Grešnici
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1965 in Zagreb, Yugoslavia |
| Defunct | 1975 |
| Headquarters | Zagreb , Yugoslavia |
| Products | Rock music singles and albums |
Grešnici (translated as The Sinners) was a rock group originating from Zagreb in 1965, recognized as one of the forerunners of the Yugoslav rock scene during the era of Yugoslavia.
1965–1975
The band Grešnici was established in Zagreb in 1965 by siblings Krešo Pavlić (organ, piano) and Kruno Pavlić (saxophone, organ, piano, vocals), alongside guitarist Vedran Božić, bassist and vocalist Vlado Bastajić, and drummer Darko Jambrek. Their early repertoire consisted mainly of covers of popular international rock songs, which earned them a dedicated following through frequent performances at the Tucman club in Zagreb.
After completing a tour across Yugoslavia in 1968, during which Nikola Sarapa replaced Božić on guitar (Božić having moved on to join Roboti), the band temporarily disbanded. The following year, Grešnici reformed with a refreshed lineup featuring Bastajić and Jambrek alongside guitarist Vlado Delač (formerly of Zlatni Akordi), organist Neven Frangeš, and guitarist/vocalist Branko Blaće. They shifted focus from cover songs to original compositions, attracting attention particularly for Delač's songwriting and Frangeš’s impressive skills at just 16 years old.
Throughout the late 1960s and into the early 1970s, under Delač's guidance, Grešnici experienced numerous personnel changes. Musicians who passed through the band included guitarist Krešimir Šoštar (later part of Nirvana), keyboardists Mustafa Ismailovski "Muc" (who later joined Divlje Jagode) and Dubravko Horvat, bassist Pero Adamović, drummer Marijan Kašaj, as well as vocalists Zoran Antoljak (later with Biseri), Mihajlo Gašparić "Gašo," and Marijan Baranec. Despite these shifts, Grešnici produced eight 7-inch single releases, highlighted by their successful track "Mali trg" ("Little Town Square") along with lesser hits like "Dok sam bio zelen i mlad" ("While I Was Green and Young") and "Rijeka snova" ("River of Dreams").
The group discontinued its activities in 1975.
Post breakup
After departing from Grešnici, Branko Blaće launched a solo career releasing two 7-inch singles: "Pjevaj mi pjesmu o ljubavi" / "Idi" in 1972 and "Ne idi, ne idi" / "Život je lijep" in 1973. He also portrayed Matija Gubec in the rock opera Gubec beg and contributed vocals to audio adaptations of the rock operas Grička vještica (1979) and Crna kraljica (1995). Blaće further expanded his artistic work by acting at Komedija theatre and appearing in films such as Dušan Makavejev's Manifesto (1988), Peter Richardson's The Pope Must Die (1991), and Željko Senečić's Pont Neuf (1997).
Marijan Kašaj pursued solo endeavors releasing two funk-inspired singles in 1975: "Sad je stvarno dosta tog" / "Svetac" and "Ideja" / "Bo-bo". He also took part in the rock operas Gubec beg and Grička vještica.
In 1996, Orfej issued a compilation album entitled 1970-1975, which compiled Grešnici’s singles along with additional tracks where they performed as a backing ensemble for various artists.
Singles
- "Mali trg" / "Sve što znam" (1971)
- "Rijeka snova" / "Zadnji odsjaj sreće" (1971)
- "Tiririri Huanita" / "Jedino ljubav" (1971)
- "Pjesma bez riječi" / "Što da ti pružim" (1972)
- "Dok sam bio zelen i mlad" / "Dajem ti sve" (1973)
- "Kestenjar" / "Hvala ti mama" (1973)
- "Susret" / "Tužna priča" (1973)
- "Kokošji kljun" / "Dobar stari rock'n roll" (1975)
Compilation Albums
- 1970–1975 (released in 1996)