Džentlmeni ( sr-Cyrl, Џентлмени, lit=The Gentlemen) were a Yugoslav

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band formed in

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

in 1966. A year after the formation, the band split into two factions. The first faction featured original rhythm guitarist Milan Buza, and the other featuring original bass guitarist Živorad "Žika" Jelić and drummer Velibor "Boka" Bogdanović, the first disbanding after a year and a half and the second continuing their career with Žika Jelić's brother, Dragan "Dragi" Jelić (guitar), Mihajlo Simikić (

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (whi ...

clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...

, piano and vocals), and Branko Marušić "Čutura" (vocals, rhythm guitar), achieving nationwide popularity and eventually becoming one of the most popular Yugoslav bands of the 1960s. In 1970 the Jelić brothers left Džentlmeni and formed the highly successful band YU Grupa, while Marušić continued to lead Džentlmeni, which changed several lineups. Džentlmeni later lineups included guitarist

Zlatko Manojlović Zlatko Manojlović ( Serbian Cyrillic: Златко Манојловић; born 1951), also known internationally as Zed Mitchell, is a Serbian and Yugoslav guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, currently based in Germany. Manojlović rose to prom ...

(later of

Dah Dah or DAH may refer to: * Morse code symbol * Dah, Ivory Coast, a village in Montagnes District * Dah, Ladakh, a village in Jammu and Kashmir, India * Dah, Mali, a town in Ségou Region * Dah (band), former Yugoslav/Belgian band * Air Algérie (IC ...

and Gordi), bass guitarist Robert Nemeček (later of

Pop Mašina Pop Mašina ( sr-cyr, Поп Машина; trans. ''Pop Machine'') was a SFRY, Yugoslav progressive rock band formed in Belgrade in 1972. The group blended hard rock sound with blues, psychedelic rock, psychedelic and acid rock elements and is co ...

and Rok Mašina), guitarist Zoran Božinović (later of Pop Mašina, Rok Mašina and Zona B) and bass guitarist

Slađana Milošević Aleksandra Milošević Hagadone ( sr-cyr, Александра Милошевић Хагадон; 3 October 1955 – 26 March 2024), better known as Slađana Milošević ( sr-Cyrl, Слађана Милошевић, ), was a Serbian and Yugoslav ...

(later a successful solo artist), the group finally disbanding in 1972. Although they were not among the earliest Yugoslav rock bands, Džentlmeni, as other Yugoslav 1960s rock bands, played a pioneering role on the

Yugoslav rock scene Popular music in Yugoslavia includes the pop and rock music of the former SFR Yugoslavia, including all their genres and subgenres. The scene included the constituent republics: SR Slovenia, SR Croatia, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SR Montenegr ...

History

Band formation and split into two factions (1966–1967)

The band was formed in 1966 by Slobodan Todorović (guitar and vocals), a former Albatrosi (''The

Albatross Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Paci ...

es'') and Alasi (''The Fishermen'') member Živorad "Žika" Jelić (bass guitar), Milan Buza (rhythm guitar) and Velibor "Boka" Bogdanović (drums). The band got the name Džentlmeni on Todorović's idea, although they also considered Jelić's suggestion of naming the band Žetoni (''The Coins''). This lineup performed until April 1967, when the band had split in two factions. Todorović did not continue working with any of the factions, moving to

Siluete Siluete ( sr-cyr, Силуете, trans. ''The Silhouettes'') were a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1961. They were one of the pioneers of the Yugoslav rock scene. Soon after the formation, Siluete, fronted by charismatic ...

and then to the band CD. Milan Buza, with Branko Stefanović (vocals), Đorđe Doksas (solo guitar), Moma Lukić (drums) and a former Vihori (''The Winds'') member Dušan Ćućuz (bass guitar, later of the band Tako), performed under the moniker Džentlmeni for approximately a year at local parties before disbanding in 1968. The other faction, featuring Bogdanović and Jelić, continued working with the new Džentlmeni lineup, completed by Mihajlo Simikić (

, piano and vocals), a former Iskre and Alasi member Branko Marušić "Čutura" (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Žika Jelić's brother Dragan "Dragi" Jelić (vocals, guitar), who previously played with the bands Alasi, Beduini (''The

Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu ( ; , singular ) are pastorally nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia (Iraq). The Bedouin originated in the Sy ...

s'') and Siluete. This lineup had a diverse repertoire, playing both

beat Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of inte ...

and

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

, performing covers of songs by

Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer *Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...

The Walker Brothers The Walker Brothers were an American pop group formed in Los Angeles in 1964 by John Walker (musician), John Walker (real name John Maus) and Scott Walker (singer), Scott Walker (real name Noel Scott Engel), with Gary Walker (musician), Gary Wal ...

The Animals The Animals, currently billed as Eric Burdon & the Animals (featuring original frontman Eric Burdon) and also as Animals & Friends (featuring original drummer John Steel (drummer), John Steel), are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Ne ...

Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter. A major figure in the development of soul music, Pickett recorded more than 50 songs that made the US R&B charts, many of which crossed over to the '' ...

The Jimi Hendrix Experience James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...

and other artists, as well as their own material.

The mainstay Džentlmeni (1967-1972)

During the summer of 1967, the band had an

Adriatic coast The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to ...

tour, performing for several months at the isle

Hvar Hvar (; Chakavian: ''Hvor'' or ''For''; ; ; ) is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, located off the Dalmatian coast, lying between the islands of Brač, Vis (island), Vis and Korčula. Approximately long, with a high east–west ridge of M ...

and several other resorts. The frequent live performances provided the band with a status of a leading live act in Belgrade and large media attention, which gave them an opportunity to perform as the opening band for

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

singer

Caterina Caselli Caterina Caselli (born 10 April 1946) is an Italian singer, bass player, record producer and music executive. Biography Caselli was born in Modena but grew up in Sassuolo. She started her music career by playing bass in local clubs. In 1966 ...

on her concerts in Belgrade,

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

Karlovac Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. In the 2021 census, its population was 49,377. Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County. The city is located southwest of Zagreb and northeast of Rijeka, and is connected to them via the ...

and

Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...

. After these concerts, they had a joined concert with

Indexi Indexi was a Bosnian and former Yugoslav rock band popular in Yugoslavia. It formed in 1962 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and disbanded in 2001 when singer Davorin Popović died. Some of their most notable songs are "Svijet u kome ži ...

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...

and recorded the song "Ne, ne trebam te više" ("No, I Don't Need You Anymore"), written by

Đorđe Novković Đorđe Novković (; 2 September 1943 - 6 May 2007) was a Croatian songwriter of partly Serbian descent who was known for his work in Yugoslavia and Croatia. Novković composed more than 2,500 songs and sold approximately 20 million records. He is ...

, for the

Radio Sarajevo Radio Sarajevo is a radio station and magazine that began airing 10 April 1945, four days after the liberation of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina near the end of World War II. It was Bosnia and Herzegovina's first radio station. The first words s ...

show ''Vaš šlager sezone'' (''Your Schlager of the Season''). In 1968 the band appeared at the Belgrade Spring festival, with the song "To je tvoj stil" ("It's Your Style"), written by

Vojkan Borisavljević Vojislav "Vojkan" Borisavljević (5 May 1947 – 23 February 2021) was a Serbian composer and conductor. He composed more than five hundred songs for the most famous Yugoslav singers - Leo Martin, Zdravko Čolić, Đorđe Marjanović, Miki Jevre ...

. The song was included on the band's 1968 debut

extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

, ''Idi'' (''Go''), featuring the title track, a cover version of

Sandie Shaw Sandra Ann Goodrich (born 26 February 1947), known by her stage name Sandie Shaw, is a retired English pop singer. One of the most successful British female singers of the 1960s, she had three UK number one singles with "(There's) Always Some ...

single "Today", "Naša mladost" and "Slatko" ("Sweet"), a cover version of

The Drifters The Drifters are an American pop and R&B/soul vocal group. They were originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter, formerly the lead tenor of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953. The second group of Drifters, formed in 1959 and ...

hit "

Sweets for My Sweet "Sweets for My Sweet" is a song written by the songwriting team of Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, originally recorded by American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group the Drifters. In 1994, British reggae singer C. J. Lewis had a very successful Euro ...

". The EP was well received by the press. During this year the band performed on another major festival, Subotica Youth Festival. On the festival the band performed the songs "Veseli svet" ("Cheerful World"), written by Đorđe Uzelac, and "Naša mladost" ("Our Youth"), written by the band members themselves. The song "Veseli svet" was released on the festival official compilation, along with other acts which performed at the festival. In 1969 the band released their second EP, ''Slomljena srca'' (''Broken Hearts''), featuring the title track, a cover version of the

Don Gibson Donald Eugene Gibson (April 3, 1928 – November 17, 2003) was an American songwriter and country musician. A Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Gibson wrote such country standards as " Sweet Dreams" and " I Can't Stop Loving You", and enjo ...

single "

Sea of Heartbreak "Sea of Heartbreak" is a song written by Paul Hampton and Hal David and recorded by Don Gibson in 1961. The song reached #2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. Content The song describes the feelings of lost love, and compar ...

", "Kraj snova" ("The End of Dreams"), written by Dragi Jelić, "

Helule Helule "Helule Helule" is a Swahili song written by Kenyan musician Daudi Kabaka. It was first released as a single by Kabaka and fellow Kenyan musician George Agade in 1966 through Equator Records. However, the song is better known for the version ...

", originally performed by

The Tremeloes The Tremeloes (formerly Brian Poole and The Tremeloes) are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, England. They initially found success in the British Invasion era with lead singer Brian Poole, scoring a UK chart-topper in 1963 with ...

, and Branko Marušić's song "Nisi došla" ("You Haven't Come"). The title track became a large hit for the band. During this year the band performed again at the Belgrade Spring festival, with the song "Korak ka suncu" ("A Step towards the Sun"), released by

PGP-RTB PGP-RTB ( sh-Cyrl, Продукција грамофонских плоча Радио телевизије Београд, translit=Produkcija gramofonskih ploča Radio televizije Beograd ) was a major state-owned record label and chain record ...

on the official festival compilation. At the end of the decade the band were at the peak of their popularity; the press described them as the most popular band from Belgrade and they performed as the backing band for popular singers Lidija Kordić and Daliborka Stojšić. However, quarrels in the band became more and more frequent, as the Jelić brothers wanted to move towards

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...

. The band released their final release in 1970, the single "Ona je moja" ("She Is Mine"), a cover version of the song "34-06", with "Da li su važne reči?" ("Do Words Matter?"), a cover version of the song "There's a Better Day a Comin'", the first originally performed by

The Dave Clark Five The Dave Clark Five, also known as the DC5, were an English rock and roll band formed in 1958 in Tottenham, London. Drummer Dave Clark was the group's leader, producer and co-songwriter. In January 1964, they had their first UK top-ten single, ...

and the second originally performed by

Crazy Elephant Crazy Elephant was an American bubblegum pop band (music), band noted for their 1969 hit record, hit single (music), single, "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'". History Crazy Elephant was a recording studio, studio concoction, the Marzano-Calvert Stud ...

. After the single release, the Jelić brothers and Boka Bogdanović, with keyboard player Miodrag "Mive" Okrugić, formed the progressive/

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...

band YU Grupa. Marušić continued leading Džentlmeni, in the lineup featuring Simikić, a former Helios member

(guitar, later of

and Gordi), a former Dogovor iz 1804. member Robert Nemeček (bass guitar, later of

and Rok Mašina), and a former Zlatni Dečaci member Dušan Banović (drums), but the band had frequent lineup changes, with some of the musicians performing with the band including guitarist Zoran Božinović (later of Pop Mašina, Rok Mašina and Zona B) and bassists Dušan Petrović (later of Generacija 5) and

(later a highly successful solo artist), before disbanding in 1972.

Post breakup

After Džentlmeni disbanded, Marušić formed the band

with Zlatko Manojlović. After he left Dah, Marušić dedicated himself to his solo career. He died in 2021 in Belgrade. The song "Naša mladost" appeared on the various artists compilation ''20 godina festivala "Omladina"'' (''20 Years of Youth Festival''), released for the Subotica Youth Festival 20th anniversary in 1981. The song "Slomljena srca" appeared on the various artists compilation ''YU retrospektiva - Sjaj izgubljene ljubavi'' (''YU Retrospective - A Lost Love Spark''), released by Komuna in 1994, and the box set various artists compilation ''Kad je rock bio mlad - Priče sa istočne strane (1956-1970)'' (''When Rock Was Young - East Side Stories (1956-1970)''), released by

Croatia Records Croatia Records is a record label in Croatia owned by AUTOR d.o.o., based in Zagreb. Summary Croatia Records d.d. is a joint-stock company currently led by the chief executive officer Želimir Babogredac, a sound engineer. It releases mostly (but ...

in 2005. During 2006, the entire band discography was remastered and reissued on the

compact disc The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. It employs the Compact Disc Digital Audio (CD-DA) standard and was capable of hol ...

compilation album ''Antologija'' (''Anthology''), as a part of the PGP-RTS ''Retrologija'' (''Retrology'') series. The album featured a live recording of an early career television performance as well as a part of Marušić's 1994

unplugged Unplugged may refer to: *Acoustic music, music not produced through electronic means * "Unplugged" (B.A.P song), 2014 * "Unplugged" (''Modern Family''), a 2010 episode of ''Modern Family'' Albums and EPs * ''Unplugged'' (5'nizza album), 2002 * '' ...

performance as bonus.

Legacy

The song "Slomljena srca" was covered by Serbian

pop punk Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...

band RNDM on their 2016 album ''Deo mene'' (''Part of Me'').

Discography

Extended plays

* ''Idi'' (1968) * ''Slomljena srca'' (1969)

Singles

* "Ona je moja" / "Da li su važne reči" (1970)

Compilation albums

* ''Antologija'' (2006)

Other appearances

* "Veseli svet" (''Omladina '68''; 1968) * "Korak ka Suncu" (''Beogradsko proleće '69''; 1969)

References

External links

Džentlmeni
at

Discogs Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dzentlmeni Serbian rock music groups Serbian rhythm and blues musical groups Yugoslav rock music groups Yugoslav rhythm and blues musical groups Beat groups Musical groups from Belgrade Musical groups established in 1966 Musical groups disestablished in 1972 1966 establishments in Yugoslavia