Equipe 84

Equipe 84 were an Italian Beat band formed in 1964 in Modena. The name translates as Team 84, and it was originally suggested by a friend of the band, Pier Farri. 'Equipe' was thought to be a word that would resonate more easily outside of their home country, and though the origin of '84' is unclear, it is presumed to have been the total age of the members of the band at the moment of its inception. Originally formed by Maurizio Vandelli (vocals, guitar), Victor Sogliani (bass), Alfio Cantarella (drums) and Franco Ceccarelli (guitar), Equipe 84 recorded their debut album in 1965 with the label Vedette, before signing a more lucrative agreement with Dischi Ricordi. From 1966 Equipe 84 scored a number of hit singles in the Italian charts, including "29 settembre" and "Io ho in mente te" (an italian rendition of the folk duo Ian & Sylvia's "You Were on My Mind"). In 1967, the band was featured in Mariano Laurenti's film I ragazzi di bandiera gialla. In 1970, Ceccarelli left the band to pursue a solo career. In the same year Cantarella was charged with possession of illegal drugs – a predicament that would keep him away from the band for two years. After hiring temporary replacements in the form of keyboardist Dario Baldan Bembo and PFM drummer Franz Di Cioccio, Vandelli and Sogliani embarked on an ambitious project, recording the strongly influenced prog-rock album ID and briefly changing the name of the band to 'Nuova Equipe 84'. In 1973, with the return of Cantarella, the band left Dischi Ricordi and signed for Alfredo Rossi's label Ariston Records, returning to a more conventional sound with the album Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. The band, however, stirred further controversy with the single "Clinica Fior di Loto", a blatant invitation to vote for the Italian Socialist Party at the upcoming general elections. Following a decline in popularity, Equipe 84 officially disbanded in 1977. In the mid-1980s Sogliani and Ceccarelli attempted a short-lived reunion, which resulted in the band's final album, "Un amore vale l'altro" (1989).

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