The Trip (band)

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.[1] The band is also notable as British guitarist Ritchie Blackmore was in The Trip's personnel before joining Deep Purple.

History

The band was established in London 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[2] (bass and vocals) and William Gray (also on guitar). The band debuted in Italy as "Maiocchi and the Trip". Blackmore left in December 1966 and returned to London where he continued as a session musician until 1968 when he joined Deep Purple. He 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.[1]

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 & Mestieri(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). The band's live performance from this festival has been released within the CD/DVD boxed set Prog Exhibition: 40 anni di musica immaginifica.

In 2011, the band's reunion tour has been held in Japan, to participate in "Italian Progressive Rock Festival I" (held in Tokyo in 4-5-6 November).

Founding member of the group, bass player and singer Arvid "Wegg" Andersen died in 2012. His memory was honoured by a concert in Alassio featuring, among others, an incarnation of The Trip with special guests.[3][4]

In 2013, the band's performance with the formation of Vescovi, Andersen, Chirico, along with Chiarelli and Perini from "Italian Progressive Rock Festival I" has been released from Sony Music', within the 2 CD boxed set "Atlantide" with the special remastered edition of the band's worldwide most successful album Atlantide.

Joe Vescovi died in San Benedetto Del Tronto on the night of November 29, 2014.

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 - present)

Discography

Album
  • The Trip (RCA, 1970)
  • Caronte (RCA, 1971)
  • Atlantide (RCA, 1972)
  • Time of Change (Trident, 1973)
  • Time of Change (Btf - VM, 2017)

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)

Footnotes
  1. Caronte dei Trip: Il nocchiero delle anime perdute. Review of the 1971 album Caronte published by Italian rock magazine Ciao 2001
  2. it:Arvid Andersen
  3. http://www.savonanews.it/2012/07/13/leggi-notizia/argomenti/eventi-spettacoli/articolo/alassio-tempo-di-rock-progressivo-leader-della-serata-la-storica-band-the-trip.html
  4. http://www.ivg.it/2012/07/alassio-domani-concerto-in-memoria-di-arvid-wegg-andersen/
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