fede speranza carita (purple)

• Edition: 50th-anniversary limited edition
• Vinyl: 180-gram clear-purple vinyl
• Limitation: 400 copies
• Packaging: Gatefold sleeve

Fede, Speranza, Carità is the only album recorded by the Genoese group J.E.T. and one of the heavier examples of early Italian progressive rock. Originally released by Durium in 1972, it combines forceful organ and guitar work, expressive multi-part vocals and long compositions built around religious and social themes.

The group featured Carlo “Bimbo” Marrale on guitar and vocals, Piero Cassano on keyboards, Aldo Stellita on bass and vocals, and Renzo “Pucci” Cochis on drums. Cassano, Marrale and Stellita would later become founding members of the highly successful Italian group Matia Bazar, but the music heard here is considerably darker, heavier and more adventurous than their later pop recordings.

The extended title track opens the album with dramatic vocal passages, prominent Hammond organ and sudden changes between reflective sections and hard-rock intensity. “Il prete e il peccatore” continues in an equally ambitious style, contrasting sacred imagery with an aggressive instrumental arrangement and powerful ensemble vocals.

“C'è chi non ha” introduces a more concise and melodic approach without abandoning the album's strong rhythmic foundation. The lengthy “Sinfonia per un re” is one of the record's central pieces, moving through organ-led progressive passages, expressive guitar work and rich vocal harmonies. The closing instrumental “Sfogo” provides a final burst of energetic interplay.

The recording also features backing vocals by Antonella Ruggiero and Marva Jan Marrow, adding further depth to the album's choral sections. Its combination of hard-rock weight, symphonic ideas and distinctly Italian vocal arrangements has made Fede, Speranza, Carità a sought-after title among collectors of the classic Italian progressive scene.

This AMS Records 50th-anniversary edition presents the complete five-track album on heavyweight clear-purple vinyl. Strictly limited to 400 copies and housed in a gatefold sleeve, it is a particularly attractive edition of this rare Italian progressive recording.

Track listing:

Side A

1. Fede, Speranza, Carità – 10:54
2. Il Prete e il Peccatore (Fede) – 11:08

Side B

1. C'è Chi Non Ha (Speranza) – 6:34
2. Sinfonia per un Re (Carità) – 7:58
3. Sfogo – 3:39