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Alberto Radius
Alberto Radius
Alberto Radius
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Alberto Radius (1 June 1942 – 16 February 2023) was an Italian guitarist, singer-songwriter, arranger, and record producer. Besides his solo career, he is well known as a member of the group Formula 3 and for his collaboration with prominent artists such as Lucio Battisti and Franco Battiato.

Key Information

Life and career

[edit]

Born in Rome, Radius started performing in the late 1950s as a guitarist in the local band White Booster.[1][2] After experiences with the Mario Perrone orchestra and with the band I Campanino, he briefly entered the group I Quelli (later renamed as Premiata Forneria Marconi), replacing Franco Mussida during his military service.[1][2]

In 1969, together with Gabriele Lorenzi and Tony Cicco, Radius formed the band Formula 3, with whom, under the production of Lucio Battisti, he had significant success for a lustre.[1][2] He also became a regular collaborator of Battisti, serving as guitarist in most of his works of the time.[1][2] In 1972, he made his solo debut with the album Radius, which included guest performances of many notable musicians including Demetrio Stratos, Vince Tempera, and his former Premiata Forneria Marconi bandmates Franz Di Cioccio and Giorgio Piazza.[1]

After the disbandment of Formula 3 in 1974, Radius was part of the short-lived progressive rock musical project Il Volo and from 1976 he reprised his solo career.[1][2] In 1978 he opened his recording studio, Studio Radius, and in this period he also started collaborating as a composer and a record producer for other artists.[1] Between the late 1970s and the early 1980s he was a close collaborator of Franco Battiato, appearing in various roles in several Battiato's albums and collaborating with artists produced at the time by Battiato such as Milva, Alice and Giuni Russo.[3][4] In 1980 he co-wrote and recorded the successful disco song Wojtyla Disco Dance, being credited as Freddy The Flying Dutchman.[1][2]

In the second half of the 1980s Radius formed the group Cantautores with whom he released two albums and served as live band in several television programs; in 1990 he joined the Formula 3 reunion.[1][2]

Radius died in San Colombano al Lambro on 16 February 2023, at the age of 80.[5]

Solo discography

[edit]
  • 1972 – Radius (Numero Uno, ZSLN 55153)
  • 1976 – Che cosa sei (CBS, 81476)
  • 1977 – Carta straccia (CGD, 20008)
  • 1979 – America Good-Bye (CGD, 20122)
  • 1981 – Leggende (CGD, 20236)
  • 1982 – Gente di Dublino (CGD, 20333)
  • 1985 – Elena e il gatto (Panarecord, 33328)
  • 1987 – Frammenti di Alberto Radius (antologia)
  • 2004 – Please My Guitar (Idea, COM 151)
  • 2013 – Banca d'Italia (Videoradio/Self, VRCD 000835)
  • 2015 – ....una sera con Lucio (Videoradio/Self)
  • 2017 – Antichi amori (PLAYaudio)

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Alberto Radius

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Alberto Radius was an Italian guitarist, singer-songwriter, arranger, and record producer known for co-founding the influential progressive rock band Formula 3 and his close collaborations with singer-songwriter Lucio Battisti. His work in the late 1960s and 1970s helped shape Italian pop and rock music, blending melodic songwriting with innovative guitar techniques during a transformative era for the country's music scene. Born in Rome on June 1, 1942, Radius began his professional career in the late 1950s as a guitarist with the band White Booster, later performing in orchestras and groups such as I Campanino and Quelli (a precursor to Premiata Forneria Marconi). In 1969, he co-founded Formula 3 with drummer Tony Cicco and keyboardist Gabriele Lorenzi, signing to Battisti's Numero Uno label and achieving early success with the 1970 single Questo Folle Sentimento, a Battisti composition that reached the Italian top five. Following Formula 3's activity, Radius pursued a solo career starting with his self-titled debut album in 1972, releasing several records through the 1970s and beyond—including Che Cosa Sei (1976), Carta Straccia (1977), and later works like Banca D'Italia (2013)—while continuing to arrange and produce for other artists. Radius remained active in music until his later years and died on February 16, 2023, in San Colombano al Lambro. His contributions as a session musician, bandleader, and solo artist left a lasting mark on Italian progressive and singer-songwriter traditions.

Early life and beginnings

Birth and background

Alberto Radius was born on June 1, 1942, in Rome, Italy. As an Italian citizen of Roman origins, he spent his early life in the capital city. He was the son of Carlo Radius and the brother of journalist and essayist Emilio Radius.

Early bands and session work

Alberto Radius began his musical career in the late 1950s as a guitarist with the local Roman band White Booster. He went on to perform with the Mario Perrone orchestra and briefly joined the beat group I Campanino. In the late 1960s, Radius had a brief stint with I Quelli, replacing guitarist Franco Mussida during Mussida's military service; the band later evolved into Premiata Forneria Marconi. By the mid-1960s, he had established himself as a respected session guitarist in the Italian music scene. These early experiences led to his co-founding of Formula 3 in 1969.

Formula 3

Formation and rise

In 1969, Alberto Radius co-founded the power trio Formula 3 with keyboardist Gabriele Lorenzi and drummer Tony Cicco. Radius served as the band's lead guitarist and vocalist, shaping its core sound. Produced by Lucio Battisti and signed to his Numero Uno label, the group quickly rose to prominence in the Italian rock scene. Formula 3 achieved significant popularity in Italy during the early 1970s, establishing themselves as one of the country's leading bands of the era. The band remained active and successful for approximately five years.

Key releases and style

Formula 3 blended progressive rock with pop and hard rock elements, creating a distinctive sound that achieved considerable popularity in Italy during the early 1970s. The band's style relied on the interplay between Alberto Radius's guitar and Gabriele Lorenzi's keyboards, with no traditional bass guitar as bass parts were covered by the keyboards. Radius's guitar work formed the core of the group's identity, marking him as one of the most respected Italian rock guitarists of the period. Active primarily from 1970 to late 1973, though with origins in 1969 and disbandment in 1974, the trio released four studio albums on Lucio Battisti's Numero Uno label. Their debut Dies Irae (1970) established the characteristic Formula 3 sound through a mix of originals and interpretations, including the notable track Questo folle sentimento. The self-titled Formula 3 (1971) brought their greatest commercial success, with several tracks becoming lasting classics in Italian popular music. Sognando e risognando (1972), often considered the band's masterpiece, incorporated extended progressive suites such as the title track and Aeternum, the latter winning the Popular Jury Award at the 1972 Festival Internacional da Canção in Rio de Janeiro. La grande casa (1973), their final album of the era, featured original material and a shift toward more acoustic arrangements.

Collaboration with Lucio Battisti

Alberto Radius served as a regular guitarist on many of Lucio Battisti's recordings during the early 1970s, contributing electric and acoustic guitar parts to his solo albums. This collaboration was closely tied to the production arrangement between Battisti and Formula 3, the band Radius co-founded, which Battisti produced and for which he wrote material; in exchange, Radius and other Formula 3 members frequently appeared as session musicians on Battisti's own works. Radius provided distinctive guitar contributions and arrangement ideas, including the introduction to the song "Eppur mi son scordato di te," which he created himself while Battisti mimed the sounds for him to follow. He also helped realize the slowing section with horns in "Mi ritorni in mente" by bringing in the group Chriss & The Stroke after initial attempts with Italian musicians proved unsatisfactory. These efforts reflected his role in adding a psych-rock edge to Battisti's sound during this period. The work occurred concurrently with Radius's primary activity in Formula 3.

Disbandment

The original lineup of Formula 3 disbanded in 1974 as its members chose to pursue individual careers. The dissolution followed a period of significant collaboration, particularly with Lucio Battisti, after which Radius and his bandmates sought new creative directions. The band reunited in 1990 with the original members, including Radius, and continued to release albums and perform. Radius subsequently shifted to solo work and other projects thereafter.

Solo career

Debut album and early solo work

Alberto Radius released his debut solo album Radius in September 1972 on the Numero Uno label while still active as a member of Formula 3. The album was produced by Lucio Battisti under the pseudonym Lo Abracek and is characterized as a jam-session style recording. It featured guest contributions from prominent musicians including Demetrio Stratos on vocals, piano, and organ, Vince Tempera, Franz Di Cioccio on drums, and Giorgio Piazza on bass, reflecting an improvisational and collaborative approach typical of the Italian progressive scene at the time. Recorded over just four days in July 1972, the work stands as Radius's initial independent effort outside his band commitments and showcases his guitar work alongside diverse instrumental and vocal inputs from the guests.

1970s and 1980s albums

After the conclusion of his work with Il Volo, Alberto Radius resumed his solo career in 1976 with the album Che cosa sei, released on CBS. This work represented a musical turning point, shifting from his earlier progressive leanings toward a style positioned halfway between pop and rock. In 1977, he followed with Carta straccia on CGD, which became his most successful solo album, driven by the hit single "Nel ghetto." He continued this direction with America Good-Bye in 1979, also on CGD. In 1978, Radius established Studio Radius, where he would record his subsequent works. He released Leggende in 1981 and Gente di Dublino in 1982, both on CGD, before concluding the period with Elena e il gatto in 1985 on Panarecord. These albums sustained his engagement with pop-rock forms throughout the era.

Later solo releases

After a period of lower activity following his 1980s work, Alberto Radius resumed solo recording in the 2000s and 2010s with sporadic but impactful releases. He issued the album Please My Guitar in 2004 on the Videoradio label. In 2013, Radius released Banca d'Italia, another Videoradio production that featured original material. In 2015, Radius collaborated with guitarist Ricky Portera on ....una sera con Lucio, a tribute album that reinterpreted songs associated with Lucio Battisti (from Radius's own history of collaboration) and Lucio Dalla (from Portera's background), with six tracks dedicated to each artist for a total of twelve songs. The project offered rock-oriented arrangements that preserved the originals' melodic essence while incorporating modern production techniques and personal touches, such as including Lucio Dalla's original vocal recording on "La sera dei miracoli" and a duet on "Vita" featuring Roberta Coppone. Additional contributors included backing vocalist Clara Moroni. Radius's final solo album, Antichi amori, appeared in 2017 on PLAYaudio. Both Banca d'Italia and Antichi amori passed largely unnoticed at the time but retained an incisive edge. These late-career works reflected Radius's ongoing creativity despite increasingly rare output due to health issues.

Collaborations and side projects

Work with Franco Battiato

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, following the disbandment of Formula 3, Alberto Radius developed a close collaboration with Franco Battiato, contributing as a guitarist to some of Battiato's key albums. He performed on guitar for L'era del cinghiale bianco (1979) and La voce del padrone (1981), appearing alongside other musicians in Battiato's circle such as Giusto Pio and Filippo Destrieri. Radius extended his work to artists produced or arranged by Battiato, often providing guitar parts or production support. He played guitar and served as producer on Giuni Russo's Energie (1981), an album shaped by Battiato's influence and featuring electronic and pop experimentation. He contributed guitar to Milva's Milva E Dintorni (1982), which was produced by Battiato, and to Alice's self-titled album (1982), arranged by Battiato and Giusto Pio. During this period Radius maintained close ties to Battiato's creative environment, as seen in his 1982 solo album Gente di Dublino, which involved many of the same musicians from Battiato's La voce del padrone and L'arca di Noè, along with lyricists associated with Battiato. He and Battiato also sang in the choir on Giusto Pio's Restoration - The Ancient School Of (1983), recorded at Radius Studio.

Il Volo and Cantautores

Following the disbandment of Formula 3 in 1974, Alberto Radius took part in the short-lived progressive rock project Il Volo, a studio supergroup formed by prominent Italian musicians. The band featured Radius on guitar and vocals alongside Gabriele Lorenzi (from Formula 3), Mario Lavezzi on guitar and mandolin, and Vince Tempera on keyboards, resulting in a single self-titled album released in 1974 that combined progressive elements with songwriting contributions from figures like Mogol. Il Volo remained active only briefly, producing no further releases or live performances beyond this recording. In the second half of the 1980s, Radius formed the group Cantautores, serving as guitarist and vocalist. The band released two albums during this period and appeared as a live ensemble on various television programs, emphasizing collaborative songwriting and performance. The lineup included vocalists Mauro Lusini and Bernardo Lanzetti, along with Angela Baggi, drawing on Radius's established network from earlier musical ventures.

Other collaborations and guest appearances

Radius engaged in several miscellaneous musical projects and guest contributions beyond his primary bands and long-term partnerships. In 1979, he arranged and participated in the disco track "Wojtyla Disco Dance," released under the pseudonym Freddy The Flying Dutchman as part of Freddy The Flying Dutchman And The Sistina Band. This novelty song marked a brief foray into electronic disco music. Radius also made occasional contributions to film music, co-writing the song "Encounters" (credited alongside Nikki Barton and Arturo Zitelli) for the 1981 Italian comedy film L'assistente sociale tutto pepe. Throughout his career, he appeared as a guest guitarist or collaborator on various recordings and live performances with other Italian artists.

Production and studio work

Studio Radius

In 1978, Alberto Radius opened Studio Radius, his personal recording studio in Milan, Italy. Located at Via Bazzini 14, the facility provided Radius with dedicated space to handle his own productions during a period of active solo work that extended from the early 1970s onward. Radius primarily used Studio Radius to record his subsequent solo albums, beginning with sessions in the late 1970s that aligned with his independent creative output following earlier band activities. The studio supported his self-contained approach to music production and was also utilized for recordings by other artists. In more recent years, Studio Radius was renamed Il Guscio Recording Studio.

Arranging and production credits

Throughout his career, Alberto Radius served as an arranger and record producer on numerous recordings, contributing to the Italian music scene beyond his primary roles as guitarist and singer-songwriter. His credits in these areas are documented across music databases, where he is listed alongside his performance roles on various releases. These production and arrangement contributions often intersected with his collaborations and side projects, particularly within creative circles that included figures like Franco Battiato. From the late 1970s onward, Radius also took on production responsibilities for his own solo material, reflecting his growing involvement in studio processes. His work as an arranger and producer complemented his instrumental expertise, helping shape arrangements and overall sound on select projects.

Later years and death

Reunions and final activities

In 1990, Alberto Radius joined the reunion of Formula 3, reuniting with original members Gabriele Lorenzi and Tony Cicco for a new album that revisited and updated many of the band's classic tracks from the 1970s. The self-titled album (also referred to as "1990") featured re-recorded versions of songs such as "Eppur mi son scordato di te," "Nessuno nessuno," and "Non è Francesca," with Radius credited as arranger and producer alongside the band. This project marked a brief return to the group's psychedelic and progressive rock roots with a refreshed sound, though the reunion remained occasional thereafter. Radius continued his solo career in subsequent decades, releasing new material periodically into the 2010s. Notable among these later works was the 2017 album Antichi amori, an 18-track collection that included original compositions alongside reinterpreted older pieces, such as "Canyon 1990/2016" and covers of his past hits. He maintained musical activity through performances and recordings into his final years.

Death

Alberto Radius died on February 16, 2023, in San Colombano al Lambro, Italy, at the age of 80. His family announced that, after a long illness, he had passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones, expressing deep sorrow and requesting privacy in their moment of grief.

References

  1. https://www.discogs.com/artist/342427-Alberto-Radius
  2. https://musicbrainz.org/artist/4cc46ec0-8a0d-4720-8d02-066a430bf0d8
  3. https://www.ilcorrieredellacitta.com/news/spettacolo/alberto-radius-chi-era-eta-carriera-come-e-morto-moglie-figli-canzoni.html
  4. https://centraldoprog.blogspot.com/2017/08/alberto-radius-carta-straccia-1977-italy.html
  5. https://jazzrocksoul.com/artists/formula-3/
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  8. https://en.debaser.it/formula-3
  9. https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2020/12/formula-3-tony-cicco-interview.html
  10. https://www.proggnosis.com/Artist/518
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  12. https://www.discogs.com/artist/679575-Formula-3
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  14. https://www.discogs.com/release/16117114-Lucio-Battisti-Emozioni
  15. https://www.rollingstone.it/musica/interviste-musica/alberto-radius-con-lucio-battisti-a-250-allora-in-fuga-dai-paparazzi/619318/
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  17. https://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=531
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  19. https://www.discogs.com/release/3663765-Radius-Radius
  20. https://www.soundohm.com/product/radius-lp-red-vinyl
  21. https://www.discogs.com/release/14284251-Radius-Radius
  22. https://www.discogs.com/release/3637962-Radius-Radius
  23. https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=70201
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  26. https://www.discogs.com/release/2488653-Alberto-Radius-Please-My-Guitar
  27. https://www.discogs.com/release/8045855-Alberto-Radius-Banca-DItalia
  28. https://faremusic.it/2015/02/02/alberto-radius-e-ricky-portera-una-sera-con-lucio/
  29. https://www.discogs.com/release/12783600-Alberto-Radius-Antichi-Amori
  30. https://www.globalpopularmusic.net/?page_id=32
  31. https://www.discogs.com/release/35570113-Giuni-Russo-Energie
  32. https://www.discogs.com/release/15281294-Milva-Milva-E-Dintorni-
  33. https://www.discogs.com/release/10701805-Alice-Alice
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  35. http://stereocandies.blogspot.com/2016/01/giusto-pio-restoration-ancient-school.html
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  38. https://progressiverockcentral.com/2022/10/10/progrock-profiles-il-volo/
  39. https://www.discogs.com/artist/4267338-Cantautores
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  41. https://www.discogs.com/release/566304-Freddy-The-Flying-Dutchman-And-The-Sistina-Band-Wojtyla-Disco-Dance
  42. https://ilmanifesto.it/alberto-radius-il-talento-del-chitarrista
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  46. https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/alberto-radius/credits/
  47. https://www.discogs.com/master/1077169-Formula-3-1990
  48. https://www.periscopionline.it/lintervista-tony-cicco-dalla-formula-3-a-battisti-una-batteria-di-successi-che-continua-a-rullare-22841.html
  49. https://open.spotify.com/album/0uH27W33AFtWx63dbSUxy6
  50. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k2xFHNIvSg
  51. https://www.rainews.it/articoli/2023/02/addio-a-alberto-radius-grande-chitarrista-anima-del-rock-italiano-80c66b13-2873-4be4-b43a-194a8c451d97.html
  52. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alberto-radius-mn0000365039
  53. https://www.9colonne.it/399411/morto-alberto-radius-anima-del-rock-italiano
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