Fitness Forever - 'Tonight'

[flotemysost]

I do like a bit of this breezy 70's-themed lounge disco type stuff. Crabwalk, have you ever heard of Music Go Music? They came out with a phenomenal album called Expressions in 2009 which has a whole load of incredible Abba and Ital-disco influenced songs, most of which are accompanied by impeccably retro videos. 

Have a listen to Light Of Love or Love Violent Love.

Aw yes! I think I mentioned Music Go Music in a disco thread a while ago. From what I've heard, their songs seem to have a similar sort of innocence to Fitness Forever (also similar endearingly loopy videos).

[Crabwalk]

The genius behind Fitness Forever, Carlos Valerrama (AKA Dino Erre) has put up an unreleased album by his earlier band Valderrama 5 onto Bandcamp for free.

https://valderrama5.bandcamp.com/

In late 2005, we were busy working with Valderrama 5 on our very last album ( working title was "Paranoil" but it was then released as "Guess Who's Bigamous" ).
Tensions in the band were huge and were just about to make the band implode.

Just to make things more complicated, I ( it's Carlos speaking ) decided to record some songs I had written some months before, in the same studio and with the same sound guy ( Olio, who is also our lead singer ) we were using to record with the band.

This probably slowed down a very long process even more, but I just felt this stuff had to be recorded.

Obviously most of the material doesn't sound like proper Valderrama 5 stuff ( even in Sweet Intostino and Palma became classic V5's signature songs across the years ) these songs instead had a weird and peculiar mediterranean-romantic-baroquepop vibe on it.

It was the sound of a broken heart, as I clearly remember listening to these bunch of songs and lyrics, the kind of desperate and ridiculous broken-heartness you have when you're 20yrs-some.

I had to be very quick ( since I was not paying the studio, and was interfering with the main recordings ) so I couldn't waste time teaching these songs to anybody, I just stepped into the studio and played all the instruments by myself, with Olio playing record button on the ADAT recording system,
It probably took 2 or 3 days to complete all the recordings.

This record was never properly released, nor printed.
But I still like it, it has a sparkle somehow.
Before I f**k up the hard disk with the old stuff in it, it though it's better if it stays here.

I hope you can enjoy it!

Carlos Valderrama - March 2020

I also have Valderrama 5's Guess Who's Bigamous album (unavailable anywhere else), and the unreleased Fitness Forever album they made for EMI before they were dropped. Hit me up if interested.

[Deyv]

Thanks for the notification! I eventually got all the Fitness Forever albums I could find, and I really love them now. I haven't listened to them at all this year, though, so this is a great reminder. Getting this now. Got it. Will listen to it as soon as it's on my mp3 player. Will check out Women Don't Apple Damage too.

[alan nagsworth]

Nice one Crabs.

Man, it is a testament to the greatness of this band that I have only listened to them a bunch of times but as soon as I see the thread title I get their music stuck in my head. Going out for the bi-monthly shop today and I know what I'll be listening to. Perfect weather for it.

[Crabwalk]

Carlos (under his other alias, Dino Erre) also hosts regular live mixes on Radio Raheem Milano, playing super-rare italodisco and italofunk. Think you'd dig those, Nags.

They're all archived here:

http://www.radioraheem.it/resident/dino-erre/

[alan nagsworth]

Sounds tasty. Cheers!

[Retinend]

It's another great album! I would have to go over the tracklists of the others blow for blow to decided which I like the best. How would you rank them?

[Crabwalk]

It's so tough to rank the albums. They're each so different, and so great. Cosmos is the most diverse album, and has an incredible warmth to the sound. Tonight is just full of galactic bangers. Personal Train is the most charming.

If you held a gun to my head though, I'd probably go:

Cosmos > Tonight > Personal Train.

But I could feel differently tomorrow.

[Crabwalk]

How would you rank them Retinend? Or anyone else?

[rue the polywhirl]

Tonight < Tonight < Tonight.


Not so much a ranking, more of a reflection of how much I love Tonight and how I need to give their other records more listens.

[Retinend]

You summoned me. Strap in.

How would you rank them Retinend?

I like to do the test where you play the first <10 seconds and see if you can clearly remember the rest of the song (and not for bad reasons):


Personal Train (2009)

Intro/Probabilmente ("Probably")
passes without a doubt. Great opener. I have more to say below.

L'Anarchhia Pugliese ("Apulian* Anarchy" *SE corner of Italy[nb]I don't mean to show off, but as a translator and linguist I am always curious about foreign languages and though I don't know Italian I know Spanish, and couldn't help looking up the titles and any specific lyrics mentioned thereafter. Shout out to "DeepL".[/nb])
passes - love that guitar picking leading into the chorus

Vacanze A Settembre ("Holidays in September")
almost passed, but took about 10 seconds in the end. I like the chorus, don't like the verse.

Albertone* (nickname of an Italian director)
definitely passes - it first seems like it will be annoying but it becomes something unexpectedly profound by the middle section and returns to the A section - but with more feeling. It reminds me exactly of Bacharach's South American Getaway in this regard.

Se Come Te ("Just Like You")
Unfortunately didn't pass the test. I dig the zig-zag groove, and it's the most disco track on the album, which is a big part of their sound, but it's just not that memorable imho.

Je Je Jeox (nonsense syllables?)
Not sure if it passed the test, which means it didn't pass the test. It all adds to the "flora and fauna" of the album, though - adds a little more latin groove to balance out the classical.

Quando Ho Tempo
Again, it didn't really pass the test but I don't hold it against it because it's also only a short one.

Monica
Failed the test, but again like with Se Come Te I dig the zig-zagginess of it.

Bacharach
pass pass pass - what a great song and tribute to the living legend, Burt Bacharach. I'd like to highlight what a wonderful contrast the verse and chorus make re the rhythm of the vocal melody, suddenly ramping up on the polysyllabic words in the chorus like "Improbabile dimenticare / Fotogrammi immaginati di te e lui" ("impossible to forget those imaginary images of you and him")

Outro/ D'Estate ("Summer")
Once this song really starts it's an absolute PASS. Love the girlish backing vocals throughout the album but especially here. I have more to say about this below.

final score: 5/10



Cosmos (2013)

Piano Fender Blues Instrumental
PAAAASS. Absolutely iconic. The swell of strings; the bass; the brass; the latin groove all teasing what's to come.

Hotel Flamingo
PASS - what a groove. The instrumental is so bold - almost Zappaesque. The bridge with male/female call and response is also a highlight.

Il Cane Ciuff ("Doggy's Got A Quiff")
technically a "pass", but actually this is a "skip" for me. Sweet but a little bit sweet, even speaking as a fan. Where "Bacharach" on the last album hit the mark, this one misses it.

Le Intenzioni Del Re ("The King's Wishes")
PASS - more male/female call and response and an almost Steely Dan-esque feel to the arrangement. I'd compare this one to "D'Estate" from the last album.

Lui ("Him")
Obviously a pass. See below for more.

Vederti Distiante ("I See You From Afar")
Yes. A Pass. A minimalist example of how tight they are as a group and what great  taste and sensibility they have.

L'Amore Annegato ("Drowned Love")
It didn't pass, but I feel a little guilty for that because obviously it is a lovely, tender song.

Laura
Pass. Very Steely Dan by now. Love the creepy feel of the vocal and the way it wrings three notes out of the name "Laura".

Cosmos/ Disco Quiz
Sorry but I have to dock points, regardless of whether they are memorable (they are....). That said, I believe in "The Album as a Piece" and I think these sorts of songs (heavily disco influenced) are a vital key to what the group are all about, as individuals, so I get it.

Il Mare ("The Sea")
I completely forgot about this one so it's not a pass. Another lullaby like "L'Amore Annegato" but less memorable.

final score: 7/11




Ok we're getting there!



Tonight (2019)

Tonight
Obvious pass. An instant classic. The shift to English lyrics on this album is done really well, although it sounds a bit like "into your mouse" instead of "your mouth".

Dance Boys
Pass - absolutely hypnotic and I love the breakdown and violin section towards the end.

Canadian Ranger
Yessss - like a lot of these songs, it sounds like you heard it a long time ago already. Very uplifting and inspirational. Their production has never been more diverse or luscious.

Andrè
I think this is a good example of where they push things juuust the edge of where "catchy" meets "cheesy." It's an obvious "pass" in any case. I like the percussive breakdown when the heavy echo on the vocals shines through.

Port Ghalib
This song is essentially an interlude. Didn't pass the test, but it's not really supposed to.

Baby Love
Much the same as André, this one passes the test just by being so damn catchy, but with FF I take "damn catchy" for granted, and at this point it's track 6 and I wish there was a little going on besides that.

Cosa Mi Hai Detto ("That thing you told me")
Yes. This is what I was waiting for. Atmospheric, mournful, yet soulful. Comparable with "Laura" from the last album.

Arbre Magique
Absolute pass. I find it impossible to smile when the chorus kicks in with those trademark girlish vocals. And that "post-chorus" thing with the "na na na"s is completely unexpected.

Carlo
As is a tradition now, a lullaby-like song to finish the album. This is probably my favourite and was the most memorable for me. Not a pass, but I prefer it to "Il Mare" a fair bit.

Final score: 7/9


So by this method it seems my ranking, in terms of memorableness (and I relistened to them all just 3 days ago or so) will be:

Tonight > Cosmos > Personal Train

At a slightly more subjective level, I would take Tonight down a peg for being a bit too concerned with melodic hooks and less with the unexpected turns of chord that characterise the first two albums. I would also raise Personal Train up because it is the most human sounding album production-wise. It rocks the hardest of the three.

First tracks are another good rubric for characterising and influencing the ranking an album: "Probabilmente" is energetic, driving, and eccentric, as is Personal Train as a whole. "Hotel Flamingo" is romantic in the exotic sense; full of twists and turns; groovy and euphoric at once. "Tonight", the track, is sexy, international and insoucieux. All three are quite distinctive, but if this were - for some reason - the only criteria accepted for judging an album, the ranking would be:

Personal Train > Tonight > Cosmos

A final point of comparison is the best vs the best vs the best.

In my opinion "Lui" is the best song they have yet done, and once of the best songs ever written. With an amusing chorus (in the Greek sense) commenting thereupon ("LUI? LUI? LUI? she dumped HIM?") it perfectly captures that eternal summer of the mind fallen freshly in love, and the longing to have it back.

Personal Train's "D'Estate" comes next:  You are on a real ride with this one.The song twists and turns and, never losing that sense of fun created by the fuzz guitars and blaring brass, is meanwhile rich in pathos[nb]the word "pathos" means "suffering" in Greek[/nb]. Especially the lines "D'Estate / Avere la paura d'amare / Restare un po' lontano da te" ("In summer / scared of loving you / I keep my distance from you").

Here we get the ranking which feels the most truthful to me:

Cosmos > Personal Train > Tonight

Though as I've tried to demonstrate, it's nothing against Tonight. Great album and I dearly hope it won't be their last.

[chocky909]

They don't seem to even have a Wikipedia page yet.

[rue the polywhirl]

I've had time to soak in all 3 all records and I still rate Tonight the most because it has all the bangers. Personal Train is wonderfully breezy, absolutely evocative, samba-saturated with no let-ups or weak points. Cosmos has lots of good moments, not as consistent - more slowies, maybe doesn't gel together quite as well.

Tonight > Personal Train > Cosmos

[Retinend]

I guess it's my Steely Dan bias that tops Cosmos for me. This album has less of that going on.

[Crabwalk]

Ha ha, no consensus! As it should be really, for three sublime and diverse albums.

Fantastic write-up Retinend. I'm very jealous of your knowledge of Italian as I've had to glean meaning from the songs via google translate, which is a ham-fisted beast as everyone knows.

They don't seem to even have a Wikipedia page yet.

Great job Elefant records.

[Crabwalk]

No new album yet, but when there is I'll start a new thread Neil, I promise.

But Carlos Valderrama, the maestro of Fitness Forever, has of late written and produced some songs for Popa, an Italian fashion designer and would-be pop queen.

I thought that fans of THE GREATEST BAND IN THE UNIVERSE^TM might appreciate a heads up on this work. I wish I could write as insightfully and beautifully about these songs as Retinend writes about the FF oeuvre above, but what I lack in eloquence I can always make up for in hyperbole:

Bon Vivant
This is as beautifully lightweight as summer pop gets. I'm pretty sure Carlos must've broken his vintage-analogue rule here, but it's still a warm wisp of a thing that you could fall unwisely in love to. Will it hold up to the thousandth listen like most of FF's records do? I'm unsure of that, but it's hardly the point of this type of ephemeral pop. Wonderful video, by the way.

Mare Di Milano
Come on. The sweetest amalgam of orchestral bossa nova and romantic Italian movie soundtrack you can imagine. I think it needs headphones for maximum effect. Hyde Park gets a mention in there, but in what context I'm unsure.

Psicomagia
The most Fitness Forever-esque song, featuring most of the band and a typically elegant and catchy melody and arrangement. Would fit right in on Cosmos and does that classic FF trick of following a fantastic pop song with a killer play-out groove that you wish would last for at least an hour longer than it does.

I believe the fourth[nb]discounting the unreleased one they made for EMI[/nb] Fitness Forever album is also in the works. It's usually 4-5 years between albums and Tonight was released in 2017 so...

[shagatha crustie]

Loving that stuff Crabwalk. Really hope they bring a new album out soon.

[Brundle-Fly]

I don't know why I've never looked in this thread before (maybe the already discussed dreadful workout gym band name) because I crossover completely with your music tastes, Crabwalk. I like a lot of what I hear already. Reminds me of 90s Japanese Club Pop (ie Fantastic Plastic Machine, Pizzicato 5, Towa Tei..etc. Not forgetting the French stuff you'd find on Yellow Productions label or Sebastian Tellier even. Will have a proper listen.

Popa is pure Astrud Gilberto, isn't it?

[Crabwalk]

Yeah, you're definitely in the right ballpark with a lot of those comparisons Brundle. FF's work incorporates lots of disparate European influences (and languages) as well as the strong Tropicalia/MPB vibe in places. Glad to hear you're getting something out of your early explorations, knowing your tastes I think you'll find things you love if you delve deeper

Popa is pure Astrud Gilberto, isn't it?

I did toy with making that comparison as there are obvious similarities, but Popa's voice held me back as it's a fair bit 'lighter'. Astrud has one of my favourite ever voices, utterly distinctive, and I couldn't really put Popa on that plane.