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'''''29 settembre''''' (29th of September) is a song by Italian pop band [[Equipe 84]]. It was written by [[Lucio Battisti]] and [[Mogol (lyricist)|Mogol]], and it signalled the first of four collaborations between Battisti and Equipe 84, the others being ''Nel cuore, nell'anima'', ''Ladro'' and ''Hey ragazzo''.<ref name="ceri 36">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Ceri|2008|p=36}}</ref>
'''''29 settembre''''' (''29th of September'') is a song composed in 1966 by Italian musician [[Lucio Battisti]] and lyricist [[Mogol (lyricist)|Mogol]].


Released as a single in March 1967, ''29 settembre'' was both a critical and commercial success, topping the Italian charts for five consecutive weeks;<ref name="billboard">{{cite web|url=https://books.google.it/books?id=2ycEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58&dq=29+settembre+equipe+billboard&source=bl&ots=2r9ICEU3Q4&sig=jeoW7iQAg-pAi3pBWYshgN2C1Pk&hl=it&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj3ovDNs_zLAhUECCwKHfsYDo0Q6AEILjAE#v=onepage&q=29%20settembre%20equipe%20billboard&f=false |title=Billboard, 10 June 1967 |publisher=Books.google.it |date= |accessdate=2019-02-13}}</ref> it was the first song written by Battisti to achieve success, and led to his definitive affirmation as a [[composer]].<ref name="hpi">{{cite web|url=http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/schede/0/29_settembre.htm|author=Christian Calabrese|title=29 settembre|work=Hit Parade Italia}}</ref> It was distinguished by a heavily-influenced [[Psychedelic music|psychedelic]] sound, so much so that the song was nicknamed "Italy's [[Sergeant Pepper's]]" for the impact and the influence it had on the local music scene.<ref name="salvatore 87">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Salvatore|2000|p=87}}</ref><ref name="stefanel 25" /><ref name="hpi" />
It was brought to success by [[Equipe 84]], who published their own interpretation as a single in March 1967. It had great success with critics and audiences, remaining at the top of the Italian hit parade for five weeks;<ref name="billboard">{{cite web|url=https://books.google.it/books?id=2ycEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58&dq=29+settembre+equipe+billboard&source=bl&ots=2r9ICEU3Q4&sig=jeoW7iQAg-pAi3pBWYshgN2C1Pk&hl=it&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj3ovDNs_zLAhUECCwKHfsYDo0Q6AEILjAE#v=onepage&q=29%20settembre%20equipe%20billboard&f=false |title=Billboard, 10 June 1967 |publisher=Books.google.it |date= |accessdate=2019-02-13}}</ref> it was the first song written by Battisti to achieve success, and led to his definitive affirmation as a [[composer]].<ref name="hpi">{{cite web|url=http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/schede/0/29_settembre.htm|author=Christian Calabrese|title=29 settembre|work=Hit Parade Italia}}</ref> At the time it was distinguished by very innovative lyrics and sound,<ref name="ceri 38" /> which for the first time in Italy's music scene were heavily influenced by [[psychedelia]], so much so that the song is nicknamed "Italy's [[Sergeant Pepper's]]" for the impact and the influence it had on the musical environment.<ref name="salvatore 87">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Salvatore|2000|p=87}}</ref><ref name="stefanel 25" /><ref name="hpi" />


In 1969, Lucio Battisti recorded a version of the song himself. It was later covered by other artists, including [[Mina (Italian singer)|Mina]], [[Giuni Russo]] and [[The Bevis Frond]]. It is one of Battisti’s best-known songs and is considered a standard of Italian pop music.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.quotidiano.net/magazine/29-settembre-1.3430061|title=29 settembre, come nacque la leggenda di Battisti|author=Leo Turrini|publisher=QN Quotidiano Nazionale|date=28 September 2017}}</ref>
In 1969, the song was reinterpreted by Battisti himself, and later by many other artists in Italy and abroad. It is one of the best-known songs both in Battisti's and in the Equipe 84 production, and is considered a classic of Italian pop music.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.quotidiano.net/magazine/29-settembre-1.3430061|title=29 settembre, come nacque la leggenda di Battisti|author=Leo Turrini|publisher=QN Quotidiano Nazionale|date=28 September 2017}}</ref>


== Background ==
== Lyrics and meaning ==
The lyrics, written by [[Mogol (lyricist)|Mogol]], tell the story of an [[adultery]] which lasts only one day and is made with lightness of mind, without consequences on the protagonist's other sentimental relationship.
''29 settembre'' was probably written in the autumn of 1966.<ref name="ceri 37">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Ceri|2008|p=37}}</ref> The song had a long gestation, and remained incomplete for a long time before it was actually finished.<ref name="ceri 37" /> According to musicologist Salvatore Galeazzo Biamonte, ''29 settembre'' was composed with the objective of overcoming the traditional pop song structure:


The story takes place over two consecutive days. In the first, the [[September 29|29th of September]], the [[First-person narrative|protagonist]] meets a girl in a bar. Almost without realizing it, the two enter into intimacy and spend the whole night together, first at the restaurant and then dancing. The next day, the [[September 30|30th of September]], the protagonist wakes up animated by an unchanged love for his usual partner, so much that he rushes to phone her declaring his love, as if nothing had happened the night before.
{{Quote|Lucio [Battisti] was in [[Mogol (lyricist)|Mogol]]'s office who, as if to keep faith with his reputation of "pop song theorist" [...], had engaged in a discussion about the need to find new themes and forms to be put in verses. "We should," he said, "tell a whole story, perhaps choosing a date that would serve to remember it, to suggest a specific atmosphere: September 29, for example". "Perhaps" replied Battisti, "I have the right music". And he played at the piano a tune he had prepared. What came out of that was, of course, ''29 settembre''.<ref>{{harvnb|Ceri|2008|p=38}}, which quotes ''Radiocorriere TV n. 50'', 10–16 December 1967, p.&nbsp;51.</ref>}}


=== Theme ===
In February 1967, just after the end of [[Sanremo Music Festival 1967|Sanremo]], Battisti resumed composing the song around Mogol's lyrics and completed it.<ref name="neri 43">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Neri|2010|p=43}}</ref> Battisti and Mogol then presented it to [[Detto Mariano|Mariano Detto]], and asked him to come up with an [[arrangement]].<ref name="neri 43" />

== Theme and lyrics ==
[[File:Giulio Rapetti (Mogol) in 1968.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Mogol (lyricist)|Mogol]], author of lyrics, in a 1968 photograph]]
[[File:Giulio Rapetti (Mogol) in 1968.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Mogol (lyricist)|Mogol]], author of lyrics, in a 1968 photograph]]


The central theme is [[adultery]], a strongly innovative topic for the time. In the Italian society of the 1960s the subject was considered almost a [[taboo]];<ref name="salvatore 88">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Salvatore|2000|p=88}}</ref> in pop music, songs based on rosy and idealized loves prevailed, while adultery was almost always portrayed as a serious misconduct.<ref name="silvestri giornale">{{Cite news|url=http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/quando-seduto-quel-caff-io-non-pensavo-te-954107.html|title=Quando "Seduto in quel caffè io non pensavo a te"|author=Enrico Silvestri|publisher=Il Giornale|date=28 September 2013}}</ref> The protagonist of ''29 settembre'', instead, shows no repentance<ref name="silvestri giornale" /> and does not feel guilty when he returns to his partner;<ref name="salvatore 88" /> the passing of a single day erased everything, and the protagonist does not even remember the previous' night events. The message of ''29 settembre'', therefore, anticipates the [[sexual revolution]] which would become widespread on the next year with the [[Protests of 1968|Sessantotto]] movement.<ref name="silvestri giornale" />
The lyrics are about a brief [[adultery]] that doesn't seem to have any tangible consequences on the protagonist's relationship with his regular partner.


=== Style ===
The story takes place over two consecutive days. On September 29, the [[First-person narrative|protagonist]] meets a girl in a bar. Before they know it, the two become intimate and spend the whole night together, first at a restaurant and then in a dancing club. The next day, [[September 30|30th of September]], the protagonist is waken up by phone call from his regular partner. He declares his undying love for her, making it unclear if the events that took place the night before were real or part of a dream.
Also in its form and style, the lyrics were extremely innovative and almost experimental. The story told, in fact, is not a single episode (as almost always happened in the pop music of the time) but a complex story, which takes place in two days.<ref name="ceri 38">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Ceri|2008|p=38}}</ref>
The theme of [[adultery]] was an innovative topic for the Italian society of the 1960s, when divorce was still illegal.<ref name="salvatore 88">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Salvatore|2000|p=88}}</ref> Most pop songs revolved around innocent love stories.<ref name="silvestri giornale">{{Cite news|url=http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/quando-seduto-quel-caff-io-non-pensavo-te-954107.html|title=Quando "Seduto in quel caffè io non pensavo a te"|author=Enrico Silvestri|publisher=Il Giornale|date=28 September 2013}}</ref> The main character in ''29 settembre'', seems unrepentant.<ref name="silvestri giornale" /><ref name="salvatore 88" /> Such approach to love, according to some pundits, anticipated the [[sexual revolution]], which would take on the next year with the [[Protests of 1968|Sessantotto]] movement.<ref name="silvestri giornale" />


Moreover, while maintaining chronological order, the lyrics have a relatively complex [[Plot (narrative)|plot]], which does not completely coincide with the [[Fabula and syuzhet|course of events]]. The events of the first day are not told from a contemporary perspective, but are re-evoked by the protagonist when he wakes up, the next morning: in fact all events of September 29 use the verbal time of [[imperfect]] or [[Preterite|passato remoto]], while those of September 30 use [[present tense]] or at most [[Present perfect|passato prossimo]]. The song, therefore, takes place entirely on the day of September 30, but the initial part is occupied by a long [[Flashback (narrative)|flashback]] in which the previous day is recalled, returning in the present only at the end.
The flashback effect is also strengthened by the vague and muffled style with which the events are described, giving them the appearance of an undefined memory.<ref name="salvatore 88" /><ref name="stefanel 26" /> Some details of the story are distinctly [[Surrealism|surreal]] and distorted, so much to resemble, according to Renzo Stefanel, the effects of an [[Psychedelic experience|acid trip]].<ref name="stefanel 26">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Stefanel|2007|p=26}}</ref>


The nature of flashback of the first day is also strengthened by the vague and muffled style with which the events are described, giving them the appearance of an undefined memory, which emerges with difficulty from the mind: the succession of events is indeed «swirling»<ref name="salvatore 88" /><ref name="stefanel 26" /> and with very nuanced outlines, with many [[Ellipsis (linguistics)|ellipses]] between one event and another. Some details of the story are markedly [[Surrealism|surreal]] and distorted, so much to resemble, according to Renzo Stefanel, the effects of an [[Psychedelic experience|acid trip]].<ref name="stefanel 26">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Stefanel|2007|p=26}}</ref> The narrative is so blurred and surreal that the listener is kept with the doubt on whether the extramarital adventure really happened, or whether it was just a dream made before waking up.
According to Mogol, the choice of the day in which the story takes place was coincidental.<ref name="stefanel 25">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Stefanel|2007|p=25}}</ref> However, September 29 was also the birthday of his then-wife Serenella<ref>[http://www.adnkronos.com/IGN/News/Spettacolo/29-settembre-Mogol-Una-canzone-moderna-il-primo-vero-salto-di-Lucio_312498032715.html 29 settembre, Mogol: "Una canzone moderna, il primo vero 'salto' di Lucio"], Adnkronos Spettacolo</ref> - a discovery that suggested an autobiographical nature of the text.<ref name="stefanel 25" /> Mogol has maintained that he realized the coincidence only once the song was written.<ref name="stefanel 25" />


In this way [[psychedelia]], until then a mostly musical topic, was brought by Mogol also in the lyrics sphere.
== Recording history ==

=== Title ===
According to declarations by the lyrics' author [[Mogol (lyricist)|Mogol]], the day in which the story takes place (and therefore the song title) is an ordinary day, which was chosen for no particular reason.<ref name="stefanel 25">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Stefanel|2007|p=25}}</ref> However, it was noted that the date of September 29 coincides with the birthday of his wife of the time, Serenella;<ref>[http://www.adnkronos.com/IGN/News/Spettacolo/29-settembre-Mogol-Una-canzone-moderna-il-primo-vero-salto-di-Lucio_312498032715.html 29 settembre, Mogol: "Una canzone moderna, il primo vero 'salto' di Lucio"], Adnkronos Spettacolo</ref> this aspect could suggest an autobiographical nature of the text, almost a public confession of an infidelity made by the author.<ref name="stefanel 25" /> Mogol, however, argues that it was a coincidence, which he realized only one day after having written the lyrics.<ref name="stefanel 25" /> He said he regrets not having dedicated the song to her from the beginning, while his wife (who knew Mogol's proverbial inattention) understood that the tribute was not intentional and in fact did not thank him.<ref name="stefanel 25" />

== Composing ==
[[File:Lucio Battisti 1967.jpg|thumb|[[Lucio Battisti]], the young author of music, still without his distinctive thick curly hair in a 1967 photo]]
[[File:Lucio Battisti 1967.jpg|thumb|[[Lucio Battisti]], the young author of music, still without his distinctive thick curly hair in a 1967 photo]]


The song's composition probably dates back to the beginning of autumn of 1966.<ref name="ceri 37">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Ceri|2008|p=37}}</ref> The song had a long gestation, and remained incomplete for a long time before it was finished.<ref name="ceri 37" />
Battisti initially was keen on interpreting the song himself<ref name="neri 43" /> but he was an emerging song writer at the time and had still to discover his own talent as a performer.<ref name="neri 43" /> Battisti and Mogol first proposed the song to Italian pop star [[Gianni Pettenati]], but he was not entirely convinced by it and therefore turned it down.<ref name="ceri 37" /><ref name="Guaitamacchi">{{Cite book|author=Ezio Guaitamacchi|title=Mille canzoni che ci hanno cambiato la vita|publisher=Rizzoli|location=Milano|year=2009|ISBN=8817033928|url=https://books.google.it/books?id=M3mgAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT250&lpg=PT250&dq=guiatamacchi+1000+canzoni+29+settembre&source=bl&ots=AV_76LVZDC&sig=_Um52iglgdYTfBKji1G3N8etYNQ&hl=it&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjby8LuipreAhUKzhoKHa_TCW4Q6AEwAnoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=guiatamacchi%201000%20canzoni%2029%20settembre&f=false}}</ref>

According to the testimony of musicologist Salvatore Galeazzo Biamonte, the song was composed with the precise will to overcome the classical schemes of the traditional song:

{{Quote|Lucio [...] was in [[Mogol (lyricist)|Mogol]]'s office who, as if to keep faith with his reputation of "pop song theorist" [...], had engaged in a discussion about the need to find new themes and new forms to be offered in songs verses. "We should," he said, "tell a whole story, perhaps choosing a date that would serve to remember it, to suggest a specific atmosphere: September 29, for example". "Perhaps" replied Battisti, "I have the right music". And he played at the piano a motif he had prepared. What came out of that was, of course, ''29 settembre''.<ref>{{harvnb|Ceri|2008|p=38}}, which quotes ''Radiocorriere TV n. 50'', 10–16 December 1967, p.&nbsp;51.</ref>}}

At the time, Battisti still had to discover his own talent as a singer, and he was not fully affirmed even as a song author; for this reason, the song remained for some time within a repertoire that Battisti presented to bands and singers, looking for someone who would sing them.

At first, during 1966, Battisti and Mogol proposed the song to [[Gianni Pettenati]], but he was not entirely convinced and therefore refused to sing it.<ref name="ceri 37" /><ref name="Guaitamacchi">{{Cite book|author=Ezio Guaitamacchi|title=Mille canzoni che ci hanno cambiato la vita|publisher=Rizzoli|location=Milano|year=2009|ISBN=8817033928|url=https://books.google.it/books?id=M3mgAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT250&lpg=PT250&dq=guiatamacchi+1000+canzoni+29+settembre&source=bl&ots=AV_76LVZDC&sig=_Um52iglgdYTfBKji1G3N8etYNQ&hl=it&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjby8LuipreAhUKzhoKHa_TCW4Q6AEwAnoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=guiatamacchi%201000%20canzoni%2029%20settembre&f=false}}</ref>

In February 1967, just after the end of [[Sanremo Music Festival 1967|Sanremo]], Battisti resumed composing the song and finally completed it.<ref name="neri 43">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Neri|2010|p=43}}</ref>

Initially Battisti thought of interpreting the song in person:<ref name="neri 43" /> at that time, in fact, the musician (just at the beginning of his career as a singer) was starting to think about publishing a new single, to overcome the fiasco of previous year's debut single ''Per una lira''.<ref name="neri 43" /> For this purpose, Battisti and Mogol had [[Detto Mariano|Mariano Detto]] listening the song, and asked him to make an [[arrangement]]; he immediately sensed its potential and immediately set to work.<ref name="neri 43" />

== Equipe 84 rendering ==
The song, however, also came to the ear of Maurizio Vandelli, leader of [[Equipe 84]], who appreciated it very much and understood to be in front of a potential success:<ref name="neri 43" /> so Vandelli began to ask Mogol and Battisti to have the song for his band.<ref name="neri 43" />

Equipe 84 was at the peak of popularity at the time,<ref name="neri 43" /> and a short time before it was defined by [[John Lennon]] «the most up to date among Italian bands»;<ref name="Guaitamacchi" /> being the author of a song played by Equipe 84 would have given anyone great importance.<ref name="neri 43" /> So Battisti renounced to sing it personally and consented to hand it over, despite Mariano Detto insisted that it was the right song to launch his career as a singer.<ref name="neri 43" /> For the solo single, Battisti had to fall back on the two lesser known tracks ''Luisa Rossi'' and ''Era'', which enjoyed little success.

It was Battisti's first song to be played by Equipe 84, a partnership which subsequently continued with three more songs: ''Nel cuore, nell'anima'', ''Ladro'' and ''Hey ragazzo''.<ref name="ceri 36">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Ceri|2008|p=36}}</ref>

=== Recording and production ===
[[File:Studer A80.JPG|thumb|upright|An eight-track recorder of the time]]

The song's artistic [[Record producer|production]] was cared for by Vandelli himself.<ref name="neri 43" />

The recording took place in the [[Dischi Ricordi|Ricordi]] studios in Milan.<ref name="neri 43" /> A few weeks before the studio had been equipped with an eight-track recorder, the first ever in an Italian recording studio: so ''29 settembre'' was the first song in Italy to be fully recorded with this new equipment.

Vandelli gave much importance to sound research, which is why the recording of the song lasted a long time.<ref name="neri 43" /> Vandelli used the studio for so many hours that he angered Ricordi's executives, who complained about excessive costs.<ref name="neri 43" />

The song, at the time of recording, was still untitled.<ref name="Guaitamacchi" />


During the recording, it was decided to insert in the song the voiceover of a radio speaker who, while reading the news of the radio bulletin, pronounces the current date, making it easier to understand the chronology of the story told. It is not clear who had this idea: Maurizio Vandelli, Mogol, and Ricordi's production manager Paolo Ruggeri all took the credit.<ref name="Guaitamacchi" />
== Equipe 84 version ==
The song was then proposed to [[Equipe 84]]'s lead singer Maurizio Vandelli<ref name="neri 43" /> who sensed its potential and agreed to record it.<ref name="neri 43" /> Equipe 84 was at the peak of popularity at the time.<ref name="neri 43" /> [[John Lennon]] had defined them "the most up to date among Italian bands".<ref name="Guaitamacchi" /><ref name="neri 43" />


In the song Maurizio Vandelli played the guitar and solo voice, Alfio Cantarella the drums, Franco Ceccarelli the guitar and second voice, while Victor Sogliani the bass and second voice.<ref name="ceri 37" />
The recording session took place in the [[Dischi Ricordi|Ricordi]] studios in Milan.<ref name="neri 43" /> A few weeks before, the studio had been equipped with an eight-track recorder. ''29 settembre'' was the first song recorded in such mode in Italy.


The transfer was made on March 20, 1967.<ref name="neri 42">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Neri|2010|p=42}}</ref>
Vandelli decided to produce the song himself<ref name="neri 43" />, and put a lot of attention to the sound quality. <ref name="neri 43" /> He decided to insert a voiceover in the form of a radio speaker who reads the news marking the date in which the events take place.<ref name="Guaitamacchi" /> Equipe 84 used so much studio time that Dischi Ricordi's executives eventually complained about the production's excessive costs.<ref name="neri 43" />


=== Publishing ===
{{Listen
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The song was released as a single in March 1967, in [[monophonic]] version, with ''È dall'amore che nasce l'uomo'' on the B-side.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://discografia.dds.it/scheda_titolo.php?idt=431|title=Discografia Nazionale della Canzone Italiana}}</ref>
The song was published as a single in the last days of March 1967, in [[monophonic]] version, as the A-side of a 7″ vinyl disc which had ''È dall'amore che nasce l'uomo'' in the B-side.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://discografia.dds.it/scheda_titolo.php?idt=431|title=Discografia Nazionale della Canzone Italiana}}</ref>
The cover picture, also defined by a psychedelic atmosphere, was shot by Italian pop artist [[Mario Schifano]].


The cover picture, which also featured a psychedelic atmosphere, was shot by [[Mario Schifano]].
The music video, directed by [[Mariano Laurenti]], is set in a bar on the shore of Laghetto dell'Eur in Rome, where the band can be seen playing the song. It is part of the 1967 [[musicarello]] film ''I ragazzi di Bandiera Gialla''.


In October 1968, the song was included in the album ''Stereoequipe'', where it was released for the first time in [[Stereophonic sound|stereophonic]] version.<ref>{{Harvard citation no brackets|Neri|2010|p=79}}</ref>
''29 Settembre'' reached the number one of Italian [[hit parade]] on May 1967 and stayed there for five consecutive weeks.<ref name="billboard" />
It also won [[RAI]]'s popular radio contest Bandiera gialla ("Yellow Flag"), and was awarded the "Yellow Record".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.storiaradiotv.it/GIANNI%20PETTENATI.htm |title=Gianni Pettenati, on |publisher=Storiaradiotv.it |date=2018-12-17 |accessdate=2019-02-13}}</ref> In October 1968, Equipe 84 included the song in the album ''Stereoequipe'', where it benefitted from [[Stereophonic sound|stereophonic]] technology.<ref>{{Harvard citation no brackets|Neri|2010|p=79}}</ref>


=== Critical and commercial reception ===
In 1967 Equipe 84 recorded an English version of the song titled ''29th September'', with lyrics translated by Tommy Scott.<ref name="cover rockol" /> It was released only in the United Kingdom and the United States, where it failed to chart. It was later included in the complilation album ''Let's Ride'' dedicated to the European psychedelic scene (2008).<ref name="cover rockol" />
The single reached the number one of Italian [[hit parade]] on May 1967 and stayed there for five weeks.<ref name="billboard" />


The song became the winner of the contest issued by [[RAI]]'s popular radio broadcast Bandiera gialla ("yellow flag"), and was hence honoured by the "yellow record".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.storiaradiotv.it/GIANNI%20PETTENATI.htm |title=Gianni Pettenati, on |publisher=Storiaradiotv.it |date=2018-12-17 |accessdate=2019-02-13}}</ref>
== Lucio Battisti's version ==

=== English version ===
In 1967 Equipe 84 recorded an English version of the song titled ''29th September'', with lyrics translated by Tommy Scott.<ref name="cover rockol" /> It was published on 45 rpm single in the United Kingdom and the United States, to weak success; it was republished only in 2008, within the compilation ''Let's Ride'' dedicated to the European psychedelic scene.<ref name="cover rockol" />

=== Videoclip ===
Equipe 84 played the song using [[lip sync]] inside the 1967 [[musicarello]] movie ''[[I ragazzi di Bandiera Gialla]]''. The video, directed by [[Mariano Laurenti]], is in color and is set in a bar on the shore of [[Laghetto dell'Eur]] in Rome.

== Lucio Battisti's rendering ==
{{Infobox song
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In 1969, Battisti decided to record his own version of the song and include it in his debut album ''[[Lucio Battisti (album)|Lucio Battisti]]''.
At the beginning of 1969, Battisti, who was now beginning to establish himself as a singer, decided to record his own version of the song, to include it in his debut album ''[[Lucio Battisti (album)|Lucio Battisti]]''.

=== Recording ===
Battisti recorded his version mostly at Sax Records studios in [[Milan]].<ref name="neri 104">{{harvnb|Neri|2010|p=104}}</ref> Sessions took place on January 13, 1969 from 9 to 14:30, on January 17 from 15 to 18:30, on January 22 from 9 to 13; the rhythm tracks were recorded on January 23 from 9 to 13:30, while vocals and overdubs on January's last week.<ref name="neri 104" />

At last, in February, overdubs of strings and horns were added in the [[Dischi Ricordi|Ricordi]] studios in Milan.<ref name="neri 104" /> The transfer took place on February 21, 1969.<ref name="neri 105">{{harvnb|Neri|2010|p=105}}</ref>

=== Music ===
Battisti gave a more "classical" and less experimental interpretation than Equipe 84's version. First of all, he removed the voiceover radio news announcer, a strongly innovative element in the Equipe's version, which was considered no longer necessary (since the story told was now widely known to the public and there was no need to make its understanding easier).<ref name="stefanel 25" />

The choice of musical instruments is also more traditional: the arrangement consists of a tangle of guitars, bass and flutes, while there is no drum at all.<ref name="stefanel 25" />


According to Renzo Stefanel, Battisti's version is psychedelic too, but is inspired by [[Buffalo Springfield]], [[Peter, Paul and Mary]] and [[Tyrannosaurus Rex (band)|Tyrannosaurus Rex]] rather than [[Byrds]] and [[Love (band)|Love]] who inspired the Equipe's version.<ref name="stefanel 25" />
Battisti recorded his version at Sax Records studios in [[Milan]].<ref name="neri 104">{{harvnb|Neri|2010|p=104}}</ref> Sessions took place on January 13, 1969 from 9 to 14:30, on January 17 from 15 to 18:30, on January 22 from 9 to 13; the rhythm tracks were laid out on January 23 from 9 to 13:30, while vocals and overdubs were recorded a week later.<ref name="neri 104" /> Eventually strings and horns were added in the [[Dischi Ricordi|Ricordi]] studios in Milan.<ref name="neri 104" /><ref name="neri 105">{{harvnb|Neri|2010|p=105}}</ref>


The main innovation is Battisti's vocal performance, which in the opinion of Stefanel is superior to Maurizio Vandelli's one.<ref name="stefanel 26" /> In particular, the last two verses, in which the protagonist is laughing on the phone, are interpreted by Battisti in an extremely expressive way, rippling the singing with a forced laugh, which transposes into music the meaning of lyrics.<ref name="stefanel 26" />
In contrast with the Equipe 84's version, Battisti gave the song a more "classical" and less experimental treatment.<ref name="stefanel 25" /> According to Renzo Stefanel, Battisti's version was mostly inspired by bands like [[Buffalo Springfield]], [[Peter, Paul and Mary]] and [[Tyrannosaurus Rex (band)|Tyrannosaurus Rex]] rather than [[Byrds]] and [[Love (band)|Love]].<ref name="stefanel 25" />, with acoustic guitars, bass and flutes are more prominent in the mix.<ref name="stefanel 25" /> Strings and brasses gradually acquire a more prominent role,<ref name="stefanel 25" /> closing the track with an instrumental [[Coda (music)|coda]].


Strings and brasses, at first discrete, later acquire a more important role,<ref name="stefanel 25" /> and finally result in an instrumental [[Coda (music)|coda]] which closes the track. According to Stefanel, the coda throws an ambiguous light on the mood of the protagonist, leaving open if the return with his partner is really happy or actually forced.<ref name="stefanel 26" />
Battisti's vocal performance, unlike Vandelli's, is more conflicted.The meaning of lyrics is occasionally emphasised by a forced laugh.<ref name="stefanel 26" />


=== Publishing ===
Battisti's version was released on March 5, 1969 in the eponymous [[Long playing|LP]] ''[[Lucio Battisti (album)|Lucio Battisti]]'' but not as a single
Battisti's rendering was published on March 5, 1969 in the eponymous [[Long playing|LP]] ''[[Lucio Battisti (album)|Lucio Battisti]]'', his debut album as a singer. Since then it has been republished countless times in collections, compilations and best-ofs.


== Live performances ==
=== Live performances ===
Battisti performed the song during a TV appearance in [[RAI]]'s television program ''Speciale per voi'' on an April 15, 1969.<ref>{{harvnb|Ceri|2008|p=346}}</ref> and on the radio show ''Per voi giovani'' on December 1971,<ref>{{harvnb|Ceri|2008|p=355}}</ref> on both occasions accompanying himself with an acoustic guitar. The song was also often performed during his 1969 summer tour.<ref>{{harvnb|Ceri|2008|p=349}}</ref> Equipe 84 performed the song regularly over the course of their career until they disbanded in 1978.
Battisti sang live a hint of the song in his April 15, 1969 appearance in [[RAI]]'s television program ''Speciale per voi''<ref>{{harvnb|Ceri|2008|p=346}}</ref> and in full in radio transmission ''Per voi giovani'' in December 1971,<ref>{{harvnb|Ceri|2008|p=355}}</ref> in both cases accompanied by the acoustic guitar. The song was also often performed during his summer tour of 1969.<ref>{{harvnb|Ceri|2008|p=349}}</ref>


== Other versions ==
== Other renderings ==
''29 settembre'' has been reinterpreted by many artists:
Over time, the song has been reinterpreted by many other artists:


* Mario Battaini covered it in 1967<ref name="cover ceri">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Ceri|2008|pp=460–461}}</ref>
* Mario Battaini covered it in 1967<ref name="cover ceri">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Ceri|2008|pp=460–461}}</ref>

Revision as of 23:05, 11 August 2019

"29 settembre"
Single by Equipe 84
B-side"È dall'amore che nasce l'uomo"
ReleasedMarch 1967 (1967-03)
Recorded1967
GenrePsychedelic rock
Beat music
Length2:31
LabelDischi Ricordi
Songwriter(s)Lucio Battisti and Mogol
Equipe 84 singles chronology
"Auschwitz"
(1966) 		"29 settembre"
(1967) 		"Nel cuore, nell'anima"
(1967)

29 settembre (29th of September) is a song composed in 1966 by Italian musician Lucio Battisti and lyricist Mogol.

It was brought to success by Equipe 84, who published their own interpretation as a single in March 1967. It had great success with critics and audiences, remaining at the top of the Italian hit parade for five weeks;[1] it was the first song written by Battisti to achieve success, and led to his definitive affirmation as a composer.[2] At the time it was distinguished by very innovative lyrics and sound,[3] which for the first time in Italy's music scene were heavily influenced by psychedelia, so much so that the song is nicknamed "Italy's Sergeant Pepper's" for the impact and the influence it had on the musical environment.[4][5][2]

In 1969, the song was reinterpreted by Battisti himself, and later by many other artists in Italy and abroad. It is one of the best-known songs both in Battisti's and in the Equipe 84 production, and is considered a classic of Italian pop music.[6]

Lyrics and meaning

The lyrics, written by Mogol, tell the story of an adultery which lasts only one day and is made with lightness of mind, without consequences on the protagonist's other sentimental relationship.

The story takes place over two consecutive days. In the first, the 29th of September, the protagonist meets a girl in a bar. Almost without realizing it, the two enter into intimacy and spend the whole night together, first at the restaurant and then dancing. The next day, the 30th of September, the protagonist wakes up animated by an unchanged love for his usual partner, so much that he rushes to phone her declaring his love, as if nothing had happened the night before.

Theme

Mogol, author of lyrics, in a 1968 photograph

The central theme is adultery, a strongly innovative topic for the time. In the Italian society of the 1960s the subject was considered almost a taboo;[7] in pop music, songs based on rosy and idealized loves prevailed, while adultery was almost always portrayed as a serious misconduct.[8] The protagonist of 29 settembre, instead, shows no repentance[8] and does not feel guilty when he returns to his partner;[7] the passing of a single day erased everything, and the protagonist does not even remember the previous' night events. The message of 29 settembre, therefore, anticipates the sexual revolution which would become widespread on the next year with the Sessantotto movement.[8]

Style

Also in its form and style, the lyrics were extremely innovative and almost experimental. The story told, in fact, is not a single episode (as almost always happened in the pop music of the time) but a complex story, which takes place in two days.[3]

Moreover, while maintaining chronological order, the lyrics have a relatively complex plot, which does not completely coincide with the course of events. The events of the first day are not told from a contemporary perspective, but are re-evoked by the protagonist when he wakes up, the next morning: in fact all events of September 29 use the verbal time of imperfect or passato remoto, while those of September 30 use present tense or at most passato prossimo. The song, therefore, takes place entirely on the day of September 30, but the initial part is occupied by a long flashback in which the previous day is recalled, returning in the present only at the end.

The nature of flashback of the first day is also strengthened by the vague and muffled style with which the events are described, giving them the appearance of an undefined memory, which emerges with difficulty from the mind: the succession of events is indeed «swirling»[7][9] and with very nuanced outlines, with many ellipses between one event and another. Some details of the story are markedly surreal and distorted, so much to resemble, according to Renzo Stefanel, the effects of an acid trip.[9] The narrative is so blurred and surreal that the listener is kept with the doubt on whether the extramarital adventure really happened, or whether it was just a dream made before waking up.

In this way psychedelia, until then a mostly musical topic, was brought by Mogol also in the lyrics sphere.

Title

According to declarations by the lyrics' author Mogol, the day in which the story takes place (and therefore the song title) is an ordinary day, which was chosen for no particular reason.[5] However, it was noted that the date of September 29 coincides with the birthday of his wife of the time, Serenella;[10] this aspect could suggest an autobiographical nature of the text, almost a public confession of an infidelity made by the author.[5] Mogol, however, argues that it was a coincidence, which he realized only one day after having written the lyrics.[5] He said he regrets not having dedicated the song to her from the beginning, while his wife (who knew Mogol's proverbial inattention) understood that the tribute was not intentional and in fact did not thank him.[5]

Composing

Lucio Battisti, the young author of music, still without his distinctive thick curly hair in a 1967 photo

The song's composition probably dates back to the beginning of autumn of 1966.[11] The song had a long gestation, and remained incomplete for a long time before it was finished.[11]

According to the testimony of musicologist Salvatore Galeazzo Biamonte, the song was composed with the precise will to overcome the classical schemes of the traditional song:

Lucio [...] was in Mogol's office who, as if to keep faith with his reputation of "pop song theorist" [...], had engaged in a discussion about the need to find new themes and new forms to be offered in songs verses. "We should," he said, "tell a whole story, perhaps choosing a date that would serve to remember it, to suggest a specific atmosphere: September 29, for example". "Perhaps" replied Battisti, "I have the right music". And he played at the piano a motif he had prepared. What came out of that was, of course, 29 settembre.[12]

At the time, Battisti still had to discover his own talent as a singer, and he was not fully affirmed even as a song author; for this reason, the song remained for some time within a repertoire that Battisti presented to bands and singers, looking for someone who would sing them.

At first, during 1966, Battisti and Mogol proposed the song to Gianni Pettenati, but he was not entirely convinced and therefore refused to sing it.[11][13]

In February 1967, just after the end of Sanremo, Battisti resumed composing the song and finally completed it.[14]

Initially Battisti thought of interpreting the song in person:[14] at that time, in fact, the musician (just at the beginning of his career as a singer) was starting to think about publishing a new single, to overcome the fiasco of previous year's debut single Per una lira.[14] For this purpose, Battisti and Mogol had Mariano Detto listening the song, and asked him to make an arrangement; he immediately sensed its potential and immediately set to work.[14]

Equipe 84 rendering

The song, however, also came to the ear of Maurizio Vandelli, leader of Equipe 84, who appreciated it very much and understood to be in front of a potential success:[14] so Vandelli began to ask Mogol and Battisti to have the song for his band.[14]

Equipe 84 was at the peak of popularity at the time,[14] and a short time before it was defined by John Lennon «the most up to date among Italian bands»;[13] being the author of a song played by Equipe 84 would have given anyone great importance.[14] So Battisti renounced to sing it personally and consented to hand it over, despite Mariano Detto insisted that it was the right song to launch his career as a singer.[14] For the solo single, Battisti had to fall back on the two lesser known tracks Luisa Rossi and Era, which enjoyed little success.

It was Battisti's first song to be played by Equipe 84, a partnership which subsequently continued with three more songs: Nel cuore, nell'anima, Ladro and Hey ragazzo.[15]

Recording and production

An eight-track recorder of the time

The song's artistic production was cared for by Vandelli himself.[14]

The recording took place in the Ricordi studios in Milan.[14] A few weeks before the studio had been equipped with an eight-track recorder, the first ever in an Italian recording studio: so 29 settembre was the first song in Italy to be fully recorded with this new equipment.

Vandelli gave much importance to sound research, which is why the recording of the song lasted a long time.[14] Vandelli used the studio for so many hours that he angered Ricordi's executives, who complained about excessive costs.[14]

The song, at the time of recording, was still untitled.[13]

During the recording, it was decided to insert in the song the voiceover of a radio speaker who, while reading the news of the radio bulletin, pronounces the current date, making it easier to understand the chronology of the story told. It is not clear who had this idea: Maurizio Vandelli, Mogol, and Ricordi's production manager Paolo Ruggeri all took the credit.[13]

In the song Maurizio Vandelli played the guitar and solo voice, Alfio Cantarella the drums, Franco Ceccarelli the guitar and second voice, while Victor Sogliani the bass and second voice.[11]

The transfer was made on March 20, 1967.[16]

Publishing

"29 settembre"
The voiceover of the radio speaker used to mark the transition between the part about September 29 and the part about September 30
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The song was published as a single in the last days of March 1967, in monophonic version, as the A-side of a 7″ vinyl disc which had È dall'amore che nasce l'uomo in the B-side.[17]

The cover picture, which also featured a psychedelic atmosphere, was shot by Mario Schifano.

In October 1968, the song was included in the album Stereoequipe, where it was released for the first time in stereophonic version.[18]

Critical and commercial reception

The single reached the number one of Italian hit parade on May 1967 and stayed there for five weeks.[1]

The song became the winner of the contest issued by RAI's popular radio broadcast Bandiera gialla ("yellow flag"), and was hence honoured by the "yellow record".[19]

English version

In 1967 Equipe 84 recorded an English version of the song titled 29th September, with lyrics translated by Tommy Scott.[20] It was published on 45 rpm single in the United Kingdom and the United States, to weak success; it was republished only in 2008, within the compilation Let's Ride dedicated to the European psychedelic scene.[20]

Videoclip

Equipe 84 played the song using lip sync inside the 1967 musicarello movie I ragazzi di Bandiera Gialla. The video, directed by Mariano Laurenti, is in color and is set in a bar on the shore of Laghetto dell'Eur in Rome.

Lucio Battisti's rendering

"29 settembre"
Song by Lucio Battisti
from the album Lucio Battisti
ReleasedMarch 5, 1969 (1969-03-05)
GenrePop music
Length3:30
LabelDischi Ricordi
Producer(s)Lucio Battisti and Mogol
Lucio Battisti track listing
12 tracks
  1. "Un'avventura"
  2. "29 settembre"
  3. "La mia canzone per Maria"
  4. "Nel sole, nel vento, nel sorriso e nel pianto"
  5. "Uno in più"
  6. "Non è Francesca"
  7. "Balla Linda"
  8. "Per una lira"
  9. "Prigioniero del mondo"
  10. "Io vivrò (senza te)"
  11. "Nel cuore, nell'anima"
  12. "Il vento"

At the beginning of 1969, Battisti, who was now beginning to establish himself as a singer, decided to record his own version of the song, to include it in his debut album Lucio Battisti.

Recording

Battisti recorded his version mostly at Sax Records studios in Milan.[21] Sessions took place on January 13, 1969 from 9 to 14:30, on January 17 from 15 to 18:30, on January 22 from 9 to 13; the rhythm tracks were recorded on January 23 from 9 to 13:30, while vocals and overdubs on January's last week.[21]

At last, in February, overdubs of strings and horns were added in the Ricordi studios in Milan.[21] The transfer took place on February 21, 1969.[22]

Music

Battisti gave a more "classical" and less experimental interpretation than Equipe 84's version. First of all, he removed the voiceover radio news announcer, a strongly innovative element in the Equipe's version, which was considered no longer necessary (since the story told was now widely known to the public and there was no need to make its understanding easier).[5]

The choice of musical instruments is also more traditional: the arrangement consists of a tangle of guitars, bass and flutes, while there is no drum at all.[5]

According to Renzo Stefanel, Battisti's version is psychedelic too, but is inspired by Buffalo Springfield, Peter, Paul and Mary and Tyrannosaurus Rex rather than Byrds and Love who inspired the Equipe's version.[5]

The main innovation is Battisti's vocal performance, which in the opinion of Stefanel is superior to Maurizio Vandelli's one.[9] In particular, the last two verses, in which the protagonist is laughing on the phone, are interpreted by Battisti in an extremely expressive way, rippling the singing with a forced laugh, which transposes into music the meaning of lyrics.[9]

Strings and brasses, at first discrete, later acquire a more important role,[5] and finally result in an instrumental coda which closes the track. According to Stefanel, the coda throws an ambiguous light on the mood of the protagonist, leaving open if the return with his partner is really happy or actually forced.[9]

Publishing

Battisti's rendering was published on March 5, 1969 in the eponymous LP Lucio Battisti, his debut album as a singer. Since then it has been republished countless times in collections, compilations and best-ofs.

Live performances

Battisti sang live a hint of the song in his April 15, 1969 appearance in RAI's television program Speciale per voi[23] and in full in radio transmission Per voi giovani in December 1971,[24] in both cases accompanied by the acoustic guitar. The song was also often performed during his summer tour of 1969.[25]

Other renderings

Over time, the song has been reinterpreted by many other artists:

  • Mario Battaini covered it in 1967[26]
  • Gianni Nazzaro, under the nickname of Buddy, covered it in 1967[26]
  • Mina recorded a cover in her 1975 album Minacantalucio,[26] with an arrangement written by Gabriel Yared.[20]
  • Maurizio Vandelli recorded a new version in 1989, with a new arrangement written by Pino Santapaga,[20] publishing it in the album 29 settembre 89.[26] With this version Vandelli participated and won the first edition of the revivial television program Una rotonda sul mare; the song was therefore included in the show's compilation Una rotonda sul mare vol. 2.[26]
  • Dik Dik recorded a cover in 1989, released in the album Canta Battisti Cantaitalia.[20]
  • British psychedelic band The Bevis Frond recorded an english-language cover in 1993, titled 29th September, releasing it as the B-side of a single titled Let's live for today published by Helter Skelter records.[27]
  • Equipe 84 published a live version in the 1995 album In concerto.[26]
  • Supergroup Adelmo e i suoi Sorapis (composed of Zucchero Fornaciari, Pooh's Dodi Battaglia, Equipe 84's Maurizio Vandelli, Nomadi's Umberto Maggi, Fio Zanotti and Michele Torpedine) covered the song live in 1997.[20]
  • Ornella Vanoni covered the song in 2001, releasing it in her album Un panino una birra e poi...,[26] with an arrangement written by Mario Lavezzi and Carlo Gargioni.[20]
  • Pianist Enrico Pieranunzi recorded a jazz, instrumental version of the song in 2004, releasing it in the album Battisti in jazz.[26] American bassist Mark Johnson also participates in the recording.[20]
  • Norwegian singer-songwriter Terje Nordgarden covered the song in 2005.[26]
  • Blues guitarist Rudy Rotta covered the song in 2006, releasing it in the album Some of My Favorite Songs.[28]
  • Pooh covered the song in their 2008 album Beat ReGeneration.[26]
  • In 2014, on the initiative of Mogol, a new version was created, with a rock arrangement written by Massimo Satta, which was performed by various authors in the project Le canzoni di Mogol Battisti in versione rock New Era.[26]

References

  1. ^ a b "Billboard, 10 June 1967". Books.google.it. Retrieved 2019-02-13.
  2. ^ a b Christian Calabrese. "29 settembre". Hit Parade Italia.
  3. ^ a b Ceri 2008, p. 38
  4. ^ Salvatore 2000, p. 87
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Stefanel 2007, p. 25
  6. ^ Leo Turrini (28 September 2017). "29 settembre, come nacque la leggenda di Battisti". QN Quotidiano Nazionale.
  7. ^ a b c Salvatore 2000, p. 88
  8. ^ a b c Enrico Silvestri (28 September 2013). "Quando "Seduto in quel caffè io non pensavo a te"". Il Giornale.
  9. ^ a b c d e Stefanel 2007, p. 26
  10. ^ 29 settembre, Mogol: "Una canzone moderna, il primo vero 'salto' di Lucio", Adnkronos Spettacolo
  11. ^ a b c d Ceri 2008, p. 37
  12. ^ Ceri 2008, p. 38, which quotes Radiocorriere TV n. 50, 10–16 December 1967, p. 51.
  13. ^ a b c d Ezio Guaitamacchi (2009). Mille canzoni che ci hanno cambiato la vita. Milano: Rizzoli. ISBN 8817033928.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Neri 2010, p. 43
  15. ^ Ceri 2008, p. 36
  16. ^ Neri 2010, p. 42
  17. ^ "Discografia Nazionale della Canzone Italiana".
  18. ^ Neri 2010, p. 79
  19. ^ "Gianni Pettenati, on". Storiaradiotv.it. 2018-12-17. Retrieved 2019-02-13.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h "Oggi, 29 settembre: dieci cover di "29 settembre"". Rockol. 29 September 2017.
  21. ^ a b c Neri 2010, p. 104
  22. ^ Neri 2010, p. 105
  23. ^ Ceri 2008, p. 346
  24. ^ Ceri 2008, p. 355
  25. ^ Ceri 2008, p. 349
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Ceri 2008, pp. 460–461
  27. ^ Ceri 2008, p. 467
  28. ^ "29 settembre by Rudy Rotta & Friends".

Bibliography

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