Pangea was an Italian quintet, originally from Lombardy, which like many at the time did not have much luck. The project was founded by the well-known artist Mauro Paoluzzi, who completed the line-up with the two ex-Madrugada members Gianfranco Pinto and Billy Zanelli, the singer and his wife Loredana Paoluzzi and the popular fiatist Claudio Pascoli, a future PFM member.
For the sake of clarity and for those unfamiliar with these artists, Mauro Paoluzzi was Madrugada‘s producer, drummer in the Four Kents, Ragazzi dai Capelli Verdi and I Nuovi Angeli. He later collaborated with successful Italian artists such as Gianna Nannini, Pino Mango, Bruno Lauzi, Faust’O, Loredana Bertè and Roberto Vecchioni. Claudio Pascoli, who later joined PFM was already a collaborator of Bruno Lauzi, Ivano Fossati and especially Lucio Battisti on the album “Anima Latina.”
The band Pangea, as well as Madrugada, signed a contract with the giant Philips, recording an album entitled “Invasori,” which unfortunately did not see the light of day, except for the promotional version. The Dutch label in fact decided to turn to other sounds after Federico Monti Arduini (a.k.a. Il Guardiano Del Faro) became artistic director, who after his personal success decided to turn to more ‘marketable‘ sounds. This choice not only effectively prevented the band from releasing the album, but also failed to adequately promote the works of Madrugada‘s “Incastro” and Enrico Nascimbeni‘s “Stasera Clowns.” These three albums, recorded almost at the same time and edited almost by the same staff all had bad luck, see the bad sponsorship (Madrugada and Nscimbeni), see the non-release with subsequent termination of the contract for Pangea.
It was only a decade later that it was finally discovered and reissued thanks to Matthias Scheller and his BTF, later in 2007 by AMS Records and Vinyl Magic. In its 1976 promotional version it fetches considerable sums of money, always topping 400 euros, while the reissues are more accessible, although not easy to find.
Musically, the album is a concept centred on the theme of travel, divided into 10 sections that make up the tracklist, exploring different musical facets from Space Rock to Progressive Rock. An enjoyable listen, not to be considered essential nor a masterpiece, but certainly the excellent quality of the recordings and mixing as well as the good writing and execution of the tracks makes it an album that would at least have deserved to be released.
A band that makes it into this editorial inasmuch as the album is a true hidden rarity, despite the fact that the members of the lineup have nonetheless achieved success, unfortunately with other projects, while remaining at the top of Italian music.
Discography
(1976) Invasori [Philips] – Promotional LP only
Lineup:
Mauro Paoluzzi / Composition, Guitar, Drums, Vocals
Luciana Paoluzzi / Vocals
Gianfranco Pinto / Keyboards, Vocals
Alessandro “Billy” Zanelli / Bass, Vocals
Claudio Pascoli / Sax, Flute