“I already know what song they’ll put on TV when I die.” Gianni Morandi is told in a long interview – confession to Corriere della Sera: from the meeting with Adriano Celentano who wanted to form a new clan with him and go to Sanremo with Minauntil the discovery of some young newcomers such as Renato Zero, Mia Martini and Loredana Berté. In Morandi’s history there are not only victories, but also dark periods and meetings that changed his life.
«The song when I die»
With lightness and irony Gianni Morandi speaks of the fear of dying but with a great certainty that makes him smile: «I fear dying. Illness, suffering. But I already know which song will be on TV on the day of my death… Have your mother send you to get milk.”
The meeting with Adriano Celentano
«Celentano was my legend, and he still is now. I would have gone, but they advised me against it: there was only one leader in the Clan, him.” Gianni Morandi he recounts his encounter with the “sprung boy”: «He tried again years later. He summoned me to his house in Milan, Mina was also there, and said: “Let’s start a new Clan. Like in America: Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis. So we organize Sanremo, Cantagiro, Canzonissima. And we also have the girl from the Clan” she said pointing to Mina, who was free. But I was under contract with RCA. It was a great idea, but nothing came of it.”
The debut and the resounding success
Morandi’s debut occurred at a very young age, in 1962 when he was just eighteen he recorded “Andavo a Cento all’ora”, a sensational success born by chance: «The refrain was written by a miner who emigrated to Belgium: “I went at one hundred an hour now to find my little girl, so many…” – says Morandi – But there was only that. The rest was written by Franco Migliacci, the author of Flying with Modugno. It’s an incredible story, which shows how lucky I am. The Geloso tapes with the auditions were piled high, one falls, twists around Migliacci’s legs, to whom it seems like a sign of destiny. He listens to him. “Whose voice is this?” he asks. “About that crooked boy from Bologna…”. “Let’s make him sing it”.
The new discoveries
Morandi was the first producer of Renato Zero: «The credit went to Migliacci. He and I had a record label, MiMo: Mo stood for Modugno, which I took over, without changing the name. Everyone made fun of Renato, skinny in his tight onesies, with very long hair on his shoulders; but you could tell he was brilliant. In 1971 I sang in Rome at the Brancaccio theatre: my choristers were Renato Zero, Mia Martini and Loredana Berté. Unfortunately the photo can no longer be found.”
The fall
Not only successes, but also moments of difficulty in which the singer thought it was all over. In the 70s the protests also affected music and Morandi was now out of target «he hurt me a lot. There were many of us who had to play, Milva, Lucio, me, before Led Zeppelin. I asked Ezio Radaelli, the organizer: are you sure it’s a good idea? And he: trust me, it will be a triumph! I go on stage, and a roar goes up. I turn towards Radaelli, who smiles at me: did you see? Except it was a roar in reverse. I look at the audience and understand that I had become the symbol of what they hated. Exactly the kind of singer they didn’t want anymore. I wasn’t even 27 yet, and it already seemed like it was all over.”
«I found my days empty. I had separated from Laura, she had gone to Rome, our children Marianna and Marco remained with me. I took them to school, and I had nothing to do. I decided to enroll in the conservatory.”
The rebirth
By his own admission, Morandi owes his rebirth entirely to Mogol: «One day he called me Mogol, who had broken up with Battisti. I think he wants to propose a song to me. Instead he says to me: “Do you know how to play football? I want to put together a team of singers, for now it’s me and the Lighthouse Keeper.” I answer yes, I involve Riccardo Fogli, Pupo, Umberto Tozzi. We asked the parish priests for pitches to train on. “One day we will fill the Olympic stadium” said Mogol. In fact, with the National Singers Team, it happened.”
«According to Mogol I had to sing differently, he finally decided to let me record a record: “People will think: who is this great singer? Of course, if they realize that you’re Gianni Morandi, we’re ruined.” He froze me with these ferocious jokes; but we loved each other.” With “out of tune songs”, he began his ascent and is still riding high today.
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