Musical group funny guys. "Merry guys" now

Welcome to the official website of the concert agent of the group “Veselye Rebyaty”. The creation of the VIA “Jolly Fellows” in 1966, under the leadership of arranger and composer Pavel Slobodkin, opened a new direction in Soviet musical culture. The first rather bold steps of the ensemble bore fruit within two years - victory at the All-Union Youth Song Contest. The ensemble became a pioneer in the genre of pop and rock music of the USSR. The first EP, released in 1970, finally consolidated its success and brought enormous popularity. It was released in a huge circulation of more than 15 million, which at that time was simply incomprehensible; this record has not been surpassed to this day. The success of VIA was made up of their originality and the correctly chosen genre direction.

Creative achievements

After the colossal success of the EP, P. Slobodkin relies on performing only new songs composed specifically for the group. Famous poets and composers have worked with VIA over the years - L. Derbenev, M. Tanich, A. Voznesensky, and others. The ensemble became a kind of platform for the discovery of new gifted musicians and songwriters - Yu. Antonov, and others, who wrote many hits for the group. The ensemble included performances at different times by those who became famous and popular artists - A. Dobrynin, A. Barykin, and others.

First successful trip abroad - Czechoslovakia, performance at the Lucerne Hall, recording a record. Next up is the second prize - Liverpool. 1975 - performance together with Alla Pugacheva at the Golden Orpheus in Bulgaria brings repose in the competition. The song “Harlequin”, arranged by P. Slobodkin, simply blew up the hall with applause, and the soloist became famous. All subsequent performances, both on the territory of the Union and abroad (Czech Republic, East Germany, Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Cuba, ...) strengthened the popularity of the ensemble and deservedly brought winning places in competitions. During the Olympics-80 in Moscow, VIA participates in all cultural events.

The ensemble has received many different awards, both domestic and international. The year 2003 was marked by the Melodiya company awarding the “Golden Disc” for its enormous contribution to the development of the country’s culture, and 2006 - the “Platinum Disc” for the perfect and unconditional record for the release and sale of records, which amounts to more than 179 million copies. P. Slobodkin is a People's Artist of Russia, professor, academician, and enjoys well-deserved authority and recognition. A well-known public figure, teacher, among whose students there are many famous artists.

“Veselye Rebyata” is one of the most popular ensembles. Created in 1966, in Moscow, by pianist and composer Pavel Slobodkin.

One of the creators of a new musical genre in the USSR. He played an exceptional role in the history of Russian pop and rock music. His name is associated with the birth, first successes and official recognition of a new musical direction.

Creative path

In 1968, the ensemble “Vesyolye Rebyata” became the first group in the USSR to be awarded the title of laureate of the All-Union Competition for the best performance of a youth song and the first prize, which contributed to the official recognition of pop and rock music in the USSR. In 1969, the ensemble was awarded the title of laureate of the All-Union competition for the best performance of a Soviet song and the first prize. The ensemble's EP, released by Melodiya in July 1970, brought great success to the ensemble (recordings were made in December 1969). This record became a kind of musical manifesto of a new generation of rock musicians and opened the way for many aspiring composers, artists and groups, and the record circulation - 15,795,000 copies - has not been surpassed to this day. The ensemble’s songs “Alyoshkina’s Love”, “Portrait by Pablo Picasso”, “People Meet”, “When We Are Silent Together” gained enormous popularity. The secret of the ensemble's popularity was that it managed to create its own unique repertoire and find its own bright creative personality. Already at the first stage, the ensemble managed to prove to many skeptics that in this genre it is possible and necessary to sing in their native Russian language. Over the years, many interesting singers and musicians worked in the ensemble: A. Aleshin, Yu. Andreev, A. Barykin, L. Barykina, L. Berger, N. Brodskaya, A. Buynov, A. Glyzin, A. Gradsky, A. Dobronravov, A. Dobrynin, A. Lerman, V. Malezhik, R. Mushkambaryan, A. Pugacheva, S. Rezanova, Y. Slobodkin, V. Chaika, Y. Chernavsky and others.

Since the early 1970s, the ensemble, relying on its own repertoire, has become a kind of laboratory of popular music. For this purpose, P. Slobodkin invites young authors: Yu. Antonov, V. Dobrynin, S. Dyachkov, O. Ivanov, who create songs for the ensemble: “Why?”, “If you love,” “Love lives on earth,” “Write me a letter”, “Not a minute of peace”, “You don’t care”, “Swing”, “Mom’s record”, etc. Of particular note is the ensemble’s collaboration with the composer D. Tukhmanov, who wrote many songs for the ensemble: “How beautiful this peace”, “It’s easy to fall in love”, “A day without a shot on earth”, “A streak of bad luck”, “Fast train”, “Warsaw rain”, “I won’t come to you”, “Near that mountain”. Over the years, poets A. Voznesensky, L. Derbenev, O. Gadzhikasimov, E. Yevtushenko, M. Plyatskovsky, I. Reznik, M. Tanich, V. Kharitonov, I. Shaferan have worked with the ensemble. Thanks to its original repertoire, high-quality lighting and sound design, interesting direction, and high level of vocal and instrumental skill, the group develops its own style and becomes a musical theater of song. Thus, in the annotation to the first record of the ensemble (giant) “Love is a huge country”, a student of the great Dmitry Shostakovich, People’s Artist of Russia, laureate of the USSR State Prize, composer Yuri Levitin noted “the good taste, professionalism, strict demands in the selection of the repertoire of the artistic director of the ensemble Pavel Slobodkina".

In 1973, the Melodiya company received an invitation to take part in the International Recording Competition in Liverpool (England). Huge circulations and original repertoire brought the recordings of the ensemble “Vesyolye Rebyata” a second prize and the title of laureate. This was the first major success of Russian popular music in the West.

In 1974, P. Slobodkin invited a young singer, Alla Pugacheva, to the ensemble. The result of the creative collaboration was Pugacheva’s victory (Grand Prix) at the International Golden Orpheus Competition (1975) with the song “Harlequin” arranged by Slobodkin. The ensemble records the first solo record for Pugacheva: “Harlequin”, “Let's sit and eat”, “I dream of you”, “In the middle of winter”. In 1976, at the International Recording Competition in Prague, the ensemble won the title of laureate and first prize (the ensemble is an honorary guest of many prestigious festivals: “Bratislava Lyre”, Dresden Hit Festival, “Golden Orpheus”). Performs with European pop stars: ABBA, Boney M, Brotherhood of Man, Mud, Waterloo & Robinson, Middle of the Road, P. Maffay, G. Mayall, M. Mathieu, K. Gott and many others. (disc “Musical Globe” ", 1979). In 1981, the ensemble “Veselye Rebyata” successfully performed at the All-Union festival-competition for the best performance of Soviet pop music “Yerevan-81” and was awarded the main prize of the festival. In its studio, the ensemble “Veselye Rebyata” in 1983 recorded a new magnetic album by young authors V. Matetsky and Y. Chernavsky “Banana Islands” in the electro-pop style, which included the songs “Hello, Banana Boy!” (included in the film “Assa”, directed by S. Solovyov), “Banana Islands”, “Zebra”, “Robot”, “Idiot’s Dream”, etc.

An important stage in the life of the group was the turn to classical music: in the arrangement and arrangement of P. Slobodkin, the concert programs included Toccata and Fugue in D minor by J. S. Bach, E. Grieg’s Peer Gynt suite, Caprice No. 24 by N. Paganini, works by Mozart and Beethoven. “Merry Guys” became the first group on the stage to include works of classical music in their programs. “Five performers managed to create the illusion of the sound of either an organ or an entire orchestra,” wrote music critic Evg. Nadeinsky in the magazine “Musical Life”. In 1985, at the International Bratislava Lyre Competition, the ensemble was awarded the Grand Prix of the Suprafon company for the song “Wandering Artists” (L. Vardanyan - I. Shaferan) arranged by P. Slobodkin. In 1988, for great services in the field of domestic musical art, the Ministry of Culture of the USSR and the Ministry of Culture of the RSFSR approved the status of a musical theater for the ensemble “Veselye Rebyata”.

In 1991, the ensemble became the laureate of the All-Union Song Festival “Song of the Year” for the sixth time, and in connection with the 25th anniversary of its creative activity, the ensemble gives a series of anniversary concerts, releases a double album with the best songs of different years and becomes the owner of an absolute record for records sold (circulation over 175 million).

In 1993, by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation B.N. Yeltsin dated July 14, 1993, Pavel Slobodkin, the first among the leaders of groups of this genre, was awarded the honorary title “People’s Artist of Russia.”

In 1997, the Melodiya company released the CD “People Meet” with recordings of the ensemble.

In 2003, in connection with the 35th anniversary of the creative collaboration with Melodiya, the company's management awarded the ensemble with the Golden Disc.

Since 2005, the ensemble “Veselye Rebyata” has resumed its concert activities, performed at the Variety Theater, at the State Central Concert Hall Russia, at the House of Music, at the Luzhniki Sports Palace, and took part in the 5th anniversary festival “Avtoradio” “Disco of the 80s” in SK “Olympic” with many European pop stars, which was shown on Channel 1 television in January 2007.

In 2006, in connection with the 40th anniversary of creative activity, the ensemble was awarded the highest award of the Melodiya company - Platinum Disc No. 1 for the largest circulation of records sold in our country - 179 million 850 thousand copies.

In April 2007, together with the record company Bomba Music, he released the CD “Love is a huge country” (songs by D. Tukhmanov). And in December 2007, together with the Melodiya company, he released the CD “When we are silent together.” In December 2007, the ensemble "Veselye Rebyata" for the seventh time became a laureate of the song festival "Song of the Year 2007", which was shown on the RTR channel in January 2008. In November 2008, the ensemble "Veselye Rebyata" successfully performed in the grandiose international gala concert "Disco-80" at the Olimpiysky Sports Complex, together with European pop stars. In December the third CD+DVD "Musical Globe" was released. The concert "Disco-80" was shown on Channel One on January 1, 2009.

Compound

Over the years, the following people worked in the ensemble:

* Anatoly Aleshin
* Yuri Andreev
* Alexander Barykin
* Lyudmila Barykina
* Leonid Berger
* Nina Brodskaya
* Alexander Buynov
* Alexey Glyzin
* Alexander Gradsky
* Alexander Dobronravov
* Alexander Dobrynin
* Alexander Lerman
* Vyacheslav Malezhik
* Robert Mushkambaryan
* Alla Pugacheva
* Svetlana Rezanova
* Pavel Slobodkin
* Vladimir Fazylov
* Victor Chaika
* Yuri Chernavsky and others.

Discography

Records

* “Alyoshkina’s love”, “What is love worth”, “Obladi-oblada” and “Old car” - Melodiya company (minion) 1970
* “People meet”, “Easy to fall in love” - Melodiya company (minion) 1971
* “Black-browed maiden”, “Warsaw rain” - Melodiya company (minion) 1973
* “If you love”, “Well, what to do with him” - Melodiya company (minion) 1973
* “How beautiful this world is”, “Fisherman’s song”, “Love is a child of the planet”, “My song, song” - Melodiya company (minion) 1973
* “Love lives on earth”, “At the crossroads”, “When we are silent together” - Melodiya company (minion) 1974
* “Love is a huge country” - Melodiya company (giant) 1974
* “Fast train”, “Strike of bad luck”, “I won’t come to you” - Melodiya company (minion) 1975
* “Harlequin”, “Let's sit and eat”, “I dream about you” - Alla Pugacheva and the ensemble “Jolly Guys” - Melodiya company (minion) 1975
* “Songs of Rudolf Manukov” - Melodiya company (minion) 1975
* “Golden Orpheus” - Alla Pugacheva and “Jolly Guys” Balkanton (Bulgaria) (giant) 1976
* “Fly with Aeroflot planes”, “First Ice”, “Separation”, “Distant Song” - Melodiya company (minion) 1977
* “Good”, “Our House”, “Years Pass”, “Trouble Without You” - Melodiya Company (minion) 1978
* “We need to be friends” - Melodiya company (giant) 1978
* “Write me a letter”, “Summer vacation”, “Meeting”, “Doll” - Melodiya company (minion) 1978
* “Musical Globe” - Melodiya company (giant) 1979
* “Lyuba-Love”, “Summer has passed”, “School time”, “Last time” - Melodiya company (minion) 1979
* “Disco Club” - Melodiya company (giant) 1981
* “That’s all”, “Easy to say” - Melodiya company (minion) 1981
* “Thin Ice”, “Redheads are always lucky”, “We were catching a crane”, “Happy Accident” - Melodiya company (minion) 1983
* “Telegram”, “Yes-Yes-Yes-Yes”, “23rd Century” - Melodiya company (minion) 1985
* “Wait a minute!” - “Jolly Guys” - Melodiya company (giant) 1987
* “Hello, Banana Boy!” - film "ASSA" S90-26459-000 1988
* “Pink Roses”, “Cover Girl” - Melodiya company 1990
* “Cheerful guys, 25 years old. Best songs" - Synthesis-Records (double giant) 1991
* “Banana Islands” - CD SBI Records, APEX Records 1995
* “Songs of V. Dobrynin” - (CDRDM 603121) CD 1995
* “People meet” - Melodiya company, CD 1997

Concerts, collections

* Concert of the ensemble “Jolly Fellows” 1984
* “Love is a child of the planet” - Bomba-Music CD 2007
* “When we are silent together” - Melodiya CD company, 2007
* “Musical Globe” - Bomba-Music CD 2008

“Merry Guys” is a cult musical group for millions of music lovers living in the post-Soviet space. Laureate of All-Union and international competitions, 7-time winner of “Song of the Year”.

Ensemble "Jolly Fellows" in the 70s

Since 1988, for entertainment and artistry, the USSR Ministry of Culture approved the ensemble as a musical theater. For the absolute record in the Soviet Union and Russia for record sales, “Merry Fellows” were awarded “Platinum Disc No. I” in 2006.

Compound

At different times, as part of the group, future Russian pop stars began their creative biography, and. “Merry Guys” gave the soloists an excellent start, revealing their names to millions of fans of light dance music.

The history of VIA goes back to the 1960s of the twentieth century. Over the years since its founding, the musical genres of songs performed by the ensemble have changed, vocalists have gone into free creative swimming, and they have been replaced by others, no less bright and talented.

The year of birth of the ensemble is called 1966, and the place is the Mosconcert venue. At the beginning of the journey, the creator of the cult group, 22-year-old pianist Pavel Slobodkin, did not even imagine that his creation 2 years later would become a laureate of the All-Union Competition.

Slobodkin chose the name VIA unmistakably: a “golden” comedy of the 1930s, filmed by VIA, with excellent music and starring a leading role that was loved and remembered. By naming the ensemble, the founder emphasized the continuity of generations and gave a name to the “ship” that “sailed” to success at a breakneck pace.

Pavel Slobodkin invited musicians and singers from pop and jazz groups to the first lineup, and the repertoire of the founder’s relative, Yuli Slobodkin, before “Jolly Fellows” was Russian folklore.

The first soloist of the group worked in the group for a year and left for the Tula Philharmonic. Riga saxophonist Yuri Peterson, who performed with the “Jolly Fellows” until 1972, sang the first hits. But Peterson was helped to truly open up and become famous where he moved.

In the fall of 1968, the participation of “Jolly Fellows” in the first All-Union Youth Song Competition brought victory: the group was the first in the Union among the VIA to become a laureate.

In the early 1970s, the ideological machine slowed down, and Slobodkin gained freedom in choosing his repertoire and style of performance. The composition of the group also changed. Brodskaya was replaced by Leningrad soloist Svetlana Ryazanova, whom fans remembered for her song “White Dance”. After winning the Golden Orpheus in Bulgaria in 1972, Ryazanova left the “guys”.

The destruction of the ideological framework allowed the “father” of the “Jolly Fellows” to turn his eyes to the West and its biggest star –. Pavel lured vocalist Leonid Berger from Orpheus, who was reminiscent of his manner of performance. Soon Berger was called a pioneer of Russian rock. Guitarist Valentin Vitebsky also followed the lead singer from Orpheus.

To organize concerts and tours of the “Jolly Fellows” around the country, Slobodkin found an experienced administrator, Mikhail Plotkin, who had previously worked with. For 3 years, Plotkin made a significant contribution to the promotion of VIA.

In 1970, a new soloist joined the “Merry Fellows” - Alexander Gradsky, who previously worked in the VIA “Skomorokhi”. After 3 months, Gradsky returned to the “Buffoons”, and was replaced by Vladimir Fazylov, who was remembered for his performance of the hit “Portrait of Pablo Picasso”. The virtuoso guitarist Valery Khabazin moved from the amateur group “Mosaic” to VIA.

In the same 1970, the debut album of “Merry Guys” was released, which included the hit “Aleshkina Love”. In 1971, guitarist Alexey Puzyrev joined the ensemble, leaving Gems. For the group, he - an avid Beatlemaniac - turned out to be an important link, because from that moment on, the arrangements performed by him gave the songs of “Merry Fellows” the gloss of a legendary group.

In 1971, VIA visited abroad for the first time, to Czechoslovakia, where they recorded the song “There is no more beautiful you.” The next year was a year of upheaval: Berger, Fazylov and Peterson left. “Merry Guys” were on the verge of collapse, but thanks to Slobodkin and his ability to keep his finger on the pulse, they survived. Alexander Lerman came from “Skomorokhov” and became the main soloist for 2 years.

In 1975, “Jolly Fellows”, thanks to the gigantic 15 million circulation of the first record, received a prize from the BBC Corporation. The award was presented to the founder of the team by the British Ambassador in the presence of.

In the 1970s, the group was enriched by vocalists Vyacheslav Malezhik, Alexander Barykin and Anatoly Aleshin. Keyboard musician Alexander Buinov joined the “guys” from “Araks”, and soon the perky hit “Granny Old Woman” appeared. Slobodkin gathered the aces of the Soviet stage to begin recording the giant disc.

In 1974, the giant “Love is a Huge Country” was released, named by fans of the “Merry Fellows” as the best album of the ensemble in all its years of activity. In November 1974, Alla Pugacheva joined the team. The new vocalist worked for VIA for 2 years, but in September 1976 she went free. Next year Lyudmila Barykina becomes the soloist.

In 1979, a record with songs based on poetry was released, and by the next year – the Olympic year – “Jolly Fellows” recorded the disc “Musical Globe” with Western pop hits. Alexey Glyzin, a guitarist who previously accompanied Pugacheva, appears in the group.

In the early 1980s, “Merry Fellows” were called not VIA, but neutrally - an ensemble, and the composition was reduced. The musical works are included in the album “Banana Islands”, which returns the group to its former glory. In the mid-1980s, the ensemble won the main prize of the Bratislava Lyra, performing the composition “Wandering Artists”.

At the end of 1987, on the night before the New Year, the group presented a new song “Don’t worry, Auntie,” which instantly became a hit and was included in the album “Just a Minute.”

In 1988, Glyzin left the Jolly Fellows, and a year later Buinov left the ensemble. The group stops concerts and tours. The new line-up of young artists did not bring a fresh stream to creativity. In 1991, fans of the cult ensemble received the album “25 Years. The Best Songs”, with which “Merry Guys” drew a line under the glorious past.

Music

The work of “Jolly Fellows” marked the birth of a new musical direction in the Soviet Union - vocal and instrumental ensembles. The first repertoire consisted of folklore and patriotic songs, but they were replaced by foreign melodies.

Due to the resistance of Russian composers to the growing popularity of rock, new composers David Tukhmanov, Roman Mayorov, Oleg Ivanov appeared.

Today, not a single “Disco of the 80s” is complete without a medley of “golden” hits from the ensemble beloved by millions, whose songs are remembered by heart by the older and middle generations of music lovers, whose youth fell in the 1970s and 80s.

"Merry guys" now

To the delight of old fans, the ensemble still appears on stage today. On the musicians' official website, fans read news about their idols' followers.

From 2005 to the present, musicians Ilya Zmeenkov and Andrey Kontsur have been working in “Jolly Fellows”. In 2007, vocalist and trumpeter Mikhail Reshetnikov arrived, and in 2009, vocalist and guitarist Alexander Cherevkov and Ivan Pashkov joined the band.

In August 2017, “Jolly Fellows” suffered an irreparable loss: the founder of the ensemble, Pavel Slobodkin, passed away.

Discography

• 1995 – “Banana Islands”
• 1995 – “Songs of V. Dobrynin”
• 1997 – “People Meet”
• 2007 – “Love is a child of the planet”
• 2007 – “When we are silent together”
• 2008 – “Musical Globe”
• 2009 – “Love is a huge country”
• 2011 – “Just a minute”
• 2011 – “Love me as I love you”
• 2011 – “Chershe la...”
• 2012 – “Write me a letter”
• 2013 – “Don’t worry, Auntie”
• 2013 – “How beautiful this world is”
• 2014 – “Retrospective”
• 2015 – “Crossroads of Fate”