The Flowers | |
|---|---|
 Stas Namin & The Flowers (2009) | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Genres | rock, progressive rock, blues, ethno rock, rhythm-n-blues, pop-rock |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Members | Oleg Predtechensky Valery Diorditsa Alexander Gretsinin Yury Vilnin Alan Aslamazov Andrey Shatunovsky Stas Namin |
| Website | flowersrock.ru |
Tsvety (Russian: Цветы, lit. 'The Flowers') is a Soviet and Russian rock band that, according to Itogi magazine, "started all Russian alternative culture". It was one of the first bands to introduce rock music to the Soviet show business. The Flowers were established in 1969 by guitar player and songwriter Stas Namin. In 1973 The Flowers released flexis with producing company Melodiya; overall seven million copies were sold. After becoming a major hit in the USSR, in 1974 the band went on its first professional tour; but in 1975 the band dissolved as a result of a conflict with the Philharmonic Society, and it was liquidated by a decree of the Ministry of Culture of the USSR, its name was banned. It was only in 1977 that the band was resurrected under the new name The Stas Namin Group, in 1978 it went on tour still being banned by all central mass media outlets. In 1980, during the years of the Olympic Thaw, the band managed to release a solo album with Melodiya – Hymn to the Sun – and participate in a TV show, after that they were banned once again. The period of bans and persecution that lasted to 1986 ended with Perestroika when the life of the band got much easier: with their returned name The Flowers went on tour, performed abroad in the Western countries and completed a world tour in four years. In 1990 the band ceased its activities and, as a matter of fact, did not exist for the next almost ten years.[1]
By the end of 80-s the Soviet monopolist record label Melodiya sold over sixty million copies of The Flowers records, but neither Stas Namin, nor the band members were paid out of this record sales. Namin wrote most of The Flowers songs. Many of them were banned, but those which were released became national hits. His song Happiness was a hit No. 1 for three years in 80-s, and even now it remains one of the most beloved songs for Russia and former Soviet Union. Over fifty famous musicians started their careers with The Flowers. Established and produced by Stas Namin in 1987, the Gorky Park rock-band was also formed of The Flowers members.[2]
After the re-union in 1999 The Flowers celebrated their 30th Anniversary with a big concert in Moscow, but did not return to show business. They participated in the productions of Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar (Russian versions), and other projects at The Stas Namin Music and Drama Theater. In 2009 the band celebrated its 40th Anniversary with a grand show with special guest-stars, and actively started the new creative life. The Flowers recorded two albums "The Best of Flowers" at the Abbey Road studios. In 2013 they released two albums with the brand new songs – Homo Sapience and Flower Power. In autumn 2014 the Flowers are planning the 45th Anniversary tour that includes 45 cities in Russia, and in 2015 – a world tour. That will be a farewell tour of the legendary rock-band.
2009—2013: The Modern period
In 2009—2010 the band recorded double albums Back to the USSR (covering all their 1970s songs), and Window to Freedom (containing the songs prohibited in the 1980s) at the Abbey Road Studio.
2009: Back to the USSR album
In 2009 The Flowers recorded a double album Back to the USSR that was dedicated to its 40th anniversary and included the best twenty four songs created from 1969 to 1983.
2010: Anniversary show – The Flowers 40 Years
On 6 March 2010 The Flowers celebrated their 40th anniversary in Moscow at Crocus City Hall. The Flowers anniversary show featured various ex-members of the band including Yury Fokin, Konstantin Nikolskiy, Vladimir Chugreyev, Alexander Slizunov, Vladimir Semyonov, Vladislav Petrovskiy, etc., friends of the band (Andrey Makarevich, Yury Shevchuk, Garik Sukachov, Nikolai Noskov, Alexander Marshal, Dmitry Revyakin, Julia Chicherina, Evgeniy Khavtan, Lyudmila Gurchenko, Oscar Feltsman, etc.), and even the choir representing the Children's Variety Theater, the chamber ensemble Moscow Soloists conducted by Yuri Bashmet, the soloist ensemble representing the Stas Namin Theater, representatives of different religious denominations and ethnic musicians from all over the world.
2011: Window to Freedom album
Thirty years after releasing the first (and actually the last) art album titled Hymn to the Sun (1980) the band recorded their new album Open Wide Your Window at the Abbey Road Studio in London. The record contained fifteen previously unreleased (due to strict censorship) songs but written mostly in 1980 with lyrics by 1960s poets as well as two new songs by Namin – Hymn to Today's Heroes and Window to Freedom.
2012: Flower Power show
In November 2012 The Flowers presented their new show at Crocus City Hall.
References
- ↑ "Hit “Jurmala” tribe die Stimmung auf die Spitze. Moskauer Rockgruppe “Stas Namin” began Tournee in Lubeck", Lubecker Nachrichten, 7 November 1985.
- ↑ "Gorky Park Guru. From rock rebel to counter-culture businessman", AIM, October 1991.
External links
- flowersrock.ru – Russian site of group "The Flowers"
- Information on the band (in Russian)
- Discography of the band (in Russian)