The Osanna story begins in Naples with the band Città Frontale. The original lineup consisted of vocalist Lino Vairetti, drummer Massimo Guarino, bassist Lello Brandi and guitarist Danilo Rustici. When keyboardist Gianni Leone left for Il Balletto di Bronzo in 1971, they added Elio D'Anna on sax and flute, and changed their name to Osanna. The band earned quite a reputation as a live act, as they were one of the first to wear costumes on stage and integrate theatre into their performance.

Another band from Napoli, Cervello (Italian for "brain") saw their debut at one of Italy's many and well-attended "pop" music festivals. Formed in 1970, the band that recorded their debut consisted of vocalist Gianluigi Di Franco, guitarist Corrado Rustici, saxophonist Giulio D'Ambrosio, bassist Antonio Spagnolo and drummer Remigio Esposito; almost all were under the age of 20.