View source for I Corvi

{{Short description|Italian beat group}}
[[File:Il corvo Alfredo durante la tappa di Fiuggi al Cantagiro 1966.jpg|thumbnail|I Corvi at the 1966 [[Cantagiro]]]]
'''I Corvi''' ([[Italian language|Italian]] for "The Crows") is an Italian [[beat group]] who were successful in the 1960s.
The group was formed in [[Parma]] in 1965, to perform [[cover version]]s of popular American and British records.  The original members were Angelo Ravasini (vocals, guitar), Fabrizio "Billo" Levati (guitar), Italo "Gimmi" Ferrari (bass), and Claudio Benassi (drums).<ref name=Deregibus_p128>{{cite book|last=Enrico Deregibus|title=Dizionario completo della Canzone Italiana|publisher=Giunti Editore, 2010|isbn=8809756258|page=128}}</ref> In early 1966, they took part in the first Rapallo Davoli national singing competition, finishing second.<ref name=Deregibus>{{cite book|last=Enrico Deregibus|title=Dizionario completo della Canzone Italiana|publisher=Giunti Editore, 2010|isbn=8809756258}}</ref>  They were signed by [[Ariston Records]], whose director, Alfredo Rossi, encouraged them to use a stage costume of black capes, and to always appear with a [[taxidermy|stuffed]] [[raven]], either attached to the [[bass guitar]] or, in publicity photos, on the shoulder of one of the band members; the band duly christened the raven "Alfredo".<ref name=Deregibus/><ref name=rizzi>Cesare Rizzi (ed.), ''Enciclopedia del Rock italiano'', Milan, Arcana Editrice, 1993, pp.58-59</ref>
Their first record, "Un Ragazzo di Strada" ("A Street Kid"), was a rewriting of [[The Brogues]]' "[[I Ain't No Miracle Worker]]", written by [[Annette Tucker]] and Nancie Mantz and with new Italian lyrics by [[Nicola Salerno]] and [[Franco Califano]].  The song was entered in the 1966 [[Cantagiro]] musical contest, becoming a popular success and the group's biggest [[hit record|hit]].<ref name=Deregibus/><ref name=rizzi/><ref name=isola>"I Corvi", ''L'Isola Felice''. Retrieved 1 July 2015</ref><ref name=hitparade>{{cite book|last=Dario Salvatori|title=Storia dell'Hit Parade|publisher=Gramese, 1989|isbn=8876054391|page=133}}</ref>
The group followed up with a version of "[[Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)|Bang, Bang]]" (written by [[Sonny Bono]] and originally recorded by [[Cher]]), and their first album, ''Un Ragazzo di Strada'', which included versions of two [[Donovan]] songs.  Later successful singles included "Sospesa ad un Filo" ("Hanging by a thread", a rewrite of [[The Electric Prunes]]' "[[I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)]]", also written by Tucker and Mantz), "Bambolina" (a version of "[[Any Day Now (Chuck Jackson song)|Any Day Now]]", co-written by [[Burt Bacharach]]), and "Datemi un biglietto d'aereo" (a version of [[The Box Tops]]' hit "[[The Letter (Box Tops song)|The Letter]]", written by [[Wayne Carson]]).<ref name=Deregibus/><ref name=hitparade/>  Levati and Ferrari left the group in 1969 and were replaced by guitarist Antonello Gabelli, keyboard player Massimo Vessella, and bassist Ennio Tricomi, but shortly afterwards, the group disbanded.<ref name=isola/>
Ravasini formed a new group, Angelo ei Corvissimi, while Benassi and Tricomi formed another group, I Nuovi Corvi  ("The New Crows"), with Pino Corvino (guitar) and Giancarlo Lazzini (keyboards).  They continued to perform until 1972.  In 1983, I Corvi re-formed with a line-up of Ravasini, Ferrari, Tricomi, and Gabelli, and in 1989 recorded the album ''Hanno preso la Bastiglia!'' ("They took the Bastille!") in a [[hard rock]] style.<ref name=Deregibus/>  Gianluca Antolini later replaced Ferrari on bass, but the band continued to perform, with some further changes of personnel, until the late 1990s.  Around 2000, Ravasini reconstituted the band with his sons Stefano and Luigi Ravasini, and other musicians.<ref name=isola/>
After leaving the band, Fabrizio "Billo" Levati became a club and radio [[DJ]];<ref name=discogs>[http://www.discogs.com/artist/372880-I-Corvi  I Corvi, ''Discogs.com'']. Retrieved 1 July 2015.</ref>  he died in 2000, aged 53. Gimmi Ferrari died in 2006, and Angelo Ravasini in 2013.  In 2014 the band was reformed by the original drummer Claudio Benassi. The renewed group started live promotion touring Italy. In 2017 a new album of rearranged songs was released. In 2020 a new song, the first original since 1989, "L'ultimo dei Corvi", was released. In 2021 Benassi wrote the official biography of the band.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-02-27 |title=I Corvi, eccezione beat |url=https://ilmanifesto.it/i-corvi-eccezione-beat/ |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=il manifesto |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Benassi |first=Claudio |title=Ragazzi di strada.. i CORVI |publisher=MediaPrint |year=2021 |location=Italy |language=Italian}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
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[[Category:Italian rock music groups]]
[[Category:1965 establishments in Italy]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1965]]