Premiata Forneria Marconi is arguably the most popular and representative band of the Italian progressive rock groups.
P.F.M.'s genesis goes back to the 1960's during the beat club era with a group called- "Quelli" ("Those ones"), which composed of: Pino Favarolo (guitars), Teo Teocoli (vocals), drummer Franz Di Cioccio and Giorgio Piazza at bass. They were later joined by keyboardist Flavio Premoli and Alberto Radius and Franco Mussida on guitars.
The Quelli built up success in Italy by covering foreign songs and because of their musical skills, they were in-demand as session musicians.
Teo Teocoli left the group in 1970, to work in a cabaret. Radius left to form the Formula Tre and finally Di Cioccio left for a few months to play with Nuova Equipe 84.
At the end of 1970 Di Cioccio, Mussida, Premoli and Piazza formed the Premiata Forneria Marconi; (Sometimes shortened to PFM ), the name came from the place where they played, an old pastry shop in Brescia, Italy. Shortly afterwards the group was joined by Mauro Pagani (ex Dalton).
The band debuted in 1971 at the Lyric Theater in Milan, supporting Yes' first Italian tour. Showcasing their musicality, they garnished much-needed experience... people started to take notice, including Mogol (one of the most famous Italian songwriters and producers), for the label Number One and decided to produce PFM's first album.
With PFM supporting bands such as: Black Widow, Deep Purple and Procol Harum, their debut album- `Storia di un minuto' was influenced, by the English style. The rock music included classical tones and Mediterranean influences.
The album was well received and influenced many Italian Prog bands.
In the 1972, the band released their second album- `Per un amico', that illustrated the group maturing and polishing their complex arrangements.
`Photos of ghosts', the bands next album (and my favorite), went to the top of the charts in Italy and even entered the charts in the US.
In the 1974 `L'isola di niente', showcased bassist Jean Patrick Djivas in replacement of Giorgio Piazza (who went to the Crystals). The album, released out of Italy with the name `The world became the world', was the most sophisticated album to date. PFM toured the US supporting bands such as: Poco, Santana, Beach Boys and others. The tour gave the band a live album- `Live in U.S.A.' (titled- `Cook' in Italy).
When Bernardo Lanzetti, ended his relationship with Acqua Fragile in 1975, he joined PFM to release- `Chocolate Kings', an album that slowed their growing popularity in the US. After touring in Japan, Mauro Pagani left the band.
`Jet Lag', released in 1977, was a more jazz-rock oriented album and included guest musician- violinist Gregory Bloch. In the same year, they released a collection of there best work- `Antologia'.
In 1978, the album `Passpartù', was released (lyrics by pop songwriter Gianfranco Manfredi). The album was a disappointment. Shortly, Lanzetti left the group for the solo career. Violinist Lucio Fabbri joined the band.
In 1979, PFM (with Roberto Colombo on keyboards), went on tour with Fabrizio De André (one of most famous Italian pop singers). They recorded the tour and released a live LP- `De André e P.F.M. in concerto', with solid success, and followed up with `De André e P.F.M. in concerto - Vol. 2'.
The eighties showed a different musical direction for PFM. `Suonare suonare', released in 1980 (like Genesis' `Lamb Lies Down on Broadway), showcased rough city atmospheres; the tossed away their symphony rock roots.
With Flavio Premoli leaving the band, the next album continued the direction as the last album, hence `Come ti va in riva alla città' was released.
In the 1982 the group toured and produced another live album- `Performance' and then released a new studio album- `Pfm ? Pfm !', which contained a single that garnish good success- "Capitani coraggiosi".
After a long break, PFM released `Miss Baker', in 1987. The music is closer to dance music than to rock.
After little success Premiata Forneria Marconi stopped recording and touring, though there was no declaration of a break-up. More best collection albums are released in the next several years.
Ten years after the last album, Di Cioccio, Djivas, Mussida and Premoli, got together and promoted at the end of the 1996 a 4 CD boxed set which documented their live activity from the 1971 to the 1981 (`PFM - 10 anni live 1971-81'). Franz Di Cioccio released a book about h the history of the band (`PFM - Due volte nella vita', Ed. Mondadori), and the group reunited again and recorded a new concept album, released on April 24 1997- `Ulisse'. The album concentrates on more of a pop than old P.F.M. style, but it was well-received. During the Italian "Ulisse Tour" which occurred from the end of 1997 to the begin of 1998, PFM recorded a new live album: `www.pfmpfm.it (il Best)'.
PFM's latest album is- `Serendipity' released in 2000. Their 2001 tour line-up is: Franz Di Cioccio, vocals; Franco Mussida, guitars; Flavio Premoli, keyboards; Patrick Djivas, bass; Roberto Gualdi, drums; Damiano Della Torre, keyboards.
PFM had to cancel their USA performance at the NearFest 2001, a multi-artist prog festival that is held every summer in Pennsylvania, due to a bad injury suffered by Flavio Premoli.
In 2002 PFM, has returned to their finest progressive form and released a live double CD album from Japan which (IMHO) is excellent.
Keyboard player Flavio Premoli left the group for a second time in early 2005. PFM then returned to the USA for the first time since 1977 to play the Progressive Arts Showcase at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on July 8, 2005. This concert was held in conjunction with the 7th annual NEARfest progressive rock event. Other shows on this tour included dates in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Panama, and Venezuela. Premoli's last work with the group, Dracula, was released late in the year. It is an original Rock opera based on the Dracula legend.
Stati di immaginazione (2006) is an entirely instrumental effort and has an accompanying DVD of video images made for each song. Following the pattern of earlier works, the music alternates between serene and calming sections of acoustic guitar and sections of sharper-edged hard rock. The video content ranges from fantasy-style vignettes made with computer graphics to archival black and white historic films. "Stati di Immaginazione" can be considered one of PFM's best 4 or 5 albums.
PFM was the first confirmed act for the NEARfest 2009 festival which was held June 20–21.
In 2010 PFM released their new album A.D.2010 - La buona novella, a reworking of the Fabrizio de André's 1970 album La buona novella. The group included sections of their own music within the original De André's folk songs, adding instrumental progressive rock passages. In 2009 PFM performed for the first time at the Sanremo Music Festival. In 2011 they appeared at Sanremo again with Roberto Vecchioni. 2011 also saw the group release Amico Faber, a box set containing the live album PFM canta De André (2008) and A.D.2010 - La buona novella, as well as a 16-page booklet, dedicated to Fabrizio de André.
A 2-CD album, called "PFM IN CLASSIC, DA MOZART A CELEBRATION", was released in 2013. CD #1 comprises somewhat creative "arrangements" by PFM of famous classical works, such as "Il flauto magoco" (Mozart), "Danza macabra" (C. Saint-Saëns), and "Romeo & Giulietta" (Prokofiev). CD #2 offers "classical renditions" of some of PFM's best known titles, including "La luna nuova"; "Dove....Quando...."; "Maestro della voce"; and "Impressioni di Settembre".
In March of 2015, the band announced on their official Facebook page that guitarist/founder Franco Mussida had left the band to concentrate on other artistic endeavors and his long-standing presidency of the CPM Music Institute. He was replaced by Marco Sfogli at the guitar.
A new studio album, Emotional Tattoos, was released both in Italian and English on October 27, 2017. Of the original band, only Di Cioccio has remained. The band is now led by and revolving around Di Cioccio (drums, singing) and Patrick Djivas (bass guitar).
Updates courtesy of the PFM Wiki page
Discography
Studio albums
Storia di un minuto (1972)
Per un amico (1972)
Photos of Ghosts (1973)
L'isola di niente (1974)
The World Became the World (1974)
Chocolate Kings (1975)
Jet Lag (1977)
Passpartù (1978)
Suonare Suonare (1980)
Come ti va in riva alla città (1981)
PFM? PFM! (1984)
Miss Baker (1987)
Ulisse (1997)
Serendipity (2000)
Dracula (2005)
Stati di immaginazione (2006)
A.D.2010 - La buona novella (2010)
PFM in Classic – Da Mozart a Celebration (2013)
Emotional Tattoos (2017)
Live albums
Live in USA (1974, also known as Cook)
In Concerto - Arrangiamenti PFM (1979) (with Fabrizio De André)
In Concerto - Arrangiamenti PFM, Vol 2 (1980) (with Fabrizio De André)
Performance (1981)
www.pfmpfm.it (1998)
Live in Japan 2002 (2002)
Piazza del Campo (2005)
PFM canta De André (2008)
Live in Roma guest Ian Anderson (2012)
Un Minuto (2014)
Un Amico (2014)
Un'Isola (2014)
A Ghost (2015)
The World (2015)
Compilations
The Award-Winning Marconi Bakery (1976, Peters International, USA)
Prime impressioni (1976, Numero Uno, Italy) – selections from Storia di un minuto and Per un amico
35... e un minuto (2007, Sony/BMG)
Celebration 1972-2012 (2012, Sony/BMG) – re-issuing of three albums (Storia di un minuto, Per un amico and Road Rarities)
Singles
1971 – La carrozza di Hans/Impressioni di settembre
1973 – Celebration/Old Rain
1974 – Dolcissima Maria/Via Lumière
1974 – The World Became the World/La carrozza di Hans
1974 – Four Holes in the Ground/The World Became the World
1975 – Chocolate Kings/Harlequin
1981 – Come ti va/Chi ha paura della notte?
2017 – Quartiere generale/Central District
2017 – La lezione/The Lesson
