Soon after the formation, the band gained the attention of the audience and the media and achieved nationwide popularity. However, despite the success, the disagreements within the band led to split into two factions in 1968, both of them ending their activity in 1969. At the beginning of the 1980s, the band reunited and re-recorded some of their old songs, releasing them on their first studio album. They reunited once again in mid-1990s, only to record and release their second studio album.
History
The beginnings and rise to fame (1965-1968)
Kameleoni were formed in September 1965 by Marjan Maliković (guitar), Danilo Kocijančić (rhythm guitar), Jadran Ogrin (bass guitar), Tulio Furlanič (drums) and Vanja Valič (keyboards), with the vocal duties being shared by all members.[1] At the time of the band formation, all of the members were high school students and attended Kopar music school, but none of them studied the instrument he played in the band.[2] The group chose their name after, during their walk in Kopar streets, one of them spotted an advertisement for Camel cigarettes and started repeating the name of the brand, to which another member added "Kameleoni" ("Chameleons").[2] The band had their debut live appearance at the end of 1965 in Youth Club in Kopar.[1] During the following period, they performed extensively, holding about 200 concerts, mostly in Kopar and nearby towns, but also performing in Tivoli Hall in Ljubljana on the 1966 Ice Hockey World Championships closing ceremony.[2]
In the spring of 1966, at the Championship of Yugoslav Ensembles festival held in Zagreb they shared first place with the already prominent Roboti, and Furlanič won the first prize in the vocalists category.[1] Their song "Sjaj izgubljene ljubavi" ("Spark of the Lost Love") contributed largely to their success on the festival.[1] This success enabled them to record several songs for Radio Kopar[2] and perform all across Yugoslavia, soon gaining the reputation of competent instrumentalists.[1] At the end of the year, they released their first record, the EPLe Felicita, through Diskoton record label.[1] The EP featured the title track, the songs "Looking for Me" and "Sjaj izgubljene ljubavi" and a cover of The Animals version of the blues standard "See See Rider".[1] After the EP was released, it caused a minor media scandal. The lyrics of the song "Sjaj izgubljene ljubavi", credited to the band members on the EP, carried much similarity to the lyrics of the song "Neka to bude u proljeće" ("May It Happen in the Springtime"), which won the first prize on the 1966 Opatija Festival. The author of "Neka to bude u proljeće" lyrics, Ljiljana Petrović, publicly claimed that Kameleoni plagiraised her lyrics. Eventually, music magazineDžuboks revealed that both Kameleoni and Petrović used verses from the poem "Ode: Intimations of Immortality" by EnglishRomantic poet William Wordsworth.[3]
The scandal did not affect Kameleoni's popularity. They signed for the biggest Yugoslav record label, Jugoton, releasing their second EP, Dedicated to the One I Love, at the beginning of 1967.[1] Beside the title track, which was a cover of The "5" Royales song, the album featured a cover of The Kinks song "Too Much on My Mind" and two of their own songs, "Gdje si, ljubavi" ("Where Are You, My Love") and "The Story of My Brown Friend".[1] In the spring of 1967, the band held a sold-out concert in Ljubljana's Tivoli Hall and won the first place on the Second Festival of Yugoslav Vocal-Instrumental Ensembles in Zagreb.[4] At the time, the band enjoyed the reputation of the best performers of foreign hits among Yugoslav bands, with part of the Yugoslav music press criticizing them for lack of authenticity, but most of it praising their musicianship.[5] The band enjoyed large popularity in Yugoslavia, and on several occasions performed in Austria in Italy.[6]
Split into two factions and end of activity (1968-1969)
Despite the success, at the beginning of 1968, dissatisfaction with the share of the profits led to split into two factions, both of them performing under the name Novi Kameleoni (The New Chameleons).[1][6] One faction featured Jadran Ogrin, Vanja Valič and Tulio Furlanič, who were joined by guitarist Goran Tavčar.[7] They wrote psychedelic–oriented music for Boštjan Hladnik's 1968 film The Sunny Whirlpool, releasing it on the EP Sunny Cry (the title of the EP being the literal translation of the film's title).[7] After the release of the EP, Furlanič left the band due to his mandatory stint in the Yugoslav army, and was replaced by Ivan Mojzer.[7] At the time, the band had made a complete shift towards Cream- and Jimi Hendrix Experience-influenced psychedelic rock, their shows now being accompanied by a light show.[8] The band's new sound was met with mixed reactions by the audience.[8] However, the new incarnation of the band was short-lasting. After Tavčar moved to Italy, the band continued with a new guitarist, Ilario Udovici.[9] After Mojzer left the band to serve his mandatory army stint, they were rejoined by Furlanič, but personnel changes and disagreements within the group led to disbandment in 1969.[10] The band held their last concert in Maribor at the end of 1969.[8]
The other faction of the group was led by Danilo Kocijančić, who fronted the band consisting of musicians from Slovenia and Italy. The group did not achieve any larger success, except praises for their guitarist Drago Bella Bernardina.[1] This faction also ended its activity in 1969.[1]
Post breakup
Throughout the following years, the members of Kameleoni continued their career in other groups. Maliković performed with Faraoni, Srce, Mladi Levi and September, Danilo Kocijančić was a member of Boomerang and Jadran Ogrin performed with Boomerag and September.[1]
1981 and 1994 reunions
In 1975, the members of the band decided to mark the tenth anniversary of the band's formation, but failed to reach the final agreement.[1] However, they made a brief reunion in 1981, holding a concert in their hometown Kopar.[1] After the performance, they made recordings of some of their previously unrecorded songs and re-recorded some of the songs from their 1960s EPs, releasing the material on the album Kameleoni in 1982.[1]
In mid-1990s, Kameleoni reunited once again, releasing two albums, the compilation album Kameleoni 66-67 (1994) and the studio album Za vse generacije (For All Generations, 1995), the latter featuring their new, mainstream rock-oriented material.[1]
Discography
Studio albums
Kameleoni (1982)
Za vse generacije (1995)
EPs
La Felicita (1966)
Dedicated to the One I Love (1967)
Sunny Cry (1968)
Compilation albums
Kameleoni 66-67 (1994)
The Ultimate Collection (2011)
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