Welcome to the 14th Funzalo / Mike Lembo newsletter!
As you know, being a longtime subscriber to the Mike Lembo Funzalo Music Newsletter, we are here to update you on everything from music news, business world, fun photos, wacky stories, some tragic news and goings on from current and former Funzalo clients and music industry vet, Mike Lembo himself. Thank you all for being subscribers and for checking out the all the news that’s fit to print from Sezze, Italy where Mike now resides.
And as they say, on with the show…..
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Spaghetti Punk:
Garage-Rock Italian Style
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We’ve brought you some new music Mike has worked diligently over the past few years. Much of that includes Spaghetti Punk: Grande, an ever-expanding release of tracks covered and sung in Italian as classic punk songs. It’s currently at radio now, being serviced to more than 500+ radio stations via Planetary Group.
New tracks added to the project are a track Dean Martin made famous, “Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu,” two Motown classics including the Four Tops, “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” and The Supremes, “You Can’t Hurry Love. You can preorder from Amazon or Apple or just take a listen here but you have to promise never to post anywhere online please! Click on the Spaghetti Punk album art below. |
All tracks are pre-approved with the publishers making for easy clearance!
The idea for Spaghetti Punk came to Mike in a light-bulb moment after living in his adopted Italy home for more than two years. The compilation features some of punk-rock’s most enduring anthems, from the Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” and Patti Smith’s “Dancing Barefoot” (“A Piedi Nudi”), MC5’s “Kick Out the Jams” (“Balla Con Me”), and the Runaways’ “Cherry Bomb,” all sung in Italian, their original arrangements recognizable.
“These are all universal anthems, especially in Europe and around the world, that people still relate to like we did in the mid-to-late ‘70s,” said Lembo, who formulated the plan after seeing drummer Marky (Bell) Ramone perform with his band Blitzkrieg at Traffic Live in Rome in July 2022, a club with its long narrow space that reminded him of CBGB. “I hear these songs on Virgin Radio and local stations all the time. The melodies of each song are universal, with the operatic beauty of the Italian language adding to that ageless quality.”
Lembo was also inspired by visiting Jack Torrance’s Pub -- named after the character in The Shining -- in nearby Sezze, not far from where he now lives, its walls boasting rare American and British rock memorabilia, its owner Antonio Raponi a huge fan of the Ramones.
“My immediate thought was, why aren’t there Italian-language versions of these songs?” says Lembo, who hired Italian producer/writer/guitarist Marco Fanella to put together the compilation with regional punk bands. “I was thinking these songs could get radio airplay on alternative or classic rock stations, or especially for film, TV and commercial syncs. I can see Quentin Tarantino, Roberto Rodriguez, Oliver Stone or Martin Scorsese using these songs in their movies.”
The veteran artist manager, producer and label owner has enlisted his one-time producing client, Paul Kolderie, who has worked with Radiohead, the Pixies and Hole, to mix, while considering other classic rock and musical genres for similar “Spaghetti” treatments. |
Life in Metropolis…38 Years Later
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After ruminating on our last news letter (lucky #13) when The Church’s Steve Kilby went public about what a difficult guy he was back in the 80s, Mike started to ruminate on the years he managed this Australian band. It was during their “heyday” as Mike got them signed to Arista for the world, ex Australia where he got them a deal with Mushroom. They released three albums in five years together as a team including Heyday, Starfish and Gold Afternoon Fix.
It wasn’t always easy managing The Church but Starfish went gold and they had a #1 hit single at AAA for the song “Under The Milky Way” partially thanks to MTV’s 120 Minutes. It also went into the Top 40 chart as well – they went wide on that one! What were you doing from 1985 to 1990 in the music business? |
Ah, the 70s. Disco, polyester and the pet rock. What are your memories of that decade? If you didn’t live through it, well, we don’t wanna hear about it.
After returning ‘home’ to Italy and residing in Sezze a few years ago, Mike has been going through boxes and boxes of stuff that’s been packed away since the move including family photos. And it’s a weird connection in the photo below to his new home.
Here’s the Lembo familia in Boca Raton, Fl. (the exact year is lost to time) but here’s Mike and his large Italian family including his Italian-born grandparents, who were from Naples and Sorrento. Can you figure out which one is Mike? (Hint, he’s the only one who looks like he just got off tour with ELO). |
Looking for Latin Music
for Your Synch Needs?
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We betcha didn’t know that Funzalo has quite a roster of Latin music for one stop shop synch licensing? Well, we do and we compiled a Disco playlist to highlight some of the great music we have at Funzalo that’s easily licensable including tracks from Xixi, Brian Lopez and Carlos Arzate and the King Souls. Take a listen. |
And While We Are At It, Here Are Some More Overlooked Funzalo Tracks for Film and Sync?
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For your consideration for sync:
Overlooked tracks perfect for Film / TV
All tracks are
easy clearance with both sides controlled. |
As we get older, if we are lucky and get older that is, we start to lose many of our old friends and family. As Mike’s parents always said GET YOUNGER FRIENDS! They lived till 88 & 92! Good words for many reason!
Mike lost one of my oldest friends, Willi (Wilhelm) Schlosser, one of my many German friends. They first met as Willi was one of the first German music publishers (thanks Bob Epstein) in the early 80s, when he was with Chappel Music in Hamburg Germany. Then they met again in Munich and later with BMG, then Bug Music.
Over the years Mike and Willi would travel together where Willi would show Mike the Reeperbahn, the beer gardens of Munich, MIDEM in Cannes, France and Mike would show Willi New York City , the Hamptons, take Willi to his first baseball game (Mets, at Shea Stadium), Austin at SXSW, Tucson & more. It was always music, music, music! Willi was great music guy.
So when Mike began to plan my escape from America some 15 years ago, Willi was his first call as he had settled in Mike’s homeland of Italy with his wife of many, many years, Doris. They settled in the south of Roma in Sezze where Mike now lives. Many of Willi’s friends became his friends and most of you knew Mike took that circle and made it even wider and younger, heeding his grandparents advice. But it’s sad because they are now without Willi.
Over the last few years Willi was having heart & lung issues. Mike went to visit in hospital a month ago before his passing, shortly after he came home & was lucky to go out a few times since then for pizza. Then, Mike got a call while shopping from one of those great people they connected with, Paolo Bruckner, that Willi had passed.
THIS IS NOT A REHEARSAL!
Willi will be missed. We’ll keep Doris close. |
(This is a photo of Mike (left), Willi (middle) & Anders Moran of Misty Music publishing, a long time Scandinavian music publisher (ABBA, others) in Naples standing outside a terrific pizza place, Bar Napoli. Mike’s known Anders for 50 years as well!)
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Did you know there was a palace near Puglia called Palazzo Lembo? Could it be named after Mike’s family? Hmn. See for yourself. |
Jayne County Comes to Lazio Region….or Toads!
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Remember the song “Max’s Kansas City” from late seventies rocker Jayne County? If so, one of the many bands she mention playing alongside Talking Heads and the Ramones are the Psychotic Frogs. Well, in Sezze, part of the Lazio region of Italy where Mike lives they have psychedelic frogs or Bufo toads. Here’s one of the massive toads in Mike’s back yard.
Whatever you do, don’t lick it. They are absolutely full of psychedelic properties that would make a dose from Owsley Stanley, The Grateful Dead’s soundman (aka Bear) & clandestine chemist seem like a lick off a Tootsie Roll. These massive guys are the true acid kings! |
Full Steepwater Concert on YouTube from The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton
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Former clients (and still pals) in the rawk group The Steepwater Band alerted Mike to this link above, a 50 minute live set of the band from October 2025. Mike managed The Steepwater Band in the 90s and they are going strong in 2026. They recently completed a tour of Eastern Europe that took the band thru Poland, Czech Republic & Slovakia and featured 15 shows including clubs, theaters, and festivals.
The guys have some upcoming dates in the States this winter/spring, after completing the tracking for a new album, slated for release mid-2026. The album, which was recorded in the band’s hometown of Chicago, will mark their 9th full length album since their formation in 1998. More (American) tour dates here! |
While Mike lives in Italy and has his Italian passport and has become an Italian citizen, he’s never far from his television watching everything back home. And it aint’ easy. Yes he’s learning Italian (and he’s certainly immersing himself in the cuisine & the culture), but seeing the state of the country he grew up in has been challenging to say the least. This image perfectly encapsulates his feelings being 5000 miles from home. Nuff sed. |
Mike’s former client and friend from his Tucson days, musician Brian Lopez is coming back to Italy in May. Tour dates below. As you saw above, if you are looking for synch music – Latin or otherwise – happy to send along music of Brian’s – one a very talented cat! Tour dates here:
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Of course, before we leave you one more time, we had to give you more photos or Mike’s dogs, happy and at home. Hail Nero, Thomas and Joey. |
That’s a wrap on newsletter #14 But don’t fret, we’ll be back with a new newsletter soon with more from Mike and Funzalo. Don’t forget to reach out directly to Mike if anything is of interest to you for licensing or sync opportunities. He’d love to hear from you!
Have a great spring!
Best,
Mike Lembo & Funzalo Music
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