Not So Exciting Life of a Soviet Rock Star. Music Bands in the USSR #sovietmusic

You start understanding why smuggling from Finland, etc was so popular.....

So, who owns the copyright to the 50+ yo music from a dead country?

I cant wait for part 2 of this video. Wish i lived to see the all the various underground bands of early 80s leningrad. All the persecution they were subject to spawned what's in my opinion the most authentic and honest music scene ever. Really looking forward to learning more details about them. Great video

"Stop Mr. Reagan" is on YT.

Back in 87-88 I remember watching "The World of Music" on MTV. The Soviet bands reminded me of the garage bands/underground club bands in NYC from the late 70's-early 80's

i really wish the Greatful Dead would have toured the USSR! i've seen them talk about it in a few interviews. woulda been a wild time!

No rock bands until late 80s? We were rocking since late 70s in estonia.

The amount of bureaucracy, restriction, and lack of creative freedom is absolutely suffocating. The entire government-controlled culture of the Soviet Union was the reason why people eventually stopped believing in the system and caused it to implode.

I can't help but think of people like Vaclav Havel, a playwright rendered into a non-person for writing subversive material, wrote about parallel systems where creativity and life could actually be embraced. Rather than a lifeless world mandated by a bunch of mindless talentless bureaucrats who decided how people should run their lives without having a clue as to how to even do so.

U maybe covered this but could u go over the video games or arcade games in the soviet union ?

So, the writers worked for the union which was controlled by the KGB.

How is that any different from the writers working for the corporation that is controlled by the CIA?

Were there any iconic Soviet singers? Like a Frank Sinatra or Judy Garland type etc.?

Basically this system should have produced a song like ‘Mr. Farmer’ by the Seeds, but there was no way they’d come up with that.

from my experience with musicians from the former ussr countries, the "rock" genre was very much restrcted. people got mix tapes smuggled from other countries, but it was often by the time they got it outdated (compared to what was going on in teh west), and even if they did get a hold of something and tried making their own music, it was viewed by some as "copy cat" music. in otehr words, a musician in russia was in a dilemma-if you dont make the "establishment" songs, you were seen as someone that just had no authenticity. incidentally that was teh exact charge that was placed against composers in the tsarists era, like tchaikovski, who was accused as composing music that was not russian and therefore not authentic.
the only exception to this rule, was with jazz. jazz musicians enjoyed much more freedom to perform than others , as long as it did not include vocals in the ensembles. jazz maybe also suits russian mentality well which is very competitive.

always interesting

Privet tavarish Sergei! Thank you for all your great content, I have followed for many years. I have been learning the Russian language on my own and will say it is very difficult! I still struggle with Cyrillic letters.

I’ve noticed you have a few videos mentioning how you learned English in the USSR. I think a video by you, giving a few pointers for us new Russian speakers and many whom are interested in the languages of the many regions of the USSR would be greatly appreciated! Thanks and keep up the work. ~cheers from Canada

As a kid in the 80s (teenager in 90s) the perception was that Russia was just getting blue jeans and rock and roll, and that they seemed to be like, 30-40 years behind the curve. Obsessed with Elvis and earlier types of rock and roll. I have no doubt that's not the full story, but that's kind of what was presented in media, from my memory.

Another fascinating video. Thank you!

Your video does a lot to explain what I've seen of music groups in movies (in restaurant scenes and other settings). Some of it I had kind of guessed from the context, but I certainly hadn't guess every detail that you provided. It also explains somewhat of the mentality that made it so important that a jazz "expert" be found who could give the group in "We're from Jazz" some credibility. That film is thoroughly anachronistic, but still, some of it makes more sense given your explanations.

The story of Joanna Stingray is nuts. I’d love to see you do an interview with Cold War conversations podcast. You hit so much that Ian wants to talk about 🫶🏻

Comrade Sergei is a rock star!

they weren't from russia but i liked the stalingrad cowboys,i think from Finland?They did a good job with "sweet home alabama" but the red army choir also did the same song.

Kino hit harder while listening to them in a post Soviet Country while on vacation drinking beer.

It's interesting that you mention an Elton John show was 5 rubles when your parent made 150 rubles at the time. Recently Elton John performed in my city in a 10k+ capacity arena. Tickets were $400+ for nose bleeds. I make more than average and it was 3 days wages.

I collect LP records for few decades and always took the ones from the USSR who seems to be rock music. Interesting stuff sometimes but rarely on Melodia, maybe the Republics where less strict. Sometime they sound dated but in a good way. In my french speaking corner of Canada, in the 60's, it was really common to have local bands who translate Anglo-Saxon hits into French.

I've heard the song Uchkuduk by Yalla. I love that one.

British metal band Uriah heep WAS LEGAL in the soviet union, go check it out

listen to communist worker folk songs from 1917 only

Bad enough that one person wrote stuff for multiple acts? Why do you think so much of American pop music sounds the same? A lot of it is written by just a few people too.

I have to admit it's odd that is ALL the USSR had. They could have easily reviewed the lyrics and had the manager be a party member or something. I think it wasn't just control, I suspect it was also to get more talented musicians working (we can suck at non-music jobs lol) and to also ensure that the music was "high-quality" so the State could make more money off of album sales and shows.

100% a castration though.

Sergei could do a video on Leningrad Cowboys, except they were really Finnish, not Soviet.

Please talk about Кино in the next video <3

Plagiarism was omnipresent, even Soviet cult bands were guilty of it. Kino, Alisa, Agatha Christie copied cure, Smiths, joy division or Depeche mode. While on the heavier side, Aria, quite literally, was the cover band of Iron maiden, Judas priest and Manowar.
There are also two comical examples of plagiarism:
Use of The Godfather theme music in a Soviet cartoon.
Bootleg version of Let it be by The Beatles - "Будет так"

How bad did everyone stink?

Great video. I have been collecting Soviet vinyl ever since finding a cover of Stayin’ Alive by Raimonds Pauls at a Seattle thrift store a couple decades ago. Love too many to list, but Zodiac, Verasy (Music For All Vol. 2), Iveria and much more. This video helped answer many questions for me.

It has been WEEKS since ive seen a Notification from your site.
Iam pretty sure i know the reason.
I had to search for you. Be wary of Propagandists and Marxists folks. They never change, it never ends in UTOPIA.

You are too young to realize the true benefit of the U S S R.

Therefore, no one is going to be allowed to subscribe to your channel nor are they allowed to contribute to you in any way.

What's with ВИА Дос мұқасан from Kaz SSR ?

Excellent vlog. I've been interested in Soviet pop-culture for a long time. I've learned something new.

I watched a 1967 Soviet movie featuring the comedian Nikulin. In the movie, Nikulin danced with a woman to a band playing a 1950s US Rock style beat and they were doing the "twist". I was surprised 😮

Thanks

Blimey so much control, worse than some manufactured bands in the West.
No wonder why some bands and solo artists music was banned in the Soviet Union.

I can't think of Soviet rock music without thinking about the movie "Clerks."

Who determined who was in or out of a VIA?

I love ostbloc music

The sad thing: this is still less micromanaged than Kpop idols.

Rock bands such as kino Mashina vremeni and akvarium existed pre perestroika