Umberto Tozzi

Umberto Tozzi ( born March 4, 1952 in Turin ) is an Italian musician.

Life

In 1968 he started as a guitarist in the rock band Turin 'Off Sound', whose members at that time, just like Tozzi, 16 years old were. He then went with Adriano Pappalardo, whose group included a total of 13 musicians, on a nationwide tour.

1974, at age 22, Umberto Tozzi began to write songs for others. This year, was produced together with Damiano Dattoli, Un corpo un'anima, which was sung by Wess and Dori Ghezzi at Canzonissima and won there right away.

After this success as a songwriter to the next phase, in which he started his own songs and sing even began. At this time, the co-operation with Giancarlo Bigazzi began. In 1976 he wrote Io camminerò. Fausto Leali interpreted this song successfully. In the same year Tozzi recorded his first solo album, Donna amante mia, where he among other things, Io camminerò interpreted again themselves.

The big break came for Tozzi in the late 1970s with a hit hat-trick: In 1977, he landed with Ti amo an international bestseller in 1978 held Tu and 1979 appeared the successful Gloria. In the production of the album Tozzi Gloria trod for the first time an unusual for its time path. The album was recorded in Union Studio Munich with only non-Italian musicians. The most famous among them were guitarist Lee Ritenour and the jazz pianist Greg Mathieson, who was also responsible for all arrangements. In addition, Barry Morgan Drums, Les Hurdle bass and Mats Björklund played guitar. Some tracks were recorded by the Munich studio musicians Curt Cress, drums, and Günther Gebauer, bass ( with no mention on the LP ). All three titles listed above were and are always gecovert internationally, said Gloria Laura Branigan version of probably the best known probably because she even was able to score a number -two hit in the U.S. charts. More recently, Umberto Tozzi conquered with the help of a duet with French singers rehearsed versions of its success from the late 1970s the French market (back). Multiple songs from his pen in movie soundtracks were also used, for example in Flashdance, One speaks deutsh and Asterix and Cleopatra.

The first live album was released in 1980: In concerto. The following year, the album Notte rosa appeared.

After a rather experimental phase in which the albums and Eva Hurrah arisen Tozzi took first time in 1987 at the Sanremo Festival and won this in a trio with Gianni Morandi and Enrico Ruggeri with Si può dare di più, a song that prompts social engagement. This hymn for years, served the Nazionale Cantanti (about: Italian singers national team) in their games for charitable purposes as the input music. In the spring Tozzi took together with Raf ( Self control ) with Gente di mare at the Grand Prix Euro Vision Song Contest in part, finished there third place and was awarded the Critics' Prize. In autumn, the album Invisible came on the market. This was followed in 1988 with the Royal Albert Hall, a second live recording.

The last was created in collaboration with Giancarlo Bigazzi album, Gli altri siamo noi, appeared in 1991. As a springboard for the eponymous single, the Festival of Sanremo served.

1994 won Umberto Tozzi ' Festivalbar ' with Io Muoio di te from the album Equivocando, his first work, for which he recorded entirely as a composer and lyricist and sold the most copies this year. After Il grido (1996 ), again entirely written and interpreted by Tozzi, 1997, a collaboration with Mogol for album Aria & Cielo followed. In the next few years, Sampler alternated with partially newly recorded versions of his evergreens (1999: Bagaglio a mano, 2002: The Best of Umberto Tozzi ) from with new albums that were each presented during the festival of Sanremo the great Italian audience: In 2000 Un'altra vita and 2005 Le parole.

Broke new ground Tozzi 2006, ' Heterogeneous Project ', in his eponymous album, he threw in some lounge track. The umbilical cord of his longtime record label CGD / Warner was delayed by compilation Tutto Tozzi. The joint project with Marco Masini but succeeded the jump towards MBO. The published end of 2006 album Tozzi Masini united a number of cheerful exchanged and new interpretations of songs with some remarkable arrangements with three duets of the two Italians. The subsequent joint tour was nominated for "Best Italian Tour 2007 ".

2009 brought Tozzi two albums on the market. In the spring it was the best of Non solo double album live, in September, the new studio album Superstar. Some of these new titles and all his hits, he presented the end of September as part of Open -air concerts in several cities of northern Italy in October and also in the framework of the traditional festivals in Steinegg Steinegg live near Bolzano in South Tyrol.

Umberto Tozzis repertoire ranges from soulful ballads to rock songs beatigen. Influenced by the music of the Beatles and Rolling Stones, he kept trying to make sound like the pop and rock English opera Italian. This Tozzi and Bigazzi was more important than the deeper meaning of what is said by his own admission the sound.

Overall, Umberto Tozzi always in their own country in a difficult position with most critics, including presumably because he was unlike the other cantautori never classify, about his art clearly politically left. They respect him because of his international success, but have difficulties with his texts and interpret his shyness resulting from restraint in public appearances as feeling cold. Abroad, these elements into the background, which is why Tozzis earwigs by audiences and critics alike appreciated. Throughout his career, Tozzi sold over 32 million records.

Discography

Albums

• Donna amante mia (1976 )
• È nell'aria ... ti amo (1977 )
• Tu ( 1978)
• Gloria (1979 )
• Tozzi (1980)
• In concerto - Live (1980, 2 LPs )
• Greatest Hits in Concert (1980 )
• Mama ( 1981)
• Notte rosa (1981 )
• Eva (1982 )
• Hurrah (1984 )
• Minuti di un'eternità - Greatest Hits (1987 )
• L'Invisible (1987 )
• Royal Albert Hall - Live ( 1988)
• Gli altri siamo noi (1991 )
• Le mie canzoni - Greatest Hits (1991 )
• Equivocando (1994)
• Il grido (1996 )
• Aria e cielo (1997)
• Bagaglio a mano - Greatest Hits (1999)
• Un'altra vita (2000)
• The Best of Umberto Tozzi - Greatest Hits (2002)
• Sélection Talents (2003)
• Le parole (2005)
• Heterogeneous Project - Heterogeneous (2006)
• Tutto Tozzi - Greatest Hits (2006)
• Tozzi - Masini ( with Marco Masini ) (2006 )
• Superstar ( 2009)
• Non solo Live (2009)
• Yesterday, Today / Yesterday - The Best of 1976-2012 (2012 )

Singles

• Donna amante mia (1976 )
• Ti amo (1977 )
• Tu ( 1978)
• Zingaro (1978 )
• Alleluia se (1979 )
• Gloria (1979 )
• Mamma Maremma (1979 )
• Stella stai (1980 )
• Dimmi di no (1980 )
• Qualcosa qualcuno (1980 )
• By Angela (1981 )
• Eva (1982 )
• Nell'aria c'è (1983 )
• Hurrah! (1984)
• Si può dare di più ( Morandi, Ruggeri, Tozzi ) ( 1987)
• Gente di mare ( Tozzi & Raff ) ( 1987)
• È la verità (Se non avessi te) (1987 )
• Immensamente (Remix ) ( 1988)
• Tozzi ... Live (1988 )
• Ti amo - Remix '90 (1990 )
• Gli altri siamo noi (1991 )
• Gli innamorati (1991 )
• Io Muoio di te (1994 )
• Lei ( 1994)
• Equivocando (1994)
• Miracolo d' amore (1996 )
• Il grido (1996 )
• Aria & cielo (1997)
• Ti Amo (1997)
• Io camminerò (1997)
• Virtually quasi (1997)
• Conchiglia di diamante (1999)
• Scivolando (2000)
• Tu ( 2001 version )
• E non volo (2002)
• Ti amo ( Rien que des mots ) ( with Lena Ka)
• Toi, tú ( with Cerena ) (2003 )
• Tu ( feeling Is Full Risk ) ( & Nockalmbahn Quintet )
• Petite Marie ( stella d' amore ) (2008 )

Swell