YU Grupa -

YU Grupa was a Yugoslav hard-rock band from Beograd, Serbia, that released five albums and ten singles between 1973 and 1979 on Jugoton. Further titles followed from 1987 onward.

Members: Dragi Jelić (vocals, guitar), Žika Jelić (bass, vocals), Miodrag Okrugić [Mive] (organ, 1970-71), Velibor Bogdanović [Boka] (drums, 1970-72, 1987-89), Miodrag-Bata Kostić (guitar, 1971-72, 1973-75, 1978-92), Raša Đelmaš (drums, 1972-76, 1990-97), Dragan Micić (drums, 1976-78), Nedžat Maculja (guitar 1976-78), Dragoljub Đuričić (drums, 1978-81), Dragan Janković (keyboards, 1978-81)

Background

YU Grupa formed in Belgrade in autumn 1970 when guitarist-singer Dragi Jelić and bassist Živorad “Žika” Jelić teamed with organist Miodrag “Mive” Okrugić and drummer Velibor “Boka” Bogdanović.

Dragi Jelić was born on May 17, 1947, in Ribnica near Kraljevo and played with Albatrosi, Alasi, Beduini, Siluete, and Džentlmeni before YU Grupa. Živorad Jelić was born on December 7, 1942, in Šumarice near Kraljevo and played with Albatrosi, Alasi, and Džentlmeni before the new group. Okrugić was born in 1946 and had played with Beduini, Beat Quintet, and Duka i Čavke. Bogdanović was born in Belgrade in 1947 and had played with Plavi dečaci and Džentlmeni. Dragi and Žika began in Albatrosi during 1962 with guitarist Rade Jelić and drummer Vladislav Žužek. The brothers later led Džentlmeni with singer-guitarist Branko Marušić in Belgrade.

The Jelić brothers formed the new group to play original material. Kornelije Kovač suggested the working name Idejni posed. Disc jockey Zoran Modli asked the audience to name the group during the November 29, 1970 Sinagoga show in Zemun. Audience member Miroslav Stanivuk proposed YU Grupa, and the band accepted the name on the same night. YU Grupa recorded “Nona” at the end of December 1970 and built the song from Kosovo folk motives. Radio Belgrade editors Nikola Karaklajić and Petar Popović organized a January 21, 1971 solo concert at Dadov Theatre in Belgrade. The band cut fourteen songs for Radio Belgrade during 1971 and later used portions of that repertory for singles. PGP-RTB issued “Nona” as the first single. Buyers exhausted the first pressing. PGP-RTB declined a repress, and YU Grupa moved to Jugoton.

YU Grupa spent the summer of 1971 at Lanterna in Rovinj. Okrugić left after the engagement, and guitarist Miodrag “Bata” Kostić joined from Terusi in Tuzla. The group already had songs by Kostić in its repertory. YU Grupa recorded “Bio jednom jedan pas” and released it on a 1972 single. The band toured Bulgaria for twenty days in March 1972 and played forty concerts. Jugoton issued “U tami disko kluba” (b/w “Kosovski božuri”) before the second Lanterna engagement in Rovinj. Kostić and Bogdanović left after that summer engagement. Kostić moved to Sarajevo for work with Jutro and later formed Opus with Okrugić in Belgrade.

Drummer Ratislav “Raša” Đelmaš was born on January 26, 1950, in Belgrade and had played with Mobi Dik, Pop Mašina, and Siluete before YU Grupa. The group continued as a trio and spent the following year on Yugoslav dates through Croatia and Slovenia. YU Grupa recorded “Šta će meni vatra” near the end of 1972 with lyrics by former Džentlmeni singer Branko Marušić “Čutura.” YU Grupa went to London in mid-February 1973 to buy equipment and stage clothes. CBS personnel had heard recordings by the group and arranged a February 24 Marquee Club performance. CBS then gave the band studio time for demo recordings. The company proposed further work and an opening slot on an English Allman Brothers Band tour. YU Grupa returned to Belgrade for a sold-out Hala sportova concert. YU Grupa played the third BOOM festival during April 1973 in Ljubljana. Jugoton included a concert version of “Kosovski božuri” on the festival double album. In early summer 1973, Jugoton issued the self-titled debut LP YU Grupa.

YU Grupa

YU Grupa released their self-titled debut album in 1973 on Jugoton.

The album presents hard-rock and blues-rock material in a trio format, performed by guitarist Dragi Jelić, bassist Žika Jelić, and drummer Ratislav Đelmaš. Dragi Jelić wrote all eight music credits. Dragan Nedimović wrote six lyrics. Branko Marušić wrote the lyric for “Noć je moja,” and Dragi Jelić wrote the lyric for “Crni leptir.”

YU Grupa works from rough trio compression: fuzzed riff songs, steady mid-speed backbeats, inward second-side pieces, and sparse ballad material. “Trka” charges through guitar haze and a locked riff cadence. “Noć Je Moja” slows under an extended opening lead, with the vocal set behind a steady backbeat. “Čovek i Marsovac” grinds through overdriven bass tones and squat riff blocks. “Čudna Šuma” glides on a cleaner refrain and bright highway pulse. “Trenutak Sna” softens into a lighter detour with inward vocal tint. “Devojko Mala, Podigni Glavu” lingers on picked figures and brushed accents under a low-lit verse. “Crni Leptir” settles into sparse lament, with Žika Jelić’s restrained vocal close to the line. “More” extends the ballad side with heavier bent-note cadence and sustained lead phrases.

A1. “Trka” [Race] (4:34) – Dragi, Dragan
A2. “Noć je moja” [The Night Is Mine] (5:42) – Dragi, Branko
A3. “Čovek i Marsovac” [The Man and the Martian] (3:31) – Dragi, Dragan
A4. “Čudna šuma” [Strange Forest] (3:42) – Dragi, Dragan

B1. “Trenutak sna” [A Moment of Dream] (4:21) – Dragi, Dragan
B2. “Devojko mala, podigni glavu” [Little Girl, Raise Your Head] (3:53) – Dragi, Dragan
B3. “Crni leptir” [Black Butterfly] (3:51) – Dragi
B4. “More” [Sea] (5:39) – Dragi, Dragan

Žika Jelić sings “Crni leptir,” one of the album tracks later grouped among the band’s best-known 1970s songs with “Čudna šuma,” “More,” “Trka,” and “Noć je moja.” The album sold more than 30,000 copies and held a leading sales position for Yugoslav rock LPs before the 1974 debut album by Bijelo Dugme.

Kako to da svaki dan?

YU Grupa released their second album, Kako to da svaki dan?, in 1974 on Jugoton.

The album extends the band’s hard-rock and blues-rock base with a four-piece lineup. YU Grupa produced the album with multi-instrumentalist Dragi Jelić (guitar, synthesizer), guitarist/keyboardist Miodrag Bata Kostić (guitar, organ), bassist Žika Jelić, and drummer Ratislav Đelmaš. Dragi Jelić wrote the music for three songs. Miodrag Bata Kostić wrote or co-wrote the remaining five, with Đelmaš sharing the music for “Laž.” Branko Marušić wrote four lyrics. Vlada Marjanović wrote “Zar je ljubav to,” and Đelmaš wrote “Laž.”

Kako to da svaki dan? broadens the earlier pressure with Hammond-colored backing, harder riff pieces, shorter vocal songs, and longer side-form material. “Kako To” snaps through a firm riff cadence. “Ništa Nema Novo” presses the heavier side into an expanded passage. “Balada o YU Grupi” settles around a plain-spoken chorus. “Mala Džoj” lopes through compact romantic address. “More No. 2” darkens the sea-lament contour with a broader lead arc. “Laž” closes the set on terse phrasing and a hard-edged cadence.

A1. “Kako to da svaki dan?” [How Come Every Day?] (3:58) – Dragi, Branko
A2. “Život njen” [Her Life] (3:05) – Miodrag Bata, Branko
A3. “Ništa nema novo” [Nothing Is New] (6:41) – Dragi, Branko
A4. “Balada o YU Grupi” [Ballad of YU Grupa] (3:25) – Miodrag Bata

B1. “Mala Džoj” [Little Joy] (3:21) – Miodrag Bata
B2. “Zar je ljubav to” [Is That Love?] (3:03) – Miodrag Bata, Vlada
B3. “More No. 2” [Sea No. 2] (7:57) – Dragi, Branko
B4. “Laž” [Lie] (3:41) – Miodrag Bata, Ratislav

Dragan Balać recorded the album. Kako to da svaki dan? appeared in a cover designed by D. Krstić, whose image uses a childhood photograph of brothers Žika and Dragi Jelić. After the album cycle, Dragi Jelić entered army service, and YU Grupa worked as a trio until his return.

YU Grupa (1975)

YU Grupa released their third album, a second self-titled LP, in 1975 on Jugoton.

The album returns the group to a trio format, with guitarist/singer Dragi Jelić, bassist/singer Žika Jelić, and drummer Ratislav Đelmaš. Dragi Jelić wrote all nine music credits. Marina Tucaković wrote eight lyrics, and Dragi Jelić wrote the words for “Ljubav kao cvet.”

YU Grupa ’75 tightens the trio format into compact riff songs, clipped chorus entries, and slower pieces with rough-edged vocal placement. “Možda Ti, Možda Ja” lunges through a direct opening cadence and keeps the vocal close to the riff. “Oprosti Ljubavi” saunters through a burnished refrain with a steadier romantic line. “Čovek Kao Ja” clips the verse into shorter vocal phrases. “Novi Zvuk” brightens the pace with a sharper chorus and cleaner forward drive. “Ja Moram Dalje” tightens the hard-edged side with a leaner guitar line. “Kad” lingers on a more contoured vocal arc. “Kišni Dan” closes the set with duskier phrasing and a rain-darkened cadence.

A1. “Možda ti, možda ja” [Maybe You, Maybe Me] (4:10)
A2. “Oprosti ljubavi” [Forgive Me, Love] (3:50)
A3. “Bolje se živi” [Life Is Better] (4:39)
A4. “Čovek kao ja” [A Man Like Me] (3:28)

B1. “Novi zvuk” [New Sound] (3:01)
B2. “Ja moram dalje” [I Must Move On] (2:45)
B3. “Ljubav kao cvet” [Love Like a Flower] (3:47)
B4. “Kad” [When] (3:25)
B5. “Kišni dan” [Rainy Day] (3:31)

YU Grupa recorded the album in November 1975 at Radio-Television Belgrade studios with producer Žika Jelić and engineers Dragan Vukićević and Tahir Durkalić. Ivan Ivezić designed the cover package with photography by M. Isailović.

Jugoton placed “Oprosti ljubavi” on the reverse of the 1976 non-album single “Osveta.” A second 1976 single paired the non-album titles “3 do 6” and “Tačno u podne.”

Među zvezdama

YU Grupa released their fourth album, Među zvezdama, in 1977 on Jugoton.

The album expands the group to a twin-guitar lineup, with guitarist/singer Dragi Jelić, bassist Žika Jelić, guitarist Nedžat Maculja, and drummer Dragan Micić. Miodrag Bata Kostić appears as a guest guitarist after his earlier full-member role on Kako to da svaki dan?

Među zvezdama shifts the band toward shorter chorus pieces and broader late-side forms, with the second guitar thickening the riff passages. “Među Zvezdama” glides through a clipped refrain and starward lyric refrain. “Majko, Žedan Sam” presses a heavier vocal line against a firm cadence. “Pevaj I Ti” lifts the pace with a simpler chant-like chorus. “Budi Sa Mnom” broadens into a longer lead passage and steadier midsection. “Opasno” coils around a hard-edged refrain. “Galebov Let” arcs through an airborne contour. “Poleti Ptico” resolves the set with an extended closing sweep and a wider vocal reach.

A1. “Među zvezdama” [Among the Stars] (2:48) – Dragi
A2. “Majko žedan sam” [Mother, I’m Thirsty] (3:48) – Miodrag Bata, Marina
A3. “Pevaj i ti” [You Sing Too] (2:37) – Dragi
A4. “Budi sa mnom” [Be with Me] (5:30) – Nedžat, Dragi
A5. “Ne znam ni sam šta da ti dam” [I Don’t Even Know What to Give You] (3:40) – Dragi

B1. “Opasno” [Dangerous] (4:07) – Miodrag Bata, Marina
B2. “Razlog više da postojim” [One More Reason to Exist] (3:24) – Miodrag Bata, Marina
B3. “Galebov let” [Flight of the Seagull] (4:33) – Dragi, Zoran
B4. “Poleti ptico” [Fly, Bird] (5:43) – Miodrag Bata, Marina

Dragi Jelić and Siniša Škarica produced the album with engineers Mladen Rukavec and Franjo Berner and assistant Branko Podbrežnički. Siniša Škarica also served as editor. Danko Polić designed the package with photography by Zoran Kršljanin.

Jugoton lifted “Opasno” as a 1978 single (b/w “Budi sa mnom”).

Samo napred..!

YU Grupa released their fifth album, Samo napred..!, in 1979 on PGP RTB.

The album introduces drummer Dragoljub Đuričić and organist Dragan Janković to the studio lineup, with Dragi Jelić, Žika Jelić, and Miodrag Bata Kostić. Kostić also sings “Plejboj.” Backing singers Slađana Milošević and Dragana Šarić appear across the album, and keyboardist Laza Ristovski plays a Moog solo as a guest.

Samo napred..! hardens the late-period lineup into brash riff songs, blunt chorus slogans, and shorter satirical pieces. “Nešto Si Mi Umorna i Bleda” leans into a road-heavy verse with a rough vocal line. “Samo Napred Guraj, Guraj” pushes its title chant through a squared-off cadence. “Plejboj” struts through clipped phrasing and a sardonic chorus. “Hej, Da Me Vidiš” tightens the keyboard-edged arrangement around a heavier refrain. “Pera Amater” snaps through a shorter comic sketch. “Autobus Za Raj” barrels through a direct riff pattern. “Udaj Se Dobro” closes with a broader chorus and heavier final cadence.

A1. “Nešto si mi umorna i bleda” [You Look Tired and Pale to Me] (3:50) – Miodrag Bata, Marina
A2. “Samo napred guraj, guraj” [Keep Going, Push, Push] (3:44) – Dragi, Miodrag Bata, Marina
A3. “Plejboj” [Playboy] (4:31) – Miodrag Bata, Žika, Marina
A4. “Hej, da me vidiš” [Hey, If You Could See Me] (4:32) – Miodrag Bata, Žika, Marina

B1. “Pera amater” [Pera the Amateur] (2:58) – Miodrag Bata, Dragi, Marina
B2. “Autobus za raj” [Bus to Paradise] (3:53) – Dragi, Dragoljub, Marina
B3. “Da si M.M. ili B.B.” [If You Were M.M. or B.B.] (2:56) – Dragi, Dragoljub, Marina
B4. “Udaj se dobro” [Marry Well] (4:43) – Miodrag Bata, Marina

Aleksandar Pilipenko produced the album with recording engineer Dragan Vukićević. Milenko Miletić photographed and designed the package. The first pressing included an inside poster.

A February 1979 Jugoton single paired the non-album titles “Ideš mi na nerve” and “Identitet” before the PGP RTB album.

Discography: