Atlantide was founded in 1972 in Cirigliano, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata, by the four brothers Mimmo Sanseverino (g, voc), Leonardo Sanseverino (org, keyb), Mario Sanseverino (b) and Matteo Sanseverino (dr). A year later, they emigrated to Germany and settled in Rottweil, Baden-Württemberg. There, they were given the opportunity to perform as the support act for music greats like the Scorpions and Atlantis. Their live concerts earned them positive reviews and some recognition. After three years of live performances and sporadic contact with record companies, the quartet decided to record an album. Their self-produced debut, Francesco Ti Ricordi, was released in 1976 on the label „S“ (for Sanseverino) exclusively in Germany.

Nevertheless, it was sung entirely in Italian and offered heavy rock with a distorted acid rock guitar sound and progressive influences, driven by a thunderous rhythm from the bass and drums. Despite a not insignificant print run of several thousand copies and promotional support from the Concert Bureau Horder + Salomon, the album was considered unobtainable for years. Distribution was extremely limited, restricted to concerts and a handful of local stockists. Even today, the first and only album by this sought-after Italian hard rock band is virtually impossible to find and therefore very expensive.