Although the majority of Stefano Torossi’s extensive musical catalog from 1959 to the present is in the album or long play format, he has also done a number of 45s, most of them released initially in the 1960s on labels including CAM, Carosello, CBS, Costanza Records, Durium, Italfon, and Parade.

The first installment of this overview of 45 singles involving Stefano Torossi showcases five B-sides he either wrote or played on between 1962 and 1968.

The Flippers “Baci Cha Cha” 1962

Torossi’s first 45 single done in Italy was as a member of The Flippers, a pop group in which he played double bass on several tracks, as well as doing composing and arrangements on at least five singles between 1960 and 1962. He also appeared on one EP in the 1960s… the cover, anyway. In fact this shot was used for quite a few Flipper 45s, some Torossi was was involved in and some he was not. The players depicted in the classic cover image include, starting from the left, Franco Bracardi, Fabrizio Zampa, Max Catalano, Romolo Forlai, and Stefano Torossi.

Stefano Torossi first appeared as a performer on “Baci Cha Cha,” a single drawn from the 1960 Flippers’ full album on RCA, The Flipper’s Way. Torossi is seen below in the sleeve for the 1962 single “Cha-Cha dell’impiccato,” along with pianist Franco Bracardi, drummer Fabrizio Zampa, vibraphonist Romolo Forlai, and trumpeter Massimo “Max” Catalano,

The Flippers’ “Baci Cha Cha,” featuring Stefano Torossi on double bass, has recently been removed from YouTube:

Tony Del Monaco “Baila con migo” 1962

In 1962, Stefano Torossi appeared on the first of at least three singles by Italian pop singer Tony Del Monaco including “Baila con migo,” co-written by Torossi and Del Monaco.

“Baila con migo,” composed by Stefano Torossi and Tony Del Monaco, is online:

The next year, Stefano Torossi co-wrote “Giri Twist,” the B-side of Tony Del Monaco’s “Teresa Baciami” and in 1964, Torossi and Del Monaco composed “Siamo amici,” a single also released by RCA.

I Camaleonti “Noi e gli altri” 1967

In 1967, I Camaleonti released “L’ora dell’amore (Homburg)” / “Noi e gli altri” as a 45 single. The B-side, composed by Stefano Torossi, was originally used on a TV program of the same name.

I Camaleonti’s “Noi e gli altri,” composed by Stefano Torossi, is on YouTube:

Giampiero Macario “Come, dove, quando perche” 1968

In 1968, RCA released Giampiero Macario’s “Cuore cosa fai?” / “Come, dove, quando perche.” The B-side was written by Torossi and Bruno Rasia. Berto Pisano did arrangements and directed the orchestra in a piece originally used in the same Italian show.

The release is one of a dozen or more RCA 45s to feature Stefano Torossi as a performer, composer, or arranger released by the famed label between 1960 and 1968.

Giampiero Macario’s “Come, dove, quando perche,” written by Stefano Torossi and Bruno Rasia is here:

Stefano Torossi “1938 (aka Silly Tune)” 1968

In 1968, Stefano Torossi released a single on Italy’s Costanza Records, “Non importa” / “1938” that was used as a theme song in the Italian TV program “Cordialmente.”  Both tracks appeared on an LP from Costanza released around the same time period, Musica per commenti sonori (CO 10002). Thirty years later, “1938” was issued in CD as part of Musica per commenti sonori: The Seventies, an album which also features composer-performers Sandro Brugnolini and Vito Tommaso.

The whimsical instrumental single was renamed “Silly Tune” and issued as a digital download by Deneb Records last year on their Vintage Jazz, Pop & Rock: 1960s – 1970s – Easy Listening album, which features all of the tracks from The Seventies CD, about half renamed. This is currently available from online retailers including Amazon and iTunes.

Two versions of Stefano Torossi’s 1968 45 single “1938,” later renamed “Silly Tune,” are on YouTube, including this one:

Coming Soon: Stefano Torossi on 45, Pt II – Five A-sides from the 1960s