In 1989, Gogo started "Sparks Of Passion", the Rocking Chairs fan club (and fanzine). Elliott had just produced this great Italian band (led by Graziano Romani) and they did some shows together.
It was at one of these shows that Gogo met Elliott and was absolutely captured by the magic and the power of his solo performance: a man, a Guild guitar, a harmonica and a crowd hypnotized by his poetry.
Soon after that, Gogo was having a drink with Elliott in a Parisian café. Their friendship and collaborations followed...

Gogo shared the stage and the studio with Elliott many times during the following years: lots of jams and a few “official shows” together... Also, in 1995, Elliott and Gogo got in a car and drove all across Italy for an acoustic tour that was more like a rock’n’roll seminar to the Varese singer/songwriter!
Regarding the studio sessions, Elliott plays on some tracks that were included in Gogo's solo album; and he plays and sings on “Greatest Hits” (the Apple Pirates debut album). Also, the record includes “Time To Love [Again]”, a song that Elliott wrote and has never released himself.

In December 2001, Gogo contributed to “Lookin’ For A Hero”, the Elliott Murphy tribute cd. It's an international project put together by fans of the great New York singer/songwriter and it includes eighteen songs and liner notes by Elliott himself. Gogo participates with "Something Like Steve McQueen" (featuring Kevin Montgomery on harmony vocals), one of his all-time favorite Elliott Murphy songs.
Then, on March 16, 2002, Mike Snyder (who is also featured on “Lookin’ For A Hero” with a great version of “Small Room”), Dario Paini, Marco “Rallie” Negrelli and Gogo played at Elliott’s Birthday Bash (at Espace Prévert, in Savigny-le-Temple, Paris, France)... What a night!

Here are some photos (old and new) of Elliott Murphy
and his collaborations with Lorenzo "Gogo" Bertocchini...

[Here's a photo Gogo took in Milan
July 5, 1990]

[Same as above]

[Elliott live somewhere in Italy, 1991]

[Gogo and Elliott live, somewhere in Italy, 1994]

[Gogo and Elliott live, somewhere in Italy, 1994]

[Gogo and Elliott live, somewhere in Italy, 1994]

[Gogo and Elliott live in Olgiate Comasco, 1994.
The soundcheck]

[Live in Olgiate Comasco, 1994]

[Gogo and Elliott live, Olgiate Comasco, 1994]

[Gogo and Elliott live, Olgiate Comasco, 1994]

[Gogo and Elliott live, Monfalcone, 1995]

[At Beauregard Bros. Studio, 1996]

On February 22, Apple Pirates opened up Elliott Murphy's show in Sesto Calende and performed 9 songs (among them are "Stuck In The Cowshit", "Always On My Mind", "Annemarie", "Payphones" and "Crocodile" from the cd "Greatest Hits" and "Nightwalks And Dreams", a cd outtake). Then, Elliott Murphy and his guitarist Olivier Durand did their set including great versions of "On Elvis Presley's Birthday", "Drive All Night", "Small Room", "Sicily" and "The Day After Valentine's Day"...

[At Sala Consiliare, Sesto Calende, 1999]

As you can see, the night ended with everybody onstage playing songs like "Last Of The Rock Stars", "Change Will Come" and "Route 66"...

["Route 66", Feb. 22, 1999]

["Diamonds By The Yard"
Sesto Calende, May 17, 2000]

[Gogo, Elliott and Olivier Durand live,
Sesto Calende, May 17, 2000]

[Here's another one of Olivier "Lightning" Durand,
Gogo and Elliott in Sesto Calende, May 17, 2000]

[Still in Sesto Calende, May 17, 2000...
Getting ready for "Glory Days"]

[Twist & Shout/La Bamba in Sesto.
Photo by Saro Ilardi]

[The Wall, Sesto Calende, December 11, 2000]

[The Wall, Sesto Calende, December 11, 2000]

[The Wall, Sesto Calende, December 11, 2000]

[The Wall, Sesto Calende, December 11, 2000]

[The Wall, Sesto Calende, December 11, 2000]

[Elliott trying to commit suicide
or to climb "The Wall"... Or both.
Sesto Calende, December 11, 2000]

[The big "O",
The Wall, Sesto Calende, December 11, 2000]

[A late night jam.
The Wall, Sesto Calende, December 11, 2000]

[Watching Olivier do his thing!
The Wall, Sesto Calende, December 11, 2000]

[The Wall, Sesto Calende, December 11, 2000]

[The Wall, Sesto Calende, December 11, 2000]

[The Wall, Sesto Calende, December 11, 2000]

[The Wall, Sesto Calende, December 11, 2000]

[The Wall, Sesto Calende, December 11, 2000]

[Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[The great Olivier Durand
Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[Ernie Brooks and I
Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[Olivier, Gogo and Elliott
Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[Graziano Romani
Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[Jux Tap, Sarzana, April 25, 2002]

[Bar-A-Onda
Milano, June 4, 2002]

[Radio show at Radio Popolare
Milano, June 4, 2002]

Go read some chit chat with Elliott,
see and learn about Elliott’s Birthday Bash (March 16, 2002)
or else go home.