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Mal (singer)

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Mal
Mal in 2018
Mal in 2018
Background information
Birth namePaul Bradley Couling
Born (1944-02-27) 27 February 1944 (age 80)
Llanfrenchfa, Wales
GenresBeat
OccupationSinger
InstrumentVocals
Years active1962–present
Labels
SpouseRenata Maialetti
Websitewww.mal.it

Paul Bradley Couling (born 27 February 1944), known by his stage name Mal or Mal Ryder, is a British singer who achieved popularity in Italy in the late 1960s, singing with his band Mal and the Primitives.[1] In 1989 he became a naturalized Italian citizen.[2] One of his biggest hits was the Italian theme of the TV series Fury.

Life and career

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Born in Llanfrenchfa, at young age Mal moved to Oxford, where he worked as an electrician and was vocalist in a number of local groups.[3][4] In 1963, he formed the group Mal Ryder and the Spirits, which whom he recorded two singles for Decca.[4]

In 1965, he formed the group Mal and the Primitives, with whom he recorded four singles for Pye.[4] The same year, Gianni Boncompagni and Alberico Crocetta offered the band a contract to perform at Piper Club [it] in Rome.[4] In 1966, the band toured Italy, enjoying immediate success and deciding to settle there.[3] The band's debut Italian single "Yeeeeeh!" was a massive hit, but Mal attracted most of interest by media and fans, leading to the group splitting and Mal starting a solo career.[4]

Mal's first solo hit was "Bambolina", which was followed by his Sanremo Music Festival 1969 entry "Tu sei bella come sei" and by "Pensiero d'amore", a cover of Bee Gees' "I've Gotta Get a Message to You", which was also adapted in a musicarello film with the same title starring the same Mal and Silvia Dionisio.[3][4]

Following two more Sanremo Music Festival, in 1970 with "Sole pioggia e vento" and in 1971 with "Non dimenticarti di me", and a few more hits, notably "Betty Blue", Mal returned to perform in English language with "Mighty Mighty Roly Poly".[4] In 1975, his career was relaunched by the unexpected success of his cover version of 1932 song "Parlami d'amore Mariù", which topped the Italian hit parade.[3] In 1977, he sold over one million copies with "Furia", the Italian opening theme used for the re-run of the TV-series Fury.[3]

In 1982, Mal made his return to the Sanremo Music Festival with "Sei la mia donna".[4] In the following years, his musical career consisted mainly of live events and appearances on nostalgia-themed TV shows.[3] In 1997, he took part in a successful stage musical version of Grease starring Lorella Cuccarini.[3] In 2005, he took part in the Canale 5 reality show La Fattoria 2.[5] In 2023, he was the Hippo in Il cantante mascherato, the Italian version of Masked Singer.[6]

Personal life

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Mal is married to Renata Maialetti and has a son, Kevin, and a daughter, Karen. They live in Pordenone. Born in a Protestant family, he considers himself an atheist.[7]

References

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  1. ^ Dominic, Serene (2010). Burt Bacharach: Song by Song. New York and London: Schirmer Trade Books. p. 149. ISBN 978-0-85712-259-9. The Italian pop groups I Corvi and Mal and the Primitives ('Mal' actually being British expatriate Paul Bradley Couling) managed to transmute 'my wild beautiful bird' into 'a little baby doll' (bambolina), but perhaps the oddest cover version of ...
  2. ^ "Mal". Enciclopedia Treccani (in Italian). Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Deregibus, Enrico (2006). "Mal". Dizionario completo della canzone italiana. Giunti. pp. 274–5. ISBN 978-88-09-04602-3.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Sisto, Nicola (1990). "Mal". In Gino Castaldo (ed.). Dizionario della canzone italiana. Curcio. pp. 963–4.
  5. ^ "Fattoria 2, Mal ed Eva superstar". TgCom24 (in Italian). 13 May 2005. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  6. ^ Turco, Giulia (2 April 2023). "Il cantante mascherato, Ippopotamo eliminato: chi c'era sotto la maschera". Fanpage.it (in Italian). Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  7. ^ Giordano, Lucio (11 October 2024). "Ho sempre tanti dubbi su di Lui, ma invidio chi ha fede". Dipiù (in Italian). No. 40. pp. 78–81.
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