Rubber Soul Project
Encyclopedia
The Rubber Soul Project (RSP for short) was a Serbian band. They recorded a single album, called The Rubber Soul Project
, in 1996. The band took their name from the famous Beatles record Rubber Soul
released in 1965. The band recorded an imaginary Beatles album, by writing music and lyrics to songs for which they had heard only the titles. Some of the tracks were available on bootlegs which, at the time, were not to be found in Serbia
, so the members, having read about the songs, decided to record their own songs inspired by the titles.
, Rastko Ćirić and Goran Skrobonja, two enormous Beatles fans, who decided to record an album with reinvented versions of the songs The Beatles
did not release. The two knew only the titles of the songs, some of which were available on bootleg recordings but not in Serbia, and with that knowledge only, the two started working on lyrics and music writing. 1995 was the 30th anniversary of the Rubber Soul
album, and so the band got the name The Rubber Soul Project.
The lyrics were written by Skrobonja, one of the best Horror/SF authors in Yugoslavia
, and the music was written by Ćirić, professor of Illustration at the School of Applied Arts, University of Arts in Belgrade
. Then Ćirić was joined by Nebojša Ignjatović, professor of double-bass at the University of Arts in Belgrade, and Miroslav Cvetković, bass player of the famous Yugoslav band Bajaga & Instruktori
. The "Ringo" of the band was Čedormir Mačura, the drummer of Bajaga & Instruktori
, who also did lead vocals on the track "When I Come To Town", an imaginary track with Ringo on vocals.
The producers of the album were Ignjatović and Cvetković, the latter was also the recording engineer and the equipment used during the recording process was the same one used in the 1960s to produce the same ambient found on Beatles records. Miroslav Cvetković played the Höfner
"violin bass", the same type Paul McCartney
used and still uses, to produce the authentic Beatles round sound and melodic bass-lines, and the drum set Ludwig, the type Ringo played on all Beatles records.
The album included a sitar George Harrison
style track with called "Indian Rope Trick", rock 'n' roll songs "Home
", "When I Come To Town", and "Bound By Love", psychedelic "Colliding Circles", "Watching Rainbows
", and "Rubber Soul". In Belgrade
, a compact cassette
was published in March 1996 by PGP-RTS
records, and it provoked good critics and, surprisingly, emotive reactions both from music critics and the audience of all ages. An article about the project was published in Billboard magazine (6 April 1996). In the documentary about the project, it was said that a copy of the album was sent to Paul McCartney
who said he enjoyed listening to it. The release also included a novella called "[Rubber Soul]", which was written by Ćirić.
After the success of the debut album, Rastko began working on new track and recorded a demo with fourteen completely new songs, this time without using Beatles titles. In the RSP documentary Rastko was talking about new songs and the dilemma about the style of the songs, either using old techniques The Beatles
used or new, modern technology. The recording and the release of the album is still on hiatus.
In 2004, a documentary called The Rubber Soul Project was recorded, describing the circumstances among which the whole idea of recording the album came, the recording process, interviews with the band members and some of the associates of the band members. It was directed by Dinko Tucaković and written by Srdjan Koljević. The movie appeared on festivals in Montpellier
, Rotterdam
, Reykjavik
and other. In Belgrade
it appeared on the author films festival and in cinemas all over the country.
The album was rereleased by the Loud Folk record label on April 2008.
, but the band held concerts at the British Council Cultural Centre (16 March), the Center for Cultural Decontamination (on 19 March), Hemingway Club in Zemun (on 21 March), and the Museum of Yugoslav Kinotheque (on 23 March).
On 21 April 2001 in The Museum of Applied Arts in Belgrade the original lineup plus Branko Kosar and Maja Klisinski performed songs from the album. The band also performed live in England.
The Rubber Soul Project (album)
The Rubber Soul Project is the first and only album by the band Rubber Soul Project released in 1996.- Track listing :All songs written by Rastko Ćirić and Goran Skrobonja.#"All Together On The Wireless Machine" #"Home" #"Little Eddie"...
, in 1996. The band took their name from the famous Beatles record Rubber Soul
Rubber Soul
Rubber Soul is the sixth studio album by the English rock group The Beatles, released in December 1965. Produced by George Martin, Rubber Soul had been recorded in just over four weeks to make the Christmas market...
released in 1965. The band recorded an imaginary Beatles album, by writing music and lyrics to songs for which they had heard only the titles. Some of the tracks were available on bootlegs which, at the time, were not to be found in Serbia
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...
, so the members, having read about the songs, decided to record their own songs inspired by the titles.
History
The band was formed by two artists from 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...
, Rastko Ćirić and Goran Skrobonja, two enormous Beatles fans, who decided to record an album with reinvented versions of the songs The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
did not release. The two knew only the titles of the songs, some of which were available on bootleg recordings but not in Serbia, and with that knowledge only, the two started working on lyrics and music writing. 1995 was the 30th anniversary of the Rubber Soul
Rubber Soul
Rubber Soul is the sixth studio album by the English rock group The Beatles, released in December 1965. Produced by George Martin, Rubber Soul had been recorded in just over four weeks to make the Christmas market...
album, and so the band got the name The Rubber Soul Project.
The lyrics were written by Skrobonja, one of the best Horror/SF authors in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, and the music was written by Ćirić, professor of Illustration at the School of Applied Arts, University of Arts in Belgrade
University of Arts in Belgrade
The University of Arts in Belgrade is a public university in Belgrade, founded in 1957 as the Academy of Arts to unite four academies...
. Then Ćirić was joined by Nebojša Ignjatović, professor of double-bass at the University of Arts in Belgrade, and Miroslav Cvetković, bass player of the famous Yugoslav band Bajaga & Instruktori
Bajaga i Instruktori
Bajaga i Instruktori are a highly popular Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band...
. The "Ringo" of the band was Čedormir Mačura, the drummer of Bajaga & Instruktori
Bajaga i Instruktori
Bajaga i Instruktori are a highly popular Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band...
, who also did lead vocals on the track "When I Come To Town", an imaginary track with Ringo on vocals.
The producers of the album were Ignjatović and Cvetković, the latter was also the recording engineer and the equipment used during the recording process was the same one used in the 1960s to produce the same ambient found on Beatles records. Miroslav Cvetković played the Höfner
Höfner
Karl Höfner GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of musical instruments, with one division that manufactures guitars and basses, and another that manufactures other string instruments....
"violin bass", the same type Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
used and still uses, to produce the authentic Beatles round sound and melodic bass-lines, and the drum set Ludwig, the type Ringo played on all Beatles records.
The album included a sitar George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
style track with called "Indian Rope Trick", rock 'n' roll songs "Home
Home
A home is a place of residence or refuge. When it refers to a building, it is usually a place in which an individual or a family can rest and store personal property. Most modern-day households contain sanitary facilities and a means of preparing food. Animals have their own homes as well, either...
", "When I Come To Town", and "Bound By Love", psychedelic "Colliding Circles", "Watching Rainbows
Watching Rainbows
"Watching Rainbows" is an unreleased song by The Beatles recorded on 14 January 1969 during the massive Get Back sessions at Twickenham Studios...
", and "Rubber Soul". In 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...
, a compact cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
was published in March 1996 by PGP-RTS
PGP-RTS
PGP-RTS is a major record label based in Belgrade, Serbia. It is a successor of PGP-RTB which was established in 1958 in Belgrade, then capital of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
records, and it provoked good critics and, surprisingly, emotive reactions both from music critics and the audience of all ages. An article about the project was published in Billboard magazine (6 April 1996). In the documentary about the project, it was said that a copy of the album was sent to Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
who said he enjoyed listening to it. The release also included a novella called "[Rubber Soul]", which was written by Ćirić.
After the success of the debut album, Rastko began working on new track and recorded a demo with fourteen completely new songs, this time without using Beatles titles. In the RSP documentary Rastko was talking about new songs and the dilemma about the style of the songs, either using old techniques The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
used or new, modern technology. The recording and the release of the album is still on hiatus.
In 2004, a documentary called The Rubber Soul Project was recorded, describing the circumstances among which the whole idea of recording the album came, the recording process, interviews with the band members and some of the associates of the band members. It was directed by Dinko Tucaković and written by Srdjan Koljević. The movie appeared on festivals in Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
, Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, Reykjavik
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
and other. In 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...
it appeared on the author films festival and in cinemas all over the country.
The album was rereleased by the Loud Folk record label on April 2008.
Live appearances
The band who joined Rastko Ćirić to perform the Rubber Soul Project songs live was not the same one from the CD. At concerts were the musicians from the 'Fathers & Sons' group: Boiždar Skipić (lead guitar, vocal), Branimir Kosar (keyboards), Nedeljko Kusić (bass guitar), Nikola Đokić (drums), and guest star Maja Klisinski (percussion). Together, they started their Belgrade Tour '99 which was stopped by the NATO bombing of BelgradeNATO bombing of Belgrade streets
The bombing of Belgrade streets was a missile attack occurring on May 1, 1999 during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. The attack was directed at the central Belgrade residential area in Vračar.-Damage:Homes on Vardarska Street were completely destroyed...
, but the band held concerts at the British Council Cultural Centre (16 March), the Center for Cultural Decontamination (on 19 March), Hemingway Club in Zemun (on 21 March), and the Museum of Yugoslav Kinotheque (on 23 March).
On 21 April 2001 in The Museum of Applied Arts in Belgrade the original lineup plus Branko Kosar and Maja Klisinski performed songs from the album. The band also performed live in England.
External links and references
- www.rastkociric.com
- Colliding Circles video on Google Videos
- RSP at cduniverse.com
- RSP at acmediaonline.com
- RSP at last.fm
- RSP at imdb.com
- http://www.last.fm/music/The+Rubber+Soul+Project http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0430555/ Billboard magazine review
- Goran Skrobonja Interview
- [ Album review at Allmusic]