Bijelo Dugme -

Bijelo Dugme was a Yugoslav rock band from Sarajevo led by guitarist Goran Bregović. The group released nine studio albums between 1974 and 1988, spanning Balkan folk-inflected hard rock, symphonic rock, and new wave. Singer Željko Bebek fronted the first six albums, followed by Mladen Vojičić Tifa and Alen Islamović in successive lineups before the 1989 breakup.

Members: Goran Bregović (guitar, vocals, 1974-89), Željko Bebek (vocals, 1974-84), Mladen Vojičić [aka Tifa] (vocals, 1984-85), Alen Islamović (vocals, 1985-89), Goran Ivandić [aka Ipe Ivandić] (drums, 1974-76, 1977-78, 1982-89), Zoran Redžić (bass, 1974-75, 1977-89), Vlado Pravdić (keyboards, 1974-76, 1978-87), Laza Ristovski (keyboards, 1976-78, 1985-89), Điđi Jankelić (drums, 1978-82), Milić Vukašinović (drums, 1976), Sanin Karić (bass, 1977), Ljubiša Račić (bass, 1975-77)

Background

Bijelo Dugme (White Button) formed in January 1974 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, when guitarist Goran Bregović renamed the group Jutro after a dispute with co-founder Ismet Arnautalić. The new quintet included singer Željko Bebek, bassist Jadranko Stanković, drummer Goran “Ipe” Ivandić, and keyboardist Vlado Pravdić.

Bregović was born on March 22, 1950, in Sarajevo. He studied violin briefly as a child and took up guitar after his mother bought him an instrument. He played bass in the local group Beštije while attending gymnasium. Bebek was born on December 16, 1945, in Sarajevo and sang and played rhythm guitar with Kodeksi. In 1969, he recruited Bregović to fill a bass vacancy. Kodeksi played the Splendid bar in Dubrovnik, where Italian club owner Renato Pacifico offered them a 1970 engagement in Naples.

In Italy, guitarist Edo Bogeljić returned to Sarajevo and Bregović assumed lead guitar. Bebek recruited bassist Zoran Redžić from Čičak, who brought drummer bandmate Milić Vukašinović. The quartet lost their nightclub engagements after Vukašinović steered the repertoire toward extended hard-rock improvisations. Bebek returned to Sarajevo in autumn 1970, while the other three continued as Mića, Goran i Zoran. After their return to Yugoslavia, Vukašinović departed for London and Bregović enrolled in philosophy at the University of Sarajevo.

Early Singles

In autumn 1971, former Indexi guitarist Ismet Arnautalić formed Jutro with Bregović, Redžić, drummer Gordan Matrak, and singer Zlatko Hodnik. Jutro issued the 1972 Beograd Disk single “Ostajem tebi” (b/w “Sad te vidim”). Bregović reconciled with Bebek and recorded “Patim evo deset dana.” Bebek entered military service in February 1972 but returned on leave that October to cut “Kad bih bio bijelo dugme” and “U subotu mala,” paired on a 1973 PGP Radio Kruševac single.

Arnautalić departed amid disagreements over the repertoire and retained the rights to the Jutro name. Bregović briefly rehearsed with former YU Grupa guitarist Miodrag “Bata” Kostić, whose approach to Balkan folk themes informed the developing repertoire. Matrak cleared out for drummer Perica Stojanović, followed by former Pro Arte drummer Vladimir Borovčanin. In August 1973, Bregović recruited Rok drummer Goran “Ipe” Ivandić following a dispute with Borovčanin and Redžić.

Ivandić studied violin as a child and took up drums in the schoolboy group Crossroads. He later played with Mobi Dik and Rok. Pravdić began piano lessons at six and studied physics while playing in local groups. After a 1970 stint with Ambasadori, he joined Indexi as keyboardist. Bregović recruited Pravdić in autumn 1973, while Ivandić brought in Stanković, formerly of the Zagreb group Selekcija.

The dispute over the Jutro name obstructed further studio sessions at Radio Sarajevo. Bregović secured access through producer Nikola Borota, who arranged for the musicians to back singer Hamdija Čustović and use the remaining studio time for “Top” and “Ove ću noći naći blues.” The group offered the recordings to the newly established Diskoton, which proposed a six-month delay. In March 1974, Jugoton issued the single after signing Bijelo Dugme to a five-year contract.

Redžić returned that month in place of Stanković, completing the album lineup. Bijelo Dugme played the BOOM Festival in Ljubljana on May 10 and issued “Glavni junak jedne knjige” (b/w “Bila mama Kukunka, bio tata Taranta”) through both Jugoton and Diskoton. The August single “Da sam pekar” (b/w “Selma”) preceded an autumn tour with the Jugoslavenska Pop Selekcija of keyboardist Tihomir Asanović. Bregović prepared the first album during a summer engagement in Cavtat.

Kad bi’ bio bijelo dugme

Bijelo Dugme released their debut album, Kad bi’ bio bijelo dugme, in November 1974 on Jugoton.

The album blends hard-edged rock arrangements with rural-inflected motifs. Slow-blues form and ballad pacing widen the six-song program. Bregović wrote the music and lyrics except “Selma,” which uses words by Vlado Dijak. Kad features singer Željko Bebek, bassist Zoran Redžić, drummer Ipe Ivandić, guitarist Goran Bregović (guitar, harmonica), and keyboardist Vlado Pravdić (organ, synthesizer, electric piano, piano).

The title piece opens side A with a long-form arrangement. Pravdić threads organ figures through the riff passages, while Bregović places guitar breaks between refrain returns. “Kad bi’ bio bijelo dugme” sprawls through a pastoral-tinged opening, organ figure, solo breaks, and broad title replies. “Blues za moju bivšu dragu” simmers on a slow pulse, close vocal pressure, and a heavy guitar lead. “Ne spavaj, mala moja, muzika dok svira” snaps through clipped dance accents and brisk verse returns. “Sve ću da ti dam, samo da zaigram” sways through a slower bent-note verse and repeated vocal calls. “Selma” recedes into a restrained lead vocal and a shadowed coda. “Patim, evo, deset dana” lopes through loose pace and raw-edged final turns.

A1. “Kad bi’ bio bijelo dugme” [If I Were a White Button] (10:23)
A2. “Blues za moju bivšu dragu” [Blues for My Former Darling] (6:23)

B1. “Ne spavaj, mala moja, muzika dok svira” [Don’t Sleep, My Girl, While the Music Plays] (2:30)
B2. “Sve ću da ti dam, samo da zaigram” [I’ll Give You Everything Just to Dance] (4:04)
B3. “Selma” [Selma] (6:10) – lyrics: Vlado Dijak; music: Goran Bregović
B4. “Patim, evo, deset dana” [Here I Am, Suffering for Ten Days] (4:51)

Bijelo Dugme began sessions on October 2, 1974, at Akademik Studio in Ljubljana with Akademik producer Dečo Žgur and engineer Miro Bevc. Dragan S. Stefanović designed the front cover around his photograph of a woman in an unbuttoned blouse, and Boris Dučić contributed photography.

Jugoton paired “Da sam pekar” with “Selma” in 1974. The label issued “Da mi je znati, koji joj je vrag” in 1975 with “Blues za moju bivšu dragu” as the reverse. “Sve ću da ti dam, samo da zaigram” later appeared behind “Ne gledaj me tako i ne ljubi me više,” a single from the next album cycle. The debut sold roughly 141,000 copies after a February 1975 gold-record award at the Opatija Festival.

Šta bi dao da si na mom mjestu

Bijelo Dugme released their second album, Šta bi dao da si na mom mjestu, in December 1975 on Jugoton.

The album sharpens the debut blend through shorter A-side numbers and two extended B-side pieces. Bregović wrote the music and most lyrics, while poet Duško Trifunović wrote the title lyric. Bijelo Dugme used the same five-member lineup, though Bebek played the recorded bass parts after Redžić injured a finger. Redžić remained credited and directed the bass lines during the sessions.

Šta bi dao da si na mom mjestu anchors rural chants, dark low riffs, and extended sectional pieces. “Tako ti je, mala moja, kad ljubi Bosanac” struts through call-and-reply title lines and a broad village-party refrain. “Hop-cup” hops over cowbell accents and short shouted replies. “Došao sam da ti kažem da odlazim” laments through piano support before a guitar solo. “Ne gledaj me tako i ne ljubi me više” darkens around a low bass riff and Mellotron shade.

“Požurite, konji moji” gallops through storm effects, horse-run cues, echoed vocal calls, and symphonic turns. “Bekrija si cijelo selo viče, e pa jesam, šta se koga tiče” clatters through a compact beat and clipped chorus. “Šta bi dao da si na mom mjestu” unfurls from acoustic-led verses into heavier organ-laden passages, tempo changes, and a quiet coda.

A1. “Tako ti je, mala moja, kad ljubi Bosanac” [That’s How It Is, My Girl, When You Love a Bosnian] (3:52)
A2. “Hop-cup” [Hop-Cup] (2:18)
A3. “Došao sam da ti kažem da odlazim” [I Came to Tell You I’m Leaving] (3:36)
A4. “Ne gledaj me tako i ne ljubi me više” [Don’t Look at Me Like That and Don’t Kiss Me Anymore] (6:46)

B1. “Požurite, konji moji” [Hurry, My Horses] (7:17)
B2. “Bekrija si cijelo selo viče, e pa jesam, šta se koga tiče” [The Whole Village Shouts That I’m a Reveler; Well, I Am, and What Business Is It of Anyone Else] (2:47)
B3. “Šta bi dao da si na mom mjestu” [What Would You Give to Be in My Place] (7:42) – lyrics: Duško Trifunović; music: Goran Bregović

Bijelo Dugme recorded the album from November 8 to November 23, 1975, at AIR Studios in London with producer Neil Harrison and engineer Peter Henderson. Stefanović designed and photographed the gatefold cover, which places a male hand on a woman’s backside.

Jugoton issued “Ne gledaj me tako i ne ljubi me više” as a 1975 single (b/w “Sve ću da ti dam samo da zaigram”). In 1976, “Tako ti je, mala moja, kad ljubi Bosanac” appeared as a single (b/w “Ne spavaj mala moja muzika dok svira”). The album sold more than 200,000 copies and led Jugoton to introduce a diamond-record designation.

Eto! Baš hoću!

Bijelo Dugme released their third studio album, Eto! Baš hoću!, on December 20, 1976, on Jugoton.

The album combines hard rock arrangements with folk-rock and symphonic ballad material. Bijelo Dugme recorded the album with singer/bassist Željko Bebek, drummer Milić Vukašinović, guitarist Goran Bregović, and keyboardist Laza Ristovski while Zoran Redžić, Ipe Ivandić, and Vlado Pravdić served mandatory army terms. Bregović wrote all songs except “Loše vino,” with lyrics by Arsen Dedić, and “Ništa mudro,” with lyrics by Duško Trifunović.

Eto! Baš hoću! favors denser studio finish, skewed accents, and broader choral endings. “Izgledala je malo čudno u kaputu žutom krojenom bez veze” lurches through an off-kilter backbeat, group shouts, and a talk-box figure. “Loše vino” cools into minimalist romance with a close Bebek vocal and a bent guitar line. “Eto! Baš hoću!” surges through Hammond-and-lead interplay and blunt refrain returns. “Dede bona, sjeti se, de, tako ti svega” skews through synth colors and two-layer unison phrases.

“Slatko li je ljubit’ tajno” saunters through folk-creased accents and a stout chorus. “Ništa mudro” clips through a short straight-ahead beat and plain chant. “Ne dese se takve stvari pravome muškarcu” flexes through clipped backbeat and syncopated vocal replies. “Sanjao sam noćas da te nemam” crests from gradual verse lift into horn-thickened group vocals and a large-scale finale.

A1. “Izgledala je malo čudno u kaputu žutom krojenom bez veze” [She Looked a Little Strange in a Badly Cut Yellow Coat] (4:41)
A2. “Loše vino” [Bad Wine] (2:36) – lyrics: Arsen Dedić; music: Goran Bregović
A3. “Eto! Baš hoću!” [There! I Really Will!] (3:52)
A4. “Dede bona, sjeti se, de, tako ti svega” [Come On, Girl, Remember, for Heaven’s Sake] (4:56)

B1. “Slatko li je ljubit’ tajno” [How Sweet It Is to Kiss in Secret] (4:37)
B2. “Ništa mudro” [Nothing Smart] (2:32) – lyrics: Duško Trifunović; music: Goran Bregović
B3. “Ne dese se takve stvari pravome muškarcu” [Such Things Don’t Happen to a Real Man] (4:08)
B4. “Sanjao sam noćas da te nemam” [Last Night I Dreamed I Didn’t Have You] (6:46)

Neil Harrison produced the sessions at AIR Studios from November 1 to November 20, 1976, with Jon Kelly and Jon Walls as recording engineers. Stefanović designed a gatefold cover around Veljko Despot photography of glossy red lips against a yellow field.

Jugoton issued “Eto! Baš hoću!” as a December 1976 single (b/w “Došao sam da ti kažem da odlazim”).

Bitanga i princeza

Bijelo Dugme released their fourth studio album, Bitanga i princeza, on March 16, 1979, on Jugoton.

The album contains seven Bregović songs and uses the returning studio core of Bebek, Bregović, Redžić, and Pravdić with new drummer Dragan “Điđi” Jankelić. Bitanga i princeza tightens the band’s heavier side into clipped riffs, rough vocal turns, and orchestral ballad forms.

“Bitanga i princeza” snarls through a hard-edged riff and rough-throated lead lines. “Ala je glupo zaboravit’ njen broj” quickens through anxious verse motion and folk-creased turns. “Ipak, poželim neko pismo” sinks into a slower pulse, backing-vocal shade, and a contained guitar lead. “Kad zaboraviš juli” swells through organ, strings, and a broad vocal crest. “Na zadnjem sjedištu moga auta” rattles through cowbell accents and a lean bass figure. “Sve će to, mila moja, prekriti ruzmarin, snjegovi i šaš” arches through long orchestral rises, widened vocal lines, and a grave coda.

A1. “Bitanga i princeza” [The Rascal and the Princess] (3:46)
A2. “Ala je glupo zaboravit’ njen broj” [How Stupid It Is to Forget Her Number] (3:53)
A3. “Ipak, poželim neko pismo” [Still, I Wish for a Letter] (4:29)
A4. “Kad zaboraviš juli” [When You Forget July] (4:29)

B1. “Na zadnjem sjedištu moga auta” [In the Back Seat of My Car] (3:56)
B2. “A koliko si ih imala do sad” [And How Many Have You Had by Now] (4:18)
B3. “Sve će to, mila moja, prekriti ruzmarin, snjegovi i šaš” [All of This, My Dear, Will Be Covered by Rosemary, Snow, and Reed] (7:49)

Bijelo Dugme recorded the album in January 1979 at PGP RTB Studios in Belgrade with producer Neil Harrison. Vojkan Borisavljević arranged “Kad zaboraviš juli,” and Ranko Rihtman arranged “Sve će to, mila moja, prekriti ruzmarin, snjegovi i šaš.”

Jugoton rejected the first cover image by Dragan S. Stefanović, which showed a woman’s leg kicking a man in the groin. The label also rejected a plain white variant. Ivan Ivezić designed the issued cover.

Jugoton issued “Bitanga i princeza” as a March 1979 single (b/w “Dede bona, sjeti se, de tako ti svega”). The album sold 320,000 copies.

Doživjeti stotu

Bijelo Dugme released its fifth studio album, Doživjeti stotu, on December 12, 1980, on Jugoton.

The album contains ten songs with music by Goran Bregović; Duško Trifunović wrote the “Pristao sam biću sve što hoće” lyric and shared the “Lova” lyric with Bregović. Bijelo Dugme recorded the album with singer Željko Bebek, bassist Zoran Redžić (bass, Wall Pro bass), drummer Dragan “Điđi” Jankelić, guitarist Goran Bregović, and keyboardist Vlado Pravdić (keyboards, Polymoog). The sessions also include percussionist Jelenko Milaković, saxophonists Jovan Maljoković and Paul Pignon, and trumpeter Predrag Kostić.

Doživjeti stotu compresses the band into shorter lines, dry-toned ensemble parts, and brighter rhythmic turns. “Doživjeti stotu” clips through a wiry keyboard front and clipped vocal replies. “Lova” jabs at a leaner beat with brass accents and short phrase turns. “Tramvaj kreće (ili kako biti heroj u ova šugava vremena)” parades through pointed text and brisk chant figures. “Hotel, motel” keeps the line compact and conversational.

“Pjesma mom mlađem bratu” settles into the older slow-vocal manner with a wider refrain. “Čudesno jutro u krevetu gospođe Petrović” brightens the newer approach with saxophone color and a compressed beat. “Ha, ha, ha” swerves through terse replies and sardonic title repeats. “Pristao sam biću sve što hoće” thins the arrangement into a plain singalong close.

A1. “Doživjeti stotu” [Live to Be 100] (3:12)
A2. “Lova” [Money] (2:49) – lyrics: Duško Trifunović and Goran Bregović; music: Goran Bregović
A3. “Tramvaj kreće (ili kako biti heroj u ova šugava vremena)” [The Streetcar Is Leaving (or How to Be a Hero in These Lousy Times)] (3:14)
A4. “Hotel, motel” [Hotel, Motel] (3:33)
A5. “Pjesma mom mlađem bratu (iz Niša u proljeće ’78)” [Song for My Younger Brother (from Niš in Spring ’78)] (4:14)

B1. “Čudesno jutro u krevetu gđe Petrović” [A Marvelous Morning in Mrs. Petrović’s Bed] (2:29)
B2. “Mogla je biti prosta priča” [It Could Have Been a Simple Story] (2:47)
B3. “Ha, ha, ha” [Ha, Ha, Ha] (3:10)
B4. “Zažmiri i broj” [Close Your Eyes and Count] (3:45)
B5. “Pristao sam biću sve što hoće” [I Accepted; I’ll Be Whatever They Want] (3:01) – lyrics: Duško Trifunović; music: Goran Bregović

Bijelo Dugme recorded and mixed the album in October and November 1980 at Studio VI Radio Beograd with Bregović as producer and Rade Ercegovac as engineer. Mirko Ilić designed the three cover variations with photography by Željko Stojanović; the three images show a woman’s face and upper body when placed together.

Jugoton issued “Dobro Vam Jutro, Petrović Petre” as a December 6, 1980, single (b/w “Na Zadnjem Sjedištu Mog Auta”). In 1981, “Doživjeti Stotu” appeared as the B-side of the Jugoton single “Playing The Part.”

Uspavanka za Radmilu M.

Bijelo Dugme released its sixth studio album, Uspavanka za Radmilu M., on February 21, 1983, on Jugoton.

The album was the group’s final studio album with singer Željko Bebek and the first Bijelo Dugme studio album since Šta bi dao da si na mom mjestu with the default lineup of Bebek, bassist Zoran Redžić, drummer Ipe Ivandić, guitarist Goran Bregović, and keyboardist Vlado Pravdić. Guest players include guitarist Vlatko Stefanovski on tracks A1 and B4. The sessions also include double bassist Blagoje Morotov and saxophonist Arsen Ereš.

Uspavanka za Radmilu M. sets austere late-period pieces beside broad-voiced ballads, political chants, and a closing instrumental. “Polubauk polukruži poluevropom” circles through a sharpened guitar front and terse vocal phrases. “Drugovi i drugarice” stomps through blunt chorus replies. “Kosovska” leans on Albanian-language lines and plain-spoken rock text. “U vrijeme otkazanih letova” keeps the vocal near the front with a measured verse line.

“Zašto me ne podnosi tvoj tata” loosens into a more direct comic charge. “Ako možeš, zaboravi” pleads through a slow rise and broad refrain. “Ovaj ples dame biraju” glides through an extended dance pulse and theatrical vocal placement. “Ne plači” darkens the side with a restrained lament. “Uspavanka za Radmilu M.” fades through a wordless lullaby form.

A1. “Polubauk polukruži poluevropom” [A Half-Spectre Half-Haunts Half-Europe] (3:57)
A2. “Drugovi i drugarice” [Comrades and Comradettes] (3:33)
A3. “Kosovska” [Kosovo Song] (3:34) – lyrics: Zija Berisha, Agron Berisha, and Shpend Ahmeti; music: Goran Bregović
A4. “U vrijeme otkazanih letova” [In the Time of Canceled Flights] (3:40)
A5. “Zašto me ne podnosi tvoj tata” [Why Can’t Your Dad Stand Me] (3:21)

B1. “Ako možeš, zaboravi” [Forget, If You Can] (4:58)
B2. “Ovaj ples dame biraju” [Ladies’ Choice] (5:11)
B3. “Ne plači” [Don’t Cry] (3:54)
B4. “Uspavanka za Radmilu M.” [Lullaby for Radmila M.] (2:25)

Bijelo Dugme recorded the album at Studio RTV Skopje and mixed it at Britannia Row Studios in London during January 1983. Bregović and Gajo Vučićević produced the album, and Mike Johnson engineered and mixed the sessions.

Dragan S. Stefanović designed the cover package, which uses an embossed pillow print across the front and back panels. The original LP package includes a printed lyric inner sleeve.

Jugoton followed the album with an Uspavanka za Radmilu M. VHS cassette containing videos for all album tracks and concert material from the start of the tour. Boris Miljković and Branimir “Tucko” Dimitrijević directed the videos.

Bijelo dugme

Bijelo Dugme released their seventh studio album, Bijelo dugme, on December 12, 1984, on Diskoton and Kamarad.

The album was the group’s only studio album with singer Mladen Vojičić “Tifa.” Bijelo Dugme made the album with Vojičić, bassist Zoran Redžić, drummer Ipe Ivandić, guitarist Goran Bregović, and keyboardist Vlado Pravdić. The sessions also include keyboardist Laza Ristovski (keyboards, computer programming), singer Bora Đorđević, vocal group Ladarice, gaida player Pece Atanasovski, harpist Sonja Beran-Leskovšek, and the Radio Television of Skopje Folk Instruments Orchestra.

Bregović wrote the album material apart from “Hej, Slaveni,” “Meni se ne spava,” and “Pediculis pubis.” Miljenko Žuborski shares the lyric credit on “Meni se ne spava,” and Đorđević shares the lyric credit on “Pediculis pubis.”

Bijelo dugme sharpens folk-creased refrains through computer-bright keyboard colors, rough-voiced lead lines, and ceremonial song cues. “Hej, Slaveni” chants the album into an anthem-like opening. “Padaju zvijezde” lunges through a hard backbeat and a clipped refrain. “Meni se ne spava” reels through anxious title repeats and short vocal bursts. “Jer, kad ostariš” pleads through a slower verse and widened chorus. “Lipe cvatu, sve je isto k’o i lani” sways through folk-choir replies, gaida color, and a round-dance cadence. “Pediculis pubis” rattles through comic tag-team vocals and coarse chant replies. “Lažeš” surges through sharp title calls and blunt refrain returns. “Da te bogdo ne volim” closes with a harp-tinted lament and broad coda.

A1. “Hej, Slaveni” [Hey, Slavs] (1:32) – lyrics: Samo Tomášik; Serbo-Croatian translation: Dragutin Rakovac; arrangement: Goran Bregović
A2. “Padaju zvijezde” [Stars Are Falling] (4:43)
A3. “Meni se ne spava” [I Don’t Feel Like Sleeping] (4:49) – lyrics: Goran Bregović and Miljenko Žuborski; music: Goran Bregović
A4. “Za Esmu” [For Esma] (4:18)
A5. “Jer, kad ostariš” [Because, When You Grow Old] (5:44)

B1. “Lipe cvatu, sve je isto k’o i lani” [Linden Trees Are Blooming; Everything Is Like Last Year] (4:02)
B2. “Pediculis pubis” [Pediculis Pubis] (4:31) – Bora Đorđević and Goran Bregović
B3. “Aiaio radi radio” [Aiaio, the Radio Is On] (2:54)
B4. “Lažeš” [You’re Lying] (3:47)
B5. “Da te bogdo ne volim” [If Only I Didn’t Love You] (5:16)

Bijelo Dugme recorded the album at Studio I RTV Sarajevo, Studio IV RTV Zagreb, Studio RTV Skopje, and Studio Akvarijus in Belgrade. Mufid Kosović engineered the main sessions, while Theo Werdin mixed the album. Diskoton and Kamarad used the Uroš Predić painting Kosovo Maiden for the cover, and the LP included a printed lyric-and-credit inner sleeve.

The album sold more than 420,000 copies.

Pljuni i zapjevaj moja Jugoslavijo

Bijelo Dugme released their eighth studio album, Pljuni i zapjevaj moja Jugoslavijo, in November 1986 on Diskoton and Kamarad.

The album was the group’s first studio release with singer Alen Islamović and the first mainline Bijelo Dugme album since Koncert kod Hajdučke česme with keyboardist Laza Ristovski as an official member. Bijelo Dugme recorded the album with Islamović, bassist Zoran Redžić, drummer Ipe Ivandić, guitarist Goran Bregović, and keyboardists Vlado Pravdić and Laza Ristovski. Additional players include bassist Nenad Stefanović “Japanac,” keyboardist Sinan Alimanović, trombonist Slobodan Sokolović, and backing singers Amila Sulejmanović, Amela, and Zumreta Midžić “Zuzi Zu.”

Bregović wrote the music across the nine-track LP. Ademir Kenović, Bregović, and Ismet Arnautalić share the lyric credit on “Hajdemo u planine.” Pljuni i zapjevaj moja Jugoslavijo pushes communal refrains, broad-voiced ballads, and partisan-styled chants into short, direct song forms.

“Padaj silo i nepravdo” opens with a clipped revolutionary chant and orphanage-choir backing. “Pljuni i zapjevaj moja Jugoslavijo” marches through blunt title calls and square refrain returns. “Zamisli” jabs through a clipped verse and dry rhythmic drive. “Noćas je k’o lubenica pun mjesec iznad Bosne” circles a long vocal line around a rustic refrain. “Te noći kad umrem, kad odem, kad me ne bude” pleads through a broad-voiced deathbed chorus. “A i ti me iznevjeri” sways through betrayal phrases and backing-vocal replies. “Zar ne vidiš da pravim budalu od sebe” barks through self-mocking lines and a plain beat. “Hajdemo u planine” claps through fairground-bright group calls and a mountain refrain. “Ružica si bila, sada više nisi” fades into an old-style lament and repeated rose image.

A1. “Pljuni i zapjevaj moja Jugoslavijo” [Spit and Sing, My Yugoslavia] (4:43)
A2. “Zamisli” [Imagine] (4:28)
A3. “Noćas je k’o lubenica pun mjesec iznad Bosne” [Tonight, the Full Moon Above Bosnia Is Like a Watermelon] (6:02)
A4. “Kada odem, kad’ me ne bude” [When I Leave, When I’m Gone] (4:39)

B1. “A i ti me iznevjeri” [And You Betrayed Me Too] (4:12)
B2. “Zar ne vidiš da pravim budalu od sebe” [Can’t You See I’m Making a Fool of Myself] (3:48)
B3. “Hajdemo u planine” [Let’s Go to the Mountains] (4:48) – lyrics: Ademir Kenović, Goran Bregović, and Ismet Arnautalić; music: Goran Bregović
B4. “Pjesma za malu pticu” [Song for a Little Bird] (4:01)
B5. “Ružica si bila, sada više nisi” [You Were a Little Rose; Now You Aren’t Anymore] (3:59)

Bijelo Dugme recorded and mixed the album at Studio I RTV Sarajevo with Branko Podbrežnički and Damir Begović. “Hajdemo u planine” and “Pjesma za malu pticu” received final mixes at Jugoton Studio in Zagreb. Vlado Perić designed the package, and the LP included a poster sheet of the front cover with lyrics.

Ćiribiribela

Bijelo Dugme released their ninth and final studio album, Ćiribiribela, on November 24, 1988, on Diskoton, Kamarad, and Komuna.

The album contains nine tracks by Goran Bregović, with “Đurđevdan je, a ja nisam s onom koju volim” adapted from “Ederlezi” and “Lijepa naša” combining Bregović material with words and music from Croatian and Serbian patriotic song sources. Bijelo Dugme recorded the album with singer Alen Islamović, bassist Zoran Redžić, drummer Ipe Ivandić, guitarist Goran Bregović, and keyboardist Laza Ristovski. The sessions also include bassist Nenad Stefanović and drummer Vladimir Golubović on “Evo, zakleću se” and “Lijepa naša,” plus trumpeter Jasmin Sokolović, Klapa Trogir, Orchestra Kardijevi, and the First Belgrade Singing Society.

Ćiribiribela sets pacifist text, ceremonial quotations, and broad-voiced refrains against late-period studio weight. “Ćiribiribela” glides through a Dalmatian-tinged chorus, locked-door refrain, and klapa backing. “Šta ima novo” pleads through a wide verse and repeated title question. “Evo, zakleću se” swells through vow phrases and heavier bass weight. “Đurđevdan je, a ja nisam s onom koju volim” chants a Romani-derived lament under Fejat Sejdić trumpet calls. “Napile se ulice” reels through a street-bright refrain and compact verse. “Ako ima Boga” leans on synth-heavy lines and a broad chorus. “Nakon svih ovih godina” slows into a reflective vocal rise. “Lijepa naša” folds the Croatian anthem into a Serbian wartime song for a ceremonial close.

A1. “Ćiribiribela” [untranslated refrain] (4:12)
A2. “Šta ima novo” [What’s New] (5:21)
A3. “Neću to na brzaka” [I Don’t Want It in a Hurry] (4:10)
A4. “Evo, zakleću se” [Here, I’ll Swear] (5:53)

B1. “Đurđevdan je, a ja nisam s onom koju volim” [It Is St. George’s Day, and I’m Not with the One I Love] (3:55) – adapted from “Ederlezi”; Goran Bregović
B2. “Napile se ulice” [The Streets Got Drunk] (2:49)
B3. “Ako ima Boga” [If There Is a God] (5:18)
B4. “Nakon svih ovih godina” [After All These Years] (4:40)
B5. “Lijepa naša” [Our Beautiful] (3:18) – lyrics: Goran Bregović, Antun Mihanović, and Đorđe Marinković; music: Goran Bregović, Josip Runjanin, and Đorđe Marinković

Bijelo Dugme recorded the album at Studio I RTV Sarajevo, Studio Akvarijus in Belgrade, Nenad Vilović Studio in Split, and SIM-OKC Studio in Zagreb between September and November 1988. Vladimir Smolec, Rajko Bartula, and Theodore Yanni engineered the sessions, and Piko Stančić mixed the album. Trio Sarajevo designed the package around the Edward Hicks painting Noah’s Ark.

Discography:

Kad bi’ bio bijelo dugme (1974)
Šta bi dao da si na mom mjestu (1975)
Eto! Baš hoću! (1976)
Bitanga i princeza (1979)
Doživjeti stotu (1980)
Uspavanka za Radmilu M. (1983)
Bijelo dugme (1984)
Pljuni i zapjevaj moja Jugoslavijo (1986)
Ćiribiribela (1988)

Sites:

Resources and notes

Dušan Vesić — Šta bi dao da si na mom mjestu (Laguna, 2014), pp. 15–45. Detailed account of Kodeksi, the Italian engagements, Jutro personnel, the Arnautalić dispute, early studio sessions, and the arrival of Ivandić and Pravdić. Includes firsthand recollections and original single artwork. (Book preview, PDF)
Croatia Records — Bijelo Dugme biography. Formation history, 1973–74 personnel, Diskoton rejection, Jugoton contract, early singles, BOOM Festival, and debut-album sessions. (Croatia Records)
Hrvatska enciklopedija — Bijelo dugme. Confirms the 1974 Sarajevo formation, original album lineup, March debut single, and initial discographic chronology. (Leksikografski zavod Miroslav Krleža)
Barikada — Ex-YU singles, J. Original release details for the two Jutro singles: “Ostajem tebi” / “Sad te vidim” (Beograd Disk, 1972) and “U subotu mala” / “Kad bih bio bijelo dugme” (PGP Radio Kruševac, 1973). Corrects the erroneous 1972 B-side identification repeated in later biographies. (Singles archive)
Dušan Vesić — Jutro uoči Dugmeta, November 10, 2014. Book excerpt documenting the 1971 formation of Jutro, the return of Bebek, and the January 1972 studio sessions. (Radio Sarajevo)
45cat — Bijelo Dugme singles discography. Original Jugoton release dates and catalogue numbers for “Top” (March 29), “Glavni junak jedne knjige” (April 30), and “Da sam pekar” (August 30), 1974. (45cat)
Kad bi’ bio bijelo dugme — original LP sleeve transcription, 1974. Confirms the Cavtat writing period, October sessions at Akademik, October 22–23 mix at RTV Ljubljana, producer Vladimir Mihaljek, recording engineer Miro Bevc, and the five album musicians. (Original sleeve documentation)