Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM) (translation: Award-winning Marconi Bakery)… Read Full Bio ↴Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM) (translation: Award-winning Marconi Bakery) is an Italian progressive rock band originating from Milan, Italy. 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. They also had several successful European and American tours, playing at the popular Reading Festival in England and on a very popular national television programme in the U.S.A.
PFM introduced new sounds, such as the synthesizer, to the Italian musical world. They were also among the first to combine symphonic classical and traditional Italian musical influences in a rock music context. Such innovations and their longevity have made them among the most important bands in the international Progressive rock genre.
The original core members of PFM (Franco Mussida, Franz Di Cioccio, Flavio Premoli, and Giorgio Piazza) came together in the mid 1960's while playing together as backup musicians for many different Italian pop, rock and folk singers such as Lucio Battisti, Mina, Adriano Celentano and Fabrizio De André. They appeared on many recordings for other artists during this period and quickly established themselves as top players on the Italian rock and pop scene. Mussida, Premoli, Piazza and Di Cioccio then formed the group "I quelli" (English translation "Them", or "Those Guys") in 1968. I quelli released one album and some successful Italian singles.
Premiata Forneria Marconi was officially formed in Milan, Italy in 1970 when the members of I quelli met Mauro Pagani from the group Dalton. Pagani helped the group expand their sound to include violin and flute. By this time they were already highly experienced musicians and easily able to play the kind of complex progressive heavy rock played by the leading English and American groups. Their early live performances included covers by groups such as King Crimson and Jethro Tull. Other early influences included Chicago, Ekseption, and The Flock.
They had a long name, as Italian progressive bands tended to have back then, and so were usually referred to as "La Premiata", and later "PFM". After rejecting Isotta-Fraschini (an Italian car maker) the group finally settled on Pagani's suggestion, "Forneria Marconi" (meaning "Marconi Bakery"), borrowed from the sign of a shop in the small town of Chiari, near Brescia. However, record producer and friend Alessandro Colombini suggested the name was not strong enough, so the title "Premiata" (award-winning) was added. Some objected that "Premiata Forneria Marconi" was too long a name, but the group's philosophy stated that the more difficult to remember a band's name, the more difficult to forget it.
The most recent line-up of PFM follows:
- Franco Mussida: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12 string guitar, mandolin, vocals (1970–present)
- Franz Di Cioccio: drums, percussion, lead and backing vocals (1970–present)
- Patrick Djivas: bass, programming (1974–present)
- Lucio Fabbri: violin, keyboards (1979–1987, 2000–present )
- Gianluca Tagliavini: piano, Hammond, Minimoog, other keyboards (2005–present)
- Piero Monterisi: additional drums (2006–present)
Former members of PFM follows:
- Flavio Premoli: piano, keyboards, Mellotron, Moog synthesizer, lead vocals (1970–1980, 1997–2005)
- Giorgio Piazza: bass (1970–1974)
- Mauro Pagani: flute, piccolo, violin, vocals (1970–1976)
- Bernardo Lanzetti: lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1975–1977)
- Gregory Bloch: violin (1976–1977)
- Walter Calloni: additional drums (1982–1987)
- Roberto Gualdi: additional drums (1997–2005)
PFM introduced new sounds, such as the synthesizer, to the Italian musical world. They were also among the first to combine symphonic classical and traditional Italian musical influences in a rock music context. Such innovations and their longevity have made them among the most important bands in the international Progressive rock genre.
The original core members of PFM (Franco Mussida, Franz Di Cioccio, Flavio Premoli, and Giorgio Piazza) came together in the mid 1960's while playing together as backup musicians for many different Italian pop, rock and folk singers such as Lucio Battisti, Mina, Adriano Celentano and Fabrizio De André. They appeared on many recordings for other artists during this period and quickly established themselves as top players on the Italian rock and pop scene. Mussida, Premoli, Piazza and Di Cioccio then formed the group "I quelli" (English translation "Them", or "Those Guys") in 1968. I quelli released one album and some successful Italian singles.
Premiata Forneria Marconi was officially formed in Milan, Italy in 1970 when the members of I quelli met Mauro Pagani from the group Dalton. Pagani helped the group expand their sound to include violin and flute. By this time they were already highly experienced musicians and easily able to play the kind of complex progressive heavy rock played by the leading English and American groups. Their early live performances included covers by groups such as King Crimson and Jethro Tull. Other early influences included Chicago, Ekseption, and The Flock.
They had a long name, as Italian progressive bands tended to have back then, and so were usually referred to as "La Premiata", and later "PFM". After rejecting Isotta-Fraschini (an Italian car maker) the group finally settled on Pagani's suggestion, "Forneria Marconi" (meaning "Marconi Bakery"), borrowed from the sign of a shop in the small town of Chiari, near Brescia. However, record producer and friend Alessandro Colombini suggested the name was not strong enough, so the title "Premiata" (award-winning) was added. Some objected that "Premiata Forneria Marconi" was too long a name, but the group's philosophy stated that the more difficult to remember a band's name, the more difficult to forget it.
The most recent line-up of PFM follows:
- Franco Mussida: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12 string guitar, mandolin, vocals (1970–present)
- Franz Di Cioccio: drums, percussion, lead and backing vocals (1970–present)
- Patrick Djivas: bass, programming (1974–present)
- Lucio Fabbri: violin, keyboards (1979–1987, 2000–present )
- Gianluca Tagliavini: piano, Hammond, Minimoog, other keyboards (2005–present)
- Piero Monterisi: additional drums (2006–present)
Former members of PFM follows:
- Flavio Premoli: piano, keyboards, Mellotron, Moog synthesizer, lead vocals (1970–1980, 1997–2005)
- Giorgio Piazza: bass (1970–1974)
- Mauro Pagani: flute, piccolo, violin, vocals (1970–1976)
- Bernardo Lanzetti: lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1975–1977)
- Gregory Bloch: violin (1976–1977)
- Walter Calloni: additional drums (1982–1987)
- Roberto Gualdi: additional drums (1997–2005)
Is my Face on Straight%3F
Premiata Forneria Marconi Lyrics
Inflate you waistcoat, wind down your eyes,
Tie on your best smile, check your disguise.
Dryclean your old jokes, practise despair,
Hide your relations under the stairs.
You're invited to attend the turkey party convention;
Isn't that nice?
You can leave your troubles at the door
We have ways to make you cheer
As long as you're not sick or poor
A negro or a queer.
We can fit you with a suit of clothes
That will make you look like us,
An appointments book and a new outlook
A ladder or a truss
Have another cup of reality
Drink and drink some more!
You can own a boat, a house, a car,
Or live like Howard Hughes;
Come on what have you got to lose...
And if you're discreet there are pleasures sweet
You can even swap your wife
If you'11 only sign the dotted une
You'11 be fine... Oh so fine...
Thank you for joining here are your pills
The man in the white coat wilI send you the bill.
Would you like to meet
Our most distinguished member... a doctor Faustus by name!
Is my face on straight?
Will they laugh at the gate
Oh I mustn' t be late
Is my face on straight?
Is my face on straight?
Will they let me throught the gate
Oh I mustn't be late
Is my face on straight... Is my face on straight...
Is my face on straight?
Tie on your best smile, check your disguise.
Dryclean your old jokes, practise despair,
Hide your relations under the stairs.
You're invited to attend the turkey party convention;
Isn't that nice?
You can leave your troubles at the door
We have ways to make you cheer
As long as you're not sick or poor
A negro or a queer.
That will make you look like us,
An appointments book and a new outlook
A ladder or a truss
Have another cup of reality
Drink and drink some more!
You can own a boat, a house, a car,
Or live like Howard Hughes;
Come on what have you got to lose...
And if you're discreet there are pleasures sweet
You can even swap your wife
If you'11 only sign the dotted une
You'11 be fine... Oh so fine...
Thank you for joining here are your pills
The man in the white coat wilI send you the bill.
Would you like to meet
Our most distinguished member... a doctor Faustus by name!
Is my face on straight?
Will they laugh at the gate
Oh I mustn' t be late
Is my face on straight?
Is my face on straight?
Will they let me throught the gate
Oh I mustn't be late
Is my face on straight... Is my face on straight...
Is my face on straight?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FLAVIO FRANCO PREMOLI, FRANCO MUSSIDA, PETER JOHN SINFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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