Pirana Adel Scandy Super Band early Celso Valli magic

An upbeat 1979 style slice of disco magic.
PIRANA

Eva Robin's NOT JUST A TRANSEXUAL but a Disco Panther

This is one of my most popular blogs since I started Disco Vinyl in 2008 so I've refreshed the links.  ENJOY!
Eva Robins as Cassandra circa 1978.
Swarthy Italo Disco pioneer Celso Valli.


Roberto Maurizio Coatti was born on December 10, 1958 in Bologna, Italy. At puberty he developed breasts naturally and his features became more feminine.

In 1977 after extensive hormone therapy he became the showgirl Eva Robin's. She teamed up with Celso Valli the Italo Disco Wunderkind pictured above, who was responsible for The Passengers, Tantra, Macho, Azoto, Matia Bazar's Ti Sento and many more Italo Disco classics. They recorded Disco Panther using the name Cassandra. So the pairing of a trans gender and a disco version of a pop culture classic was created. Italy so often fashion forward was even one of the first places to have a Trans star.

EVA ROBIN'S
KOSHY'S DISCO EDIT

It's catchy but I have to admit I prefer the instrumental.

Eva is still around today and just as beautiful as ever. Here she is in a video with the Italian T.V. host and writer Platinette. This is a scene from the popular t.v. show Le Iene. One of their trademark gimmicks is the split screen interview with two people being asked the same question. Eva does not spare a moment from her sex kitten routine here.

I used to have this rare 12".  But I sold it on eBay years ago.

I didn't have the picture cover version pictured above. It's not a great shot of Eva anyway.

I love my radio is an Italian record and don't you forget it!

Celso Valli is one of my heroes.  His name appears on many of my Italo Disco favorites and Taffy's I love my Radio is one of them with bells on.  He recorded it in the beach holiday favorite town on the Adriatic, Rimini.  Other classic Italo Disco records were made there too such as N.O.I.A., Kasso, Klein and M.B.O. and Fun Fun just to name a few.

I EVEN LOVE SALT WATER TAFFY!

Taffy a British singer had been recording since 1977 but I love my radio is surely her best known tunes.  It made it to #8 on the Italian pop charts but was a huge dance hit all over the world.  I know as a college student in Washington, D.C. I used to dance my ass off to it.

Italo Disco Classic TANTRA celso valli's crowning glory Hills of Katmandu

Though the output of the act Tantra was only between 1979 and 1982 the impact of their sound is nonetheless unforgettable.  Italian Disco Genius Celso Valli was the man responsible for so many acts but Tantra must be considered his crowning glory.

  The Hills of Katmandu is simply his Stairway to Heaven.  It first appeared in 1979 and then in various forms and remixes after that.  It's one of the crucial bridge tracks because it's not only disco and space disco but it's considered an early example of Hi NRG and a seminal Italo Disco masterpiece.  In the zips I've provided a variety of versions including a Hot Tracks edit and great remix by the Australian DJ Paul Goodyear, twelve inch versions, album versions and more.  http://www.filefactory.com/file/45a7lby5tvnb/zip2.zip 

http://www.filefactory.com/file/6ch9muas3aj5/zip1.zip

Lest you might think that Tantra is a one song act it's simply not the case.  But the fact that Hills was able to fly all the way up to #2 on the Billboard Disco Charts in 1980 (the most transitional year of disco music) was definitely a feat to be considered.  

Get Happy and Ma-Cum-Ba had some happy dancers but then the genius Patrick Cowley got his hands on Hills of Katmandu and this extended the life of the classic even longer, not to mention the fact that a Spanish version was also recorded to satisfy worldwide demand. 

I couldn't resist posting this fab photo of Patrick in my city at the Colosseum.  To think that back then it was a major cruising spot and people could walk around in it even at night! 

If you'd like to explore the Celso Valli sound further I suggest you check out Macho, Passengers, and especially Azoto to name a few.