Marcello at his home
Roberto Turatti &
Marcello
Donatella De Gaetano,
Marcello and Eros Ramazzotti
Rene D'Herin
Domino, Aleph, Ken
Laszlo, Savage
Marcello &
Mauro Farina
Swan at Stage
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The
one and only - Marcello d'Azzurro!!! Marcello, thank you so much for this
interview and I am glad you are now part of my italo interviews collection.
First of all, Marcello, please could you say what Italo Disco means to you
personally?
Italo disco is my life, my love and brings me happiness each and every day.
Music has always been the connection for friendship and respect. Over the
years I met so many people because of the music.
How you got in contact with Italo Disco? The first song you heard was.....
I started to collect records because I hated finding a favourite track on
an audio-cassette, so I started to buy vinyls and listening to "pirate"radio
stations I was forced to search for import records. Buying these discs,
I discovered that a lot of tracks came from Italy, but in those days it
wasn't called italo disco, just disco. One example can be the Peter Jacques
Band or Tantra. The sound that you may call italo disco came into my life
with songs like Klein M.B.O.
– “Dirty Talk”, B.B.
& Band – “All Night Long” / “That Special
Magic”, 'Lectric Workers – “Robot Is Systematic”
& Casco – “Cybernetic love”.
Artists, producers, italo fans... like you very much! What is the secret?
;-)
Honesty ! I always try to be me, not trying to play a part as an actor.
What you see is what you get ;-) Be friendly and respectful to everyone
and never forget to keep your smile..!
In your opinion, how come that Holland became the main base of Italo
Disco, not Italy?
First of all I think that the Italians made italo disco for the export;
not many italo disco artists were present in the top 10 sales of those days.
Some exceptions were Den Harrow, Savage,
Taffy, Tom Hooker, Sandy Marton,
Albert One, Martinelli. Successes of italo artists in Germany, Spain and
France lead to performances in clubs and T.V. studios. However in Holland
I was the first to organize italo parties with the less known artists too.
How you established “i Venti d'Azzurro“ club and can you
tell about the history in chronological order please?
First I started my dance charts with my own initials: “MB dance charts”
(1984). But soon after I was asked to print more copies for local record
stores and I decided to compose my charts exclusively with Italian productions
under the name of “i Venti d'Azzurro”. Venti means...20. The
twenty positions in the charts. Azzurro is the national colour of Italy.
1986 became the booming year for my 'hobby' company: I was asked to present
a disco show at Radio
Stad Den Haag and this show became the most popular program of the year
and in 1987 for that matter. So in fact the combination of charts, radio
show and italo parties appeared to be the firm base for the brand ”i
Venti d'Azzurro”. With my own invested money I printed stickers, t-shirts
and so on and the people appreciated this very much.
You started to publish
“i Venti d'Azzurro” Magazines in the 80s? How you got the
idea for that and tell me more about the project? The original issue
was in colour, other copies were in white & black? Where did you distribute
them etc?
In the 80's most of the charts were one sided prints and I started to
give the people more info regarding the artists/productions at the other
side of the charts. People liked that very much, especially the Italians:
I remember one day at Discomagic office where Roberto Zanetti saw my special
about Lee Marrow. He was happily surprised about this service to the people
and so was Anna Lombardoni. One of the specials following that Italian
holiday was the one with original music and lyrics from Discomagic as
a summer special. The originals are always full colour, but for big quantities
we printed in black/white.
Would you describe the 80s atmosphere in Holland, among all Italo
Disco fans?
We call ourselves the italo family which indicates the friendly relations
we have as fans.
I always wondered which Italo artist became first you met and would
you describe how that happened and something more about that?
Actually, I need to start with Gianni Demarin, because he is the one as
a d.j. who invited me to Italy after our first contact and introduced
me to Discomagic, Il Discotto, Merak Music, etc. Staying at his fathers
apartment we planned the visits to the companies and the artists and the
very first was Jimmy McFoy, immediately followed by Fred
Ventura, Roberto Turatti, Den Harrow, Anna Lombardoni, Ago, Savage,
Gianfranco Bortolotti, Alan Barry. Becoming a friend of Eros Ramazzotti
is something I care for very much. But also being friends with people
like Emanuele Cozzi & Davide Scarpulla (PAPS 'n' SKAR), Nathalie Aarts
(SOUNDLOVERS), Annerley "ANN LEE" Gordon, Paola Peroni, Giorgio
"ATRIUM" Conti, Giorgio Dolce, Graziano
Pegoraro, Aurelio "LEGEND" Pitino, René D'Herin,
Alessandra/Mirka "DOMINO"
Gatti, ROBERT CAMERO, radio-DJ Angelo Caruso, Albertino "ALBY
DJ", DJ KRI, the SAIFAM -Team.......
Did you have many international contacts with fans in the 80s, because
in the 80s computers were, let's say, just in our imagination, something
like 'future brain'? ;-)
I had the wellknown P.O.Box 1172 and I received many, many letters written
by fans from all over the world. It was a big pleasure to read the happiness
that italo-disco brought into their lives.
Which Italo Disco record was your first one in your collection?
As ITALO-DISCO-record probably 'Lectric Workers - Robot is Systematic,
but in the same time I bought B.B. & Band, Casco, Diana Est, Klein
& M.B.O., Gary Low and many more. But remember that I bought records
already long before those …….
I wonder how many Italo records you have today? ;-) Is there any Italo
record on this planet you missed and now you are searching for it, he
he....?
Thousands of kilo's of vinyls. But I am still looking for Lou Grant –
“Maharadja Night” (Time Records 12” vinyl) - Moskow
– “Come Back” (12” vinyl), so if there is anyone
who can help me finding ? ;-)
You were not THE only connection between artists and fans, but you
started to sing and established your own band NRG Boys? Would you tell
me more about it please? How and with whom you decided to go into this
project, when that happened etc.?
One day in the early year of 1990 Giancarlo Pasquini (Aleph/Dave
Rodgers) was willing to listen to the lyrics I had written with my
“i Venti”- friends Eddy Pareggio and Danny Silenzio. Giancarlo
liked them, we created a melody and started to record that first track
for N.R.G. Boys called “en.er.gy” (A. Beat-C). 
To remain a freelancer between other established labels & companies
I decided to sing the track, but not wanted to be present on the cover.
The track was modestly successful in Japan, so there was a follow up called
”Heart & Body” 
which was a great success including
a Japanese remix on Avex-label. The third song was “Hyperbeat Tonight”
There should have been a fourth
single, but with Andrea Leonardi (Bratt Sinclaire) leaving the A.Beat-C
company, this track (called “Go Say Goal”) was published with
Delta Records and became a hit for Morris and Cherry (Clara
Moroni).
A special place in my heart I have for the EuroBeat scene in general:
The A.Beat-C Team, The Delta Team, Domino & Sandro
Oliva (Go Go's Music), Evelina Somenzi & Stefano Castagna (SCP),
Christian "ACE" Codenotti, Claudio
Accatino & Federico Rimonti (Hi-NRG ATTACK), Giacomo Maiolini
(il capo ;-) & Sergio Dall'Ora (Time Records), Andrea Leonardi (Sinclaire
Style), .... I also need to mention the super feelings I keep because
of the opportunity to sing/write with FRED VENTURA, in the Time Studio,
with Laurent Gelmetti, for songs like "Won't you be my lover tonight"
- MARC B. and "Magic and Joy" - PLEASURE & PAIN (Time Records
1241/1240)!
Marcello, what is your other occupation, besides music?
I'm a teacher in school to make money for my everyday living.
Have you ever been a deejay? If so, would you tell us something about
that side of your music work and if not do you had wish to be deejay?
No, I have never been a DJ. I've always been a speaker at the radio and
at italo-disco-parties because I have been lucky to be friends with people
like Peter (Hithouse) Slaghuis who did a far better job than I could ever
do. And nowadays I am fortunate with my “fratello” Paolo-Jay
(www.musicisnow.nl),
working together at www.fresh.fm
radio, every Sunday-evening 22:00 hrs CET, plus with “tecnico del
suono” & walking “encyclopedia” Gino Peterink ;-)
Are you able to tell us your top 5 italo disco records of all time?
Depends on the moment and all memories I had while recording some songs
like “Sugar Love” in the studio together with Jimmy McFoy,
Romano Trevisani, Claudio Collino, Davide Sabadin, Gianni Demarin. For
many years “Colour My Love” by Fun Fun was one of my all time
favourites but also songs like “Forever Lovers” by Italian
Boys, “Come Back” by Moscow, and not to forget the number
one for a lot of people “Right By The Moon” by K. Barre. I
can go on and on...........
And maybe you could tell us your favourite artists?! ;-)
Usually I think in terms of respect for the artists; people like Roberto
“SAVAGE” Zanetti, Federico “FRED VENTURA” di Bonaventura,
Alberto “ONE” Carpani, Mauro
Farina, Clara Moroni, Laurent “NEWFIELD” Gelmetti, Giancarlo
“DAVE RODGERS” Pasquini, Anfrando
“KOTO” Maiola, Massimo “PHAEAX” Gabutti, Alvaro
“X-Energy Records” Ugolini, Lino “NOVECENTO” Nicolosi,
Vince “SCOTCH” Lancini, Paul
“GAZEBO” Mazzolini, Fabrizio
“BRIAN ICE” Rizzolo, Piermichele “MIKO MISSION”
Bozzetti, Roberto Turatti, Gianni
“KEN LASZLO” Coraini, Celso Valli, Mauro Malavasi, Theo
Spagna, Silvio “SILVER” Pozzoli, etc. etc. etc.
Marcello,
could you tell us about your recent work, I mean particularly about i
Venti d'Azzurro Records, I.D.Limited and Delivery Records?! How you
got an idea about establish these labels?
Nothing in this life can be done without friends. Already in the 90's
I spoke with Lex van Coeverden about possibilities of working together,
but not until four years ago when I sat together with Lex, Ferry, Edward
& Gino 
we decided to kick off. Right
from the start with the help of Savino D.J.. We had the support of the
fans with the release of “Shining Star” by Swan. It gave us
a massive motivation to move on and up ‘till now, as we speak, we
reached almost 20 releases, a wonderful achievement.
In
these new releases you sing some backing vocals, don't you?! Could you
tell us more about it please?
I have always found great pleasure in singing especially when I could
work together with Italian artists. Now with our own releases I still
feel the joy of singing some parts (leads/backing) like in the Ken Laszlo
song and in the future release by Marc & Susy.
Do
you feel your current work with new labels equal to those things in the
80s and are you feeling nostalgic about past?
I am equally excited with every new release ! The tension and the pleasure
is the same!
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