One of the most productive composers, who created over 300 popular songs for Prima Donna, Philip Kirkorov, Linda, Masha Rasputina and many others, will celebrate his 60th birthday on March 17.
Vitaly Okorokov completed his studies at the conservatory, admired Shostakovich, and aspired to write operas and symphonies. However, the financial pressures of the 80s and 90s forced him to compose songs such as “Combination,” “Dune,” and “Na-Na” to make a living. On the occasion of his anniversary, the musician spoke to Komsomolskaya Pravda about those challenging times and the memories he has with each of the artists.
Valeria could have sung in place of Apina, and a “Russian Madonna” was crafted from Linda
Alena Apina has admitted on multiple occasions that she was fortuitously recruited into the “Combination” when she crossed paths with her high school love, Vitaly Okorokov, in the hallway of the Saratov Conservatory. As one of the founding members of the group, he urgently needed a second soloist and quickly enlisted Apina, who agreed.
Vitaly Okorokov and Alena Apina
– In reality, Alla Perfilova could have been part of the “Combination”,” he singer Valeria, – the renowned composer shared. She was working at a local restaurant at the time, and I proposed, “Alla, let’s perform together.” However, upon learning that she would have to sing in a group, she adamantly refused, stating, “I only work as a solo artist!”.
From humble beginnings on collective farms and rural recreation centers, the “kombinashki” struggled to make their way to the stages of the capital.
– In the late 80s, they spent a night at the Moscow station. And at another time, all seven of us crammed into my aunt’s one-room apartment, – Okorokov continued. “I was the only one with a relative in the capital. Apina and Ivanova, as soloists, slept on the bed, while the rest found space wherever they could – even in the bathroom!
Soon after, Apina embarked on a solo career, and the composer began writing music not only for the “Combination.” For example, he is the creator of Linda’s first song.
Lev Geiman and vocalist Linda
– Her father, the wealthy banker Lev Geiman, provided the funds to the producer Aizenshpisfor making a star out of my daughter, – the songwriter explained. “They invited all the renowned composers to present their works: Vladimir Matetsky, Igor Nikolaev, Arkady Ukupnik, and me at the same time. We brought all our demos, and after listening, her father said, “Who wrote ‘Non-Stop’? Let’s choose this song.” I must have made quite an impression, as the wealthy father sought to create a “Russian Madonna” from his daughter. Initially, until she met Max Fadeev, Linda imitated her entirely.
Late-night meeting with Pugacheva
For Alla Pugacheva the composer had written the song “Christian” to the verses of Alexander Shaganov in the early 90s. Instead of appreciation, he received an insult: the prima donna referred to him as an eccentric with the letter M.
– I faced a difficult situation in the studio. When Pugacheva came in and sang “Christian,” she exclaimed, “Who the hell wrote this song ?!” Okorokov recollected. “At that moment, I was standing on the sidelines, saying, ‘Alla Borisovna, it was me…’
But the most impressive story from the life of the famous opera singer, which the composer played a part in, was the meeting of a celebrity with a young singer from the countryside. Sergei Chelobanov:
– The way he ended up meeting Pugacheva is quite amusing. Picture the early nineties: Chelobanov is married with two young kids and living in a rented apartment. He's working as an arranger at Ukupnik’s studio. Arkasha was already friends with Pugacheva at that time and was well-received at her home. Then one day I asked him: 'Introduce Chelobanov to Pugacheva. He has interesting songs and a good voice.' So he gave her the cassette.
Two weeks later, Alla calls Ukupnik at two in the morning:
– What's on the cassette? Who's singing? A rough voice…
– Oh, that's Seryozhka Chelobanov.
– I want to see him. No, not tomorrow – right now!
Ukupnik rushes to Chelobanov, waking everyone up: 'Hurry, Seryoga, Pugachikha wants to see you urgently!' Half-awake, he grabs one shoe and one sneaker – and goes to meet her wearing different shoes.
– Any other musician would have showered her with compliments: 'Alla Borisovna, what an honor. What can I do for you?' But Chelobanov walks in, and Alla greets him with 'Hello.' And he replies, 'Hello. What did you want? What's the matter?' Vitaly Okorokov is still astonished. – She opened her mouth and said, 'Arkasha, that's it for now. You may go.' So Seryoga stayed with her. It seems to me that Pugacheva was madly in love with him. He didn't even call her by name – he kept calling her Mashka for some reason.
And on top of that, the beloved singer had a criminal record: he stupidly stole a synthesizer and got a sentence.
– When Alla was invited on a tour to Holland, she insisted on bringing Chelobanov along. It turned out he only had a certificate of release, not a foreign or even a regular Russian passport, the composer explains. What did Pugacheva do? She flew to Balakovo, where Seryoga was registered, and managed to swiftly arrange all the necessary documents for him, including a foreign passport. In Balakovo, this visit is still remembered as if aliens had landed in the city!
Kirkorov was looking for fans at McDonald’s
The composer met the future pop star in the late eighties when they were both young and had their whole lives ahead of them. Kirkorov was already famous, but not yet a superstar.
Vitaly Okorokov (left) and Philip Kirkorov
– We met on a cruise from “Morning Mail”, Philip himself approached: 'Are you the composer of “Combinations”? Write me a song like “American boy,”' says Okorokov. – And I wrote him a catchy song called 'Mitrofan,' and later a serious ballad called 'There Were Six of Us.' We worked closely together: Kirkorov performed around twelve of my compositions.
Even at that time, Philip was a big fan of fast food and once asked: 'Take me to McDonald’s' – the restaurant was not yet on Tverskaya, but at the Central Telegraph. So we went there, sat down, and started eating. Then he suddenly asked:
“Look, is anyone looking at me? Do you think they'll recognize me? Count how many people are staring.
– Yes, the girls are watching and whispering.
– Okay. Not enough yet. Nothing, the time will come and the whole McDonald’s will break when I come in!
Philip looked at the water: it seemed like the cafe on Tverskaya was made just for him.
Antonov – Fisted, and Rasputina – tyrant
The composer got his largest payment for the musical “Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro” then he built a house and updated the car park. But in show business there were no generous gifts: most stars count every penny.
“We had a case with Alexander Serov,” says Vitaly Okorokov. – He sang hits all his life Cool, and in the late nineties, I suddenly decided to perform my song “Damned”. Cool then even offended. Although it’s just right for me to be offended: the singer forgot to pay the standard fee of 2000-3000 dollars. I got only praise from him: “It’s so cool – Serov sings you! Yes, and on the “Song of the Year”!
And the “patriarch of the stage” Yuri Antonovwho always earned an order of magnitude higher than his colleagues, at one time decided to save on “Combination”.
Yuri Antonov
– 1991, Antonov is going to America on a big tour. And he needed a team with which he could play two parts, – recalls the star composer. – Someone suggested “Combination”. I came to Yuri Mikhailovich’s house, he listened: “Cool, good girls! Only a little expensive. Can I take two instead of five?” In the end, he refused, that’s how tight-fisted he is.
Do not overpay the composer and actresses with a broad Russian soul.
– Vika Tsyganova and Masha Rasputina are such dictators! the author admits. “They have their own opinion on everything, they don’t listen to anyone. As a composer, I tried to advise them: here it is necessary to sing like this, here it is like that. But these women are not spoiled. “So, composer, did you write the notes? Did you get money? Go to the restaurant and mark the song!” – Masha Rasputina once kicked me out of the studio.
By the way
“Buhgalter” conquered Hollywood
The hit about the accountant, which Okorokov wrote together with Apina, became the first Russian-language soundtrack for a Hollywood film: the action movie Nobody was released on the big screens last year and even headed the box office in America for two weeks.
“They paid me about 10-15 thousand dollars for copyright, and as it turned out, I sold cheap,” says the composer. – Although in fact, to see myself in the credits of a Hollywood film, I would have paid myself!
Did you know…
“American boy” is not the same anymore
“At first, we didn’t succeed with this song,” the composer recalls. – The chorus was stupid:
“Take me to America
take me with you,
Otherwise I’m hysterical
I’ll go to Urengoy!”
And suddenly Apina says to me: “What the hell is Urengoy? Here in “Russian girls” we did the chorus in English – let’s repeat it. I immediately rhymed: the fight is with you, everything went from that …
