Time was a Yugoslav rock band formed in Zagreb in 1971, widely considered one of the most prominent acts of the 1970s Yugoslav rock scene.

The band was formed by former Dinamiti and Korni Grupa vocalist Adolf "Dado" Topić. The first lineup featured, beside Topić, Vedran Božić (guitar), Tihomir "Pop" Asanović (keyboards), Mario Mavrin (bass guitar), Ratomir "Ratko" Divjak (drums) and Branislav "Labmert" Živković (piano and flute). The band gained large popularity and media attention with the release of their self-titled debut album in 1972—today considered one of the most important albums in the history of Yugoslav rock music—presenting themselves with jazz-influenced progressive rock sound. Despite the success of their debut release, the band did not manage to maintain a steady lineup, with Topić remaining the only permanent member during the following years. Despite experiencing multiple lineup changes and taking breaks, the band managed to release two additional studio albums that achieved moderate success, ultimately concluding their activities in 1977, making several reunions for live performances in the following decades.

History

The beginnings (late 1960s–1971)

Vocalist Adolf "Dado" Topić started his career in the second half of the 1960s, as the bass guitarist for the high school band Đavolji Eliksiri (The Devil's Elixirs, named after the novel by E. T. A. Hoffmann), featuring guitarist Josip Boček. For a period of time, Đavolji Eliksiri featured Zoran Knežević on second guitar, who would later go on to become a renowned astronomer and the president of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Topić and Boček later moved to the band Lavine (The Avalanches), and in 1967 joined the band Dinamiti, Topić switching to rhythm guitar and, at the same time, becoming the band's vocalist. Topić's compositions like "Novine" ("Newspapers") and "Život moj" ("My Life") were in accordance with the emerging trends on the Yugoslav rock scene and were well received by the audience. Topić stayed with Korni Grupa for three years, recording a number of successful pop rock singles with the band and writing several progressive-oriented songs, like "Remember", "Žena je luka a čovek brod" ("Woman Is a Harbor and Man Is A Ship") and "Prvo svetlo u kući broj 4" ("The First Light in the House Number 4"), the latter co-written by Topić and the band's leader Kornelije Kovač. All of the forming members were experienced musicians: Asanović previously played with the band Generals, Mavrin was previously a member of B.P. Convention, Divjak previously played with Topić in Dinamiti, and Živković was previously a member of Grupa 220. After Wheels of Fire disbanded, Božić played with the bands Mi, Nautilus, and B.P. Convention. Most of the songs on the album were written by Topić during the time he spent with Korni Grupa. represented Yugoslavia on the 10th World Festival of Youth and Students in East Berlin, where Asanović was awarded for his composition "Berlin". After the release of the mini-album Vodilja (Guiding Star) in 1983, he turned to performing on Yugoslav pop festivals. He was a member of the group B.P. Convention. On the festival, Time performed alongside YU Grupa, Indexi, Drago Mlinarec, Radomir Mihajlović Točak Band and Korni Grupa, the latter also reuniting for this occasion. In 2020, following Croatia Records reissue of Time's debut album, Dado Topić announced the band's comeback tour, but the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to the planned reunion.

In 2007, Croatia Records released the double compilation album Ultimate Collection, with one disc featuring Time songs, and the other featuring Dado Topić's solo works. The song "Da li znaš da te volim" was covered by Serbian and Yugoslav singer-songwriter Srđan Marjanović on his 1989 album Ako jednom puknem ja (If I Fall into Pieces One Day). The same song was covered by Yugoslav and Croatian musician Massimo Savić on his 1995 album "Benzina". The song "Superstar" was covered by Serbian musician Lee Man on his 1996 album Panonski ljubavnik (Pannonian Lover). Serbian female string quartet Wonder Strings recorded instrumental version of "Makedonija", "Floyd" and "Da li znaš da te volim" for their 2016 album Wonder YU Rock!. In 2015, the band's debut album was polled No.21 on the list of 100 Greatest Yugoslav Albums published by the Croatian edition of Rolling Stone.

In 2000, "Za koji život treba da se rodim" was polled No.4, "Da li znaš da te volim" was polled No.29, "Rock 'n' roll u Beogradu" was polled No.46, "Makedonija" was polled No.61 and "Istina mašina" was polled No.83 on the Rock Express Top 100 Yugoslav Rock Songs of All Times list. In 2006, "Da li znaš da te volim" was polled No.30 and "Rock 'n' roll u Beogradu" was polled No.62 on the B92 Top 100 Yugoslav songs list.

The lyrics of the songs "Za koji život treba da se rodim", "Pjesma No.3" and "Istina mašina" are featured in Petar Janjatović's book Pesme bratstva, detinjstva & potomstva: Antologija ex YU rok poezije 1967 - 2007 (Songs of Brotherhood, Childhood & Offspring: Anthology of Ex YU Rock Poetry 1967 – 2007).

Discography

Studio albums

  • Time (1972)
  • Time II (1975)
  • Život u čizmama sa visokom petom (1976)

Compilation albums

  • Time & Dado Topić – Ultimate Collection (2007)

Singles

  • "Život moj" / Pjesma No.3" (1973)
  • "Reci Ciganko, što mi u dlanu piše" / Makedonija" (1973)
  • "Kad jednom otkrijem čovjeka u sebi" / "Da li znaš da te volim" (1975)
  • "Tin i Tina" / "Dok sjedim ovako u tvojoj blizini" (1976)
  • "Kad smo ja i moj miš bili bokseri" / "Dok ja i moj miš sviramo jazz" (1976)
  • "Poželi nešto" / "Superstar" (1976)

Other appearances

  • "Za koji život treba da se rodim" (Pop Festival Ljubljana 72; 1972)
  • "Reci Ciganko, što mi u dlanu piše" (Boom Pop Fest '73; 1973)
  • "Da li znaš da te volim" (BOOM '76; 1976)
  • "Život u čizmama sa visokom petom" / "Divlje guske" (Randevu s muzikom; 1977)
  • "Rock 'n' roll u Beogradu" / "Dok ja i moj miš sviramo džez" / "Da li znaš da te volim" (Pop parada 1; 1977)
  • "Rock 'n' roll u Zagrebu" / "Pjesma No. 3" / "Da li znaš da te volim" / "Majko zemljo" (Legende YU rocka; 1987)

References

  • Time at Discogs