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Camaro's Gang

Camaro's Gang was a popular '80's Italo Disco Band most active between 1982 and 1986. Their songs are noted as having amazingly up beat synth lines whilst having a solid dancefloor feel coupled with catchy lyrics. Their iconic vinyl releases were the embodiment of what the 1980's synthpop scene was in italy: fast cars, neon lights, sunglasses and sunshine.

The band centered around Alex Novaga(vocals and arrangements), and included Barry Mason (Vocals), Sandro Casiglieri, Venise(vocals), and Franco Scopinich (producer) (the last two also recorded for the same record lable, Superradio Records, under the name Sun La Shan). Other contributers included Enzo Vallicelli (writter), Tony Carrasco (writter) of Klein & M.B.O. fame, Fabio Sbaragli (production & mixing), Fulvio "Maskio" Mazzotti (percussions and vocals), Symona (vocals), Pierre "D.J" (vocals and dancing), Sandro Casiglieri (vocals), and Franco Abrignani (vocals).

The current Camaro's Gang members are Max De La Sierra (vocals and keyboards), Angel Pierre (sound enginering and vocals), and Stalwarts Venise and Franco Scopinich.

Band Beginings & the '80's

A group of friends, including Venise, Barry, and Franco, longed to share their love for italian disco and synth pop with others by setting up a pirate radio station, which they called Superradio. Eventually, those involved began writting their own songs to play on the station, and after attempts to get distributed by record lables failed, the Superradio crew decided it best to form Superradio Records. After the initial success of tracks by Sun La Shan and Barry Mason the crew began working on a large unit collaborative project, Camaro's Gang, which would become the crown jewel of Superradio's roster. After the release of successful singles, including Ali Shuffle [SR 7005], Move A Little Closer [SR 7008], Bronx [7014], and Fuerza Major [SR 7015], the band re-mixed and created different edits to be included in a proper full length album, entitled "Decamerone (the Camaro One)" [SR 8002], released in 1985 to moderate success. The last track released by Camaro's Gang was Motel Lovers in 1986. Sleeves for the vinyl releases often featured photo-collage art work with images of the band members with their cars (such as Franco's metallic red Chevy Camaro, from which the band got it's name), exotic locales, or glamour shots of the band's iconic beauty Venise.

Italo Revival

In 2000, Dutch electro DJ/Producer I-F released his highly influential mix cd, "Mixed Up In The Hague Vol. 1" on Panama Records. Despite the modest pressing (750 units), many electronic music fans were drawn to it by it's boasting of obscure electro and disco sounds. The mix, and I-F, are credited for starting a renewed interest in Italo Disco and anything authentically proto-electro-disco. Featured on the mix were Camaro's Gang "Super Shuffle" (a dub of Ali Shuffle which appeared on the B-side of the original pressings) and Sun La Shan's "Catch". The renewed interest in the sound and particularly these tracks led to the reformation of both these groups as well as Superradio, who is finally selling out of the remaining stock they had in storage since the heyday of the '80's.

The newly reformed Camaro's Gang has released two new singles, Young School Lovers and Born for Making Dancing/Born For Loving Friends, which stay faithful to the original italo sound which drew the group of friends together in the first place.