Time (Yugoslav band)

Time

Company type	Rock band
Industry	Music
Founded	1971 in Zagreb, Yugoslavia
Founder	Adolf "Dado" Topić
Headquarters	Zagreb , Yugoslavia
Products	Progressive rock music, studio albums, live albums

Time was a rock ensemble originating from Zagreb in 1971, quickly establishing itself as a leading force within the Yugoslav rock movement of the 1970s.

The band was initiated by former Dinamiti and Korni Grupa frontman Adolf "Dado" Topić. The founding members featured Vedran Božić on guitar, Tihomir "Pop" Asanović handling keyboards, Mario Mavrin playing bass, Ratomir "Ratko" Divjak on drums, and Branislav "Lambert" Živković contributing piano and flute. Their 1972 debut album, self-titled and distinguished by its jazz-infused progressive rock style, is widely regarded as a milestone in the region’s rock history. Despite this acclaim, the group underwent numerous personnel changes over time, with Topić remaining the only consistent figure. They produced two additional studio records that achieved moderate recognition before disbanding in 1977, though they reunited occasionally for live appearances thereafter.

Origins (late 1960s–1971)

Adolf "Dado" Topić began his musical journey in the late 1960s as a bass player in the high school band Đavolji Eliksiri, which also featured guitarist Josip Boček. He subsequently became part of Lavine and then Dinamiti, transitioning to rhythm guitar and lead vocals. Alongside Vedran Božić, Alberto Krasnići, and drummer Ratomir "Ratko" Divjak, this group evolved toward progressive rock, shaped by Topić’s jazz-inspired songwriting and improvisational style. Tracks such as "Novine" and "Život moj" resonated with emerging trends in Yugoslav rock and were well received by fans and critics alike.

In 1969, Topić replaced Dalibor Brun as lead singer of Korni Grupa, thus ending his tenure with Dinamiti. Shortly after, Boček joined him in Korni Grupa. During his three-year stint there, Topić recorded several successful pop rock singles and composed progressive pieces like "Remember," "Žena je luka a čovek brod," and "Prvo svetlo u kući broj 4," co-written with bandleader Kornelije Kovač. Although these songs became popular during live shows, they were not captured on record during the band's initial era.

Formation, rise to prominence, personnel shifts, and breakup (1971–1977)

In September 1971, Topić departed Korni Grupa to establish his own group. With guidance from manager Vladimir Mihaljek, he put together Time’s original roster: himself on vocals; Vedran Božić on guitar; Tihomir "Pop" Asanović on keyboards; Mario Mavrin handling bass; Ratko Divjak on drums; and Branislav "Lambert" Živković playing piano and flute. Each member brought extensive experience from notable Yugoslav bands. Notably, Božić had performed extensively in West German clubs and shared a stage with Jimi Hendrix.

Time’s inaugural album was released mid-1972 under Jugoton. Most compositions were penned by Topić during his time with Korni Grupa. The record included standout tracks such as "Istina mašina" and the ballad "Pjesma No. 3." Initially pressed in a limited run of 500 copies due to Jugoton’s skepticism about its commercial appeal, the album’s strong reception led to multiple reissues over the following twenty years.

Following their debut release, Time embarked on an extensive Yugoslav tour, including performances at the 1972 BOOM Festival and serving as opening act for Colosseum in Zagreb. Early in 1973, departures of Mavrin and Živković initiated a period of frequent lineup changes. Bass responsibilities rotated among Nenad Zubak, Karel "Čarli" Novak, and occasionally Topić himself. Drummer Divjak was succeeded by Petar "Peco" Petej, who became a relatively stable member despite some substitutions.

During 1973, Topić and Božić performed in West Germany while Asanović toured the Soviet Union with Novi Fosili before forming Jugoslovenska Pop Selekcija. Time released the successful single "Makedonija," opened for East of Eden during their Austrian tour, and appeared at the third BOOM Festival.

In early 1974, Topić issued his first solo single and contributed to Asanović's solo project. Later that year, following a politically charged altercation with youth league members after a concert incident, he was incarcerated. During this period of imprisonment, he composed material that would be featured on Time’s second album.

Upon release, Time recorded Time II, featuring Topić alongside Asanović, Divjak, and guitarist Dragi Jelić from YU Grupa. This album represented a stylistic shift toward more straightforward arrangements with themes inspired by prison experiences; it included the popular ballad "Da li znaš da te volim." In November 1974, Topić commenced mandatory military service.

While he was enlisted, the album was released. After returning in late 1975, Topić reassembled Time for promotional performances before relocating to London with Petej. They joined The Foundations for a UK tour before returning home to reform Time with English keyboardist Chris Nicholls. This lineup performed at the 1976 BOOM Festival.

In 1976, Time recorded their third studio effort Život u čizmama sa visokom petom in Munich featuring Božić (guitar), Novak (bass), Nicholls (keyboards), Divjak and Stančić (drums), along with backing vocals by Zdenka Kovačiček. The concept album narrated the rise and fall of a rock star and produced hits such as "Rock 'n' roll u Beogradu" and "Superstar."

Over the subsequent two years, Topić led numerous concerts advertised as Time’s farewell performances. Among these was a notable 1976 Novi Sad show celebrating Radio Novi Sad’s anniversary; recordings from this event were included on the live album Randevu s muzikom. Their final appearances included a 1977 festival in Belgrade documented on the live release Pop parada 1. Plans for a supergroup named K2 involving Topić and others did not come to fruition. Following this period, Petej and Božić transitioned to studio work roles marking Time’s official dissolution.

Post-breakup careers and subsequent endeavors of the members (1977–present)

Following the dissolution of Time, Topić and Nicholls became part of the Belgrade ensemble Ribeli, which was renamed Mama Co Co after their integration. This group frequently played at the Belgrade Youth Center and supported pop icon Zdravko Čolić during his Putujući zemljotres tour, a choice that disappointed a segment of Time’s audience. In 1979, Topić recorded the popular track "Floyd," composed by Zoran Simjanović for the film National Class Category Up to 785 ccm. That same year, he launched his debut solo concept album, Neosedlani, which featured contributions from Boček, Divjak, Novak, and Nicholls. His follow-up album, Šaputanja na jastuku (1980), also included Nicholls on keyboards. After releasing the mini-album Vodilja in 1983, Topić shifted focus to Yugoslav pop festivals and collaborated with Slađana Milošević on the hit ballad "Princeza" in 1984. Subsequent releases included the EP Call It Love (1993), studio albums Otok u moru tišine (2002) and Apsolutno sve (2004), as well as the live album Live in Kerempuh (2008), showcasing extensive collaboration across the former Yugoslav territories.

Boček’s career involved performances with Supersession, Boomerang, Parni Valjak, and various club bands such as Call 66 and Rock Masters. He also produced albums including Planet Hendrix (2015) and Planet Cream (2020), earning multiple prestigious awards for his production work.

Mario Mavrin worked internationally alongside jazz artists and was a member of B.P. Convention. In 1987, he recorded Out of the Past with guitarist Damir Dičić and was honored with the Status Award for Best Bass Guitarist in both 1997 and 1998.

Divjak contributed to RTV Ljubljana’s Dance Orchestra, B.P. Convention, Pop Jazz Ljubljana, Greentown Jazz Band, and the jazz rock group Sončna Pot—recording their 1979 album. His solo debut Caravan appeared in 1999, followed by collaboration with the Bruno Mičetić Jazz Trio on Phantom's Whispers (2013).

During the late 1970s, Živković led bands such as B.P. Convention, Lambert Shop, and Jazz Set. He composed scores for significant Yugoslav films including Whichever Way the Ball Bounces, Crazy Days, and In the Jaws of Life, receiving the Golden Arena award for Best Film Music for the latter. His academic pursuits included teaching film music at New York University. Among his solo releases are Moods for Flutes (1982) and entries in the Authentic South America series (1993). In recognition of his career achievements, RTV Slovenija presented him with a lifetime achievement award in 2012.

Nicholls performed with Mama Co Co, Ružin Trn, and Cveće before relocating to Germany in 1987 where he worked as a studio musician and taught at a jazz school in Düsseldorf.

Reunion events (1987, 1998, 2001, 2007)

Time reunited in 1987 to perform at the Retrovizor festival hosted by Radio 101 at Zagreb's Dom Sportova on May 22. The lineup included Dado Topić on vocals and bass, Tihomir Asanović and Branislav Živković on keyboards, Ratko Divjak on drums, with guest guitarist Dragi Jelić joining them. They shared the stage with prominent Yugoslav bands such as YU Grupa, Indexi, and Korni Grupa, all of whom also reunited for this occasion. Live renditions of "Rock 'n' roll u Zagrebu," "Pjesma No. 3," "Da li znaš da te volim," and "Majko zemljo" were featured on the double live album Legende YU rocka, released that same year.

In both 1998 and 2001, Topić, Božić, and Divjak came together for select live performances. The trio returned once more in 2007 to open for The Rolling Stones during their concert at Jaz Beach in Budva, Montenegro.

A scheduled reunion concert in Belgrade planned for 2016 with Topić, Asanović, Božić, Mavrin, and Divjak was ultimately canceled due to internal conflicts. In 2020, following a reissue of Time’s debut album by Croatia Records, Topić announced plans for a comeback tour; however, it was postponed owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2007, Croatia Records issued a double compilation titled Ultimate Collection, featuring tracks from Time alongside Topić’s solo material. The band was honored with the Porin Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. A remastered vinyl edition of their debut album accompanied by critical essays was released by Croatia Records in 2019.

Legacy

The impact of Time can be traced through numerous reinterpretations by various artists: "Tin i Tina" was covered by the Yugoslav female ensemble Aska in 1982, while "Da li znaš da te volim" saw renditions by Srđan Marjanović in 1989 and Massimo Savić in 1995. "Istina mašina" was reimagined by Ekatarina Velika in 1993 and later by Generacija 5 in 2002. Additionally, Lee Man released a version of "Superstar" in 1996. The Serbian string quartet Wonder Strings produced instrumental adaptations of "Makedonija," "Floyd," and "Da li znaš da te volim" for their 2016 album Wonder YU Rock!, whereas the Montenegrin group Mikrokozma offered a cover of "Za koji život treba da se rodim" in 2022. Croatian punk outfit Brkovi paid homage with their 2016 release Torzo Dade Topića.

Time's first album secured the No.3 spot, and Time II was placed at No.52 on the 1998 ranking of the 100 Greatest Yugoslav Popular Music Albums featured in YU 100: najbolji albumi jugoslovenske rok i pop muzike. Furthermore, the debut album attained No.21 on the Croatian edition of Rolling Stones list highlighting the Greatest Yugoslav Albums in 2015.

Several tracks from Time achieved prominent positions on notable rankings: "Za koji život treba da se rodim" reached No.4, "Da li znaš da te volim" was ranked at No.29, alongside other songs included in both the Rock Express Top 100 Yugoslav Rock Songs of All Times (2000) and B92’s Top 100 Yugoslav songs list (2006).

Lyrics from "Za koji život treba da se rodim," "Pjesma No.3," and "Istina mašina" are featured in Petar Janjatović's anthology Pesme bratstva, detinjstva & potomstva: Antologija ex YU rok poezije 1967 – 2007, highlighting Time’s lasting cultural significance.

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)

External links

• Time at Discogs