Photos of Ghosts is the first English language album by the Italian progressive rock

Progressive rock

Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...

 band Premiata Forneria Marconi

Premiata Forneria Marconi

Premiata Forneria Marconi is an Italian progressive rock band. They were the first Italian group to have success abroad, entering both the British and American charts. Between 1973 and 1977 they released five albums with English lyrics...

, also known as "PFM". Released in the U.S. in October 1973, it was the first album by an Italian rock group to appear on the American charts. The album peaked at #180 on the Billboard 200

Billboard 200

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

 albums chart in November 1973.

PFM was discovered by Greg Lake

Greg Lake

Gregory Stuart "Greg" Lake is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a vocalist and bassist of King Crimson, and the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.-1960s: King Crimson:...

 of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...

 while on an Italian tour. The band was signed to Manticore Records

Manticore Records

Manticore Records was the record label launched by Emerson, Lake & Palmer's production company Manticore in 1973. The manticore is featured in the artwork for the album Tarkus by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, . Initially the label was jointly owned with Island Records, but that partnership was dissolved...

, a label created by ELP, soon after. Five of seven songs on this album have new lyrics (not translations) written by former King Crimson

King Crimson

King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...

 lyricist Peter Sinfield

Peter Sinfield

Peter John Sinfield is an English poet, lyricist and artist, most famously known as the lyricist and co-founding member of early incarnations of King Crimson, whose debut album In the Court of the Crimson King has been regarded as one of the most influential progressive rock albums ever...

. Sinfield produced the new recording and mixing at Advision Studios

Advision Studios

- Origins :Founded in the 1960s by Guy Whetstone and Stephen Appleby, Advision originally provided voiceovers and jingles for television advertisements. The studio was initially located at 83 New Bond Street, but moved to 23 Gosfield Street in 1969. The studio complex was built to be able to house...

 in London.

The best known song from this album, Celebration, had significant airplay on FM

FM broadcasting

FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...

 Album-oriented rock

Album-oriented rock

Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...

 stations across the U.S. and Canada. The version heard here is a 1973 re-recording made specifically for this album. It was originally recorded in 1971 as "È festa" for PFM's debut album, Storia di un minuto

Storia di un minuto

Storia Di Un Minuto is the first album of the italian progressive rock band Premiata Forneria Marconi. It was released by the Numero Uno division of RCA Records in Italy...

. Also unique to this album is a new instrumental titled Old Rain. Photos of Ghosts includes 5 songs from PFM's second album Per un amico

Per un amico

Per Un Amico is the second album from the Italian band Premiata Forneria Marconi.Released in 1972 by all the initial members of the group, it is considered their breakthrough album that put them on the map...

 (1972.) Four of these recordings have new English lyrics. "Mr. 9 'till 5" was originally an instrumental titled "Generale". Il Banchetto ("The Banquet") is a remixed version of the Italian track from Per un amico

Per un amico

Per Un Amico is the second album from the Italian band Premiata Forneria Marconi.Released in 1972 by all the initial members of the group, it is considered their breakthrough album that put them on the map...

.

Side 1

1. "River of life" (Appena un po) - 7:00
2. "Celebration" (È festa) - 3:53
3. "Photos of Ghosts" (Per un amico) - 5:23
4. "Old Rain" - 3:41

Side 2

1. "Il Banchetto" - 8:36
2. "Mr. 9 'till 5" (Generale) - 4:11
3. "Promenade the Puzzle" (Geranio) - 7:29

(song titles shown in parentheses are the original Italian language recordings, from which the English recordings were adapted.)

Charts

Year	Chart	Position
1973	US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...	180