Smak
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| Smak | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Origin | Kragujevac, Yugoslavia (now Serbia) | |
| Genre(s) | Rock | |
| Years active | 1971-1981 1984 1986 1992 1994-Present (?) |
|
| Website | http://www.smak.org.yu | |
| Members | ||
| Radomir Mihajlović Točak Slobodan Stojanović Kepa Dejan Stojanovic Kepa Jr. Dejan Najdanovic Najda Milan Milosavljević Mikica Sale Marković |
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| Former members | ||
| Laza Ristovski Zoran Milanović Boris Arandjelović Milan Đurđević Miki Petkovski Tibor Levay Vlada Samardzic |
||
Smak was a Yugoslavian rock band formed by guitar player Radomir Mihajlović Točak in Kragujevac in 1971.
Contents |
[edit] History
Smak was formed in 1971 in Kragujevac, the present Republic of Serbia, by guitar virtuoso Radomir Mihajlović nicknamed "Točak" ("the Wheel"). The first stable line-up was in late 1974: Radomir Mihajlović Točak (guitar), Slobodan Stojanović Kepa (drums), Zoran Milanović (bass guitar), Boris Arandjelović (vocals) and Laza Ristovski (keyboards). They released 3 SP from 1974-1975, on which appeared their hit single Ulazak u Harem (Enter to Harem) and they were pregroup for Deep Purple concert in Belgrade 1975. After a successful hit single and an excellent concert with Deep Purple they released their first LP called Smak 1975 and it was one of the best-selling albums of all time in ex-Yugoslavia.
At the beginning of the next year they released MLP (mini long play) Satelit which featured their hit song Satelit (Satellite) and one of band's best instrumental 'Biska 2', blues song 'Šumadijski Blues', and the song called 'Put od Balona-Biska 20' which was used as an instrumental solos song. In this period they made a short movie called Smak in New York, which featured their little tour in USA as a promotion of MLP Satelit. Točak released his first solo album R. M. Točak, and it became best selling album in Yugoslavia in year 1976. Their next single was out at the end of 1976 Ljudi nije fer/El Dumo.
During 1977-78 Ristovski went in Bijelo dugme and he was replaced by first Miki Petkovski, which played on LP Crna Dama 1977, one of the best selling albums in Yugoslavia, and then by Tibor Levay on keyboards, with him they made LPs Stranice našeg vremena 1978 and English versions of these two albums Black Lady and The Pages of our time 1978, while in the period 1979-81. Dado Topić (ex-TIME, ex-Korni Grupa) collaborated with SMAK as producer and occasional guest vocalist on single Na Balkanu before the band broke-up in late 1981.
In 1980, shortly before split, they made LP Rock Cirkus which was destined to be one of the most selling albums but because of death of Yugoslavian president Tito it had not gotten much popularity. After that, they made 3 farewell concerts in Belgrade attended by more than 10,000 fans.
The original line-up gathered again in 1984 and with Dado Topić made LP Zašto ne volim sneg, which was dedicated to Točak’s dead brother. After that they split again. In 1986 with a new keyboardist Milan Đurđević they came back and made LP Smak 86, but after that split again. The fourth comeback of SMAK happened in 1992, with Ristovski again as a member, when they mostly played concerts in Serbia and issued a live album odLIVEno1992, featuring the best Serbian harmonic player Pera Joe. In '92 and '93 Točak was promoting his second solo album and a soundtrack for the movie Byzantine Blue 1993, which won a prize for the best soundtrack Christal Prisma awards.
Finally, in 1994 Smak re-appeared again, this time along with Točak and Stojanović they added younger musicians: Dejan Stojanovic Kepa Jr. (second drum kit), Dejan Najdanovic Najda (vocals), Vlada Samardzic (bass) and Milan Milosavljević Mikica (guitar). Smak released album Bioskop Fox (Cinema Fox). After 4 year period Vlada Samardžić (bass) left SMAK and went to Berklee College of Music, replaced by Sale Marković. With Sale they made albums Live without audience 1998, Egregor 1999, Live 3. mart 2000. Kragujevac klub "La Cinema" 2000.
[edit] Influence
Smak was celebrated for Točak's virtuosity in guitar playing, modelled on Jimi Hendrix's and Jimmy Page's style, and for interesting and powerful, if not always successful, fusion of hard rock and jazz, prog rock, jazz rock with strong blues backing, with Arandjelović's falsetto vocal often used as an instrument rather than singing. "Ulazak u harem", a folk-inspired instrumental issued as hit-single in 1975, showcased Točak as one of the guitar-heroes and legend of ex-Yugoslavian music scene of the 1970s, while albums "Crna dama" ("Black Lady") from 1977 and "Stranice naseg vremena" ("The Pages of Our Time") from 1978 were highly celebrated among prog fans and were even released in English versions for the Western market. Their reunion, from the second half of 1980s onward, turned the musical direction of the band into less-inspired mainstream hard rock, abandoning any prog elements, but after re-appearing in 1994. SMAK turned back the musical direction back to hard rock, fussion jazz with prog elements. As a comparison, one can mention similarities in style with artists such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Taste, The Doobie Brothers, Santana, Leb i Sol. It should be noted that Tocak himself was very influential on a lot of more famous guitarists, but had rarely (if ever) been given the acknowledgment he deserves.
[edit] Smak discography
[edit] Studio albums
| Cover | Year | Name | Label |
| 1975 | Smak | ||
| 1977 | Crna Dama | ||
| 1978 | Stranice Našeg Vremena | ||
| 1978 | Black Lady | ||
| 1978 | Dab In The Middle | ||
| 1980 | Rock Cirkus | ||
| 1981 | Zašto Ne Volim Sneg | ||
| 1986 | Smak '86 | ||
| 1995 | Bioskop Fox | ||
| 1999 | Egregor |
[edit] Singles
| Cover | Year | Name | Label |
| 1975 | Živim...Biska 13-Biska 16 | ||
| 1975 | Ulazak u Harem-Sto Ptica | ||
| 1975 | Ulazak u Harem-Epitaf | ||
| 1976 | Satelit | ||
| 1976 | Ljudi nije fer-El Dumo | ||
| 1978 | Nevidljive Terazije-Hitopadeza | ||
| 1979 | Na Balkanu |
[edit] Live albums
| Cover | Year | Name | Label |
| 1992 | odLIVEno | ||
| 1997 | Live Without Audience | ||
| 2002 | 3. Mart 2000. Kragujevac Klub La Cinema |
[edit] Compilations
| Cover | Year | Name | Label |
| 1977 | Ulazak u Harem, Plava Pesma - The best of | ||
| 1996 | The Best Of Smak | ||
| 1996 | Star? Mlad. Večan?* | ||
| 2001 | Istorija |
There have also been many unofficial Live albums (Live 1992, Live in Zupa '98...) and unreleased songs (Biska, Na Drinu, StaKapKara, Kepo, Novi Novi Dan, Swap, Egregor...), some of which included bassist Lola Andrijić of the R. M. Točak band, who played with Smak at some concerts in 1974.
