After the Eurovision victory for Serbia it's time to do something Serbian. My collection and knowledge of coverversions made in (old) Yugoslavia are mostly limited to the usual big winners getting a local makeover.But of all coverversions sung in Serbian (or Serbo-Croat) there's one song that stands out:
Bila je tako lijepa. It is Elle etait si jolie, the French 1963 entry by Alain Barrière and the song that has been recorded several times in Serbia (and Yugoslavia).
The first one to immortalise the song for Yugoslavia was Dragan Stojnić who released the song in 1965 on an EP.In the early 80's the song gained 'new evergreen' status when it was recorded by Pekinška Patka. They morphed the sugarsweet chanson into a raging punk rock riot which inspired every other Yugoslavian punk/rock band to put the song on their playlists.
Pekinška Patka are still regarded as legendary and even though they didn't invent Serbian punk, they were the masters of the genre.
http://www.popboks.com/ writes: "Even with only three published singles and two albums, Pekinska patka ("Beijing Duck") still is one of the crucial parts of Yugoslavian (Serbian) punk heritage, the leaders of the so-called New Wave of the 80’s, and the first punk band in the Balkans. They have been remembered to this day by their incisive and melodic punk rock sound. With their performances just two years after the punk revolution in Great Britain, they shocked the Yugoslavian public, caused infuriated reactions and were worshiped among a whole generation of Yugoslavian youth. The band may not exist anymore, but the rebellious sound of Pekinska patka still echoes today".
Their version was released on a 7" and LP Plitka Poezija (Jugoton, 1980)Bila je…. can also be found on the cult LP Bloodstains across Yugoslavia a compilation LP from a series of Punk LP's that featured Bloodstains from all over the world)
Dragan Stojnić - Bila je tako lijepa
- (EP: RTB 50289, 1965)
Pekinška Patka - Bila je tako lijepa
- (7"Jugoton SY 23756, 1981)
Dragan Stojnić's version can be found on the CD Bila je tako lijepa which is available from yu4you, they also stock the CD Pekinška Patka collecting most recordings by the band.
You can read more about Pekinška Patka at a MySpace dedicated to them.
Other versions of the song were recorded by Sove (Rap), Mirzino Jato, Bojan Kodrić, Stevan Zarić, Zeljko Samardzić, Hladno Pivo (Croatian) and more?...
You can find Yugoslavian 60's girl pop band Sanjalice in this Eurocovers post.
