Biography
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Years Active
1971 – 1972 (1 year)
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Founded In
Roma, Roma, Lazio, Italy
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Members
- Agostino Marangolo
- Antonio Marangolo
- Carlo Pennisi
- Elio Volpini
- Nigel
FLEA ON THE HONEY was an Italian progressive rock band from the early 70s that released in fact three albums with different names, the first as 'Flea in the Honey', with the members only identified with English nicknames, then as 'Flea', and later as 'Etna'.
A group from Sicily, but based in Rome, they were one of the many bands taking part to the very influential Viareggio 1971 Pop festival, and in the same year their first album was released by RCA subsidiary Delta, with short songs, a style influenced by hard rock and totally sung in English.
Band members were hidden under pseudonyms and the label probably wanted to promote them as one of the many English bands coming to Italy in search of success. There are some good thing, though, like Mother Mary that was also released as a single with Louise (my little ship) (a song that was also recorded by Cyan and Middle of the Road), but generally the album still shows a lack of personality.
After some more live appearences (like in the Rome Villa Pamphili festival) the band shortened its name to Flea and released their second album on Fonit, moving towards a progressive sound.
Topi o uomini is a more mature and much better work than the previous one, with side A comprising the 20 minutes long title-track and three shorter tracks on side B.
The band's sound is much more original here, with good Italian-sung vocals and long instrumental parts, mainly dominated by guitar.
After Topi o uomini, Elio Volpini left to join L'Uovo di Colombo, and was replaced by Fabio Pignatelli (from the Rome group Le Rivelazioni), who played with Flea on two tours but left to form Cherry Five and then Goblin.
The original quartet reformed in 1975 as Etna, releasing an eponymous album with another radical change of style. Etna is a good jazz-rock inspired work, with seven all instrumental tracks, showing strong influences by the likes of Mahavishnu Orchestra and coming close to the work of similar Italian bands like Nova or Il Baricentro.
Soon after the album, drummer Agostino Marangolo joined Goblin and had a successful later career as sessionman, Pennisi briefly played with Mediterraneo.
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