Precious Pop Pearls: The Story Behind Gazebo – “I Like Chopin”

In the summer of 1983, a peculiar melody echoed through European radio stations. A synthesiser arrangement that claimed to love Chopin, yet ironically contained not a single note from the Polish Romantic composer. “I Like Chopin” by Gazebo became one of the most remarkable chart phenomena of the early eighties, a song that blurred the boundaries between high culture and pop music whilst simultaneously changing the definition of Italo disco forever.

Gazebo

Paul Mazzolini was born on 18 February 1960 in Beirut, Lebanon, as the son of an Italian diplomat and an American singer. This cosmopolitan background would later prove crucial to his international success. His childhood was a continuous journey along diplomatic posts worldwide, during which he learnt to speak various languages and absorbed diverse musical traditions.

The story goes that ten-year-old Paul picked up his first guitar to impress a German girl in his class. This romantic motivation would later become a recurring theme throughout his musical career, in which love and longing would remain central themes. After living in Denmark for four years, he even spoke Danish fluently – a talent he demonstrated in 1984 during an interview with the Danish television programme Eldorado.

When Mazzolini adopted the artistic name Gazebo, he deliberately chose a term that means both a garden pavilion and a lookout point. This name perfectly reflected his position as an observer of the world around him, someone who could translate human emotions into universal pop music from his unique international perspective.

I Like Chopin

In 1982, Gazebo made his debut with “Masterpiece”, an Italo disco number that reached second place in the Italian charts. However, it was his follow-up that would catapult him to stardom worldwide. “I Like Chopin” emerged from a collaboration with composer and producer Pierluigi Giombini, a veteran in the Italian pop scene who perfectly sensed what was needed to translate the new electronic sound of the eighties into commercial success.

The title of the song was a deliberate paradox. Whilst Gazebo claimed to love Chopin, the composition contained no theme or melodic line from the great Polish Romantic. Instead, Giombini created an entirely original synthesiser composition that evoked the emotional intensity of Chopin’s work without directly quoting it. It was a postmodern nod to classical music, a way to make highbrow culture accessible to Europe’s dancefloors.

Italo Disco: A Genre in Formation

To understand the impact of “I Like Chopin”, one must first grasp the context of Italo disco. This genre emerged in the late seventies in Italy as a local variant of American disco, but with a distinctly European character. Where American disco often relied on live instruments and soul singers, Italo disco fully embraced the possibilities of synthesisers and drum machines.

Artists such as Giorgio Moroder had already paved the way with their futuristic soundscapes, but Gazebo brought something new: a romantic melancholy that fitted perfectly with European sensibility. Where much Italo disco focused on the dancefloor, “I Like Chopin” created an emotional space that was suitable for both dancing and contemplation.

The song appeared at the moment when Europe was ready for its own pop musical identity, independent of British and American dominance. Together with contemporaries such as Kraftwerk from Germany and Depeche Mode from England, Gazebo helped create a new paradigm in which electronic music was no longer seen as cold or mechanical, but as a medium for genuine emotional expression.

A Worldwide Sensation

The figures speak volumes about the success of “I Like Chopin”. The song sold eight million copies worldwide and reached the number one position in more than fifteen countries, including Italy, Germany, Spain, and Austria. In an era when music was still primarily distributed via radio and physical sales, this was an extraordinary achievement for an Italian artist.

In Brazil, it reached the 53rd position, which was demonstrable proof of the song’s international reach. It also found audiences in other non-European markets, which was particularly remarkable for Italo disco, traditionally popular mainly within Europe. The song’s popularity showed that electronic music with emotional depth spoke a universal language that transcended cultural boundaries.

The song was not limited to the original version. In 1984, Japanese singer and actress Asami Kobayashi recorded a Japanese version, further confirming the cross-cultural appeal of Gazebo’s creation. These international covers and adaptations showed that “I Like Chopin” had become more than just a hit – it had become a cultural phenomenon.

Musical Analysis

Technically speaking, “I Like Chopin” was a production masterpiece for its time. Giombini’s arrangement utilised the latest synthesiser technology, but in a way that felt warm and accessible. The song’s melodic structure was complex enough to remain interesting upon repeated listening, yet simple enough to be immediately recognisable.

Gazebo’s vocal performance was crucial to the success. His voice, which sounded both powerful and vulnerable, gave the electronic production a human dimension that was often missing in other electronic music of that time. He sang in English, which contributed to international appeal, but with a slight accent that distinguished him from American and British singers.

The song’s rhythm lay precisely on the border between disco and the emerging new wave movement. At 120 beats per minute, it was perfectly suited for dancing, but the melodic development and emotional intensity made it equally suitable for home listening. This duality – both danceable and emotional – would become characteristic of the best Italo disco.

The Cultural Context of 1983

The year 1983 was crucial in the development of popular music. MTV was now three years old and beginning to fundamentally change how people consumed music. Visual presentation became increasingly important, and Gazebo’s exotic background and photogenic appearance fitted perfectly with this new reality.

Simultaneously, Europe was redefining its cultural identity after decades of American dominance in pop music. Artists such as ABBA had already proven that European acts could be successful worldwide, but “I Like Chopin” went further by explicitly referencing European cultural tradition – albeit in an ironic way.

The song also appeared during a period of technological revolution. Personal computers were becoming accessible to a broader public, and synthesisers were becoming more affordable for amateur musicians. “I Like Chopin” was both a product of this technological advancement and a demonstration of its creative possibilities.

Contemporaries

In the context of 1983, “I Like Chopin” did not stand alone. It was the year of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”, The Police’s “Every Breath You Take”, and Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf”. Whilst these acts each pushed the boundaries of pop music in their way, Gazebo offered something unique: a combination of European sophistication and electronic innovation.

Compared to Kraftwerk’s German minimal techno, Gazebo’s music was far more emotional and accessible. Against the sombre post-punk of bands like Joy Division, he posed an optimistic electronic romanticism. And where New Romantic bands such as Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran used synthesisers as additions to traditional band formations, Gazebo made the electronic elements the core of his sound.

Within the Italo disco scene itself, “I Like Chopin” was equally revolutionary. Where earlier hits such as Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” (produced by Giorgio Moroder) aimed for pure dance ecstasy, Gazebo introduced a more layered emotional experience. It was music to dance to, but also music to dream to.

Triumph and Challenge

After the phenomenal success of “I Like Chopin”, Gazebo faced the classic challenge of every one-hit wonder: how do you follow up a world hit? His next single, “Lunatic”, also from 1983, did reach the top ten in various European countries, but never achieved the monumental status of its predecessor.

This pattern would repeat throughout his career. Albums such as “Gazebo” (1983) and “Telephone Mama” (1984) contained solid Italo disco tracks, but none of the subsequent singles would match the magical combination of accessibility and originality that made “I Like Chopin” so special.

Yet it would be wrong to reduce Gazebo’s career to a single hit. He continued making music well into the nineties and maintained a loyal fan base, especially in Europe. His influence on electronic dance music would be noticeable decades later in genres such as Eurodance and house.

Legacy

More than forty years after its release, “I Like Chopin” remains a fascinating artefact of its time. The song is still regularly played on retro radio stations and is a favourite among DJs who wish to celebrate the history of electronic dance music. For many listeners, it was their first introduction to the possibilities of synthesiser-based pop music.

The song’s influence extends far beyond the Italo disco scene. Modern electronic music producers regularly cite Gazebo as inspiration, and the emotional approach he pioneered in “I Like Chopin” can be found in everything from ambient house to modern synthwave.

The song has also gained a second life in the digital era. On streaming platforms, it still generates millions of plays, and clips of the original music video are regularly shared on social media by new generations of music lovers discovering the charm of early eighties electronic music.

Irony

The story of “I Like Chopin” is ultimately the story of a perfect storm of talent, timing, and technology. Paul Mazzolini’s international background, Pierluigi Giombini’s production skills, and Europe’s cultural readiness to embrace its own electronic sound came together in a song that became much more than the sum of its parts.

The irony that a song claiming to love Chopin contained not a single note from the composer ultimately became irrelevant. What mattered was the emotional truth the song managed to convey: the universal need for beauty, romance, and connection in an increasingly technological world.

“I Like Chopin” proved that electronic music need not be cold or mechanical. It showed that synthesisers and drum machines could be just as effective in conveying deep emotions as traditional instruments. And perhaps most importantly, it demonstrated that European artists could make their unique contribution to global pop culture, not by following American trends, but by reinterpreting their cultural heritage for a new age.

In the history of pop music, “I Like Chopin” will be remembered as more than just an eighties hit. It was a statement of intent from a continent that wanted to speak its musical language, a bridge between the classical culture of the past and the electronic future, and above all, proof that genuine emotion always finds a way to the listener’s heart, regardless of the technological middleware used to convey it.

The synthesiser symphony that conquered Europe lives on as a timeless monument to the power of musical innovation and emotional authenticity – a perfect paradox that shows you sometimes don’t need to borrow from Chopin to create a masterpiece that will continue to move generations.