Zlatni Dečaci (
Serbian Cyrillic
The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet (, ), also known as the Serbian script, (, ), is a standardized variation of the Cyrillic script used to write the Serbian language. It originated in medieval Serbia and was significantly reformed in the 19th cen ...
: Златни дечаци, trans. ''The Golden Boys'') 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 1962. The band were one of the pioneers of 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 ...
.
At the beginning of their career the band performed covers of foreign hits and
instrumental
An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...
versions of
classical pieces. With their instrumental tracks they gained attention of a
Dutch
Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
** Dutch people as an ethnic group ()
** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship ()
** Dutch language ()
* In specific terms, i ...
record label, releasing their debut record in the Netherlands, thus becoming the first Yugoslav rock band to release a record for the foreign market. In Yugoslavia the band enjoyed large mainstream popularity, being one of the most popular Yugoslav bands of the 1960s. The band's frontman
Slobodan "Boba" Stefanović left Zlatni Dečaci in 1967, the group disbanding soon after. After his departure from the band, Stefanović would start a successful career as a
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Pop music, a musical genre
Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop! (British group), a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Album ...
singer and composer.
History
1962-1967
The band was formed in 1962 by high school friends
Slobodan "Boba" Stefanović (vocals), Velibor "Borko" Kacl (guitar), Predrag Lukić (organ), Dušan Banović (drums) and Vidoje "Vili" Brajović (bass guitar).
All the forming members went to the same class in Belgrade's 14th Gymnasium.
Initially the band was named The Tigers, because they, as they stated in an interview, "wanted a scary name which would be easily remembered and which would frighten the competition".
They decided to change their name after the suggestion by national
chess
Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...
champion and
radio personality
A radio personality is a person who has an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality who hosts a radio show is also known as a radio host (North American English), radio presenter (British English) or radio jockey. Radio personali ...
Nikola Karaklajić
Nikola Karaklajić (Cyrillic: Никола Караклајић, Belgrade, 24 February 1926 – 16 December 2008) was a Serbian-Yugoslav chess master. He was the first notable exponent and probably inventor of the Belgrade Gambit.David Hoope ...
, who did much to promote rock music in Yugoslavia.
When Karaklajić made a visit to their school, they were introduced to him by their principal Stanijka Radošević, who described them to Karaklajić as "zlatni dečaci" (literally "golden boys", also an expression meaning "good kids"). After Karaklajić suggestion, they adopted this as the band's new name.
Initially the band held rehearsals in their school's
gym
A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...
. They had their first live appearance after only two months of rehearsals, on a celebration in their school.
Soon after, in February 1963, the band got an invitation to perform on Sunday
dances
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
in Belgrade club Euridika.
The band rehearsed in the club. The members of Saša Radojčić's
jazz trio
A jazz trio is a group of three jazz musicians, often a piano trio comprising a pianist, a double bass player and a drummer. Jazz trios are commonly named after their leader, such as the Bill Evans Trio.
Variants and examples
Famous examples inc ...
also held their rehearsals in the club, and would occasionally give some lessons and advice to the members of Zlatni Dečaci.
On the dances held at Euridika, Stefanović performed both with Zlatni Dečaci and with Saša Radojčić's jazz trio.
Initially Zlatni Dečaci performed in yellow shirts with a "ZD" emblem, and later got black and gold suites, while Banović played a set of gold-colored drums.
Vocalists Moma Davidović and
Tomi Sovilj
Tomi may refer to:
* Constanța, a city in Romania, also known as Tomis or Tomi
* Tomi, Okayama, a village in Japan
* Tōmi, Nagano, a city in Japan
* Tomi (name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
* ''Tomi'' (film), a 1936 ...
performed with the band occasionally, but after some time Stefanović remained the band's only vocalist.
The band gained large popularity, so, in 1964, they played as a
backing band
A backup band or backing band is a Band (music), musical ensemble that typically Accompaniment, accompanies a single artist who is the featured performer. The situation may be a live performance or in a Studio recording, recording session, and the ...
for singer
Miki Jevremović
Miodrag "Miki" Jevremović (27 March 1941 – 13 January 2017) was a Serbian and Yugoslav singer of popular music.
Biography
Miki Jevremović was born on 27 March 1941 in Belgrade to Vidoje Jevremović and Angelina (née Blagojević) Jevremov ...
on his highly successful EP ''18 žutih ruža'' (''18 Yellow Roses'').
They started to perform regularly in Gradski podrum club, and in 1964 they performed, alongside Safiri,
Iskre, Lutalice and Ivanka Pavlović & Valjevski Dečaci on
Parada ritma
Parada ritma (''Parade of Rhythm''), also known as Vatromet ritma (trans. ''Fireworks of Rhythm''), was a series of concerts held in SFR Yugoslavia during 1964 and 1965. The first concert in the series is notable as the first rock festival in Yug ...
(''Parade of Rhythm''), the first rock festival held in Yugoslavia and arguably the first rock festival in a
communist country
A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...
.
Zlatni Dečaci wanted to break through to Yugoslav radio stations, which were at the time reserved towards
beat music
Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a British popular music Music genre, genre that developed around Liverpool in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The genre melded influences from British rock and roll, British and Music of the United St ...
, so they started recording beat covers of
classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...
pieces.
Karaklajić took those recordings to the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, where he participated in a
chess tournament
A chess tournament is a series of chess games played competitively to determine a winning individual or team. Since the first international chess tournament in London 1851 chess tournament, London, 1851, chess tournaments have become the standard ...
, managing to persuade local radio stations to broadcast them.
This got the editors of Dutch label
Fontana Records
Fontana Records is a record label that started in the 1950s as a subsidiary of the Dutch Philips Records. Fontana Distribution, an independent label distributor, takes its name from the label.
History
Fontana began in the 1950s as a subsidi ...
interested in the band.
For Fontana Records the band, under the name Golden Boys, released the single "Swan Lake" (a version of a
theme
Theme or themes may refer to:
* Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos
* Theme (computing), a custom graphical appearance for certain software.
* Theme (linguistics), topic
* Theme ( ...
from
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popula ...
's
opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
''
Swan Lake
''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoje ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, links=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failu ...
'') and "Humoresque" (a version of
a humoresque by
Antonín Dvořák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8September 18411May 1904) was a Czech composer. He frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia, following the Romantic-era nationalist example of his predec ...
),
thus becoming the first Yugoslav rock band to release a record for the foreign market.
A year later, in 1966, those two recordings, alongside versions of a theme from
Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...
's opera ''
Faust
Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...
'' and
Ion Ivanovici
Ion Ivanovici ( sr-Cyrl, Јован Ивановић) (alternatively: Jovan Ivanović, Iosif Ivanovici, Josef Ivanovich) (1845 – ) was a Romanian military band conductor and composer of Banat Serbian origin, best remembered today for his ...
's
waltz
The waltz ( , meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom dance, ballroom and folk dance, in triple (3/4 time, time), performed primarily in closed position. Along with the ländler and allemande, the waltz was sometimes referred to by the ...
"
Waves of the Danube", were released by Yugoslav record label
Jugoton
Jugoton was the largest record label and chain record store in the former Yugoslavia based in Zagreb, SR Croatia.
History
Jugoton was formed in 1947. It replaced Elektroton, which had been founded in 1937, nationalized in 1945, and liquidated ...
on the
EP ''Humoreska'' (''Humoresque'').
With these compositions the band gained nationwide popularity and soon started performing across Yugoslavia.
However, a part of the public criticized the fact that uneducated musicians performed and recorded classical music.
On the other hand, a part of Yugoslav rock musicians in interviews accused Zlatni Dečaci of pandering to broad audience with their covers of classical pieces.
This did not affect the band's popularity; they held sold-out concerts in Euridika club, appeared on Yugoslav television on numerous occasions and recorded over 20 tunes for
Radio Belgrade
Radio Belgrade (, ) is a state-owned and operated radio station in Belgrade, Serbia. It has four different programs (Radio Belgrade 1, Radio Belgrade 2, Radio Belgrade 3, and Radio Belgrade 202), a precious archive of several hundreds of thousa ...
.
In April 1966, thanks to Karaklajić, Zlatni Dečaci performed in
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
, where Karaklajić participated in a chess tournament.
In order to acquire
visas
Visa most commonly refers to:
* Travel visa, a document that allows entry to a foreign country
* Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company
** Visa Debit card issued by the above company
** Visa Electron, a debit card
** Vi ...
for Zlatni Dečaci more easily, he presented the band members as young chess players.
In Great Britain the band held several performances. They performed in
Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis (), also known as Bognor, is a town and seaside resort in West Sussex on the south coast of England, south-west of London, west of Brighton, south-east of Chichester and east of Portsmouth. Other nearby towns include Littleham ...
in front of some 1,500 people. They performed covers of rock hits, but their cover of
Macedonian
Macedonian most often refers to someone or something from or related to Macedonia.
Macedonian(s) may refer to:
People Modern
* Macedonians (ethnic group), a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with North Macedonia
* Mac ...
folk song "
Jovano Jovanke
''Jovano, Jovanke'' (; ) is a traditional folk song originating from the region of Macedonia. It is popular in and frequently performed in North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and the Macedonia region of Greece. The song has also been adapted and performe ...
" saw greatest success with the audience.
Upon returning home, the band released their second EP. It featured the songs "Čudna devojka" ("Strange Girl", a cover of
Marty Robbins
Martin David Robinson (September 26, 1925 – December 8, 1982), known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American country and western singer and songwriter. He was one of the most popular and successful singers of his genre for most o ...
' song "
Devil Woman"), "Sadko" (a theme from
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov. At the time, his name was spelled , which he romanized as Nicolas Rimsky-Korsakow; the BGN/PCGN transliteration of Russian is used for his name here; ALA-LC system: , ISO 9 system: .. (18 March 1844 – 2 ...
's opera ''
Sadko
Sadko () is a principal character in Russian '' byliny'' (oral epic poems). He is an adventurer, merchant, and '' gusli'' musician from Novgorod. The story of Sadko is best known outside Russia in the opera '' Sadko'' by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov ...
''), "Napušteni dom" ("Deserted Home", a cover of
The Four Pennies
The Four Pennies were an English beat group most notable for their 1964 UK chart-topping song " Juliet". The band achieved four more top 40 hits in the UK, but failed to chart in the United States during the British Invasion.
Career
The Four ...
song "A Place Where No One Goes"), and "Foxtrot Oriental".
The single was sold in more than 100,000 copies.
During this year the band also appeared in the TV show ''Koncert za ludi mladi svet'' (''Concert for Crazy Young People''), performing an instrumental version of
Gioachino Rossini
Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...
's ''
William Tell Overture
The ''William Tell'' Overture is the overture to the opera '' William Tell'' (original French title ''Guillaume Tell''), composed by Gioachino Rossini. ''William Tell'' premiered in 1829 and was the last of Rossini's 39 operas, after which he w ...
''. In a video recorded for the show, the members of the band played while riding horses.
Later that year Brajović left the band, and was replaced by Gradimir Janković.
In 1967, the band released their third and the final EP with the songs "Sam" ("Alone", a cover of
Bobby Vinton
Stanley Robert Vinton (born April 16, 1935) is an American singer and actor, who hosted his own self-titled TV show in the late 1970s. As a teen idol, he became known as "The Polish Prince", as his music paid tribute to his Polish heritage. One ...
song "
Mr. Lonely"), "Samo ti" ("Only You", a cover of
The Who
The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
song "It's Not True"), "Pamtim taj dan" ("I Remember the Day", a cover of the song "
Skokiaan
"Skokiaan" is a Popular music, popular Melody, tune originally written by Zimbabwean musician August Msarurgwa, August Musarurwa in the "Tsaba-tsaba" big band-style that succeeded Marabi. "Skokiaan" ("Chikokiyana" in Shona language, Shona) " written by
August Msarurgwa
August Machona Musarurwa (usually identified as "August Msarurgwa" on record labels) was a Zimbabwean musician, best known for having composed the 1950s hit tune "Skokiaan" (also known as "Skokiyana", "Skokian").
Biography Early life and stu ...
), and "Ne želim kraj" ("I Don't Want the End to Come", a cover of
The Zombies
The Zombies are an English Rock music, rock band formed in St Albans in 1961. Led by keyboardist/vocalist Rod Argent and lead vocalist Colin Blunstone, the group had their first British and American hit in 1964 with "She's Not There". In the U ...
song "Kind of Girl").
In 1967 the band also played as the backing band for the singer Zlatko Golubović on his EP ''Op hop''
and recorded the songs "Ti, samo ti" ("You, Only You") and "Jovano Jovanke" for
Vladan Slijepčević
Vladan Slijepčević (30 October 1930 – 13 September 1989) was a Serbian and Yugoslavian film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 50 films between 1952 and 1989. His 1966 film ''The Climber (1966 film), The Climber'' was enter ...
's film ''Where to After the Rain?''. The songs from the film were released by Jugoton on a
flexi disc
The flexi disc (also known as a phonosheet, Sonosheet or Soundsheet, a trademark) is a phonograph record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal phonograph turntable.
...
entitled ''Muzika iz filma Kuda posle kiše'' (''Music from the Film Where to After the Rain?'').
At the time of these releases, the group was going through a crisis. The band members themselves admitted in interviews that their studies distanced them from each other, and a part of youth press wrote that the band lost contact with younger audience.
Soon after he appeared on the Belgrade Spring festival without the band, Stefanović left Zlatni Dečaci.
Lukić left the band soon after.
Kacl, Banović and Janković continued to perform with the vocalist Moma Davidović for a while, but soon ended their activity.
Post breakup
Stefanović started a successful career as a
pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...
singer and composer, recording five studio albums 29 EPs and 7" singles, winning numerous awards at Yugoslav and international pop music festivals.
He graduated at the Belgrade
Faculty of Dramatic Arts
The Faculty of Dramatic Arts (; abbreviated FDU) is a constituent institution of the University of Arts in Belgrade which focuses on education and research in the fields of film, theatre, dramaturgy, culture, radio, acting and medias. It was esta ...
.
He wrote the book ''Prva ljubav Dušana Silnog'' (''First Love of
Dušan the Mighty
Dušan ( sr-Cyrl, Душан) is a Slavic given name primarily used in the former Yugoslavia and the former Czechoslovakia. The name is derived from the Slavic noun ''duša'' "soul".
Occurrence
In Serbia, it was the 29th most popular name fo ...
''), which he illustrated with his own paintings, which was released with the music Stefanović composed as the soundtrack to the story.
In 2015 he died in Belgrade, at the age of 69.
"Preminuo pevač Boba Stefanović", b92.net
/ref>
In 1968 Kacl joined the newly formed band Korni Grupa
Korni Grupa ( sr-cyr, Корни Група, trans. ''Korni Group'') was a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1968. Launched and led by, as well as named after, the keyboardist Kornelije Kovač, the band was one of the first Yugoslav ro ...
. After leaving Korni Grupa, he retired from music. He died in a car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a motor vehicle collision, or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other moving or stationary obstruction, such as a tree, pole or building. T ...
in 1984. Banović would for a while perform with the band Džentlmeni
Džentlmeni ( sr-Cyrl, Џентлмени, lit=The Gentlemen) were a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1966.
A year after the formation, the band split into two factions. The first faction featured original rhythm guitarist Milan Buza, a ...
.
Moma Davidović moved to France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, where he recorded several 7" singles under the names David Colsberry and David Loris.
Brajović moved to the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. He self-released a CD with all the recordings made by Zlatni Dečaci in a limited number of copies. He wrote the book ''Album sa sličicama iz mog života'' (''Album with Pictures from My Life''), originally published in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
(1985), and later in Belgrade (2000).
Discography
EPs
*''Labuđe jezero'' (1966)
*''Čudna devojka'' (1966)
*''Sadko'' (1967)
Singles
*"Swan Lake" / "Humoresque" (1965)
*''Muzika iz filma Kuda posle kiše'' (1967)
References
External links
Zlatni Dečaci
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:Zlatni Decaci
Serbian rock music groups
Yugoslav rock music groups
Beat groups
Serbian instrumental rock musical groups
Musical groups from Belgrade
Musical groups established in 1962
Musical groups disestablished in 1967
1962 establishments in Yugoslavia
1962 establishments in Serbia