In the industrial outskirts of Venice, in Marghera, in 1966, guitarist Nino Smeraldi and the 21-year-old Aldo Tagliapietra decided to form a new band. Alongside bassist Claudio Galieti and drummer Marino Rebeschini, they initially named themselves "Le Ombre" in homage to The Shadows. However, to avoid any double entendres associated with the Venetian meaning of the word "ombra" (shadow), they soon changed their name to "Le Orme." Their debut single, "Fiori e colori," released in 1967 on the CAR Juke Box label, followed the trend of the time with an English version titled "Flowers and Colours." Shortly after, Rebeschini left the group for military service and was replaced by Michi Dei Rossi from the prominent Venetian band Hopopi. In 1968, Le Orme recorded "Senti l'estate che torna" and participated in the competition "Un disco per l'estate." Around this time, Tony Pagliuca, the founder of Hopopi, joined the band. By the end of the year, they recorded their first album, "Ad Gloriam." Despite being recorded "for glory" without expectations of commercial success, it marked a crucial moment in their career. In 1969, military obligations led to Galieti's temporary departure, with Dave Baker stepping in. During this period, they recorded "Irene" and two auditions: Bach's "Concerto brandeburghese n. 3" and Dave Brubeck's "Blue Rondò à la Turk," which were pivotal despite being released later in 1973.

Smeraldi's departure due to artistic differences with Pagliuca reduced the band to a trio: Tagliapietra, Pagliuca, and Dei Rossi. This transitional period marked the beginning of their musical evolution towards progressive rock. Influenced by Emerson, Lake & Palmer's performance at the Isle of Wight in 1970, Le Orme shifted towards progressive rock, producing innovative albums like "Collage" (1971) and "Uomo di pezza" (1972). Their music began to explore new territories, addressing social themes and experimenting with new sounds.

Today, we recommend listening to "Senti l'estate che torna" from the album "Ad Gloriam!"