Equipe 84 may have had their roots in combo rock music, but by the time of this 45 in late 1967, they’re as far away from a garage band as could be. The production is dense, with sitar, strings, vibes, horns.

‘Ladro’ begins with intense beats and the tension builds as instruments and elements are added. ‘Nel cuore, nell’anima’ (In the Heart, the Spirit) is an especially fine Sgt. Pepper-inspired pop number. Lucio Battisti co-wrote both of these songs with ‘Mogol.’

They had about a dozen releases before this single, and were one of Italy’s most popular bands in the 60’s since beginning in the northern Italian city of Modena around 1960. They broke up in 1974.

The band at this time consisted of Maurizio Vandelli and Franco Ceccarelli on guitar and vocals, Victor Sogliani on bass and vocals, Alfio Cantarella on drums and vocals. Joining the band on vocals only for this record was their frequent songwriter, Lucio Battisti.

Sources include: http://equipe84.too.it/ for extensive scans and text in Italian.