CUBE - Can Can In The Garden (1983)

Country:
Italy/UK
Genre:
Electronic
Style:
Synth-pop,Italo-Disco

Members:
Paul Griffiths - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Rudy Trevisi - Keyboards, Sax, Percussions, Backing Vocals
Serse May (Serse Mai) - Programmer Synthesizers, Keyboards, Backing Vocals

VIDEO:
"Two Heads Are Better Than One"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLmb9itsQ6I&feature=related

"Performance -Live"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnXzy-mAEcc&feature=related

Credits:
Artwork By [Cover Design] - Carla Chicca
Engineer - Luca Bignardi , Nick Jones
Engineer, Mixed By - Roberto Costa
Executive Producer - Dinbar , Italo Allione , Paolo Zavallone
Keyboards, Saxophone, Percussion, Backing Vocals, Producer [Assistant] - Rudy Trevisi
Lead Vocals, Guitar, Lyrics By - Paul Griffiths
Music By - Malavasi , Naxos
Photography - Red Ronny
Producer, Mixed By - Mauro Malavasi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauro_Malavasi)Programmed By [Synthesizers], Keyboards, Backing Vocals - Serse May

Notes:
All songs published by Abramo Allione / Dinbar Recorded at Fonoprint, Blogna / Utopia Studios, London Mixed at Fonoprint, Blogna

Tracklist:

01 The Young Pretender (5:42)
02 Love And Protect (4:16)
03 Can Can In The Garden (3:45)
04 Two Heads Are Better Than One (Remix) (3:46)
05 Concert Boy (4:15)
06 Prince Of The Moment (5:22)
07 Stealing (3:50)
08 Why Men Go Insane (4:12)
Bonus:
09 Somebody Told Me (7:25)(B side of Two Heads Are Better Than One 12" 1983)
10 Performance (6:04) (A side of Performance 12" 1985)
11 Two Heads Are Better Than One (Extended)(6:00)(B side of Two Heads Are Better Than One 12" 1983)
12 Concert Boy (6:10) (A side of Concert Boy 12" 1983)
13 Love's Taboo (6:00) (A side of Love's Taboo 12"1986)
14 Performance (Instrumental)(B side of Performance 12"1985)
15 Love's Taboo (Instrumental) (4:20) (B side of Love's Taboo 12"1986)
16 Love's Taboo (Repel The Spell Mix)
17 Building On Land (3:53) (B side of Concert Boy 12"1983)
18 Prince Of The Moment (6:20)(A side of Prince Of The Moment 12" 1983)

Links to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/169172141/cube_.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/174642742/cube_part_2.rar

"This is a gem I just came across on the wonderfully 80’s Valerie blog. The vocals aren’t outstanding by any means, but have just enough of that 80’s-UK-romantic feel about them to make me just a tad bit smitten. The real hook is in the piano refrain, and there’s an almost kraut-y insistence about the song that I’m digging quite a bit." (http://www.elasticheart.com/?m=200807&paged=5 ) .

This review went for their song "Concert Boy" but i think there is nothing wrong on the whole album.This is a brilliant and must have pearl for everybody who like the romantic side of italo disco and synthpop.
Their music includes calm,gentle,soft and good arranged melodies without any frippery and flaunting like China Crisis. Paul Griffith was a great choice because his voice merges well into the musical background.It's a pity that they have left just one album to posterity.If you know something about Paul Griffith (or Griffiths?) please let me know. (salty)

The four photos above are coming from an Italian page (click on them to enlarge)(http://lorenzobergamini.blogspot.com/2008/10/intervista-ai-cube-e-mauro-malavasi-del.html)

This an interview with Cube from 1983 by Lorenzo Bergamini.The rough translation is below,but this not the full text just a bigger part of it:

Cube is a disco dance trio consisting of an English and two Italian members.They have conquered the Italian market within a short time,and just do the same with the international one as well.Cube has been established by Malavasi (born in Mirandola near Modena),a young musician who contributed to the creation of the so called Sound Of Bologna. He commutes between USA and Italy and he is open to every kind of music.

The members:

Paul Griffiths (28),Engilsh, comes from a family with jazz musicians,plays guitar,singing and write lyrics for Cube.

Rudi Trevisis (32),Italian,(born in Mirandola near Modena like Malavasi) one of the moving spirits of the band.The other is Malavasi himself.Trevis has already significant experience in music since he worked with many -mainly-Italian artists (eg:Vasco Rossi and Lucio Dalla).

Serse Mai (32),Italian, He deals with technical and instrumental design,he realised the ideas,and found particular sounds. He examined effects and mixed the songs.

Q:

Mauro,you had the idea to form Cube.How did you put the band together?

Malavasi:

"It was following a deep (thorough?) quest.I worked in the USA (*) for a long time where followed the new trends of music.After came back,i started to work here in Italy with Trevisi looking for a new sound,a name and all other things to create a frame for our music.Apart from that, we took into consideration that it must be saleable all over the world. In a word we had to produce a european sound. So i went to England to find contects,to listen to auditions,as well as to turn to agencies to looking for such musicians who are involved in disco dance style.So i found Paul the singer who was suitable for my imaginations.We had a lot of conversations,clashed opinions,analised them so thus we could get to know each other."

(*) Malavasi from another (1990) interview:
"According to me it’s possible to get more out of the success of Italo house: it should be a stepping stone in sight of new challenges which could be reached by Italian artists if they believed more in themselves. Now however we go to an over saturation in the genre of house to the success of products which are even vulgar and rude. But it is an understandable phenomenon: for dancemusic it was a moment of less success, a bit like in 1982 and 1983. At that time I was in America and I experienced the phenomenon from first hand, it were the record companies who decided that the hour of dancemusic was over and that it was time for a revival of rock, heavy metal and pop. Today we are in a moment which is favourable for dancemusic, the cyclus can start again."

"I left the states in late 1982. Honestly I had enough of it. I didn’t feel like an American, I couldn’t focus my life on making money. I also missed Italy too much. I’m an ardent nationalist you know. On top of that I came in conflict with Jacques Fred Petrus. At that time I was a bit more than 20 years old and I knew very little about the record business. There was actually a financial debacle and when I was aware of this I decided to quit."

(http://www.freestylegrooves.com/docs/roots10_view.htm)

Q:

What does the name Cube mean?

Trevisi:

"Cube symolises the 80's,since it's been used as a symbol by advertisiments,games just think about "Rubik Cube".In addition,there's coming a new TV system called "Cube System",which makes possible to watch foreign tv cahnels and programs in Italy.So Cube is a synthesis of every kind of things."

Q:

How did the album become success?

Trevisi:

"We suggested our song "Two Heads Are Better Than One" as the main theme of music for a tv program.To tell the truth it wasn't a real main theme only a minute long music,but it was enough to attract attention to ourselves."

Cube became popular all around Europe with many fans,their songs are frequently played on radio and in disco clubs,so a new phase in their life has arrived.

Malavasi says:

"The first single came like a bolt from the blue.I have tried to create an international product and it has sold 100.000 copies alone in Italy,which is an enormous success!"

Q:

Why is "Can Can In The Garden" the title of the album?

Paul:

"This is an expression for everyday chaos in the world.People just talk and talk but the world essentially is a big can can,and is in a chaos and in a continual contradiction..."

Cube is going for a European tour in autumn including France,Germany and England and will also release the album in USA.

Malavasi:

"The most difficult is to conquer UK and the USA since they are already the masters of this style of music.So all in all it will be a big challenge for us."

The end of the interview...

RUDY TREVISI
(ex-Peter Jacques Band where worked with Mauro Malavasi),One of the earliest and most well-used co-workers of Petrus. Rudy Trevisi is also playing the clarinet in a symphonic orchestra and collaborates regularly (and many times in the late 70's -early 80's,just check below! -salty) with Mauro Malavasi (and many times in the late 70's -early 80's on Andrea Bocelli projects.

Appears on:
Revanche (with Mauro Malavasi 1979)

B. B. & Q. band (with Mauro Malavasi, 81, 82 and 83)

Change (with Mauro Malavasi, 81, 82 and 83)

High fashion (with Mauro Malavasi, 82 and 83)

Macho (with Mauro Malavasi, 78 and 80)

Peter Jacques band (with Mauro Malavasi 1979)

Ritchie family (with Mauro Malavasi 1982)

Rudy (with Mauro Malvasi 1979)

Silence (with Mauro Malavasi,1982)

Zinc (with Mauro Malavasi 1982)

Black Box (1990) (http://saltyka.blogspot.com/2007/03/black-box.html )
Eros Ramazotti - Eros 1988 (Rudy Trevisi Saxophone)
Eros Ramazotti - In Ogni Senso 1991 (Rudy Trevisi-Conga, Alto Saxophone)
Eros Ramazotti - En Todos Los Sentidos 1992(Rudy Trevisi-Conga)
Ornella Vanoni - Stella Nascente 1996 (Rudy Trevisi-Percussion, Saxophone)
Andrea Bocelli - Sogno 1999 (Rudy Trevisi Clarinet with Mauro Malavasi))
Luca Carboni - Le Band Si Sciolgono 2006 (Rudy Trevisi Sax (Soprano) )
Jovanotti - Buon Sangue/Extra F.U.N.K. 2006 (Rudy Trevisi-Soprano Saxophone)

More info of Trevisi:
www.jacquespetrus.com/musicians.htm

http://www.freestylegrooves.com/docs/roots10_bio.htm


Bonus LP with RUDY TREVISI:

RUDY - Just Take My Body (1979)

Genre:
Electronic
Style:
Disco

Credits:
composed, arranged & conducted by RUDY TREVISI, LUCA ORIOLI (member of Gay Cat Park,he was the keyboarder on Gaznevada's song "Special Agent Man"!! see: http://www.lucaorioli.it/ and http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=178192440), and PAOLO GIANOLIO (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=273501195)

Producer - Jacques Fred Petrus /Executive producer: Jacques Fred Petrus and Mauro Malavasi

Tracklist:

01 White Room (7:00)
02 Just Take My Body (6:50)
03 Higher (4:45)
04 Thank You Baby (7:47)
05 Can You Stop Woman (6:18)

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/169170926/rudy_.rar

"This is the great JUST TAKE MY BODY LP by RUDY on Polydor Records from 1979.A killer disco album from this great group produced by Rudy Trevisi and Jacques Fred Petrus."

"During the late seventies Petrus & Malavasi instigated a string of electrifying disco acts like Macho, Peter Jacques Band, Revanche, Midnight Gang and Rudy. The music Petrus and Malavasi initially fabricated was based on the kind of Disco that was in vogue at that time: energetic Eurodisco typified by an explicit synthsound, pulsating rhythms, funky elements and catchy melodies. Petrus & Malavasi were the primary proponents of the 'Italian Sound' within the Eurodisco movement. Eurodisco's inventors were the Munich-based duo Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte whose groundbreaking electrobeat-driven Disco textures, high-energy impact and cold, synthetic arrangements revolutionized dance music in the second half of the seventies (Donna Summer, Munich Machine, Giorgio Moroder, Roberta Kelly, Sparks, Trax). Representatives of the French Eurodisco sound were producers Jacques Morali and associate Henri Belolo (The Village People, The Ritchie Family, Patrick Juvet) and Jean-Marc Cerrone (Don Ray, Kongas, Cerrone). The fourth Petrus project was Rudy, arranged and conducted by the Goody Music musicians Rudy Trevisi (picture), Paolo Gianolio and Luca Orioli. While Malavasi concentrated on the main productions, Petrus tried to exploit at the most the talent of the other musicians around him, inventing new concepts like Midnight Gang and Rudy. The Rudy album Just Take My Body was published in the U.S. on the Polydor label in 1979. The long-player comprised five songs, among which the single “Thank You Baby”, "Just Take My Body" and "White Room" which was a Disco remake of a song by the Rock band Cream, originally published in 1968. “Thank You Baby”, composed by Trevisi, showed a glimmer of the new Italian R&B/Disco-blueprint with arrangements pointing towards the glorious Change productions. This album was chiefly a showcase for Rudy Trevisi’s skills as composer, arranger, conductor and musician within Goody Music Production. Trevisi had worked extensively as a musician on the Peter Jacques Band, Revanche and Macho projects. Even if the record wasn't bad, it only generated modest interest and couldn't compete with the success of the previous productions. (http://www.freestylegrooves.com/docs/roots10_bio2.htm)

Biography of Rudy:

A one-off project by Italian sax player Rudy Trevisi for the Goody Music company by Guadaloupean business man Jacques Fred Petrus and Italian musical director Mauro Malavasi. Rudy, one of the key musicians of all the Petrus/Malavasi-productions of the late 70s / early 80s, produced the 1979 album Just Take My Body with the vocals handled by Bobby Douglas, Steve Daniels, Skipp Ingram and Robin Corley of contemporary Petrus/Malavasi production, Revanche. The album featured a disco cover of 60s group Cream's "White Room" but didn't stand out in the steady stream of disco releases. In 2005, however, it was released on CD as part of a 5CD set with other Goody Music disco productions. Rudy Trevisi remains a busy session musician in Italy.

From Rudy:

TREVISI with Orioli guested together on some albums (eg:Ivan Graziani-Nove (1984),N.O.I.A.-the sound of love (1984),
TREVISI with Gianolio also played sometimes together (eg: The B.B and Q Band,Eros Ramazotti,Andrea Bocelli,Vasco Rossi)
TREVISI, Gianolio and SERSE MAI appeared on the following albums:

Jean Rich (1986),Eros Ramazzotti (1987),Gaznevada (1988), Vasco Rossi (1989).

(Photo source: http://digilander.libero.it/eleplace/b&w.htm)

From Cube:

SERSE MAI and RUDI TREVISI played on (i've noticed where they worked with Malavasi):

Miguel Bosé - Salamandra 1986 (Percussion, Saxophone - Rudy Trevisi/Programmed by Serse May)
Steve Rogers band - I duri non ballano (1986) (Rudy Trevisi : soprano sax, keyboards, Serse May : Fairlight and Emulator)
Bravo-st (1980) (Producer, Arranged By and some songs written By - R. Trevisani, S. May)
Eros Ramazotti - (1988) (Serse Mai-fairlight/ Rudy Trevisi-Conga)
Gaznevada - Strange Life (1988) (Arranged By and Backing Vocals Rudy Trevisi/Computer, Sampler - Serse Mai)
Vasco Rossi - C'e Chi Dice No (1987) (Programmed By,Congas,- Serse May /Arranged by,Keyboards,Saxophone,Percussion - Rudy Trevisi)

Biagio Antonacci - Liberatemi (1993) (Programmed By [Computer] by Serse May with Mauro Malavasi-producer,mixed,Keyboards, Choir, Strings and Rudy Trevisi-Percussion, Saxophone )
Gerardina Trovato - st (1994)(Serse May-Producer, Mixing, Engineer/Rudy Trevisi Percussion, Saxophone and Mauro Malavasi - producer,keyboards))
Eros Ramazotti - E2 (2007) (Serse Mai fairlight /Rudy Trevisi Saxophone)

SERSE MAI also appeared on (i've noticed where he worked with Malavasi):
Café Caracas - Tintarella Di Luna / Say It's All Right Joy (1980) (guitar)
Tony Esposito - As Tu As (1985) (Programmed By [Fairlight] - Serse May ,Mauro Malavasi also worked on it, see: http://saltyka.blogspot.com/2006/07/tony-esposito-2-albums-by-req.html)
F.R. David - Reflections (1987) (Keyboards, Programmed By - S. May)
Eros Ramazotti - Musica Es (1988) (programming,Emulator, fairlight, Emax)
Emmanuel - Entre Lunas (1988)(synth. programming especial Fairlight)
Luca Carboni - Diario Carboni (1993) (post production ,Mauro Malavasi also worked on it)
Luca Carboni - Mondo (1995) (executive producer , Mauro Malavasi also worked on it )
Giorgia - Strano Il Mio Destino (1996) (editing,mastering by Serge May)

Andrea Bocelli - Bocelli (1995) (editing,mastering by Serge May ,Mauro Malavasi also worked on it)
Andrea Bocelli - Romanza (1997) (percussion, editing ,Mauro Malavasi also worked on it)
Loredana Berte - Bertilation (guitar)
Lisa - Oceano (2003) (Mastering ,Mauro Malavasi also worked on it)
Neaskené - st (2005) (mastered Serse Mai)

Lu - Rumi (2006) (Serse Mai-Engineer, Remixing, Mastering,Mauro Malavasi)

Serse Mai recently works for Modulab Studio (http://www.modu-lab.it/cos_ha.htm)

The producer of CUBE was MAURO MALAVASI (ex member of B.B. & Band, Brooklyn, Bronx & Queens Band, The, Change, Macho, Peter Jacques Band, Revanche, Zinc) :
had resumed a successful career as an accomplished musician in Italy. He established himself as one of Italy’s leading producers and conductors often making use of the talents of his friends musicians Davide Romani, Celso Valli, Paolo Gianolio and Rudy Trevisi. Operating from his Clock Studio in Bologna, he has produced among others Cube (album Can Can In The Garden, 1983 incl. “Prince Of The Moment”, "Concert Boy"; “Performance”, 1985; “Love’s Taboo”, 1986), Stadio, My Mine (“Hypnotic Tango”, 1983; album Stone, 1985 incl. “Cupid Girl”),
Tony Esposito ("Kalimba De Luna", "Simba De Ammon", 1984; “Sinue (Latin Tamborder)”, 1987), Luca Carboni, Gianni Morandi, Lucio Dalla, Ron (album Calypso incl. “Sogno”, 1983), Biagio Antonacci, Loredana Berté, Mango (“Bella D’Estate”, 1987), Gerardina Trovato, Ossigenata and Elisa. Furthermore he worked with the Latin pop artist Emmanuel (album Vida, 1990), Steve Allen (“Letter From My Heart”, 1984), glamour diva Dalida and soulsinger Ava Cherry (“Gimme, Gimme”, 1993; album Spend The Night incl “You Are”, 1997). He has achieved remarkable success as a producer, arranger, conductor and songwriter for the international Italian star Andrea Bocelli (albums: Romanza, 1997; Sogno, 1999; Per Amore, 2000; Andrea, 2004) and even collaborated with Luciano Pavarotti. Malavasi has also composed several film and TV scores (The Rogues, 1988; The Sparrow’s Fluttering, 1988; The Fortunate Pilgrim, 1988; Pummaro, 1990; Tuscan Skies, 2001).

For FMA-Milan, Mauro Malavasi is now superviewing, among others, the artistic production of the Canadian classical-crossover soprano Karine Carusi, whose album Bolero (2006) has been released in Japan by PonyCanyon Inc. Her voice and artistry have been defined by Tokyo's CD Journal as proper of a "post Kathleen Battle".

(http://www.freestylegrooves.com/docs/roots10_bio6.htm and http://www.answers.com/Mauro%20Malavasi)

So as you can see Malavasi ,Trevisi and May still work togethet some time.

More info for Cube:
????