Franco Dani
E ti svegli con me

And so I was browsing a bit through the Debaser archive on a dull afternoon. A definition here, another one there. I type 'Franco Dani' in the search bar in the top right corner and nothing comes up. I wonder how it is possible to find some embarrassing stuff and not find Franco Dani? I didn't expect it to have a picture, just the horned animal would have been enough. Well, let's write a few lines then.

A meteor. This is how we can define Franco Dani, at the end of the 70s. He had a decent success through very catchy songs, especially with a female audience that seemed to melt when they heard his voice. A character who gained some fame thanks to various paths he pursued. In fact, our Franco started as an actor ('Once Again...In Venice' and 'Spring Wind - Falling in Love in Monopoli'), and then ventured into singing. Not to mention his work as a photo novel interpreter for Lancio. Well, in the wake of various Michele Pecora and Sandro Giacobbe, Franco worked hard, publishing his first album in 1979 after a few unfortunate singles, 'E ti svegli con me'.

Success did not come immediately, this is well known. An album that offered excellent examples of the genre that was fashionable at the time, but without that hit that would have taken it to the top of the charts. Something that would happen a few years later thanks to 'Dove Vai' but especially the splendid 'Aspettami'. But this means little for the ears. Undoubtedly, the album's weight is carried by the title track, 'E ti svegli con me'. An expression of the pleasure of having the right woman by your side, all delivered with a bittersweet and melancholic tone. Definitely worth discovering (At this hour they will know by now / They will talk about us). The acoustic 'Un due tre' is beautiful, as is 'Aereoplani', a tale of a love free to fly just like a plane. Also noteworthy is the splendid 'Risvegliarsi', my favorite of the album, although it reeks of plagiarism (The never-ending story of Alunni del Sole) but could be a coincidence. It all wraps up with 'Favole', a light and pleasant track.

Too little narrative, too little seductive. Too far from the canons of the musical genre it falls into anyway. Guilty, in my humble opinion, of being one of the first symbols of the transition from the melodic Italian music of the 60s/70s to the bland, banal, and empty pop that has been on the radio for the last 20 years. Today he is still active, going here and there followed by his (old) fans. Very active on Facebook too, where he personally responds to admirers, much like Morandi. I believe that after all, he deserves another listen. Until next time.