Ann Steel

Ann Steel, lead singer from Boston, had arrived in Italy in 1979 with a master at the University of Michigan in Medieval and Renaissance music and some experience in American experimental theatre with the Living Theater by Julien Beck, as well as classical, playing: King Lear, Old Times by Harold Pinter and many other theatrical pieces. 

She was chosen by Roberto Cacciapaglia after a long search. Ann Steel possessed pop music features but also the wanted sonority. She was modelling, and her voice was well cared for and straightforward with little vibrato, she had sung for a long time sacred music in churches and cathedrals in America. 

The songs are crafted with acoustic instruments masked by electronica. For example, all the bass lines are performed by playing the piano with prepared rubber between the strings, the rhythmic harmonics are performed with light chains that touch the strings of the piano and give a metallic and percussive sound, but harmonious, many guitar parts are executed at low speed or taped and then turned backwards. In some passages Roberto Cacciapaglia used filtering of the harpsichord and the portative organ. The drums and percussion were performed separately in order to be manipulated independently: it may sound electronic, but the truth is that all was played acoustic, with great skill and precision by Peppe Sciuto. 

Lyrics by Giada Manca di Villahermosa are a fundamental part of the project, bizarrely suggesting an artificial world, that in many respects has proved to be prophetic. 

The first release of 'The Ann Steel Album', was distributed in 1979, in Italy by Durium, France by Barclay and in Germany by Metronome, it has received international acknowledgement including the Olimpia di Parigi. 

'The Ann Steel Album' CD was released in 2003, dedicated to the memory and work of Guglielmo Marconi, it includes all songs from the original LP and the single 'Media / Sweet Life'. The CD booklet also contains a number of unpublished pictures that portray the beautiful model-singer. 

The idea of re-issuing 'The Ann Steel Album' was born by the interest that trendy Parisian label Colette had shown about the song “My Time”, which they included in one of the Colette’s compilations: Colette N°4. The increasing attention on this song brought the Recording Arts (which publishes Roberto Cacciapaglia’s work) to re-issue the whole album that is still today modern and timeless. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]