In 1974 Antonius Rex went to London where they met Albert Goodman,
a percussionist and aristocratic practioner of the occult, wealthy owner
of country estates with his own castle (ALB) and the independent record label
Darkness. Albert was attracted by Bartoccetti's way of playing and wanted
to join the band. He was engaged, they tried out excerpts, knowing anyway
that Albert would have to play kettledrums and percussion instruments and
not the classical rock drums. It was when living in a wing in Albert's castle
that Bartoccetti recorded "Jacula the witch" with the help of the increasingly
magical voice of his woman (this song was released on the later album Anno
Demoni (1979). After ten days of intense rehearsal, the band, together
with engineer Coldweis, went into the Mondial Sound Studios in Milan, and
recorded this album. Produced by Mr. Albert Goodman....
Neque Semper represented the evolution of Doris Norton, maybe
because unconsciously she wanted to demonstrate to organist Charles Tiring
that she too could play very well the classical organ, that she deeply studied
for three long years; she was great as well with mini-moog, and also created
bass and rhythm parts. Albert respected their wishes with rhythm: tympani,
bass drums, gong and some assorted percussions: the rhythm perfection is
due to the use of tape loops that they forced him to use after explaining
to him how to work with them.
The six recorded tracks became typically dark-progressive with some
Black Sabbath influences. Albert was delighted with the result and spared
no expense producing the album, which was recorded in just 38 days, to which
can be added another ten for the mixing carried out by the excellent engineer
Coldweis..
Albert went back to London with the master tape, published a demo LP with
a really strange black and white cover, including on the front magical symbols
and a "diabolical" letter dated 1624. A naive illusion was given to them by
Goodman, when he promised that Neque Semper would be issued
by Vertigo. Albert Goodman seemed to be good friends with two directors of
the Vertigo record label. The label thought the album was great, but they
were not so sure about and strong lyrics and the cover: that cover with those
symbols and that letter were just too much! They even suggested dumping the
song "Devil Letter", but the group had no intention of doing that and were
certainly not inclined to change a single thing…
Albert was very un happy about all of this.... Antonio Bartoccetti
and Doris Norton had a good laugh about it and accepted it as sign of magic
destiny. In fact, Giulio Tasnad, the Rumanian esoteric expert, declared
publicly in 1975 that, whoever listened to the song "Devil Letter", read
the Letter backwards on a Friday night and put eight of the symbols featured
on the LP cover on a table, would be absolutely certain to have a close encounter
with the Prince Of Darkness. After this event however, Antonius Rex
lost momentum, record company interest wanted and the desire to record new
music was missing. Even when the wealthy Jewish record company editor, Mr.Daniele,
who, together with his two American partners was highly impressed with the
album Neque Semper Arcum Tendit Rex, wanted Antonius Rex for
new albums at all costs: Antonius Rex were just interested in money...
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