I Camaleonti
The Best Records In The World

Summer arrives and on Rai everyone goes on vacation, from the bigwigs to the workers. The screen is invaded by the underdogs, with repeats on repeats for the rest. Films with Totò galore, musicarelli, Techetechetè in prime time. And on Techetechetè, a minute of glory is granted to everyone: forgotten groups, retired actors, starlets for a season or maybe more. Occasionally, even the Camaleonti pop up, recognizable by their singer with the big mustache, Livio Macchia, but above all because they do their utmost to perform immense tear-jerkers like "Eternità," "Applausi," or "L'ora dell'amore." Which are then their main successes: rightly so, of course. But the Camaleonti were something else.

"The Best Records in the World," released by the praiseworthy On Sale Music in 2003, collects the best of the proto-Camaleonti, the same ones who dove headfirst into the waves of the emerging tricolor beat scene. The CD is nothing but an assembly of the first two albums of the Milanese band, namely "The Best Records in the World," their long-distance debut released in 1966, "Portami tante rose," from the following year, and the singles released to accompany the aforementioned LPs. It is the Kansas period, one of the most avant-garde record labels of those years, it is also the period of guitarist and singer Riki Maiocchi, who steers the Camaleonti towards a refined sound, almost (almost!) garage, with mod-like incursions and undying grit.

There is a substantial difference between the two albums: if within "The Best Records in the World" exclusively covers reign (Beatles, Rolling Stones, Animals, Bob Dylan…), "Portami tante rose" is notable for a handful of original songs. The Camaleonti make these their own with a style capable of going beyond the beat, without disfiguring it but earning a place among the most innovative Italian sixties groups. If they had been a bit braver, who knows… Anyway, the best of the CD is all in the final part, the one dedicated to the singles, with two triple records (in practice, 45s with three songs inside instead of two) that convey how advanced the Camaleonti were. The departure of Riki Maiocchi would serve to soften the sound and make it more digestible, the time of success and tear-jerkers would arrive. Just turn on the TV at the hour of Techetechetè, sooner or later the Camaleonti will come on.