Capricorn - I Need Love

Capricorn were an Italo Disco outfit fronted by Claudio Simonetti who scored a minor hit in US clubs in 1980 with a song also called Capricorn.  The single here, from 1982, however was a full on smash hit in Chicago.  It was originally released on Biba Records but, like so many imports from this period, it also showed up on several other labels simultaneously including Italy’s Delerium Records as well as the classic New York dance label, Emergency Records.

As is typical of the genre, I Need Love is structurally a very simple tune but it’s signature bassline makes it exceptionally funky compared to much of the more futuristic sounding tracks coming from Italy during this time.   Its distinctive shuffling hi-hat intro and incredibly aggressive snare was a favorite for early beat juggling.  The instrumental to this song remained popular with house DJ’s well into the late 80’s even after other Italo songs fell out of rotation as more music began to get produced locally.  Today, I Need Love remains one of the more sought after tracks from this era. Prior to being re-released a few years ago, this single regularly fetched up to $100 on eBay.

I’ve always thought of Claudio Simonetti as something like the Quincy Jones of Italian Disco.  His name pops up on tons of releases from the early and mid eighties either as writer, producer, or arranger.  He was responsible for a slew of singles under his own name as well as with his other projects Kasso, Crazy Gang, and Easy Going.  Many of these singles (like One More Round, Walkman, and I Love the Piano) were also big on the Chicago scene.

Much later I found out that Claudio Simonetti was also a founding member of the Italian prog-rock supergroup Goblin.  Formed in 1972, this group are most famous for their film scores including many for Italian horror auteur Dario Argento and for George Romero's Dawn of the Dead.  Small world.

Track List

Side A
I Need Love

Side B
I Need Love (Instrumental)

Side A&B