Fred Buscaglione
A qualcuno piace Fred

When the prehistory of Italian rock hadn't even begun, Italy was nevertheless pampered by excellent interpreters of light music, among whose most significant names undoubtedly remain Domenico Modugno, Renato Carosone, and Fred Buscaglione. Focusing on the latter on this occasion, we first need to make a couple of digressions.

From Turin and born in 1921, Buscaglione distinguished himself from adolescence as one of the best double bassists in the local area, soon leaving the conservatory to continue his formation precisely in those "nights" that he would so suggestively extol in his future repertoire. While playing in maestro Gino Filippini's band, he met who would become his mythical lyricist, a graduating student named Leo Chiosso. Forced to enlist for the Second World War, he was captured by the Allies and interned in a camp in Sardinia, where he did not become disheartened; on the contrary. Fascinated by contact with the Americans and "their music," he joined the military band that broadcast from the Allied radio. Once he returned to civilian life, he began a career as an exceptional musician, which led him to perform with prestigious bands (like Germonio's trio) on European tours.

It is during this period, in the early 1950s, that Fred began writing his first songs together with Chiosso and transformed from musician into "the singer with the sandpaper voice". His debut "Che bambola" came out, and 980,000 copies in 1956 meant a sensational success. He then decided to invent a career as a swing-crooner, to become a "Sinatra de noartri". However, well aware he could not compete equally with his overseas colleagues, he concocted a highly personal image on the brink of parody of the American-way-of-life, and especially of the mythology of the noir-gangster story. To the hard-and-pure heroes from overseas that captivated the simple Italian post-war crowds at the cinemas, Fred opposed a spicy Clark Gable look - complete with a small mustache, cigarette in mouth, and dreamy eye - that, however, made fun of many stereotypes with his destabilizing and cheeky demeanor. He created the character of the Italo-American who was perhaps too much Italian, who preferred a show by Gianni and Pinotto over lunch with Kim Novak, who boasted with women only to be reduced to ruin, forced to sell even the cat or be shot at by the tyrant wife. He mockingly paid homage to a fairy-tale world that could not belong to him (/us), except in a version that was indeed more maccheronica, more real, bringing to life delightful scenes he himself enjoyed reenacting on TV, acting in funny "proto-music videos" and appearing in real films, perhaps with amusing and dazzling cameos.

And while stories unfold in the greatest hits of the time (the concept of "album" as we understand it did not yet exist, and therefore all you can find are collections of 45s), we feel at home even while listening to tales of shootings, platinum blondes "model 103", broken jaws and shady characters with names like Jack Bidone, Jim La Peste, Billy Car, Jimmy lo Sfregiato (or bitter enemies like the policeman Peter Kan who even manages to get a billiard table on his head). Latin charm, irresistible good humor, and so much class, that's the secret of the recipe.

The music on its part leaves us literally speechless, amazed like children as we hear the work of a great band (the "Asternovas") which, aside from highlighting remarkable swing-jazz skills, mocks itself with virtuosic jokes, incredible drum solos, and straining brass. Not to mention the "special effects" it is able to produce, creating suspenseful backgrounds worthy of the best soundtracks, playing on instruments to make us hear the gunshots or the brawls between rival gangs to the sound of snare drum beats and trumpet screeches. It is a pyrotechnic and ingenious world that - legend has it - Fred was determined to evolve towards more ambitious and modern frontiers. Tired of the great success he garnered, he indeed wanted to abandon the clothes of the icon he had sewn on himself. He wanted to become a true "songwriter" as well, to stand out in a more personal musical genre, with no debts to Anglo-Saxon culture, formulating something new and genuinely Italian. Surely there was a premonition in the heartfelt decision to reinterpret the innovative and very successful flagship song of "rival" Modugno "Nel blu dipinto di blu".

Unfortunately, as we know, he did not manage to realize his projects, fault of that cursed Roman dawn when he fatally crashed with his pink Thunderbird. An end worthy of his bullies tailed by the police, but unfortunately this time it wasn't a joke, nor a song. It was February 3rd, 1960. Too many years have passed since then and above all the entire modern musical history of the country has passed over it, made of beauties and ugliness, blooming, decay, and rebirth. It would be easy therefore to forget about that australopithecus of pop who swayed slyly making us fall in love with himself, with his "whisky facile", and his alter-egos like the legendary Porfirio Villarosa or Dave lo Sciccoso.

Let's brush him off now and then, because the photos of young grandparents are always the sweetest, funniest, and most moving.