I Bisonti
I Nostri Successi

The figure around which Bruno Castiglia revolved was I Bisonti. In fact, initially, the group was named 'Bruno Castiglia & I Bisonti', later shortened to 'I Bisonti'. Just like the Romans and the Camaleonti, the Bisonti also contributed in part to the transition from the 60s beat (the decade in which they were born) to the 70s light music. The story is quite different. While the first two moved from album to album by Italianizing the Kinks to carefree sweetness, the Bisonti did it within their debut. But we will get to that later. As we said, Bruno Castiglia was the leader of the group. Many musicians entered and exited the group, among whom it is mandatory to remember Fulvio Carotti and Poul Cocchi. Among the big names of Italian beat, the Bisonti began their publications in 1963, right in the midst of the British Invasion. The first singles are purely beat/dance music, fundamental for showcasing themselves. The year 1967 was the turning point. The first important single, 'Occhi di Sole', was brought to light and then, a year later, included in their first official album. A few years later they would participate with 'Oh Simpatia' in 'Un Disco per l'estate' along with people like the very first Baglioni and Alunni Del Sole, riding the wave of success.

1968, the Bisonti release their first album, with the imaginative name 'I Nostri Successi'. What seems like the title of a Greatest Hits, though it isn't, in a sense truly encapsulates the best tracks of the Milanese band. We left a point pending earlier: what makes the Bisonti different from the Romans/Camaleonti? While the latter transitioned from Beat to light music from one album to another, the Bisonti managed (at least in 1968) to coin both genres into a single work. 'I Nostri Successi' is a striking example of beat/melodic interweavings rarely found in other artists. The Bisonti could only open the dances with the aforementioned track, probably the most significant one, 'Occhi Di Sole'. Purely sixties musicality, light lyrics, and a melodic voice, a simple and catchy track (I tuoi occhi di sole/ sono i più belli del mondo/ occhi cosi, non ne ho visti mai). Even if at times repetitive, too easily assimilated not to become a cornerstone of light music, in a year (1967) where the competition was not scarce. Slightly beat also the second track, 'La tua ombra (mi segue)' less famous but more committed than the previous, yet again simplicity and genuineness put to music. Castiglia's voice, masculine enough to differentiate it from the competing groups without reaching the levels of a Santino Rocchetti, gives that little extra touch. Purely beat 'Per Il Mondo Me Ne Vo', but shortly after everything is overturned with the beautiful 'L'ultima nota', the undersigned's favorite group song, a very clear example of light music that anticipated the times by a handful of years. At times even slightly poetic, the lyrics deal with the end of a love and the ensuing pain. Memorable is the spoken part at the end, a masterpiece track of the genre. A desperate cry of love 'Richiamo d'amore' (Se tu sarai soltanto mia/ la mia gioia al cielo griderò), undoubtedly among the best. Harsh and rather heavy for the genre with excellent guitar work, the following 'Crudele', with a very hard riff. The album closes in the best possible way, with the pleasant 'Mi è rimasto un fiore', and the dreamy 'Grido al Mondo'.

Few albums and many singles. The end of the 70s temporarily brought an end to the production of the Bisonti, who would return in 1996 with 'La carica dei Bisonti', after about 20 years of inactivity. Worth mentioning is their rendition of 'Mai le dirò' by the Giganti and the Italianization of Paul Rodgers of the Free's hit 'All Right Now' as 'Va Bene Così'. Still active, these Bisonti truly seem unstoppable. In 2015 the band marked 50 years, and I prefer to remember them like this, with their historic cover depicting the four big heads on a black background and the writing in yellow.