Doktor Spira i Ljudska Bića
Encyclopedia
Doktor Spira i Ljudska Bića (Serbian Cyrillic: Доктор Спира и Људска Бића; trans. Doctor Spira and the Human Beings) was a Serbia
n New Wave
/alternative rock
band from Belgrade
.
singer-songwriter Dušan Mihajlović "Spira" (acoustic guitar
, vocals) started his musical career during the late 1972 in an acoustic rock duo called Mira i Spira, also featuring Mirjana Marković (vocals). After a series of performances on happenings, especially the ones organized by Pop Mašina
members in the Belgrade Sports Hall
, Mihajlović achieved a major affirmation after the inclusion of his song "Prvi sneg" ("The First Snow") into the repertoire of the acoustic rock band Suncokret
, being eventually released on their debut album Moje bube (My bugs) in 1977.
During the late 1970s, Mihajlović had given up the acoustic sound, turning towards the current trends of the time, the upcoming New Wave music
, forming the band Doktor Spira i Ljudska Bića, which in its initial period had changed numerous lineups.
), Stevan Milinković (bass guitar
) and Želimir Vasić (drums
), the band recorded the debut album Dijagnoza (Diagnosis
). The album, produced by Mihajlović himself, featured the unusual and original songs "Buđenje" ("The Awakening"), "Ima dana kada mene moja duša boli" ("There Are Times When My Soul Aches Me"), "Dr Paranoja" ("Dr Paranoia
"), "Uvek isto zbogom" ("Always the Same Goodbye"), and "Igrač na žici" ("Tightrope Dancer"), bearing a strong narrative notion of alienation. Recorded in 1980 at the Enco Lesić Druga Maca studio in Belgrade and mastered at the Trident studio in London
, it featured guest appearance by backing vocalists Mirjana Marković and former DAG member Dragan Popović, the latter being a co-writer of the song "Psychoneu Rosis".
At the time, Mihajlović had a cult status among the Belgrade musicians and fans, however, this did not affect the record labels to release the album. Since the Yugoslav
record labels refused to release the album, during 1981, Mihajlović went to London and financed himself the printing of 50 copies of the album, which he brought to Belgrade and distributed them to his friends. The LP had a white paper cover without any images and the track listing was written by hand. The album promotion of the exclusive album release was held on December 1981 at the Atelje 212
. The band continued performing the material until 1985 when they disbanded.
editor had become the pop rock
mucician Oliver Mandić
. In a discussion with rock musician Bora Đorđević at a local bistro
Mandić claimed that he, as the new editor, would bring changes to PGP-RTB. Đorđević, annoyed with Mandić's statements, made a bet with him to release Dijagnoza. Without any promotion, the album was released in a minimal printing of 2,000 copies, and quickly sold out. At the time Mihajlović had quit performing and constructed a mini metal guitar and mini wooden bass guitar amp
under the Žuto pile (Yellow Chicken) brand name. However, despite trying to make a breakthrough on the music equipment market, it turned out to be unsuccessful.
In 1987, Mihajlović secretly recorded the second studio album, Dizajn za stvarni svet (A Real World Design), featuring diverse musical influences which could stylistically be called world music
, even though the expression was not used at the time, combined with krautrock
, gothic rock
, dance music
, boogie
, jazz
and atonal music. Following the musical and production trends of the time, Mihajlović retained the same lyrical style on the new material as on Dijagnoza, sung under the domestic influences of such vocalists as Milan Mladenović
and Vlada Divljan
. The following year, he had moved to London
where he currently resides.
by Multimedia Records in 2007 on the deluxe compilation album Arheološki artefakti tehnofilskih civilizacija prošlosti ili naučna fantastika kao žanr u umetničkim delima s kraja dvadesetog veka (The Archeological Artifacts of the Past Technophilic Civilizations or Science Fiction as a Genre in the Late Twentieth Century Artistic Works).
During October of the same year, Mihajlović made several live appearances in Belgrade with Doktor Spira i Ljudska Bića in a new lineup which, beside him, featured the former member Predrag Milanović (bass guitar), Predrag Kozomara (guitars), Aleksandar Miletić (keyboards), Slobodan Jurisić (drums), Ana Milanović (backing vocals) and Sanja Bogosavljević (backing vocals). Special guest appearances included Emily Jane Sarić (vocals) and Dragan Popović's Mitropa Music Project from Sweden
.
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
/alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band from Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
.
Mira i Spira, band formation (1972-1979)
The unique BelgradeBelgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
singer-songwriter Dušan Mihajlović "Spira" (acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, vocals) started his musical career during the late 1972 in an acoustic rock duo called Mira i Spira, also featuring Mirjana Marković (vocals). After a series of performances on happenings, especially the ones organized by Pop Mašina
Pop Mašina
Pop Mašina was a former Yugoslav progressive rock band from Belgrade. Pop Mašina was formed in 1972, and released two studio albums and one live album before disbanding in 1978...
members in the Belgrade Sports Hall
Hala sportova
Hala sportova is a multi-purpose sports arena located in Belgrade municipality of New Belgrade.The venue's actual name is "Palata sportova" , but it is widely known by its informal title - Hala. It was built and opened during 1968...
, Mihajlović achieved a major affirmation after the inclusion of his song "Prvi sneg" ("The First Snow") into the repertoire of the acoustic rock band Suncokret
Suncokret
Suncokret was a former Yugoslav acoustic rock band from Belgrade.-Band history:The band was formed in 1975 by former Zajedno member Bora Đorđević , a former U Cvetu Mladosti member Nenad Božić and female singers Snežana Jandrlić and Vesna Rakočević...
, being eventually released on their debut album Moje bube (My bugs) in 1977.
During the late 1970s, Mihajlović had given up the acoustic sound, turning towards the current trends of the time, the upcoming New Wave music
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
, forming the band Doktor Spira i Ljudska Bića, which in its initial period had changed numerous lineups.
Album recording, disbandment (1980-1985)
In the lineup Mihajlović (vocals, acoustic guitar), Zoran Dašić (guitarElectric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
), Stevan Milinković (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) and Želimir Vasić (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
), the band recorded the debut album Dijagnoza (Diagnosis
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of anything. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines with variations in the use of logics, analytics, and experience to determine the cause and effect relationships...
). The album, produced by Mihajlović himself, featured the unusual and original songs "Buđenje" ("The Awakening"), "Ima dana kada mene moja duša boli" ("There Are Times When My Soul Aches Me"), "Dr Paranoja" ("Dr Paranoia
Paranoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
"), "Uvek isto zbogom" ("Always the Same Goodbye"), and "Igrač na žici" ("Tightrope Dancer"), bearing a strong narrative notion of alienation. Recorded in 1980 at the Enco Lesić Druga Maca studio in Belgrade and mastered at the Trident studio in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, it featured guest appearance by backing vocalists Mirjana Marković and former DAG member Dragan Popović, the latter being a co-writer of the song "Psychoneu Rosis".
At the time, Mihajlović had a cult status among the Belgrade musicians and fans, however, this did not affect the record labels to release the album. Since the Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
record labels refused to release the album, during 1981, Mihajlović went to London and financed himself the printing of 50 copies of the album, which he brought to Belgrade and distributed them to his friends. The LP had a white paper cover without any images and the track listing was written by hand. The album promotion of the exclusive album release was held on December 1981 at the Atelje 212
Atelje 212
Atelje 212 is a theatre in Belgrade, Serbia. It was officially founded on 12 November 1956 in the premises of the Borba building, in front of 212 chairs. The opening play was Faust, directed by Mira Trailović....
. The band continued performing the material until 1985 when they disbanded.
Post-breakup
In 1986, the PGP-RTBPGP-RTB
PGP-RTB was a major record label and chain record store in the former SFR Yugoslavia based in Belgrade, Socialist Republic of Serbia. PGP-RTB was established in 1958...
editor had become the pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
mucician Oliver Mandić
Oliver Mandic
Oliver Mandić is a Serbian pop musician, composer, and producer - very prominent and popular throughout the 1980s.-Early biography:...
. In a discussion with rock musician Bora Đorđević at a local bistro
Bistro
A bistro, sometimes spelled bistrot, is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. Home cooking with robust earthy dishes, and slow-cooked foods like cassoulet are typical...
Mandić claimed that he, as the new editor, would bring changes to PGP-RTB. Đorđević, annoyed with Mandić's statements, made a bet with him to release Dijagnoza. Without any promotion, the album was released in a minimal printing of 2,000 copies, and quickly sold out. At the time Mihajlović had quit performing and constructed a mini metal guitar and mini wooden bass guitar amp
Amplifier
Generally, an amplifier or simply amp, is a device for increasing the power of a signal.In popular use, the term usually describes an electronic amplifier, in which the input "signal" is usually a voltage or a current. In audio applications, amplifiers drive the loudspeakers used in PA systems to...
under the Žuto pile (Yellow Chicken) brand name. However, despite trying to make a breakthrough on the music equipment market, it turned out to be unsuccessful.
In 1987, Mihajlović secretly recorded the second studio album, Dizajn za stvarni svet (A Real World Design), featuring diverse musical influences which could stylistically be called world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
, even though the expression was not used at the time, combined with krautrock
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
, gothic rock
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
, dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
, boogie
Boogie
Boogie is a repetitive, swung note or shuffle rhythm, "groove" or pattern used in blues which was originally played on the piano in boogie-woogie music. The characteristic rhythm and feel of the boogie was then adapted to guitar, double bass, and other instruments. The earliest recorded...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and atonal music. Following the musical and production trends of the time, Mihajlović retained the same lyrical style on the new material as on Dijagnoza, sung under the domestic influences of such vocalists as Milan Mladenović
Milan Mladenovic
Milan Mladenović was a Yugoslav and Serbian musician best known as the frontman of Serbian art rock band Ekatarina Velika.-Early life:...
and Vlada Divljan
Vlada Divljan
Vladimir "Vlada" Divljan , is a Serbian singer and songwriter. He is known as the frontman for the Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Idoli, as well as for his solo works.-Early activity:...
. The following year, he had moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where he currently resides.
Reunion (2007)
In 2006, Mihajlović started remastering the album Dijagnoza and the album Dizajn za stvarni svet, which were rereleased on CDCompact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
by Multimedia Records in 2007 on the deluxe compilation album Arheološki artefakti tehnofilskih civilizacija prošlosti ili naučna fantastika kao žanr u umetničkim delima s kraja dvadesetog veka (The Archeological Artifacts of the Past Technophilic Civilizations or Science Fiction as a Genre in the Late Twentieth Century Artistic Works).
During October of the same year, Mihajlović made several live appearances in Belgrade with Doktor Spira i Ljudska Bića in a new lineup which, beside him, featured the former member Predrag Milanović (bass guitar), Predrag Kozomara (guitars), Aleksandar Miletić (keyboards), Slobodan Jurisić (drums), Ana Milanović (backing vocals) and Sanja Bogosavljević (backing vocals). Special guest appearances included Emily Jane Sarić (vocals) and Dragan Popović's Mitropa Music Project from Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Legacy
- The song "Ima dana kada mene moja duša boli" was covered by Bilja KrstićBilja KrsticBiljana "Bilja" Krstić is a Serbian singer. She was born on November 9, 1955 in Niš and brought up on the folk traditions of central Serbia. Biljana first studied music in Niš at the music school "Dr. Vojislav Vučković", after graduating she continued her education by travelling to Belgrade to...
on her solo album Iz unutrašnjeg džepa, released by PGP-RTBPGP-RTBPGP-RTB was a major record label and chain record store in the former SFR Yugoslavia based in Belgrade, Socialist Republic of Serbia. PGP-RTB was established in 1958...
in 1985. - The garage rockGarage rockGarage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
band Kazna Za UšiKazna Za UšiKazna Za Uši is a Serbian garage rock band from Belgrade.- Band formation, first releases :...
on one of their first recordings paid a tribute to the band with the lines "Devojčice tvoja majka stvarno nije imala sreće..." ("Little girl, your mother was really out of luck..."), taken from the song of the same name.
Compilation albums
- Arheološki artefakti tehnofilskih civilizacija prošlosti ili naučna fantastika kao žanr u umetničkim delima s kraja dvadesetog veka (2007)
External links
- Doktor Spira i Ljudska Bića at MyspaceMyspaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Doktor Spira i Ljudska Bića at YoutubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Doktor Spira i Ljudska Bića at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Doktor Spira i Ljudska Bića at Progarchives
- Doktor Spira i Ljudska Bića at B92.fm
See also
- New Wave music in Yugoslavia