Raffaele Riefoli, or Ra-Fel, or even Raf, or Raff, is a popular Italian artist. So popular, that his albums since 1989 have consistently cracked the top ten charts in Italy, all the way through his latest in 2015.
My knowledge stems from his 1984 self title debut, specifically for his hit, Self Control, which Larua Branigan would steal...er...borrow that same year, and release across the USA. Unfortunately, for Raf, this meant that he didn't get the due credit he deserved. Instead, Branigan's version would eat up the US, Canadian, and European charts. For those who heard of Raf outside of Italy, it would easily be presumed (incorrectly), that he was covering the popular song, rather than the original creator.
Truthfully, while Branigan's version does have its charm, and is among one of my favorites of hers, Raf's has become the far superior for me between the two. Coincidentally, it is also the rarer of the two albums to find on CD. This, of course, would be because the digital version from Raf was limited to countries outside the USA. I ultimately had to get mine off of Discogs, paying through the ol' snoz-ola to get it from Italy.
At the end of the day, I'm totally glad I did.
Overall, it's a solid album, with a fair amount of good tracks which I added to my shuffle list. These tunes included, Change Your Mind, Black and Blue, I Don't Want To Lose You, Madeleine O., and of course, Self Control. This was also one of those rare Retro Spin occasions, where hearing it made me start looking at other 80's albums from the singer. Sadly, I don't know how feasibly this would be in the long run, as much like his debut, these are rare on CD, and quite pricey. My days, in general, of buying expensive albums are kind of over (for now). Still, I'll keep my eye out and see what happens in the future.
As I mentioned above, Raf continues to have a successful music career in Italy, and remains active. So, who knows, maybe his CD's will get re-released, making them a bit more accessible and affordable.
Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.
Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.
 |
| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS April 15, 1989 |
No comments:
Post a Comment