Oko | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Ljubljana, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1972–1978 (Reunions: 2000) |
| Labels | ZKP RTLJ, Jugoton |
| Past members | Pavle Kavec Jani Tutta Miro Tomassini Dejan Gajić Toni Dimnik Franjo Martinec Zlati Klun Igor Bošnjak Ernie Mendillo |
Oko (trans. Eye) was a Slovenian and Yugoslav hard/progressive rock band formed in Ljubljana in 1972. Formed and led by guitarist and vocalist Pavle Kavec, Oko was a prominent act of the Yugoslav rock scene in the 1970s.
Guitarist and vocalist Pavle Kavec started his career in 1966, while he was still in elementary school, playing with the band Rož'ce (Lil' Roses), performing with them on the Zagreb Guitar Festival. [1] In 1967, influenced by the works of Jimi Hendrix, Kavec formed the power trio Yeti Experience, featuring Kavec on guitar and vocals, Miran Bulič on bass guitar and Borut Sedej on drums. [1] In 1971, Kavec moved to the band Skarabeji (The Scarabs ), whose sound was inspired by Deep Purple. [1]
In 1972, Kavec formed Oko with drummer Jani Tutta and bass guitarist Miro Tomassini, the latter previously a member of the band Boomerang. [1] They adopted the name Oko after a suggestion by fellow musician Janez Bončina. [1] Initially, Oko performed hard rock, but later started to move towards progressive rock and introduce jazz elements into their music. [1]
In 1973, Tutta was replaced by Dejan Gajić. [1] The new Oko lineup made their first recordings, for Radio Ljubljana. [1] In 1975, Gajić and Tomassini both moved to the band Jutro, drummer Toni Dimnik and bass guitarist Franjo Martinec becoming new Oko members. [1] This lineup of the band recorded the band's debut release, the 7-inch single "Vse dal sam ti" / "Spet nazaj" ("I Gave You All" / "Back Again"), released in 1975 through Jugoton record label. [1] This lineup of the band also recorded the material for their first studio album. [1] All the songs were written by Kavec, with the exception of the instrumental "Tema IV", composed by Martinec. [1] The lyrics for the song "Sam sam" ("I Am Alone") were written by Dah frontman Zlatko Manojlović, who also appeared on the track as guest vocalist. [1] The album was produced by Dečo Žgur, and it featured guest appearances by Izvir keyboardist Andrej Konjajev and percussionist Miha Vipotnik. [1] However, Oko disbanded a year later, before releasing the album, as Dimnik moved to Buldožer and Martinec decided to dedicate himself to his studies. [1] Kavec re-recorded the vocals with new lyrics in Serbo-Croatian (they were originally in Slovene) and released the album in 1976 under the name Raskorak (Gap) through Jugoton record label. [1] At the time of Raskorak release, Oko was inactive, and Kavec was playing with the band Boomerang. [1]
At the end of 1976, Kavec reformed Oko with drummer Zlati Klun and bass guitarist Igor Bošnjak. [1] They performed until 1978, when Oko disbanded, making several one-off reunions in the following years for anniversary concerts. [2]
After Oko disbanded, Kavec mostly retired from performing, dedicating himself to his school of guitar. However, in the early 1990s he returned to the scene with his solo album Hočeš z menoj (Wanna Come With Me), which he recorded with his son Mitja Kavec on bass guitar and his former bandmate from Oko Dragan Gajić on drums. [2]
In 1998, Max Plus record label reissued Raskorak on CD, with the band's early recordings as bonus tracks. [2] This re-release led to reformation of Oko. The new lineup featured Pavle Kavec (guitar, vocals), Ernie Mendillo (bass guitar) and Marko Bertoncelj (drums). [2] On their performance in the Hound Dog club in Ljubljana they recorded the live album Oko (Live December 2000), which they self-released in 2001. [2] The album featured only one Oko song, "Raskorak", and covers of rock hits from the 1960s. [3]
Oko's original bass guitarist Miro Tomassini died on 21 August 2019. [4]
Time was a Yugoslav rock band formed in Zagreb in 1971. They were one of the most prominent acts of the 1970s Yugoslav rock scene.
Film was a Yugoslav rock group founded in 1978 in Zagreb. Film was one of the most popular rock groups of the former Yugoslav new wave in the late 1970s to early 1980s.
Smak was a Serbian and Yugoslav band from Kragujevac. The group reached the peak of popularity in the 1970s when it was one of the most notable acts of the former Yugoslav rock scene. The band's leader, guitarist Radomir Mihailović, nicknamed Točak, is considered one of the most influential guitarists on the former Yugoslav rock scene.
Buldožer was a Yugoslav-Slovenian progressive rock band from the 1970s and 1980s. They were one of the first bands in communist Yugoslavia that could be considered Avant-prog, and forefathers of the Yugoslav new wave. In musical sense, they experimented with a variety of genres, while most of their lyrics, written in Serbo-Croatian, were a satire and mockery of the political and musical establishment, themselves included.
Šarlo Akrobata were a seminal Serbian new wave/post-punk band from Belgrade. Short-lived but extremely influential, in addition to being one of the most important acts of the Yugoslav new wave scene, the three piece left an indelible mark on the entire music scene of former Yugoslavia.
Zana is a Serbian and Yugoslav rock and pop group formed in Belgrade in 1979.
Miroslav "Vicko" Milatović is a Serbian musician best known as the drummer for the Serbian and Yugoslav rock band Riblja Čorba.
Jugosloveni are a Serbian rock band, successful throughout all of former Yugoslavia and best known for their hit "Jugosloveni".
"Konobar" ("Waiter") is the first single recorded and released by the Serbian new wave band Električni Orgazam. It was released in 1981 by Jugoton. The song also appeared on the band's debut album and several various artists compilations. The track is actually the first ever song written by the band.
Slobodan "Kokan" Popović is a Serbian drummer notable for playing in bands Idoli and Propaganda.
Kontraritam was a former Yugoslav 2 Tone/ska band from Novi Sad.
Dah was a Yugoslav and later Belgian progressive rock band formed in Belgrade in 1972.
Oružjem Protivu Otmičara is a Serbian pop punk/power pop band from Zrenjanin.
September was a Slovenian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Ljubljana in 1975.
Na izvoru svetlosti is the second and the last studio album by Yugoslav progressive rock band Pop Mašina, released in 1975.
Bele Vrane were a Yugoslav rock band formed in Ljubljana in 1966.
Teška Industrija is a rock band from Bosnia and Herzegovina, based in Sarajevo. They are noted for a mixture of hard rock and prog-rock sound with elements of bosnian folk music and "symphonic" arrangements. Teška Industrija have had many line-up changes, disbanding in 1978 and re-forming again in 2007 after several unsuccessful attempts.
Jutro was a Yugoslav rock band formed in Ljubljana in 1970. Initially performing boogie rock and later turning towards jazz rock, Jutro was a prominent act on the Yugoslav rock scene in the 1970s.
Predmestje was a Yugoslav jazz rock band formed in Ljubljana in 1977.
Na Lepem Prijazni is a Slovenian and Yugoslav jazz rock band formed in Ljubljana in 1979.