Formula 3 (band)

Formula 3

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1969
Founder	Alberto Radius, Gabriele Lorenzi, Tony Cicco
Defunct	2013
Headquarters	Rome , Italy
Products	Pop-rock music

Formula 3 (also known as Formula Tre) was a notable Italian pop-rock band that gained prominence primarily during the early 1970s.

History

The group was established in 1969 as a power trio, featuring Alberto Radius on guitar, vocals, and bass, Gabriele Lorenzi handling keyboards and bass, and Tony Cicco on drums and vocals. Their career was closely linked with producer Lucio Battisti, for whom they also served as a live concert backing band. Their breakthrough came with the single "Questo folle sentimento," which climbed to number five on Italy’s music charts in 1970. Subsequent hits included "Io ritorno solo," reaching number three, and "Eppur mi son scordato di te," which peaked at number two; all these tracks were composed by Battisti with lyrics by Mogol. In 1971, the band participated in the Sanremo Music Festival alongside Little Tony performing "La folle corsa." After disbanding in 1974 to pursue individual projects, Formula 3 reunited in 1990. They returned to Sanremo in 1992 and again in 1994 with the songs "Un frammento rosa" and "La casa dell'imperatore," respectively. Following Lorenzi’s departure in 1992 to start a restaurant business in Livorno, his role was successively filled by Andrea Pistilli, Maurizio Metals, and from 2013 onward, Ciro Di Bitonto.

Former

• Tony Cicco: drums and vocals (1969–1974, 1990–2013)
• Ciro Di Bitonto: keyboards (2013)
• Gabriele Lorenzi: keyboards and vocals (1969–1974, 1990–1992)
• Andrea Pistilli: keyboards (1992–1994)
• Maurizio Metals: keyboards (1994–2012)
• Alberto Radius: guitar and vocals (1969–1974, 1990–2023) (deceased February 2023)

Studio albums

• 1970 - Dies Irae (Numero Uno)
• 1971 - Formula 3 (Numero Uno)
• 1972 - Sognando e risognando (Numero Uno)
• 1973 - La grande casa (Numero Uno)
• 1990 - Formula 3
• 1991 - King Kong (RCA PD 74992)
• 1992 - Frammenti rosa (Durium NDLP 201)
• 1994 - La casa dell'imperatore
• 1996 - La Formula di Battisti (CGD 044295004-2)
• 2001 - La folle corsa e altri successi (Idea COM138)
• 2009 - Live 40 D.O.C. (Idea COM207)
• 2020 - 1970 Recording Session (SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT Italy)

Singles

• 1969 - "Questo folle sentimento" / "Avevo una bambola" (Numero Uno ZN 50001)
• 1970 - "Sole giallo, sole nero" / "Se non è amore cos'è" (Numero Uno ZN 50023)
• 1970 - "Io ritorno solo" / "Nanananò" (Numero Uno ZN 50035)
• 1971 - "La folle corsa (pt.I)" / "La folle corsa (pt.II)" (Numero Uno ZN 50115)
• 1971 - "Nessuno nessuno" / "Eppur mi son scordato di te" (Numero Uno ZN 50117)
• 1972 - "Sognando e risognando" / "Storia di un uomo e di una donna" (Numero Uno ZN 50148)
• 1973 - "La ciliegia non è di plastica" / "Cara Giovanna" (Numero Uno ZN 50303)
• 1973 - "Rapsodia di Radius" / "Bambina sbagliata" (Numero Uno ZN 50317)
• 1992 - "Un frammento rosa" / Instrumental version (Durium NDNP 101)
• 2013 - "La tua Africa" (digital)