I wonder how a fast, wah-heavy version of the Rokes “Che Colpa Abbiamo Noi” got its only release on a Philadelphia label known for a handful of local pop artists.
Whoever put the label together took it upon themselves to change Gli Angeli to Gil’ Angeli, and misspelled the Italian title (as “Che Colba Abbia Mo Noi”), and several songwriter names.
Though there’s an English title “What Faults Do We Have?”, the song is sung in Italian. “Che Colpa Abbiamo Noi” was an Italian version of Bob Lind’s “Cheryl’s Goin’ Home”, and was a hit for the Rokes in 1966. The Mogol song credit is Giulio Rapetti Mogol who often adapted English lyrics into Italian.
I put together a video of the song for youtube, but as I was uploading it, an automatic copyright claim showed up, that some faceless company would “allow” the upload but monetize it for themselves. There’s a good chance this company doesn’t even have the rights to claim copyright, and I never monetize my uploads for my own profit. So I decided not to upload it at all. The world will do without.
The flip also gets an English title, “Don’t Cry Tonight”, but it’s sung in Italian too, and is a cover of Don Backy’s 1967 ballad, “Non Piangere Stasera”. Mainstay Music Inc. is listed as publisher.
Usually a record like this would have been released in Italy or somewhere else first, but as far as I can tell, this was not released in any other country. The Bats did a version of “Che Colpa Abbiamo Noi” but it does not sound like this one.
It’s possible this was recorded in Philadelphia, and was not taken from a demo or international release. The label says produced by Ricky Layne, who produced at least a couple other releases on Star-Line Records, on S. Eleventh St. in Philadelphia, PA.
The dead wax FC-1A/B F/W indicates Frankford-Wayne mastering.
There was a Gli Angeli from Abruzzo who did “Butta La Corda” backed with an Italian version of the Who’s “I’m a Boy” as “Dove Vuoi”, but they didn’t have a vocalist named Franco. Gli Angeli Di Trieste are another possibility, but the recording I heard of them is much more polished pop than this.
I’d appreciate any leads on who this Gil Angeli & Franco could be.