Pooh (band)

Pooh

Company type	Music group
Industry	Music
Founded	1966 in Bologna, Italy
Headquarters	Bologna , Italy
Products	Music albums and singles

Pooh is a renowned Italian pop group that originated in Bologna in 1966, celebrated for popular tracks such as "Parsifal", Dove comincia il sole, Pensiero, and Uomini soli.

1960s

The roots of Pooh trace back to 1962 when drummer Valerio Negrini and guitarist Mauro Bertoli established the band Jaguars in Bologna. By 1964, the Jaguars' roster comprised Negrini, Bertoli, vocalist Vittorio Costa, bassist Giancarlo Cantelli, and rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Bruno Barraco. After Costa departed in 1965 to pursue medical studies, keyboardist Bob Gillot and rhythm guitarist Mario Goretti joined the ensemble.

In January 1966, the Jaguars secured a contract with Vedette Records but were compelled to adopt a new name—Pooh—upon the suggestion of Vedette’s secretary Aliki Andris due to naming rights issues. Their debut single, "Vieni fuori", a rendition of the Spencer Davis Group’s "Keep on Running", was released in February 1966. By April, keyboardist Roby Facchinetti had replaced Gillot. The band’s first album, *For Those Like Us*, was issued later that year.

April 1967 saw the launch of the single "Nel buio"/"Cose di questo mondo". Shortly after this release, Bertoli exited following his marriage, which left the band as a quartet.

In April 1968, Pooh achieved their initial chart success with "Piccola Katy", which climbed to fifteenth place on Italian charts. After releasing their second album and completing a summer tour, Goretti left to open an amplifier business in Bologna. His spot was filled by sixteen-year-old Donato "Dodi" Battaglia, who brought experience from playing with The Meteors and supporting Gianni Morandi.

That same year, tensions arose with Vedette due to the unauthorized release of their second album *Contrasto* in July 1968. This album mainly comprised audition tapes and previously rejected tracks but included "Piccola Katy". It was quickly withdrawn from circulation.

1970s

In 1971, Pooh signed with CBS and commenced collaboration with producer Giancarlo Lucariello. The singles "Tanta voglia di lei" and "Pensiero" swiftly reached number one, each selling over one million copies and topping charts across South America. That year also saw the release of the album Opera Prima.

Valerio Negrini stepped back from performing but continued contributing as the band's lyricist. Drummer Stefano D'Orazio joined Pooh, having formerly played with I Naufraghi and Il Punto. Some tracks were recorded in English; for instance, "Tutto alle tre" was adapted as "The Suitcase" for a CBS compilation. Additionally, "Tanta voglia di lei" secured second place at the Festivalbar.

In 1972, Pooh issued the double A-side single "Noi due nel mondo e nell'anima"/"Nascerò con te", with equal promotional efforts from CBS for both songs. The band began integrating the Minimoog synthesizer into their sound. The album Alessandra showcased more prominent vocals from Roby Facchinetti and marked Dodi Battaglia’s first credited songwriting contribution. Arranged alongside Franco Monaldi's orchestra, it centered on love-themed songs featuring acoustic guitars rather than electric ones. Riccardo Fogli left to embark on a solo career, citing Lucariello’s preference for Battaglia's vocal style. Red Canzian joined as bassist in early 1973.

The 1973 release Parsifal combined symphonic pop elements with Facchinetti’s melodic approach; its title track included an extended instrumental passage. The song "Lettera da Marienbad" appeared as a B-side and on the stereo 8 version of the album.

Between 1974 and 1975, Pooh released the compilation I Pooh (1971–1974) along with albums Un po' del nostro tempo migliore and Forse ancora poesia. These works featured symphonic arrangements and lengthy instrumental sections but achieved moderate commercial results. The single "Ninna nanna" reached the top ten charts. Disagreements over orchestration led Pooh to take charge of production themselves, pioneering this method within Italy.

In 1976, Poohlover introduced more straightforward arrangements coupled with socially aware lyrics tackling subjects such as homosexuality and social exclusion. Singles like "Pierre" and "Linda" restored their chart presence—with "Linda" attaining number one status. To commemorate their tenth anniversary, they performed a concert in Piazza San Marco, Venice.

In 1977, Facchinetti, Battaglia, and D'Orazio recorded a single under the name "Mediterraneo System", featuring Negrini on vocals; they also contributed instrumental pieces to the TV drama La gabbia, including "Risveglio". Pooh began organizing stadium concerts that incorporated sophisticated lighting and special effects while appearing on Domenica in. The single "Dammi solo un minuto" preceded their first CGD label album Rotolando respirando, which required remixing due to technical complications at Stone Castle Studios in Carimate.

In 1978, they released the compilation Pooh 1975–1978 followed by Boomerang, which emphasized synthesizers and electric guitars while reducing orchestral components. Highlighted tracks included "Cercami", "Giorno per giorno", "Pronto buongiorno è la sveglia", "Classe '58", and "Il ragazzo del cielo (Lindbergh)". During this period, Paolo Steffan designed a new logo for the band. Early in 1979 came the single "Fantastic Fly" / "Odyssey", created for the TV series Fantastic Tales inspired by Edgar Allan Poe.

Later in 1979, their album Viva surpassed sales of 700,000 copies. The single "Io sono vivo" remained on charts for over 51 weeks; other notable songs included "Notte a sorpresa", "Ultima notte di caccia", "Tutto adesso", and "In concerto". Both "Io sono vivo" and "Notte a sorpresa" were among Italy’s earliest singles promoted through music videos. Several tracks from Viva were featured during the 1979–1980 season of Domenica in.

1980s

In 1980, Pooh introduced Hurricane, an album containing English-language adaptations of their well-known tracks, targeting audiences beyond Italy. While it failed to enter the charts in the US and UK, it earned gold status in Italy. That same year, the album ... Stop was released, featuring singles such as "Canta ancora per te" alongside songs like "Inca" and "Occhi per volare".

February 1981 saw the release of the compilation Pooh 1978–1981, which included two previously unreleased songs. Later in September, the studio album Buona fortuna arrived, highlighted by the summer hit "Chi fermerà la musica" and autobiographical pieces like "Banda nel vento". The music video for "Chi fermerà la musica" creatively depicted band members exchanging their usual roles.

Pooh’s first live album, Palasport, came out in 1982, capturing performances from their 1981 tour. This release combined classic hits with fresh material performed live. Subsequently, the single "Non siamo in pericolo" was issued later that year.

The 1983 album Tropico del Nord, recorded in Montserrat, was notable as Italy’s inaugural LP released on compact disc and included the track "Breakfast in New York". The record showcased inventive a cappella compositions influenced by The Beatles. Multiple music videos were produced and compiled into the VHS special L'anno del Tropico. Following an extensive tour, Pooh conducted more intimate shows revisiting earlier successes during their "Club Tour 83".

During this period, Roby Facchinetti developed songs for his debut solo project. In 1984, the band recorded Aloha in Maui, Hawaii, integrating Fairlight synthesizers and exploring darker themes such as nuclear threats in tracks like "Il giorno prima". Vocal duties were shared across members with Dodi Battaglia also performing solos. Their Italian tour featured electronic drums played by Stefano D'Orazio and opened with synthesized elements from "Selvaggio". Rai aired a one-hour special filmed in Hawaii, which was later released as Pooh’s first official DVD. By the end of the year, they compiled Pooh 1981–1984, a double collection including unreleased material available on both LP and CD.

In 1985, Dodi Battaglia debuted his solo album Più in alto che c'è, co-written with Vasco Rossi. Pooh recorded Asia non Asia in Japan, emphasizing synthesizer and electric guitar sounds. Songs like "Se c'è un posto nel tuo cuore" were used as television themes, while "Se nasco un'altra volta" received promotion through Festivalbar. The compilation C'è amore negli occhi tuoi was released by Vedette in 1986.

Marking their 20th anniversary in 1986, Pooh issued Giorni infiniti on white vinyl, blending acoustic elements with contemporary technology and brass arrangements led by Demo Morselli. Key tracks included "Terry B." and "L'altra parte del cielo", which brought back the Hammond organ’s distinctive tone. That year also featured Red Canzian’s solo debut with Io e Red. The group was honored at Rome’s wax museum and awarded knighthood of the Italian Republic. Their winter tour was documented on a triple live album, followed by another live record titled Goodbye released in 1987.

The studio album Il colore dei pensieri appeared in 1987, addressing environmental concerns through songs like "Acqua dalla luna" and political transformation with "Dall'altra parte". In 1988, Pooh collaborated with WWF on the album Oasi, which included environmentally themed tracks such as "Nell'erba, nell'acqua, nel vento" alongside socially aware songs like "Senza frontiere". The following year saw the release of the instrumental maxi-single Concerto per un'oasi, benefiting WWF efforts, along with the compilation Un altro pensiero.

1990s

The decade of the 1990s opened with Pooh reaching a significant achievement by winning the Sanremo Music Festival in March 1990 with the song "Uomini soli," performed in collaboration with Dee Dee Bridgewater, who later recorded an English version titled "Angel of the Night." Dodi Battaglia disclosed that the group had unsuccessfully tried to participate in the festival two decades earlier. Their album Uomini soli was released subsequently, featuring songs such as "L'altra donna" (by Battaglia), "Giulia si sposa" (by Stefano D'Orazio), and "Tu vivrai," with guest contributions from Eros Ramazzotti, Umberto Tozzi, Raf, and Enrico Ruggeri.

In December 1990, Pooh issued the double compilation 25: La nostra storia and commenced a theatre tour. The 1992 release Il cielo è blu sopra le nuvole included singles like "Maria marea" and "50 primavere," marking the conclusion of their work with arranger Fio Zanotti, due to concerns about repetitive arrangements.

Internal disagreements became apparent in 1993 when Canzian, Battaglia, and D'Orazio prevented Facchinetti from performing "Vivrò" at Sanremo; the track later appeared on Facchinetti's solo album Fai col cuore. In 1994, Pooh released Musicadentro, arranged by Battaglia and mostly recorded live to preserve their dynamic presence. Although promoted with music videos for singles including "Le canzoni di domani," sales reached approximately 100,000 copies—their lowest since 1971. Key tracks included "Dietro la collina" and Battaglia’s homage "Un leone nel cielo."

The live double album Buonanotte ai suonatori came out in 1995, featuring a new title song. That December, the six-disc collection Poohbook commemorated their 30th anniversary with 86 tracks. Canzian published his debut book, Albero del bene e del male, while D'Orazio launched the fanzine Poohnews to keep fans informed about band developments.

In 1996, Pooh regained commercial momentum with Amici per sempre, which included singles such as "Amici per sempre" and "La donna del mio amico." Disputes over arrangements nearly caused Battaglia to leave but were resolved through collaboration with arranger Emanuele Ruffinengo. The following year, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore released their official biography, Quello che non sai, authored by journalist Franco Dassisti. Later in 1997, the double anthology The Best of Pooh was issued, combining classic hits with new tracks like "Brava la vita" and the popular "Non lasciarmi mai più."

In 1998, they presented Un minuto prima dell'alba, part of the Poohbook series from 1993 to 1995, re-recording several songs from the 1960s with refreshed arrangements such as "Brennero 66." The 1999 album Un posto felice featured singles including "Dimmi di sì," notable for its Eurobeat style, which received substantial radio play and festival performances.

Their final summer tour concert in Arezzo was broadcast by Mediaset and subsequently released on VHS. Mediaset had also aired their 25th anniversary concert in 1991 at Pisa’s Arena Garibaldi, marking the conclusion of the "25 Summer Tour: La nostra storia."

2000s

The dawn of the new millennium saw the release of Cento di queste vite (2000), signaling a return to their 1970s musical style. Singles included "Resto con te," "I respiri del mondo," "Un grande amore," and "Mi senti ancora," a tribute to a fan who passed away in a car accident.

In 2001, Pooh marked their 35th anniversary with Best of the Best, available both as a double CD and a single CD featuring a live track from the Cento di queste vite tour. Both editions contained three new songs, led by Red Canzian's "Portami via." Also featured were Dodi Battaglia's ballad "E arriverà" and the track "Figli," which hinted at future endeavors.

By 2002, Pooh developed a stage musical initially based on an original narrative but later adapted into Pinocchio. The album Pinocchio (2002) comprised eleven songs designed for theatrical performance. Produced by Compagnia della Rancia at Teatro della Luna in Assago, it became one of Italy’s most successful musicals during that era. Despite critical acclaim, album sales were lower compared to previous releases. Singles included "Il Paese dei Balocchi," "Voglio andare via," "Vita," and "Un vero amico."

The cast recording Pinocchio – Il grande musical was issued in 2003 featuring performers from the production, with selective participation from Pooh. That same year, Battaglia released an instrumental album titled D'assolo, which included collaborations with Franco Mussida and Maurizio Solieri. Pooh also launched their first DVD, Aloha, containing restored footage from their stay in Hawaii in 1984 alongside promotional videos. In February, they received Nomadi’s “Musica e solidarietà” award for their involvement in Rock No War.

During the early 2000s, Pooh experienced renewed popularity among younger audiences partly due to references in the sitcom Camera Café, where character Paolo Bitta (played by Paolo Kessisoglu) was an avid fan; Pooh appeared in four episodes.

In 2008, Pooh toured under Milano Concerti associated with Live Nation. They engaged in several collaborations: reinterpreting "Piccola Katy" alongside Neri per Caso on Angoli diversi; recording "Eternità" with Ornella Vanoni for her album Più di me; and partnering with Claudio Baglioni on a rearranged version of "Che begli amici" for his project Q.P.G.A. (2009).

April 2009 brought news of their double album Ancora una notte insieme, released on May 8th and followed by a tour starting at Caserta’s Royal Palace. During this tour, drummer Stefano D'Orazio announced his departure after nearly four decades with the band. The tour expanded from an initial four dates to thirty-eight shows, concluding with two performances at Mediolanum Forum in Assago. The final concert was broadcast live on RTL 102.5 and covered on Rai 2's program X Factor.

From October 1st, 2009 onward, Pooh continued as a trio composed of Facchinetti, Battaglia, and Canzian. The video for "Ancora una notte insieme" received a Special Prize at the Italian Videoclip Awards. On November 26th, Rizzoli published their career retrospective titled I nostri anni senza fiato.

2010s

In February 2010, Pooh revealed Aladin, a musical created by Stefano D'Orazio with compositions developed alongside his former band members. The project had commenced prior to D'Orazio's exit from the group. On 5 March, a DVD capturing the band's last concerts with him, filmed in Assago in September 2009, was made available.

During a press conference held on 3 March 2010, Pooh confirmed their continuation as a trio consisting of Roby Facchinetti, Dodi Battaglia, and Red Canzian. They had recently performed two shows at the Fallsview Casino near Niagara Falls, Canada. Session drummer Steve Ferrone—recognized for his collaborations with Eric Clapton and the Bee Gees—participated in recording the album Dove comincia il sole, which was released on 12 October 2010. The album’s title track, a rock suite featuring both vocal and instrumental passages, drew comparisons to earlier compositions like Parsifal.

The Dove comincia il sole tour featured Ferrone alongside guitarist Ludovico Vagnone and keyboardist Danilo Ballo. Launching in Rimini on 23 November 2010, the tour extended through the summer of 2011 across Italy and international venues until early 2012. Starting in 2011, Phil Mer—son of Red Canzian’s spouse—replaced Ferrone on drums. The tour attracted an audience of approximately 500,000, with numerous performances selling out. On 29 April 2011, the trio reunited with D'Orazio for a live appearance on the TV show Ciak… si canta! broadcast from Naples.

On 11 October 2011, Pooh issued Dove comincia il sole Live – 27 agosto 2011 – Castello di Este, available as a double CD/DVD and deluxe edition. Later that month, they performed at Niagara Falls accompanied by the World Rock Symphony Orchestra and also appeared in Sofia, Bulgaria with the Classic FM Orchestra.

In March 2012, Pooh launched Pooh Legend, a comprehensive box set comprising four DVDs and four books curated by Andrea Pedrinelli. By October, they announced Opera seconda, an album recorded with the Ensemble Symphony Orchestra under Giacomo Loprieno’s direction, which was followed by a theatrical tour.

Valerio Negrini, founding member and lyricist for Pooh, passed away on 3 January 2013. Despite this loss, the band proceeded with their Opera seconda tour across Italy, Canada, and the United States. On 29 October, they released Pooh Box, a tribute to Negrini featuring live CDs/DVDs, a graphic novel by Gianni D'Angelo, and tribute CDs performed by Italian voice actors. This tour attracted over 150,000 attendees during nearly one hundred shows.

Reunion and retirement

On 28 September 2015, Pooh announced a reunion marking their 50th anniversary with Stefano D'Orazio returning on drums and Riccardo Fogli rejoining as vocalist. The celebration included seven major concerts: two at San Siro Stadium in Milan; one at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico; one at Messina’s Stadio San Filippo; and three performances at Verona Arena. A triple live album and DVD documenting the Milan concerts were announced alongside plans for a nationwide arena tour. Five-part vocal harmonizations of classics such as "Pensiero" and "Chi fermerà la musica" were released along with four new tracks featured on the triple live album Pooh 50 – L'ultima notte insieme, which debuted on 16 September 2016.

Pooh concluded their career on 30 December 2016 with a final performance at Unipol Arena in Casalecchio di Reno; this event was broadcast live in cinemas as well as on television and radio. They briefly reunited once more on 6 June 2017 for the Wind Music Awards held at Verona Arena. In July 2017, the box set Trilogia (1987–1990) was issued on CD and vinyl formats containing three albums plus an additional live disc and booklet. On 23 November 2018, the triple album/DVD titled Pooh 50 – L'ultimo abbraccio, recorded during their farewell concert, was released.

Stefano D'Orazio passed away on 6 November 2020 due to complications linked to COVID-19 following hospitalization.

Second reunion

In April 2023, the remaining members came together once again to commemorate the band's 55 years of history and introduced a new track titled Amici per sempre.

Studio albums and compilations

• Per quelli come noi (1966)
• Contrasto (1968)
• Memorie (1969)
• Opera prima (1971)
• Alessandra (1972)
• Parsifal (1973)
• I Pooh 1971–1974 (1974)
• Un po' del nostro tempo migliore (1975)
• Forse ancora poesia (1975)
• Poohlover (1976)
• Rotolando respirando (1977)
• I Pooh 1975–1978 (1978)
• Boomerang (1978)
• Viva (1979)
• Hurricane (1980)
• ...Stop (1980)
• I Pooh 1978–1981 (1981)
• Buona fortuna (1981)
• Palasport (1982)
• Tropico del nord (1983)
• Aloha (1984)
• I Pooh 1981–1984 (1984)
• Anthology (1985)
• Asia non Asia (1985)
• Giorni infiniti (1986)
• Goodbye (1987)
• Il colore dei pensieri (1987)
• Oasi (1988)
• Un altro pensiero (1989)
• Uomini soli (1990)
• La nostra storia (1990)
• Il cielo è blu sopra le nuvole (1992)
• Musicadentro (1994)
• Buonanotte ai suonatori (1995)
• Poohbook (1995)
• Amici per sempre (1996)
• The Best of Pooh (1997)
• Un minuto prima dell'alba (1998)
• Un posto felice (1999)
• Cento di queste vite (2000)
• Best of the Best (2001)
• Pinocchio (2002)
• Pinocchio – Il grande Musical (2003)
• Ascolta (2004)
• La grande festa (2005)
• Noi con voi (2006)
• Noi con voi – Versione integrale (2007)
• Beat Regeneration (2008)
• Per quelli come noi (Remastered) (2008)
• Ancora una notte insieme (2009) (ITA #2 – Platinum)
• Dove comincia il sole (2010)
• Dove comincia il sole live (2011)
• Opera seconda (2012)

Singles

• "Vieni fuori" / "L'uomo di ieri" – 10 February 1966
• "Bikini Beat" / "Quello che non sai" – 29 April 1966
• "Brennero '66" / "Per quelli come noi" – 3 October 1966
• "Nel buio" / "Cose di questo mondo" – 15 April 1967
• "In silenzio" / "Piccola Katy" – 2 February 1968
• "Buonanotte Penny" / "Il tempio dell'amore" – 16 October 1968
• "Mary Ann" / "E dopo questa notte" – 9 April 1969
• "Goodbye Madame Butterfly" / "Un minuto prima dell'alba" – 17 November 1969
• "Tanta voglia di lei" / "Tutto alle tre" – 28 April 1971
• "Pensiero" / "A un minuto dall'amore" – 28 September 1971
• "Noi due nel mondo e nell'anima" / "Nascerò con te" – 21 April 1972
• "Cosa si può dire di te" / "Quando una lei va via" – 21 October 1972
• "Io e te per altri giorni" / "Lettera da Marienbad" – 5 June 1973
• "Infiniti noi" / "Solo cari ricordi" – 5 September 1973
• "Se sai, se puoi, se vuoi" / "Inutili memorie" – 20 May 1974
• "Per te qualcosa ancora" / "E vorrei" – 5 November 1974
• "Ninna nanna" / "È bello riaverti" – 25 July 1975
• "Linda" / "Donna davvero" – 21 July 1976
• "Risveglio" / "La gabbia" – 23 March 1977
• "Dammi solo un minuto" / "Che ne fai di te" – 28 September 1977
• "Cercami" / "Giorno per giorno" – 28 April 1978
• "Fantastic Fly" / "Odissey" – 11 December 1978
• "Io sono vivo" / "Sei tua, sei mia" –16 May 1979
• "Notte a sorpresa" / "Tutto adesso" –16 November 1979
• "Canterò per te" / "Stagione di vento" –14 April 1980
• "Chi fermerà la musica" / "Banda nel vento" –21 April 1981
• "Buona fortuna” / “Lascia che sia” –16 November 1981
• “Non siamo in pericolo” / “Anni senza fiato” –21 October 1982
• “Se nasco un'altra volta” / “Per chi merita di più” –20 June 1986
• “Donne italiane” / “Davanti al mare” –11 December1989
• "Uomini soli” / “Concerto per un'oasi” –2 February1990
  • “Se balla da sola” –23 March1999
  • “Dimmi di sì” –23 July1999
  • “Portami via” –19 October2001
  • “Il paese dei balocchi” –25 October2002
  • “Capita quando capita” –21 April2004
  • “Ascolta” –1 September2004
  • “Per dimenticare te”–17 December2004
  • “La grande festa”–18 November2005
  • “Cuore azzurro”–25 May2006

Current lineup

• Roby Facchinetti (born 1944) – keyboards, vocals (1966–2016, 2023–present)
• Dodi Battaglia (born 1951) – guitars, vocals (1968–2016, 2023–present)
• Red Canzian (born 1951) – bass, vocals (1974–2016, 2023–present)
• Riccardo Fogli (born 1947) – bass, guitar, vocals (1966–1974, 2015–2016, 2023–present)

Past members

• Stefano D'Orazio (1948–2020) – drums, vocals (1971–2009, 2015–2016)
• Valerio Negrini (1946–2013) – drums (1966–1970)

External links

• Official website