Capsicum Red

The Capsicum Red were a group of Italian progressive rock formed in 1970. Many of Italian music fans know the name of the Capsicum Red only because their singer and guitarist Red Canzian has had a career of great success with the Pooh, and in fact these four musicians from Treviso did not attract a lot of interest during the short life of their group. The name Capsicum Red was chosen by the producer Pino Massara when he discovered Canzian, singer and guitarist of the Prototypes, and took him to the new label Bla Bla in 1970. To attract the interest of the press, the Capsicum Red were presented as a foreign group, and this caused some success for the first two 45 rpm. The first single was recorded by Ocean Canzian with studio musicians and had some popularity, due to the fact that it was used as the theme song of the TV program, ... and I'll tell you who you are. Another 45 laps, Tarzan, came soon after, recorded in London with the musicians of the band Stone the Crows, but did not have the same success of the previous year. Both 45s contained commercial songs far away from the next album, and both were later included in the rare collection Tarzan, published by Bla Bla in 1972. To accompany Canzian in live performance were then selected some of the musicians Treviso: the first line-up included Canzian, Bolzan, drummer and bassist Paul Podda Valter Gasparini, now replaced by Steffan. Once again the label communication strategies tried to create interest for the group: a Canzian is said that he was born to an Italian father in England and had started playing in that country, and that the group was formed in London, where the young musicians had met and had held their first concerts. In 1972, with new member Roberto Balocco coming from Cold Cream, the group shifted decisively with the LP Notes for an obsession towards progressive music, with strong classical influences. The first side contains the long Pathetique suites derived from Beethoven, an interesting piece of symphonic prog with keyboards in evidence. The second front is on a lower level with three shorter songs that in some cases seem weaker. The group disbanded in 1973, when Red Canzian went for a short time in Osage Tribe and then the Pooh, and Paul Steffan formed the country-inspired duo Genova & Steffan releasing an album in 1975.