"Maiocchi & The Trip" was originally a psychedelic rock band formed in London, UK in 1966 by Riki Maiocchi (voice), Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), William Gray (voice and guitar), Arvid Andersen (voice and bass) and Ian Broad (drums). With this formation the band produced no records. Soon after (1967) the two founders, Maiocchi and Blackmore, and the drummer Broad left the band. They reformed the same year (1967) as "The Trip" with two members, Joe Vescovi (keyboard) and Pino Sinnone (drums), and began to move to more progressive sounds.