Samotsvety

Samotsvety (Russian: Самоцветы, which means "Semiprecious Stones") is a Soviet VIA band formed in 1971, in Moscow. It became one of the more successful and better known VIA bands, recording a number of hits and serving as a springboard to fame for several Russian musicians, including Dmitry Malikov, Vladimir Presnyakov Sr., and Alexander Barykin.

Samotsvety
Samotsvety in 2007
Background information
Origin	Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Genres	Beat, pop rock, soft rock
Years active	1971–present
Labels	Melodiya
Website	www.samotsvety.ru
Past members	Yuriy Malikov Vladimir Presnyakov Sr. Andrey Sapunov Vitaliy Bogdanov Eduard Krolik Vladimir Vinokur Anatoly Mogilevsky Arkady Khoralov Alexander Barykin Vyacheslav Dobrynin Aleksey Glyzin Vladimir Kuzmin Valery Khabazin Sergey Belikov Valentin Dyakonov Dmitry Malikov

History

The band Samotsvety, was founded by Yuriy Malikov, a Recognized National Artist of Russia and the father of Dmitry Malikov.[1] The group produced a string of hits in the 1970s, including "Moy adres Sovetskii Soyuz" (My address is the Soviet Union),[2] "Tam, za oblakami" (There, beyond the clouds), "Vsya zhizn vperedi" (My whole life is still ahead), "Ne povtoriayetsia takoye nikogda" (Something like this will never happen again), "Vse chto v zhizni yest u menia" (All that I have in my life), "Shkonliy bal" (School dance), and "Ne zemlie zhivet liubov" (There lives love on this earth), among others.

The year 1975 was a turning point for the band. It was the year they recorded "Esli budem my vdvoyem" (If it will be the two of us), which became a massive hit and topped the charts in the former Soviet Union. The same year, an album released in Berlin, Germany called "Famous world bands" featured this Samotsvety song alongside hits by the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Shocking Blue. In 1975 Samotsvety also acquired two musical talents that would remain with them through the years, the husband-and-wife team of Vladimir Presnyakov, Sr. and Elena Presnyakova.

The band broke up in the late 1980s when many VIAs were going away as a result of changes in both government censorship and popular tastes. However, in 1996, Yuriy Malikov decided to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of the band by bringing together many of the ex-members for an episode of the television series "Zolotoy shlyager" (Golden hit). The unexpected popularity of the program when it aired made Malikov decide to reconstitute the band. The band successfully resumed its musical career, touring with a program that combined old hits with new releases. The band's new songs included "Proshlogodniye glaza" (Last year's eyes), "Regtaim na Titanike" (Ragtime on the Titanic), and "Sneg Rozhdestva" (Christmas Snow).

Discography

1973 — Russian: ВИА Самоцветы (VIA Samotsvety)

1974 — Russian: У нас молодых (For us, young ones)

1981 — Russian: Путь к сердцу (Path to the heart)

1985 — Russian: Прогноз погоды (Weather forecast)

1995 — Russian: Там за облаками (There, beyond the clouds)

1996 — Russian: Всё, что в жизни есть у меня (All that I have in my life)

1996 — Russian: Двадцать лет спустя (Twenty years later)

1997 — Russian: Мы стали другими (We became different)

2003 — Russian: Звёздные имена (Star names)

2004 — Russian: Любовное настроение (Mood for love)

2008 — Russian: Самоцветы (Samotsvety) GRAND Collection

2009 — Russian: Самоцветы (Samotsvety)

2011 — Russian: Самоцветы в окружении звёзд (Samotsvety with stars)

References

1. Mozheitov, Dmitry (April 17, 2003). "Inna Malikova steps out of her family's shadows". Russia Journal. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
2. Kent, Thomas (March 21, 1980). "Soviet Music Tastes Change With Times". Victoria Advocate. Retrieved July 20, 2013.

External links

• Media related to Samocvety at Wikimedia Commons
• http://www.samotsvety.ru/ - official site (in Russian)