YU grupa
Encyclopedia
YU grupa is a Serbia
n and former Yugoslav rock band. One of the pioneers in combining rock music with the elements of the traditional music
of the Balkans, YU grupa is considered the longest-lasting rock band to come from Serbia.
(vocals, guitar
) and Žika Jelić (bass guitar
), both former members of Džentlmeni
, Miodrag Okrugić (organ
) and Velibor Bogdanović (drums
). In the beginning the band performed under the name Idejni Posed (Notional Property), given by Korni Grupa
leader Kornelije Kovač
. In November 1970, on their concert in Sinagoga club in Zemun
, disc jockey
Zoran Modli
asked the audience to suggest a name for the band. The name YU grupa was suggested by a young man called Miroslav Stanivuk. In accordance with the name, the band continued to hold birthday concerts on November 29, the date of Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia declaration.
Their first song, "Nona", was recorded at the end of December. The song was inspired by folk music
of Kosovo
, and recording it YU grupa became one of the pioneers of combining rock and folk music elements on the Yugoslav rock scene. Their first concert was organised by chess master
Nikola Karaklajić and journalist Peca Popović, editors of the Radio Belgrade
show Veče uz radio. The concert was held in Dadov theatre on January 21, 1971. During the year they held a great number of concerts, mostly in Serbia. They recorded fourteen songs for the needs of Radio Belgrade, part of those songs later released on their vinyl singles. All the copies of their first single "Nona" were sold immediately after the release, but PGP-RTB
refused to release a new number of copies, so YU grupa moved to Jugoton
. The band performed at the Belgrade spring festival with the song "Tajna", also performed by Zdenka Kovačiček. The songs "Drveni most" ("Wooden Bridge"), "Mali medved" ("Little Bear") and "Devojka Džoj" ("Girl Named Joy") were well accepted on all of their concerts. Okrugić's song "Opus 1" was very significant on their live appearances, however, it was never recorded by YU grupa.
The band spent the summer performing at the prestigious club Lanterna in Rovinj
. These concerts brought first conflicts inside the band. After they returned to Belgrade Okrugić left (later forming the band Opus
) and guitarist Miodrag "Bata" Kostić joined the band. Kostić was previously involved in the band's activity, as he wrote some of the songs the band performed. Dragi Jelić and Kostić were an effective guitar duo, and Kostić continued to write folk-inspired hits. In March 1972 the band went on Bulgaria
n tour, during which they held forty concerts. Due to the fact that Veče uz radio show had a cult
status in Bulgaria, audience knew all of their songs, but one part of the public was shocked by their appearance. After they returned to Yugoslavia, they performed at the rock evening of Belgrade spring festival, performing at Dom Sindikata Hall with Korni Grupa
, Time
and Mladi Levi.
The band spent the summer of 1972 playing in Rovinj's Lanterna. The concerts in Rovinj were crucial once again. After returning to Belgrade Kostić and Bogdanović left the band, Kostić joining Jutro
, and later forming Opus
with Okrugić. YU grupa continued as a trio, with Ratislav "Raša" Đelmaš, a former Mobi Dik, Pop Mašina
and Siluete
member, as the new drummer. They spent the next year playing all across Yugoslavia, gaining new fans in Slovenia
and Croatia
. At the time, the keyboardist
Tihomir "Pop" Asanović was approached to become a new member, but refused to join Novi Fosili
instead. In February 1973, YU grupa went to London
to purchase new equipment, and the CBS Records
producers, who had an opportunity to hear their recordings earlier, organized their concert in The Marquee
. Thanks to the concert the band got the term at a studio, recorded demos, and a cooperation with CBS records was planned. The band returned to Yugoslavia to hold a concert at Belgrade
's Hala sportova, and holding a high position on Yugoslav rock scene, the band blenched the career in England
. In the summer of 1973 their debut self-titled album
was released. The album brought numerous hits: blues
-oriented "More" ("Sea"), "Trka" ("Race"), "Čudna šuma" ("Strange Forest"), and their cult ballad "Crni leptir" ("Black Butterfly"). In November Kostić returned to the band.
At the beginning of 1974, YU grupa played on Srđan Marjanović's debut album Srđan Marjanović i prijatelji, and later released their second studio album Kako to da svaki dan?
(How Come Every Day...?). The album was musically more diverse, but it did not consist from the numerous hits as the previous one. At the end of the year, Dragi Jelić went to serve the army, and until he returned YU grupa performed as trio. In 1975, best Yugoslav guitarists took part in Kongres rock majstora (Congress of Rock Masters) concert. The double album Kongres rock majstora was released, on which Žika Jelić and Đelmaš were the support band following Bata Kostić, Vedran Božić and Josip Boček.
Dragi returned in June 1975, and Kostić left the band conventionally. The band negotiated with the keyboard player Oliver Mandić
, but the cooperation was not agreed. In 1975, they released YU grupa
, featuring hits "Oprosti ljubavi" ("Forgive Me, My Love"), "Novi zvuk" ("New Sound") and "Ja moram dalje" ("I Have to Move On"). In September 1976, a compilation album YU zlato
(YU Gold), which featured their single songs, was released. During the same year, Đelmaš left the band and formed Zebra. Dragan Micić replaced Đelmaš, and at the end of 1976, guitarist Nedžat Maculja joined the band. In 1977, they went on the Soviet Union tour, during which they held sixty-four concerts. During the same year, they released their fourth studio album Među zvezdama
(Among the Stars). The album featured Bata Kostić as a guest musician. In 1978, YU grupa performed at the pop
-oriented festival in Opatija
, and their song "Spali svoja sećanja" ("Burn Your Memories") was released on the festival album Opatija 78. At the end 1978, Kostić once again became the member of the band, and a former Mama Co Co and Ribeli member Dragoljub Đuričić
(drums) and a former Zdravo
member Dragan Janković (keyboard) joined YU grupa. This lineup held another Soviet Union tour.
The next album Samo napred...
(Ride On...), released in 1979, featured hits "Identitet ("Identity"), "Udaj se dobro" ("Get Married Well"), "Ideš mi na nerve" ("You're Getting on My Nerves"), "Autobus za raj" ("Bus to Heaven"). The album featured Laza Ristovski
, Bebi Dol and Slađana Milošević as guest musicians. At the time of the great popularity of New Wave bands in Yugoslavia, YU grupa's popularity, alongside the popularity of other bands with similar stylistic orientation, declined. At the end of 1981, their van with a part of the equipment burned down, and Žika Jelić got injured in the fire. After this incident, YU grupa members decide to end their activity. The Jelić brothers started working as concert organisers, Đuričić became a member of Leb i Sol
and Midorag Kostić became a Radio Belgrade
editor.
had enormous success with their folk-oriented songs, and the band leader Goran Bregović
suggested the Jelić brothers, one of the pioneers of Yugoslav folk rock
sound, to reunite YU grupa. Although they occasionally performed during the 1980s, YU grupa officially reunited in 1987. They released their comeback album Od zlata jabuka
(Golden Apple), with the title track inspired by folk music as the main hit. YU grupa performed at the Legende YU rocka (Legends of Yugoslav Rock) concert, alongside Indexi
, Drago Mlinarec, Korni Grupa
, Time
and Radomir Mihajlović Točak. Live versions of YU grupa's "Čudna šuma", "U tami disko kluba" ("In the Darkness of Disco Club"), "Crni leptir" and a medley
compiled of "Nona", "Kosovski božuri" ("Kosovo Peonies
") and "Sama" ("Alone") were released on the double live album Legende YU Rocka. In November 1988, YU grupa released Ima nade
(There Is Hope). The album's biggest hits were "Mornar" ("Sailor") and the power ballad "Dunavom šibaju vetrovi" ("Winds Blow by the Danube
"). This album was followed by Tragovi
(Traces), recorded with Đelmaš on the drums once again, and featuring Pera Joe, Saša Lokner and Nikola Čuturilo
as guests.
At the bands 22nd birthday, old members of the band played with YU grupa, and the band got the new member, Petar Jelić, Dragi and Žika's nephew. The new lineup released album Rim 1994
(Rome
1994). The album was recorded in Italy
, and was produced by Dragi Jelić and Mario Zaninni Quirini. The album brought hits "Odlazim" ("I'm Leaving"), "Oluja" ("Storm"), "Dunav" ("Danube"), "Gledaj samo pravo" ("Just Look Straight Ahead"). During the late 1990s, the band rarely performed in Yugoslavia.
In 2005, with Igor Malešević (a former Hazari and Bjesovi
member) as the new drummer, YU grupa released its latest studio album with a symbolic title Dugo znamo se
(We've Known Each Other for a Long Time). The album was mostly hard rock
-oriented. The lyrics for the song "Pustinja" ("Desert") were written by Bebi Dol, and the lyrics for "Bože, spasi me" ("God, Save Me") and "Tango" were written by Van Gogh
frontman Zvonimir Đukić. The album featured Saša Lokner on keyboards, as guest musician. The album was well received, and brought hits "Pustinja", "Zamoliću te" ("I'm Asking You"), "Bože, spasi me", and "Tango". In 2007, the band released its first official live album Live
. Some of the tracks featured on the album were recorded in 1996 on YU grupa unplugged
concert in Studio M in Novi Sad
, which featured Kornelije Kovač
on piano. In 2008, the drummer Slobodan Jurišić replaced Malešević. In 2009, Croatia Records
released the double compilation album The Ultimate Collection
, which featured 35 songs from the 1972—1977 period.
In December 2010, Žika Jelić announced the release of a new studio album, and a possible release of a video album, with the recording of the band's performance at the 2010 Belgrade Beer Fest
, and a box set.
band Disciplina Kičme
recorded a cover of "Čudna šuma", released on their 1986 album Svi za mnom!
.
The book YU 100: najbolji albumi jugoslovenske rok i pop muzike
(YU 100: The Best albums of Yugoslav pop and rock music) features two YU grupa albums: YU zlato
(ranked #57) and YU grupa
(ranked #62).
The B92 Top 100 Domestic Songs list fetaures two songs by YU grupa: "Čudna šuma" (ranked #29) and "Crni leptir" (ranked #47).
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n and former Yugoslav rock band. One of the pioneers in combining rock music with the elements of the traditional music
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
of the Balkans, YU grupa is considered the longest-lasting rock band to come from Serbia.
1970—1981
YU grupa was formed in the autumn of 1970 by brothers DragiDragi Jelić
Dragi Jelić is a Serbian rock musician, best known as a singer and guitarist for the band YU grupa, which he formed in 1970 with his brother Zika Jelić. During the 1960s, alongside his brother Žika, he was a member of the beat band Džentlmeni.-References:...
(vocals, guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
) and Žika Jelić (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), both former members of Džentlmeni
Džentlmeni
Džentlmeni were a Serbian beat band from Belgrade.- Band formation and split :...
, Miodrag Okrugić (organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
) and Velibor Bogdanović (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
). In the beginning the band performed under the name Idejni Posed (Notional Property), given by Korni Grupa
Korni Grupa
Korni Grupa was a former Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade. Korni Grupa was one of the first former Yugoslav rock bands to achieve major mainstream popularity. The band's first releases were commercial pop-oriented songs. Korni Grupa later turned towards progressive rock, continuing, however, to...
leader Kornelije Kovač
Kornelije Kovac
Kornelije "Bata" Kovač is a famous Serbian composer. He is a father of Aleksandra Kovač and Kristina Kovač, both successful Serbian singers.-Early life:...
. In November 1970, on their concert in Sinagoga club in Zemun
Zemun
Zemun is a historical town and one of the 17 municipalities which constitute the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia...
, disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Zoran Modli
Zoran Modli
Zoran Modli is a Serbian journalist, radio disc jockey and aviator. He was one of the most popular Yugoslav radio personalities, running one of the most notable radio shows of the early 1980s in Yugoslavia, Ventilator 202...
asked the audience to suggest a name for the band. The name YU grupa was suggested by a young man called Miroslav Stanivuk. In accordance with the name, the band continued to hold birthday concerts on November 29, the date of Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia declaration.
Their first song, "Nona", was recorded at the end of December. The song was inspired by folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, and recording it YU grupa became one of the pioneers of combining rock and folk music elements on the Yugoslav rock scene. Their first concert was organised by chess master
Chess master
A chess master is a chess player of such skill that he/she can usually beat chess experts, who themselves typically prevail against most amateurs. Among chess players, the term is often abbreviated to master, the meaning being clear from context....
Nikola Karaklajić and journalist Peca Popović, editors of the Radio Belgrade
Radio Belgrade
Radio Belgrade is a state-owned and operated radio station in Belgrade, Serbia.The predecessor of Radio Beograd, Radio Beograd-Rakovica, started its program in 1924 and was a part of a state wireless telegraph station. Radio Beograd, AD started in March 1929...
show Veče uz radio. The concert was held in Dadov theatre on January 21, 1971. During the year they held a great number of concerts, mostly in Serbia. They recorded fourteen songs for the needs of Radio Belgrade, part of those songs later released on their vinyl singles. All the copies of their first single "Nona" were sold immediately after the release, but PGP-RTB
PGP-RTB
PGP-RTB was a major record label and chain record store in the former SFR Yugoslavia based in Belgrade, Socialist Republic of Serbia. PGP-RTB was established in 1958...
refused to release a new number of copies, so YU grupa moved to Jugoton
Jugoton
Jugoton was the largest record label and chain record store in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia based in Zagreb, Socialist Republic of Croatia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia the company continued to work in independent Republic of Croatia under the name Croatia...
. The band performed at the Belgrade spring festival with the song "Tajna", also performed by Zdenka Kovačiček. The songs "Drveni most" ("Wooden Bridge"), "Mali medved" ("Little Bear") and "Devojka Džoj" ("Girl Named Joy") were well accepted on all of their concerts. Okrugić's song "Opus 1" was very significant on their live appearances, however, it was never recorded by YU grupa.
The band spent the summer performing at the prestigious club Lanterna in Rovinj
Rovinj
Rovinj is a city in Croatia situated on the north Adriatic Sea with a population of 13,562 . It is located on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula and is a popular tourist resort and an active fishing port...
. These concerts brought first conflicts inside the band. After they returned to Belgrade Okrugić left (later forming the band Opus
Opus (progressive rock band)
-Band history:The band was formed in Belgrade in 1973 by Miodrag "Mive" Okrugić , Miodrag "Bata" Kostić and Dušan Ćućuz . The band got their name after the song "Opus No...
) and guitarist Miodrag "Bata" Kostić joined the band. Kostić was previously involved in the band's activity, as he wrote some of the songs the band performed. Dragi Jelić and Kostić were an effective guitar duo, and Kostić continued to write folk-inspired hits. In March 1972 the band went on Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n tour, during which they held forty concerts. Due to the fact that Veče uz radio show had a cult
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
status in Bulgaria, audience knew all of their songs, but one part of the public was shocked by their appearance. After they returned to Yugoslavia, they performed at the rock evening of Belgrade spring festival, performing at Dom Sindikata Hall with Korni Grupa
Korni Grupa
Korni Grupa was a former Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade. Korni Grupa was one of the first former Yugoslav rock bands to achieve major mainstream popularity. The band's first releases were commercial pop-oriented songs. Korni Grupa later turned towards progressive rock, continuing, however, to...
, Time
Time (rock band)
Time was a rock band from Yugoslavia that was formed in 1971 by Dado Topić after leaving his previous band Korni Grupa. The original lineup consisted of, in addition to Topić, Tihomir Pop Asanović , Vedran Božić , Mario Mavrin , Ratko Divjak and Brane Lambert Živković...
and Mladi Levi.
The band spent the summer of 1972 playing in Rovinj's Lanterna. The concerts in Rovinj were crucial once again. After returning to Belgrade Kostić and Bogdanović left the band, Kostić joining Jutro
Jutro
Jutro was a Sarajevo-based rock band most notable as the immediate predecessor to Bijelo dugme. It existed from late 1971 to the very end of 1973 when it transformed into probably the most popular rock band to come out of former Yugoslavia – Bijelo dugme.Jutro was formed on the initiative by Ismet...
, and later forming Opus
Opus (progressive rock band)
-Band history:The band was formed in Belgrade in 1973 by Miodrag "Mive" Okrugić , Miodrag "Bata" Kostić and Dušan Ćućuz . The band got their name after the song "Opus No...
with Okrugić. YU grupa continued as a trio, with Ratislav "Raša" Đelmaš, a former Mobi Dik, Pop Mašina
Pop Mašina
Pop Mašina was a former Yugoslav progressive rock band from Belgrade. Pop Mašina was formed in 1972, and released two studio albums and one live album before disbanding in 1978...
and Siluete
Siluete
Siluete was a former Yugoslav and Serbian rock band from Belgrade, notable for being one of the pioneers of the former Yugoslav rock scene.-1961 - 1971:...
member, as the new drummer. They spent the next year playing all across Yugoslavia, gaining new fans in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. At the time, the keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
Tihomir "Pop" Asanović was approached to become a new member, but refused to join Novi Fosili
Novi fosili
Novi fosili was a Croatian pop band, one of the most popular music acts in former Yugoslavia.The group was formed in Zagreb in 1969. Their first successes came in 1976 when the composer Rajko Dujmić joined the band. That same year Novi Fosili played at the Split Festival, where their song...
instead. In February 1973, YU grupa went to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to purchase new equipment, and the CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
producers, who had an opportunity to hear their recordings earlier, organized their concert in The Marquee
Marquee Club
The Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts.It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on 12 July 1962....
. Thanks to the concert the band got the term at a studio, recorded demos, and a cooperation with CBS records was planned. The band returned to Yugoslavia to hold a concert at Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
's Hala sportova, and holding a high position on Yugoslav rock scene, the band blenched the career in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In the summer of 1973 their debut self-titled album
YU grupa (1973 album)
YU grupa is the debut studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa.The album featured hits "Crni leptir", "More", "Trka", "Čudna šuma", "Noć je moja"...
was released. The album brought numerous hits: blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
-oriented "More" ("Sea"), "Trka" ("Race"), "Čudna šuma" ("Strange Forest"), and their cult ballad "Crni leptir" ("Black Butterfly"). In November Kostić returned to the band.
At the beginning of 1974, YU grupa played on Srđan Marjanović's debut album Srđan Marjanović i prijatelji, and later released their second studio album Kako to da svaki dan?
Kako to da svaki dan?
Kako to da svaki dan? is the second studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa....
(How Come Every Day...?). The album was musically more diverse, but it did not consist from the numerous hits as the previous one. At the end of the year, Dragi Jelić went to serve the army, and until he returned YU grupa performed as trio. In 1975, best Yugoslav guitarists took part in Kongres rock majstora (Congress of Rock Masters) concert. The double album Kongres rock majstora was released, on which Žika Jelić and Đelmaš were the support band following Bata Kostić, Vedran Božić and Josip Boček.
Dragi returned in June 1975, and Kostić left the band conventionally. The band negotiated with the keyboard player Oliver Mandić
Oliver Mandic
Oliver Mandić is a Serbian pop musician, composer, and producer - very prominent and popular throughout the 1980s.-Early biography:...
, but the cooperation was not agreed. In 1975, they released YU grupa
YU grupa (1975 album)
YU grupa is the third studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa. YU grupa is the band's second self-titled album, the first one being their debut album released in 1973.-Track listing:...
, featuring hits "Oprosti ljubavi" ("Forgive Me, My Love"), "Novi zvuk" ("New Sound") and "Ja moram dalje" ("I Have to Move On"). In September 1976, a compilation album YU zlato
YU zlato
YU grupa is a compilation album by Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa. The album features songs from the band's 7" singles released in the 1971–1976 period....
(YU Gold), which featured their single songs, was released. During the same year, Đelmaš left the band and formed Zebra. Dragan Micić replaced Đelmaš, and at the end of 1976, guitarist Nedžat Maculja joined the band. In 1977, they went on the Soviet Union tour, during which they held sixty-four concerts. During the same year, they released their fourth studio album Među zvezdama
Među zvezdama
Među zvezdama is the fourth studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa.Među zvezdama is the band's first album recorded with the guitarist Nedžat Maculja and the drummer Dragan Micić, who replaced Ratislav Đelmaš. The album features the band's former member Bata Kostić as...
(Among the Stars). The album featured Bata Kostić as a guest musician. In 1978, YU grupa performed at the pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
-oriented festival in Opatija
Opatija
Opatija is a town in western Croatia, just southwest of Rijeka on the Adriatic coast. , the town proper had a population of 7,850, with the municipality having a total 12,719 inhabitants.-Geography:...
, and their song "Spali svoja sećanja" ("Burn Your Memories") was released on the festival album Opatija 78. At the end 1978, Kostić once again became the member of the band, and a former Mama Co Co and Ribeli member Dragoljub Đuričić
Dragoljub Đuričić
Dragoljub Đuričić is a Belgrade, Serbia-based Montenegrin musician. He is known as the drummer for the bands YU grupa, Leb i Sol, and Kerber, as a member of Zdravko Čolić's and Đorđe Balašević's backing bands, as well as for his solo work.-Biography:Đuričić was born in 1954 in Cetinje...
(drums) and a former Zdravo
Zdravo (band)
Zdravo was a former Yugoslav euro disco group from Belgrade.-Band history:The group was formed in 1976 by the disk jockey Boban Petrović. Having gathered several teenagers and several Belgrade musicians, Petrović intended to form a band which would perform communicative disco music with funk...
member Dragan Janković (keyboard) joined YU grupa. This lineup held another Soviet Union tour.
The next album Samo napred...
Samo napred...
Samo napred... is the fifth studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa.Samo napred... is the band's first album recorded with the drummer Dragoljub Đuričić , the keyboardist Dragan Janković, and the guitarist Bata Kostić Samo napred... (trans. Ride on...) is the fifth studio...
(Ride On...), released in 1979, featured hits "Identitet ("Identity"), "Udaj se dobro" ("Get Married Well"), "Ideš mi na nerve" ("You're Getting on My Nerves"), "Autobus za raj" ("Bus to Heaven"). The album featured Laza Ristovski
Laza Ristovski
Laza Ristovski was a Serbian and former Yugoslav keyboardist, best known for his involvement with Smak and Bijelo Dugme rock bands, as well as for his eclectic solo work that spawned many different musical genres.-Biography:Laza Ristovski was born in Novi Pazar as his father, a JNA officer, was...
, Bebi Dol and Slađana Milošević as guest musicians. At the time of the great popularity of New Wave bands in Yugoslavia, YU grupa's popularity, alongside the popularity of other bands with similar stylistic orientation, declined. At the end of 1981, their van with a part of the equipment burned down, and Žika Jelić got injured in the fire. After this incident, YU grupa members decide to end their activity. The Jelić brothers started working as concert organisers, Đuričić became a member of Leb i Sol
Leb i sol
Leb i sol is a Macedonian rock group founded in the 1970s by Vlatko Stefanovski , Bodan Arsovski , Nikola Kokan Dimuševski and Garabet Tavitjan . Tavitjan ceded the drumwork to Dragoljub Đuričić for some of the albums, while Kiril Džajkovski replaced Kokan on Kao Kakao and Putujemo...
and Midorag Kostić became a Radio Belgrade
Radio Belgrade
Radio Belgrade is a state-owned and operated radio station in Belgrade, Serbia.The predecessor of Radio Beograd, Radio Beograd-Rakovica, started its program in 1924 and was a part of a state wireless telegraph station. Radio Beograd, AD started in March 1929...
editor.
1987—present
At the end of the 1980s, Bijelo DugmeBijelo dugme
Bijelo dugme was a highly influential former Yugoslav rock band, based in Sarajevo. Active between 1974 and 1989, it is widely considered to have been the most popular band ever to exist in former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and one of the most important acts of the Yugoslav rock...
had enormous success with their folk-oriented songs, and the band leader Goran Bregović
Goran Bregovic
Goran Bregović is one of the most internationally known modern musicians and composers of the Balkans. He currently splits his time between Paris and Belgrade, where he settled down during the Yugoslav Wars.Bregović has composed for such varied artists as Iggy Pop and Cesária Évora...
suggested the Jelić brothers, one of the pioneers of Yugoslav folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
sound, to reunite YU grupa. Although they occasionally performed during the 1980s, YU grupa officially reunited in 1987. They released their comeback album Od zlata jabuka
Od zlata jabuka
Od zlata jabuka is the sixth studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa. Od zlata jabuka, released ina 1987, is the band's first album since they reunited the same year....
(Golden Apple), with the title track inspired by folk music as the main hit. YU grupa performed at the Legende YU rocka (Legends of Yugoslav Rock) concert, alongside Indexi
Indexi
Indexi was a Bosnian rock band popular in the former Yugoslavia. It formed in 1962 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, and disbanded in 2001 when singer Davorin Popović died...
, Drago Mlinarec, Korni Grupa
Korni Grupa
Korni Grupa was a former Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade. Korni Grupa was one of the first former Yugoslav rock bands to achieve major mainstream popularity. The band's first releases were commercial pop-oriented songs. Korni Grupa later turned towards progressive rock, continuing, however, to...
, Time
Time (rock band)
Time was a rock band from Yugoslavia that was formed in 1971 by Dado Topić after leaving his previous band Korni Grupa. The original lineup consisted of, in addition to Topić, Tihomir Pop Asanović , Vedran Božić , Mario Mavrin , Ratko Divjak and Brane Lambert Živković...
and Radomir Mihajlović Točak. Live versions of YU grupa's "Čudna šuma", "U tami disko kluba" ("In the Darkness of Disco Club"), "Crni leptir" and a medley
Medley (music)
In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping. They are common in popular music, and most medleys are songs rather than instrumental. A medley which is a remixed series is called a megamix, often done with tracks...
compiled of "Nona", "Kosovski božuri" ("Kosovo Peonies
Peony
Peony or paeony is a name for plants in the genus Paeonia, the only genus in the flowering plant family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia, southern Europe and western North America...
") and "Sama" ("Alone") were released on the double live album Legende YU Rocka. In November 1988, YU grupa released Ima nade
Ima nade
Ima nade is the seventh studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa.The ballad "Dunavom šibaju vetrovi" is notable for being one of the two YU grupa songs sung by the bass guitarist Žika Jelić...
(There Is Hope). The album's biggest hits were "Mornar" ("Sailor") and the power ballad "Dunavom šibaju vetrovi" ("Winds Blow by the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
"). This album was followed by Tragovi
Tragovi
Tragovi is the eighth studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa.The album is the first album recorded with the drummer Ratislav Đelmaš since YU grupa's 1975 self-titled album.-Track listing:...
(Traces), recorded with Đelmaš on the drums once again, and featuring Pera Joe, Saša Lokner and Nikola Čuturilo
Nikola Čuturilo
Nikola Čuturilo , also known as Čutura is a Serbian musician...
as guests.
At the bands 22nd birthday, old members of the band played with YU grupa, and the band got the new member, Petar Jelić, Dragi and Žika's nephew. The new lineup released album Rim 1994
Rim 1994
Rim 1994, also known as Rim only, is the ninth studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa.The album was entitled Rim 1994 , as it was recorded in Rome at the end of 1994. Rim 1994 is the first album recorded with the guitarist Petar Jelić, who replaced Bata Kostić...
(Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
1994). The album was recorded in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and was produced by Dragi Jelić and Mario Zaninni Quirini. The album brought hits "Odlazim" ("I'm Leaving"), "Oluja" ("Storm"), "Dunav" ("Danube"), "Gledaj samo pravo" ("Just Look Straight Ahead"). During the late 1990s, the band rarely performed in Yugoslavia.
In 2005, with Igor Malešević (a former Hazari and Bjesovi
Bjesovi
Bjesovi are a Serbian grunge/alternative rock band from Gornji Milanovac.- Formation and breakup :...
member) as the new drummer, YU grupa released its latest studio album with a symbolic title Dugo znamo se
Dugo znamo se
Dugo znamo se is the tenth studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa. It is the band's first album since the release of the album Rim 1994 in 1995.-Track listing:...
(We've Known Each Other for a Long Time). The album was mostly hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
-oriented. The lyrics for the song "Pustinja" ("Desert") were written by Bebi Dol, and the lyrics for "Bože, spasi me" ("God, Save Me") and "Tango" were written by Van Gogh
Van Gogh (band)
Van Gogh is a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade. The band was formed in 1986, and released their debut alternative rock-oriented self-titled album the same year...
frontman Zvonimir Đukić. The album featured Saša Lokner on keyboards, as guest musician. The album was well received, and brought hits "Pustinja", "Zamoliću te" ("I'm Asking You"), "Bože, spasi me", and "Tango". In 2007, the band released its first official live album Live
Live (YU grupa album)
Live is the first live album by Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa.Although the band previously appeared on various artists live albums Kongres rock majstora and Legende YU Rocka , Live is their first official live album...
. Some of the tracks featured on the album were recorded in 1996 on YU grupa unplugged
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
concert in Studio M in Novi Sad
Novi Sad
Novi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
, which featured Kornelije Kovač
Kornelije Kovac
Kornelije "Bata" Kovač is a famous Serbian composer. He is a father of Aleksandra Kovač and Kristina Kovač, both successful Serbian singers.-Early life:...
on piano. In 2008, the drummer Slobodan Jurišić replaced Malešević. In 2009, Croatia Records
Croatia Records
Croatia Records is the largest major record label in Croatia, based in Dubrava in Zagreb.-Summary:Croatia Records d.d. is a joint stock company currently led by the Chairman of the Board of directors Želimir Babogredac, a notable sound engineer...
released the double compilation album The Ultimate Collection
The Ultimate Collection (YU grupa album)
The Ultimate Collection is a double compilation album by Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa.The album was released in 2009 by Croatia Records, a successor company for Jugoton, which was YU grupa's record label during the 1972 – 1977 period, and the album features songs from the albums...
, which featured 35 songs from the 1972—1977 period.
In December 2010, Žika Jelić announced the release of a new studio album, and a possible release of a video album, with the recording of the band's performance at the 2010 Belgrade Beer Fest
Belgrade Beer Fest
Belgrade Beer Fest is an annual festival of beer in Belgrade, Serbia. Started in 2003, the festival is held annually over 4 to 5 days as a showcase event for various beer producers. In addition to domestic and foreign brews, the festival features live music performances each evening...
, and a box set.
Legacy
The Serbian alternative rockAlternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Disciplina Kičme
Disciplina Kičme
Disciplina Kičme , is a Serbian band, one of the two spin-offs of the seminal Yugoslav New Wave and later post-punk band Šarlo Akrobata, the other being Ekatarina Velika...
recorded a cover of "Čudna šuma", released on their 1986 album Svi za mnom!
Svi za mnom!
- The band :* Koja — bass, vocals* Žika — drums* Kele — drums* Dedža — trumpet, vocals* Zerkman — trumpet, vocals- Additional personnel :* Duca — photography* S. Milojković — photography...
.
The book YU 100: najbolji albumi jugoslovenske rok i pop muzike
YU 100: najbolji albumi jugoslovenske rok i pop muzike
YU 100: najbolji albumi jugoslovenske rok i pop muzike is a book by Duško Antonić and Danilo Štrbac...
(YU 100: The Best albums of Yugoslav pop and rock music) features two YU grupa albums: YU zlato
YU zlato
YU grupa is a compilation album by Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa. The album features songs from the band's 7" singles released in the 1971–1976 period....
(ranked #57) and YU grupa
YU grupa (1973 album)
YU grupa is the debut studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa.The album featured hits "Crni leptir", "More", "Trka", "Čudna šuma", "Noć je moja"...
(ranked #62).
The B92 Top 100 Domestic Songs list fetaures two songs by YU grupa: "Čudna šuma" (ranked #29) and "Crni leptir" (ranked #47).
Discography
- YU grupaYU grupa (1973 album)YU grupa is the debut studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa.The album featured hits "Crni leptir", "More", "Trka", "Čudna šuma", "Noć je moja"...
(1973) - Kako to da svaki dan?Kako to da svaki dan?Kako to da svaki dan? is the second studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa....
(1974) - YU grupaYU grupa (1975 album)YU grupa is the third studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa. YU grupa is the band's second self-titled album, the first one being their debut album released in 1973.-Track listing:...
(1975) - Među zvezdamaMeđu zvezdamaMeđu zvezdama is the fourth studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa.Među zvezdama is the band's first album recorded with the guitarist Nedžat Maculja and the drummer Dragan Micić, who replaced Ratislav Đelmaš. The album features the band's former member Bata Kostić as...
(1977) - Samo napred...Samo napred...Samo napred... is the fifth studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa.Samo napred... is the band's first album recorded with the drummer Dragoljub Đuričić , the keyboardist Dragan Janković, and the guitarist Bata Kostić Samo napred... (trans. Ride on...) is the fifth studio...
(1979) - Od zlata jabukaOd zlata jabukaOd zlata jabuka is the sixth studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa. Od zlata jabuka, released ina 1987, is the band's first album since they reunited the same year....
(1987) - Ima nadeIma nadeIma nade is the seventh studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa.The ballad "Dunavom šibaju vetrovi" is notable for being one of the two YU grupa songs sung by the bass guitarist Žika Jelić...
(1988) - TragoviTragoviTragovi is the eighth studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa.The album is the first album recorded with the drummer Ratislav Đelmaš since YU grupa's 1975 self-titled album.-Track listing:...
(1990) - Rim 1994Rim 1994Rim 1994, also known as Rim only, is the ninth studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa.The album was entitled Rim 1994 , as it was recorded in Rome at the end of 1994. Rim 1994 is the first album recorded with the guitarist Petar Jelić, who replaced Bata Kostić...
(1995) - Dugo znamo seDugo znamo seDugo znamo se is the tenth studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band YU grupa. It is the band's first album since the release of the album Rim 1994 in 1995.-Track listing:...
(2005)