Fabio Roscioli) was a friend of ours. When Baby turned the song down we looked around He was tall, good looking, blue eyes (Italian girls love blue eyes) and could sing. His accent wasn't perfect but that didn't prevent Dolce Vita to reach n°1 in UK !! He's a nice chap and as far as I know lives in Germany now.

Could you tell me more about your co-work, if there was, with some other italo disco artists from the 80's ? Here I particulary mean on Roberto "Savage" Zanetti (I and other people think that you both have many things in common, in musical way of course, we could say that you are good friends, melancolic melodies, similiar in a very nice way). Also I mean on P. Lion?
P. Lion is a very good friend and I think he's a really nice person. We worked together in 2000 on a Happy Children remix and have always planned on doing something together (a Blues Brothers band with Albert One !) I know Roberto from the 80'. But have never worked with him. He's had a very busy period with his successful productions.

In some of mine previous interviews with Tom Hooker, P. Lion, Eddy Huntington, they all said how great and very professional producer/artist you are ! Do you like when you get great critics from your professional colleagues ?
Who doesn't ! It's very nice to meet these guys and talk about each others adventures. Someone should write a book !! As far as professionality. I can't judge. I know I've made mistakes in my career but I always tried to be sincere and honest towards myself and the others. Maybe that paid off.

As I like to say that italian disco music of the 80's is part of my soul and style of my living, I would like to know what do you think about that period ? You don't have to tell me nice things if you don't think about that period nice !?
The 80' have been quite peculiar. People are nostalgic because the world (at least the occidental world) had fewer major problems, people were making money, were enjoying life. Maybe a bit superficially. Then came the 90' with Saddam and the war in ex Jugloslavia (of which you know much better unfortunately) and the financial situation shaking. And one tries to remember the good times. The 80' were definitely the era of "plastic".

In every interview I ask artist about his favorite italo disco song and artist. So, could you tell me who were your best ?
I'm embarassed because I very rarely listen to Italo disco and I feel very ignorant compared to specialists like you ! I was more into English new wave at the time. Amongst the Italians I've always liked Another Life by Kano and of course Happy Children by P.Lion.

You were going on various concerts around Italy and Europe in those years and you met other italo disco artists. I guess you had great and funny time or it was just strictly business?
Fun time only ! Except for one that I won't name who turned to be a real idiot. I discovered in the studio that he didn¹t originally even sing his own songs !!

I am pretty sure on which name you mean ! I can ask you to read my interview with Tom Hooker. Tom Hooker was straightforward and said the name. Although I think we, fans, always knew what was going on. Yes, very disappointing for many fans. To cover something like that, studios needed some sort of "skills", I suppose. Also, maybe in the 80s, it was easier to cover up from any negative publicity, or hide some secrets, because media were not so "big". Nowadays it has become practicly impossible, or maybe it is still possible ? What do you think ?
Well .. I'm sure there are still a lot of "fakes" around. Nowadays digital technology can do miracles, believe me :-)) It's harder to find. But there are still many mediocre singers who sound great on their records.

Italo Disco videos were rare, and lots of artists didn't made videos. In one way it's understandable, because of the style of italo disco, here I mean on fact that one "voice" had lots of pseudonyms. Did you like to make videos ?
Well, I enjoyed it. We went to London and worked like if it was a movie set. It was cool, the video is in my opinion (I Like Chopin by director David Rose) very, very nic,e and still many fans ask me if the love affair was between the two girls or between me and each of them. Very intriguing :-) I think the real reason for which many Italo artists didn¹t make videos is because it was very expensive at the time and the wholesalers (who produced 90% of italo dance) didn't think in terms of promotion and marketing. It was a new thing at the time and you had to go to London if you wanted something decent.

Very intriguing indeed :-) So, what was your answer regarding fan's question? :-)
I can't answer for two reasons :
1. I don't know! (it's a free interpretation), in real life I can tell you I was with the brunette (Sheryl Stevens - she is on the cover of the first album too) and the blonde on the set was very interesting. And very interested too :-))) Real is more than fantasy sometimes.
2. Even if I did know. I can't spoil my fan's curiosity they must remain with this doubt!