The Trip (band)
Encyclopedia
The Trip were a British
-Italian
progressive rock
band of the early 1970s. While their career was less successful than those of Italian progressive rock prominent bands such as Premiata Forneria Marconi
or Banco del Mutuo Soccorso
, they were very popular for a few years, and were very appreciated by the critics, especially because of their talented leader, keyboard player Joe Vescovi, who is often referred to as the Italian counterpart of Keith Emerson
. The band is also notable as British guitarist Ritchie Blackmore
was in the The Trip's personnel before joining Deep Purple
.
in 1966, when Riki Maiocchi of I Camaleonti fame decided to create a new band to explore the new opportunities brought about by the advent of psychedelic rock
. In London, Maiocchi had met with Ian Broad, who joined in Maiocchi's project; they also recruited Ritchie Blackmore
(on guitar), Arvid "Wegg" Andersen (bass and vocals) and William Gray (also on guitar). The band debuted in Italy under name "Maiocchi and the Trip". In 1968, Blackmore left to join Deep Purple
and was replaced by Luciano Galdolfi. When Gandolfi, Maiocchi, and Broad left, new and fundamental additions were made to the personnel, namely Joe Vescovi (keyboards) and Pino Sinnone (drums).
In 1970, the band (who had been renamed "The Trip") signed for RCA Italiana, releasing their first, eponymous album. At the time, progressive rock was still not clearly defined as a genre; The Trip is in fact a rather traditional rock
and blues
album. Also in 1970, the band was featured in a surrealistic
Italian movie by the title Terzo Canale: Avventura a Montecarlo.
The Trip's second release Caronte
(1971) was a major shift towards progressive rock. It was a concept album
which blended mythological themes, structured compositions, and virtuoso keyboard playing by Vescovi. Caronte included songs that paid tribute to rock giants Jimi Hendrix
and Janis Joplin
.
After Caronte, Gray and Sinnone left; a new drummer was hired, Furio Chirico. This line-up released Atlantide (1972); at the time, The Trip had become a trio (keyboards, bass, and drums) and their overall sound came as close as ever to that of Emerson, Lake & Palmer
. In 1973 that same lineup released the last official album of the band, Time of Change, this time with label Trident. This too was a mythology-themed concept album, with a sound that blended progressive rock and jazz
elements.
After Time of Change the group disbanded, with Chirico leaving to establish his own band Arti e Mestieri, that also had some success in the Italian progressive rock scene. Vescovi joined band Acqua Fragile
and then Dik Dik
, one of the most popular Italian pop-rock bands of the time.
The band reunited briefly in 2010 (with a line-up consisting of Vescovi, Andersen, and Chirico, along with new members Fabrizio Chiarelli and Angelo Perini) to participate in progressive rock festival "Prog Exhibition" (held in Rome
in 5–6 November).
All albums have been re-released several times by different labels.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
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 of the early 1970s. While their career was less successful than those of Italian progressive rock prominent bands such as 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...
or Banco del Mutuo Soccorso
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso is an Italian rock band. A popular progressive rock band in the 1970s, they continued making music in the 1980s and 1990s...
, they were very popular for a few years, and were very appreciated by the critics, especially because of their talented leader, keyboard player Joe Vescovi, who is often referred to as the Italian counterpart of Keith Emerson
Keith Emerson
Keith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
. The band is also notable as British guitarist Ritchie Blackmore
Ritchie Blackmore
Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
was in the The Trip's personnel before joining Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
.
History
The band was established in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1966, when Riki Maiocchi of I Camaleonti fame decided to create a new band to explore the new opportunities brought about by the advent of psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
. In London, Maiocchi had met with Ian Broad, who joined in Maiocchi's project; they also recruited Ritchie Blackmore
Ritchie Blackmore
Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
(on guitar), Arvid "Wegg" Andersen (bass and vocals) and William Gray (also on guitar). The band debuted in Italy under name "Maiocchi and the Trip". In 1968, Blackmore left to join Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
and was replaced by Luciano Galdolfi. When Gandolfi, Maiocchi, and Broad left, new and fundamental additions were made to the personnel, namely Joe Vescovi (keyboards) and Pino Sinnone (drums).
In 1970, the band (who had been renamed "The Trip") signed for RCA Italiana, releasing their first, eponymous album. At the time, progressive rock was still not clearly defined as a genre; The Trip is in fact a rather traditional rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
album. Also in 1970, the band was featured in a surrealistic
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
Italian movie by the title Terzo Canale: Avventura a Montecarlo.
The Trip's second release Caronte
Caronte
Caronte is the second album released by the Italian progressive rock band The Trip, in 1971. It is a concept album based on the Charon character from Dante's Divine Comedy, recast as a metaphor of conformism; Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin are mentioned, respectively in songs Ultima ora e ode a...
(1971) was a major shift towards progressive rock. It was a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
which blended mythological themes, structured compositions, and virtuoso keyboard playing by Vescovi. Caronte included songs that paid tribute to rock giants Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
.
After Caronte, Gray and Sinnone left; a new drummer was hired, Furio Chirico. This line-up released Atlantide (1972); at the time, The Trip had become a trio (keyboards, bass, and drums) and their overall sound came as close as ever to that 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...
. In 1973 that same lineup released the last official album of the band, Time of Change, this time with label Trident. This too was a mythology-themed concept album, with a sound that blended progressive rock and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
elements.
After Time of Change the group disbanded, with Chirico leaving to establish his own band Arti e Mestieri, that also had some success in the Italian progressive rock scene. Vescovi joined band Acqua Fragile
Acqua Fragile
Acqua Fragile was an italian progressive rock band, active from 1971 to 1975. The band was established in the city of Parma. Bernardo Lanzetti, leader and vocalist of the band, is best known for his work with Premiata Forneria Marconi and has played in many other progressive rock acts, including...
and then Dik Dik
Dik Dik
Dik Dik are an Italian beat-pop-rock band, established in the 1960s and still in activity. They were most popular in the late 1960s, when they released a string of hit singles with the contribution of renowned lyric-writer Mogol and songwriter Lucio Battisti, their greatest successes being Sognando...
, one of the most popular Italian pop-rock bands of the time.
The band reunited briefly in 2010 (with a line-up consisting of Vescovi, Andersen, and Chirico, along with new members Fabrizio Chiarelli and Angelo Perini) to participate in progressive rock festival "Prog Exhibition" (held in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 5–6 November).
Personnel
- Joe Vescovi (keyboards, vocals)
- Arvid "Wegg" Andersen - (bass, vocals)
- Pino Sinnone - (drums; until 1971)
- William Gray - (guitar, vocals; until 1971)
- Furio Chirico - (drums; since 1972)
- Nunzio Favia - (drums; since 1974)
Album
- The Trip (RCA, 1970)
- CaronteCaronteCaronte is the second album released by the Italian progressive rock band The Trip, in 1971. It is a concept album based on the Charon character from Dante's Divine Comedy, recast as a metaphor of conformism; Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin are mentioned, respectively in songs Ultima ora e ode a...
(RCA, 1971) - Atlantide (RCA, 1972)
- Time of change (Trident, 1973)
All albums have been re-released several times by different labels.
Singles
- Una pietra colorata/Incubi (from The Trip, RCA 1970)
- Fantasia/Travellin' Soul (from the Terzo canale movie soundtrack, RCA 1970)
- Believe in Yourself/Little Janie (from Caronte, RCA 1971)
- Corale/Formula nova (from Time of Change, Trident 1973)