Maljčiki

"Maljčiki" (Serbian Cyrillic: Маљчики, Russian for "Boys") is the second single by the Serbian and former Yugoslav new wave music band Idoli. It also appeared on the Yugoslav new wave compilation Paket aranžman which is one of the most important Yugoslav rock releases.

"Maljčiki"
Single by VIS Idoli
from the album Paket aranžman
B-side"Retko te viđam sa devojkama"
Released1981
Recorded1981
GenreNew wave, ska
Length3:20
LabelJugoton
Songwriter(s)Srđan Šaper
Vlada Divljan
Producer(s)Goran Bregović

History

Vlada Divljan, the member of Idoli wanted to create a song which would be a parody on the Soviet Socialist realism. Prior to the release of Maljčiki, Idoli had written songs about freedom of love like "Retko te viđam sa devojkama" (re-released as the B-side on the single) but had not done anything explicitly political. The Soviet embassy condemned the release of the song.[1]

The song depicts a sort of Stakhanov-like proletarian who enthusiastically wakes up in the early dawn to go to work in a mine and a metallurgy factory. The official release of the song featured the following lyrics: "Plamene zore bude me iz sna; Fabrička jutra, dim iz dimnjaka" ("Dawns on fire, wake me from my dream; Factory mornings, smoke from the chimney").

However, the original unreleased version of the lyrics was: "Kakane zore, bude me iz sna; Kakana jutra, kakan sam i ja" ("Shitty dawns, wake me from my dream; Shitty mornings, I am also shitty"). But when the band entered the studio with the producer Goran Bregović, the record label Jugoton did not want to release the song with these lyrics, so they were changed.

The song also included ethnic Russian music elements and some nonsensical Russian language lyrics that nobody from the band could understand. The Russian language part on the officially released version was narrated by Dragan Papić who was the band's manager at that time.

A re-recorded version of "Maljčiki" was included on Paket aranžman compilation. By that time the band was playing on a more expensive equipment which can be heard on this version. The record was produced by Enco Lesić.

A live version of "Maljčiki" was included on Vlada Divljan's live album Odbrana i Zaštita.

Promotional video

Promotional video for "Maljčiki" followed the release of the Paket aranžman compilation. The video featured a parody of soc-realist iconography, for example actors posing as miners and metallurgy workers, while the band members, dressed formally in suits and ties posed as apparatchiks. It was broadcast for a first time at the New Year's Eve on the then-popular "Rokenroler" show on the national television.

SFR Yugoslavia was not a member of the Eastern Bloc but a Non-aligned country, so the band did not have any specific problems with the authorities concerning the release of the song and video. However, the Soviet embassy sent a protest note to the TV and radio stations which broadcast the song and some of them banned it.

Even though the band was playing on a good professional equipment, in the video they intentionally used old Slovene and Czech instruments to adjust with the whole concept of the song. The Russian narration part was done on lip sync by Šaper even though the original was recorded by Papić.

Track listing
  1. "Maljčiki" (S. Šaper, V. Divljan)
  2. "Retko te viđam sa devojkama" (V. Divljan)

Personnel

Legacy

In 2006 the song was ranked #18 on the B92 Top 100 Domestic Songs list.

Yugoton version
"Malcziki"
Single by Yugoton feat. Kazik
from the album Yugoton
B-side
  • Malcziki (yugo-wersja)
  • Malcziki (wersja soute)
Released2001
Recorded2000/2001
GenreNew wave revival
Length3:29
LabelZIC ZAC Music Company
BMG
Songwriter(s)(S. Šaper, V. Divljan)

"Malcziki" (original "Maljčiki") is a Polish version of the famous Idoli song and was released as a single from the Yugoslav rock tribute album Yugoton. The version contains lyrics in Polish and a Russian narrative part from the original lyric. The track was performed by Kazik and Vlada Divljan, who participated the recording, sang backing vocals and did the narration part of the song. It was also featured on several Polish rock compilations. The single also featured two more versions, one entirely sung by Divljan.

A promotional video was also recorded for the track.

Track listing
  1. "Malcziki" (3:29)
  2. "Malcziki" (yugo-wersja) (3:33)
  3. "Malcziki" (wersja soute) (3:31)

Other versions
  • An instrumental trumpet version of "Maljčiki" appeared on the Mile sa Čubure vs. Muzička industrija album released by B92 in 2004.
  1. "Vlada Divljan, dečak koji je imao stav i smelost". Prva.rs. 2 September 2017.
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