Piloti (band)

Name	Piloti
Landscape	yes
Background	group_or_band
Alias	Kiki Lesendrić & Piloti
Origin	Belgrade, Serbia
Genre	New wave (early years), Rock, Pop rock
Years active	1981 – 19972009 – present
Label	PGP RTB, PGP RTS, Komuna
Associated acts	Kako
Current members	Kiki LesendrićFilip PatVladan VučkovićMarko Kuzmanović
Past members	Dragan AndrićGoran BogićevićNenad AntanasijevićZoran ObradovićSafet PetrovacMiško PlaviBane Lesandrić

Piloti (Serbian Cyrillic: Пилоти, English: The Pilots) was a famous band from Belgrade, Serbia. Initially immersed in the Yugoslav new wave scene, and later moving towards main stream pop-rock, they came to prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s as one of the leading pop-rock acts in former Yugoslavia.

The band was reformed in 2009 under the name Kiki Lesendrić & Piloti.

History

New Wave years (1981-1982)

The band was formed in 1981, by the former members of Kako, a band whose greatest claim to fame was appearing as one of the seven opening acts for Bijelo Dugme spectacular concert at the Belgrade JNA stadium in 1979. The inaugural lineup of Piloti was: Zoran "Kiki" Lesendrić (vocals, guitar), Dragan Andrić (bass guitar), Goran Bogićević (guitar) and Nenad Antanasijević (drums). Their debut album Piloti (The pilots) was released on August 27, 1981 by PGP RTB and produced by Dragan Jovanović. All of the tracks were composed and written by Lesandrić, with the exception of "Imam diplomu", "Svi smo mi ponekad anđeli" and "Veseli momci", co-written by Lesandrić and Goran Bogićević. Song "Ne veruj u idole" ("Do not believe in idols") became an instant hit, and was included on several New Wave compilation records.

After the success with their debut album, the followup, entitled Dvadeset godina (Twenty years) was released on April 20, 1982 by PGP RTB, and was produced by Saša Habić. All tracks were composed and written by Lesandrić including the minor hits "Dvadeset godina" ("Twenty years"), "Noć u gradu" ("A night in the city"), "Džoni je krenuo u rat" ("Johnny went to war") and "Ja sam jurio za vetrom" ("I have chased the wind"). During the late 1982, the band started working on their third album, Zvuci civilizacije (The sounds of civilisation), which was never released because of Lesandrić's army obligations, and the band went on hiatus.

Mainstream rock years (1984-1991)

Piloti re-assembled during the late 1984 with the whole new line-up, featuring Kiki Lesendrić, as the only returnee from the original lineup, and the newly arrived Zoran "Ćera" Obradović (drums), Safet "Saja" Petrovac (guitar), and Miško Plavi (bass guitar).

The band's third album Kao ptica na mom dlanu (Like a bird on my palm) was released on May 25, 1987 by PGP RTB and produced by Dušan Petrović "Šane". The author of all songs was Lesendrić, except for "Noć čeka nas" ("The night is waiting us") which he co-wrote with Bogićević and "Pišem po zidu" with Ilija Stanković. Lots of musicians contributed to the album recording: Dejan Grujić (bass guitar), Darko Grujić (keyboard), Vlada Negovanović (guitar), Enco Lesić (keyboards), Valdet Šaćiri (keyboards), Jovan Maljoković (saxophone), Nenad Stefanović "Japanac" (bass guitar) and Bane Lesendrić (backing vocals), Oliver Mandić, Momčilo Bajagić "Bajaga", Kornelije Kovač, Zana Nimani and others. The greatest hit from this album was song "Kao ptica na mom dlanu", and other hit songs were "Kada sanjamo", "Rekla je da u mojoj glavi čuje gitare i bubnjeve" and "Devojka bez imena".

The fourth album Osmeh letnje noći (A midsummer night smile) was published on May 11, 1988 by PGP RTB, and produced by the band themselves for the first time. The author of all songs was Lesandrić. Musicians who contributed to this album were: Saša Lokner (keyboards), Bane Lesendrić (backing vocals), Viktorija (backing vocals in song "Sa tvoje strane ulice") and Zoran Vračević (percussion). The greatest hit from this album was "Leto" (Summer) and minor hits were "Ako misliš da sam tužan" ("If you think I'm sad") and "Ona" ("She"). During 1989, guitarist Petrovac left the band and Bane Lesandrić, Kiki's brother joined.

The fifth album Neka te Bog čuva za mene (May God save you for me) was published on March 29, 1990 for PGP RTB in band's production. The author of songs was Kiki, except for "Jedino što nam ostaje" ("The only thing left") (a cover of Pete Townshend) and "Tiho, tiho" ("Silently, silently") by Bane Lesandrić. Laza Ristovski contributed to this album by playing the keyboards on two songs. The special guests were Goran Bregović (Guitar solo on one song), Jovan Maljoković (saxophone), Darko Grujić (backing vocals) and Jelena Galonić (backing vocals). The greatest hit from the album was "Tajna je u tebi skrivena" ("The secret is hidden inside you") and minor hits were "Tiho, tiho" and "Neka te bog čuva za mene". The following year, on August 22, 1991 PGP RTB published Piloti's Greatest Hits album.

Commercial peak, disbandment (1993-1997)

In 1993 Piloti published the soundtrack for the movie Zaboravljeni (The forgotten ones) for PGP RTS. The songs were written by Lesandrić, Marina Tucaković, Goran Bregović, the track "Spavaju li oči nebeske" "Do the eyes in the sky sleep") and Laza Ristovski, the title track. Guests on the album were Goran Bregović, Marko Nafta, Nenad Stefanović "Japanac", Bata Božanić and others. The album brought their career spanning greatest hit "Zaboravljeni" ("The forgotten ones"), and other two hits were "Čini mi se da" ("It seems to me") and "Kao da je mesec stao za nas dvoje" ("As if the Moon had stopped for us two").

Between 1993 and 1996, Piloti were on hiatus while Kiki Lesendrić worked with many Serbian artists. The band was back on stage in 1996 for the Budva Summer Festival with the song "Neverna si" ("You are unfaithful") and in November 1996 Komuna published their last album Dan koji prolazi zauvek (A day passing forever) produced by Kiki Lesendrić and Igor Borojević. All songs were composed by Kiki and Zoran Babović. Guests were Nenad Stefanović "Japanac" (bass guitar), Nenad Jelić (percussions, vocal), Ana Popović (guitar), Goran Bregović, Maksa Ćatović, Aca Milenković, Miša Amadeus and others. Minor hits from this album were "Neverna si" and "Dan koji prolazi zauvek". The band was dissolved in 1997, and Bread Ventures Records published the greatest hits album Ne veruj u idole the same year.

Kiki Lesendrić & Piloti (2009-present)

Having released his debut solo album, the 2008 Mesec na vratima (The moon at the door), Lesendrić started a promotional tour, Svet je lep kada sanjamo (The world is beautiful when we dream), during which he started performing as Kiki Lesendrić & Piloti. During the same year, PGP RTS released the greatest hits compilation album Najveći hitovi.

The band performed a 22-date tour of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Poland and Italy. The recording of the 2009 Belgrade Beer Fest and Novi Sad Spens Sports Center performance was released on a live album and DVD released in 2010 as Svet je lep kada sanjamo - turneja 2009.

Discography

Studio albums

Piloti (1981)

Dvadeset godina (1982)

Kao ptica na mom dlanu (1987)

Osmeh letnje noći (1988)

Neka te bog čuva za mene (1990)

Zaboravljeni (1993)

Dan koji prolazi zauvek (1996)

Compilation albums

Najveći hitovi 1981-1991 (1991)

Ne veruj u idole - Kompilacija (1997)

Najveći hitovi (2009)

Live albums

Svet je lep kada sanjamo - turneja 2009 (2010) - as Kiki Lesendrić & Piloti

Video albums

Svet je lep kada sanjamo - turneja 2009 (2010) - as Kiki Lesendrić & Piloti

See also

Serbian rock

References

Vremeplov: Piloti

External links

Piloti at Discogs

Lyrics on Svaštara

Category:Serbian rock music groups Category:Serbian New Wave musical groups Category:Yugoslav rock music groups