Rock

Hey, Silver, Silver! Seriously, even though I’m right here hanging out with you on the PDF, do I really have to jump into this thread? 🙄 Well, whatever, I'm here now! 😁

The Rock group actually dates all the way back to the 70s, starting out over in Fort Knox (just outside of a place like Split). The whole thing was started by Chuck Berry, who’s basically the only one who stuck around through all the different lineup changes over the years.

They've had a few different singers pass through the group—names like Maja Blagdan, Izabela Martinović, Vesna Ivić, Zrinka ćuk, and Ines Žižić—but honestly, Zorica Kondža is the one everyone really associates with them. She's their signature sound. 🙏

It would be super helpful if we could give every single song its own separate post, maybe with the song title right there in the subject line to keep things organized.

Singin' that rock 'n' roll

Vocals by: Zorica Kondža (who also doesn't really have her own theme song, Silver...
)

This has gotta be the most iconic track from the band Rock. Honestly, people still blast this today—it’s not just some oldies thing for the nostalgic crowd. It just hits different. 😍

Lyrics:

Hey, you were such a strange guy
We all thought you were a little crazy
Your words were always so blunt
In songs about love, you'd ask for bread and salt
And you'd be singin' rock and roll

With a song, calling out for your love
Life would stop for a moment, you were made of glass
Hey, a dream of love is short-lived
All that's left is the pain, so sing us your song
Singin' rock and roll

Hey, you were such a strange one
We all thought
That you were a little crazy
Hey, a dream of love is short-lived
All that's left is the pain
Sing us your song
Singin' rock and roll

I’m throwing this song into the mix as well, mostly because of these two legendary lines:

You could never truly deceive me,
for I am the ocean, and you are merely a river.. 😛

And honestly, what can one even say about Zorica Kondža? She's just in a league of her own. 🙏🙏

Rock - You Know I Love You (Standing Alone on the Pier)

lyrics

but honestly, I have no clue who the artist is 😬

There's a whole world out there >>>

casualbear99 said:Rock - You Know I Love You (Standing Alone by the Pier)

lyrics

but honestly, I have no clue who actually sings this one... 😬

Izabela Martinović (sister of Danijela Martinović)

Lisa Young83 said:Izabela Martinović (sister of Danijela Martinović)

Thanks for the heads-up—I actually hadn't realized that. They really are quite similar. 😁

Ahh, Singin' that rock 'n' roll 😍

Kondža has this specific romantic-rocker vibe to her voice—it’s just unique, you know? She isn't exactly blowing my mind with every note, but she’s good, and honestly, that's enough for me. I think I'll actually sit down and listen to a few more of her tracks later. 🙂

There's this one world

Singing: Zorica Kondža (originally released back in 1982)

For both the track and the performance: 🙏

Lyrics:

There’s a world where I’d love to live
A world where words actually mean something
In that world lives a man made of salt
Born from the sun's glow, a stone I hold dear

From him, I hear a wordless voice
I feel the strength within this body
Me, just being fragile and ordinary through a play of words
I want it all

You love me gently, I know, it’s you,
That’s how much I need you, I really need you
In just one moment, I’d want everything
Through a play of words, and those words are actions
Please forgive me, just bring me back...
To my world

I still love you just like I used to 🙏

There's this whole other world out there—honestly, it’s not even worth bringing up because nothing else can touch it... ☕

They used to be an incredibly, incredibly good band!

Lisa Young83 said:Good grief, Samuel Morgan40—seriously? Given that you’re right here, active and breathing on the PDF, do I really have to be the one to drag this thread open? 🙄

🤣
I’m late—admittedly quite late—but I was under the firm impression that this thread already existed. In fact, I think I might have even posted about it somewhere else... back there, if I recall correctly. 🤔

Enivej, thanks for kicking off this thread regarding such a powerful—and frankly, deeply underrated—band. 🙂It seems to be slipping into obscurity somewhat undeservedly—well, excluding those standard three or four tracks that everyone still knows.

Eleven and Fifteen—along with that whole Cement Corp era—really represent the alpha and omega of their discography. I suppose, though, that the North American Bullfight featuring Vera holds a special place in my heart too. Those first two records stand out primarily because of that incredibly fresh sound they captured (especially alongside Bullet), combined with the brilliant work of Damir Malovan—who, as many of you know, is now with the Brava Band—and, of course, Zora’s powerhouse vocals. Back then, it felt like a genuine rarity in the American scene to see such a commanding female presence leading a rock band like that.

Eventually, the quality began to slip—with a few notable exceptions, of course. Even though Mickey always had a knack for selecting truly brilliant and charismatic female vocalists, I suppose none of them could quite capture that specific rock edge that Zora brought to the table.

I think there’s some compilation floating around—I believe it’s called *Six Women* by Marino Limić—somewhere in my collection. It’s decent enough background noise if you just need something playing in the ear, but if you ask me, only the first two albums—and maybe that third one featuring Vera—are actually worth sitting down for. They were truly at their peak during the Isabel era; she was arguably the most consistent member of the group, staying with them longer than anyone else, but—well, they eventually lost that edge and sort of watered down their sound.

I honestly can't wrap my head around what’s going on with Mickey lately—does he even intend to keep doing this, or is he just coasting? It's a real shame. And it’s equally disappointing that Zora decided to walk away from the music scene to follow her husband; I mean, sure, he might be a top-tier composer for certain projects or whatever, but back in the day, it was all about the Rock.

It’s almost a cliché at this point—anyone who leaves a (Rock) group tends to take a sharp turn toward pop music, which means most of their former vocalists ended up performing at various major US festivals. Some were quite successful with the transition, though if you ask me, Vesna Ivić had the best material, including a rather intriguing—and perhaps overlooked today—collaboration with the group Roulette: What if she is here.

For those interested in digging a bit deeper 🧐 (or if you're wondering who provides that famous vocal on the track Tutti Frutti):
We also shouldn't forget that she served—for a very long time, actually—as a backing vocalist on numerous albums by our biggest American stars; her charismatic backing vocals really shine on tracks like: Easy Things.

Lisa Young83 said:Isabel (sister of Danijela Mlad)

Isabel >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Danijela

Her younger sister definitely has more natural talent—her voice is quite a bit more engaging, actually—but the older one understands that you can't exactly make a living off rock music in this scene; it’s more about dancing on tables. 😁 I have to give credit to Isabel, though; she's been through a lot, poor thing, and she's turned out to be a very strong person.

Anyway, let's throw some names out there—
Bullfight,
Rubber Face (as that young girl was known here back in the day),
Manipulator (no, I mean the one with the thumbtacks, not the Oliver from the early 80s, but Malovan) 😁... well, I suppose I used to give lectures on all of them here once upon a time. 🤣

I just stumbled upon this thread by accident. "Rock"... man... what an incredible band. It’s such a shame they didn't last longer, kind of like Bullet. I actually have them playing in my headphones right now...

Rock - now when to leave Izabela Martinović



Rock - A Musician's Wedding



Rock - North American Bullfight



Rock - I Still Love You Like Before



Rock - Love Will Be My Downfall



Rock - now when to leave Izabela Martinović

Isabel

Isabel Martinović - Uncle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpwm5JUtMnE

Isabel Martinović - Alone Among the Stars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LknZD-fXwnY

Isabel Martinović - turn oneself

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16HEBAvuTIg

This whole thread just brings back memories of Ana and that little verse tucked underneath... ah, that beautiful day three years ago when we were just wandering by the Rock together. 😁
Anyway, ever since then, I've had to rely on my headphones for everything. 🙄

Top-tier band—from those early North American classics all the way through her recent holiday hits with Isabella, this vocalist is absolutely killing it...