Zdravko Čolić

Artist: Zdravko Čolić

LP: Ako Priđeš Bliže

Song: "Glavo Luda"

[ listen ] 

This is the second LP, released in 1977, from "the Tom Jones of the Balkans," Zdravko Čolić. I got my copy in the mail today from a guy named Vladan in Jagodina, Serbia. What happened was this: A few weeks ago I found a copy of this record by Yugoslavian group Srebrna Krila up at the Aurora Antique Pavilion in Lynwood, WA. Along with that record, there was also a nice copy of Zdravko Čolić's fourth LP, "Malo Pojačaj Radio," inside the sleeve. I went online to find a copy of "Malo Pojačaj Radio" with its own outer sleeve, and found Vladan's shop on Discogs. He had "Malo..." and a copy of this amazing-looking earlier record by Čolić too! And a bunch of Yugoslavian disco singles! Anyway, now they're mine. Enjoy!

[ Zdravko Čolić ]

Angel Vladković Group

Artist: Angel Vladković Group

LP: ABC

Song: "Bananas"
[ listen ]

Song: "Disco Fever"
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The following afternoon I had about three hours to check out two Helsinki record stores that were about a block apart. I had planned to split my time between the two, but by the time I got out of Redhill Records, I only had about 15 minutes to look through the other store. According to the Redhill Records website, "Our staff can always help you find the record you need." What they don't include is a warning that their staff will always help you find about 58 records you need! 

The guy who was working when I went in was super helpful, one of the best customer service record-peddlers I've come across at any record store ever. Initially, when he asked what kind of music I was looking for and I said I was hoping to find some Finnish disco-pop from the 1970s, he kindly advised: "I don't know if anyone has told you, but Finland is a heavy metal country." You know, I wish somebody would have told me that before I bought my ticket.

Nevertheless, since the store is evidently one of the only ones in Scandinavia with a listening station and I was the only customer there (well, one guy popped in to ask if they have any Dave Matthews Band records—they don't), we basically had a record-listening party for an hour and 45 minutes. He would bring over instrumental Russian disco-synth LPs, Finnish funk records from the '70s (which were great, but around 200€ each, so I simply couldn't afford them), and more. He always knew the best tracks on every LP; if I picked one up he would say, "Check out track three on side two," for example. By the time I left I had a stack of wonderful and bizarre LPs and 45s that I simply couldn't do without. 

The guy (I wish I knew his name) said that they have lots of neat Russian records, since Finland and Russia share a border. When Finns visited Russia in the '70s and early '80s, there were no souvenirs available so they'd buy Russian records to bring back as a memento. But they hardly ever actually listened to them, so now Finnish record stores are full of great old Russian LPs in excellent condition! 

This Yugoslavian disco record from 1979 is one of the ones the sales clerk extraordinaire brought over to the listening station, guiding me toward "Disco Fever" (track five on side one). I've just discovered that the song is a cover of this one by Tina Charles; the LP also includes terrific Eastern-Europey-sounding disco covers of "How Deep Is Your Love," "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," and others...but I go absolutely "Bananas" over track one on side two. 

[ Redhill Records — Helsinki, Finland ]

Ksenija Erker

Artist: Ksenija Erker

LP: 7" single

Song: "Povedi Me Večeras" 
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This weekend I attended the Williams Family Campout at a lovely Mormon-owned campground called Camp Zarahemla, where droves of conservative young white people often enjoy gathering to participate in strange games involving blindfolds...

...and the re-enactment of ancient Native American massacres.

I drove out of the hills yesterday morning directly onto a road that led to Golden Oldies record store in Tacoma. I managed to unearth a few 7" treasures after rummaging through their disheveled collection of 45s scattered around the floor in cardboard boxes that are coming apart at the seams. This 1973 Yugoslavian pop single is one of the things I found. 

Born in 1954, Ksenija Erker had performed in a children's choir and as a backing vocalist before launching her solo career with the release of "Povedi Me Večeras (Take Me Tonight)" in 1973. Sadly, the lovely and talented Ksenija ultimately "submitted to family life" in the mid-1980s, effectively putting an end to her career in popular music. You can read more about Ksenija Erker in Croatian here and find the English translation here.

Ksenija Erker on YouTube:

[ "Povedi Me Večeras" ]

[ Ksenija Erker ]

[ Golden Oldies — Tacoma, Washington ]

Daliborka Stojšić

Artist: Daliborka Stojšić

LP: 7" single

Song: "Moja Čežnja Za Tobom" 
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When I picked up this 1975 single by Daliborka Stojšić at Georgetown Records a few months ago, I had no idea that the lovely singer had been a runner up in the 1968 Miss Universe pageant and that she was voted "Most Photogenic" in the interplanetary contest. In fact, she was the first-ever contestant to represent Yugoslavia in one of these pageants! Obviously, Daliborka went on to a singing career, but she eventually retired from public life when the time seemed right. Nowadays she is active on the computer, has mastered four languages, and enjoys hanging out with friends and listening to all kinds of metal music. You can read more here. Admittedly, it's been quite a few years since I myself mastered each of the Slavic languages, but I think "Moja Čežnja Za Tobom" translates to English as "Why Are Gay Men In Seattle So Fucking Boring?"

[ Daliborka Stojšić — most photogenic woman in the universe, 1968. ]

Edo Lubich

Artist: Edo Lubich

LP: At the Backstage Club — His Songs and His Guitar

Song: "Quisas, Quisas, Quisas"

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The popular classic "Quisas, Quisas, Quisas (Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps)" is given the Lubich touch by talented Yugoslavian singer, guitarist, entertainer, and restaurant manager Edo Lubich. Though he became a tamburas at a young age after receiving his first birsenica, Edo has a good friend's suicide to thank for getting his international music career off the ground and shooting him to stardom. Before offing himself, Edo's friend, who was also a regular patron at a Belgrade cafe where Edo regularly performed, made his last request: He wanted Lubich to perform at his funeral. The news of the request made headlines and the rest, as they say, is history—a history that includes Edo being voted 3rd most popular man in Yugoslavia in 1936, being the first-ever Yugoslavian person on TV, and getting to perform throughout all of Europe and the USA! A connoisseur of good food, Edo eventually found himself living in Phoenix, Arizona where he managed The Backstage Club, which offered fine dining (see the postcard below that I just paid $3.50 for on eBay) as well as entertainment by Lubich himself. He also evidently recorded at least one album with Yadran Records, a local label. According to his Tamburitza Hall of Fame biography here, Lubich later lived in Century City, California, where he owned and operated a pair of restaurants—named "La Place" and "Edo's Other Place"—which he sold in 1978 when he retired to Palm Springs. You can find more info about Edo Lubich in the LP liner notes below.

[ Edo Lubich: May 7, 1912 — March 15, 1993 ]

Duquesne University Tamburitzans

Artist: Duquesne University Tamburitzans

LP: Sviraj Tamburaši

Song: "Svirajte Mi Tamburaši"

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Song: "Timino Kolo"

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Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and founded in 1937, the Duquesne University Tamburitzans are the longest-running multicultural song and dance company in the USA! The names of five of the guys in the ensemble are listed below; that's Mark Oreskovich and Joseph Gornick handling vocals on "Svirajte Mi Tamburaši." You can read more about the Duquesne University Tamburitzans (aka. "The Tammies") here, and though you probably won't get these same fellows (hopefully they've graduated by now), you can book The Tammies for your next party on their website here. I don't know about you, but this music always makes me melancholy for the old days when this still existed—and this too, of course.

  [ The Duquesne University Tamburitzans — then ] 

[ The Duquesne University Tamburitzans — now ]