I Dik Dik

Together with Camaleonti, Corvi and Equipe 84, I Dik Dik, a group coming from Milan, was in the top five between the Italian "complessi" during the mid sixties, specifically for their commercial success. Their image was extremely plain but they were supported by the main Italian label of that period (Dischi Ricordi) and the choice of the songs to cover very well focused.

They were in fact, almost for their first years of activity, a sort of cover band, specialized in Italian versions of very well known international successes. So they have arrived in Italy many songs as California Dreamin' by The Mamas and Papas (Sognando la California in Italian, exact translation), If I Were A Carpenter by Tim hardin (Se fossi un falegname, misleading translation: the meaning in Italian is "if I were a wood worker"), A Whiter Shade of pale by The Procol Harum, in Italian Senza luce (without light), I Saw Her Again Last Night, by The Mamas and papas (Il mondo è con noi: The world is with us), Let's Go To San Francisco by The Flower Pot Men (Inno: hymn), Mighty Quinn by The Manfred Mann Group, Wight Is Wight by Michel Delpech, in Italian L'isola di Wight (the island of Wight).

Starting from 1967-'68, they have proposed original songs, mainly written by the famous duo of composers Mogol and Battisti (Mogol, Giulio Rapetti, lyrics, Lucio Battisti, the most famous Italian chansonnier of that period and even now, music), as Il vento (the wind), Guardo te e vedo mio figlio (I watch you and I see my son), Vendo casa (I'm selling my house) and other originals up to the mid seventies (Viaggio di un poeta: "a travel of a poet", Help me, about the space exploration). They tried to participate to the new progressive movement (the LP "Suite per una donna assolutamente relativa", very difficult translation ...) with scarce success and then they remained active only in the revival scene, up to the '80s, when a new strong interest returned in Italy for the Beat period.

"Dik Dik", the name of the group, is the name of an african gazelle.



See more information, including personnel, cover images and discography, on Music Graffiti website (in English).