Group "Mirage": composition and history

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Eight soloists in thirty years of creative activity. The Soviet group "Mirage" started in 1985. However, in the first year of its birth, the Mirage was known under a different name - the "Activity Zone".

Music tied them together

The Mirage group (the composition of the first team) was born under the leadership of four gifted personalities: Andrey Lityagin, Margarita Sukhankina, Sergei Proklov, Mikhail Kirsanov.

The first demo "Information for Newspapers" was recorded in the same year, 1985. The amateur composition was different from the subsequent one not only in its name, but also in its direction. It was originally a new wave, originating in punk rock, electronic music, glam rock, post-punk, disco and funk.

At first, the soloist of the group was Mikhail Kirsanov: he was the author of poems, and Andrey Lityagin, who plays the keys, was the composer.

The stars are waiting for them

In 1986, inFebruary, the team "Activity Zone" was renamed "Mirage". Soon the group began to actively record songs. Andrei Lityagin transferred the right to solo the female half of the group. The first vocalist was Margarita Sukhankina. Having performed "The Stars Are Waiting for Us", "This Night" and "Video", she refused to further participate in the project, justifying this with a desire to realize herself in an opera career.

After a long search, the first composition of the Mirage group was supplemented with the name of a new soloist. She became Natalya Gulkina. Together with her, the team recorded their debut album "Stars are waiting for us." It happened on March 3, 1987.

However, in 1994, Natalya Gulkina, the soloist of the Mirage group, who participated in the recording of the first album, was replaced by vocalist Ekaterina Boldysheva. It was she who covered the songs from the debut album to re-release it on CD.

The first tour of the Mirage group

The debut album was so popular among the audience that Andrey Lityagin decided to start touring. In the fall of 1987, the team went on their first tour. However, before that, the Mirage group replenished its composition again. The second soloist was Svetlana Razina.

It is known that the concert schedule was so tight that it reached 80-90 performances per month: more than three per day. Soon, the Mirage group became one of the most popular bands in the country.

The group's old (tour) line-up included 5 names: Natalya Gulkina and Svetlana Razina - soloists; Sergey Proklov and Igor Ponomarev -guitarists (the second participated only at concerts); Roman Zhukov - keyboardist; Sergey Solopov - drummer.

The flight of soloists from Mirage to Fairies and Stars

Despite the resounding success, in 1988 the Mirage lost its vocalists. We can say that Natalya Gulkina and Svetlana Razina began their solo careers in the Zvezdy and Feya groups.

Why did this happen? It is believed that Natalya Gulkina was offered to sing to the soundtrack. The songs were performed for her by Margarita Sukhankina, whom Lityagin invited specifically for the studio recording.

After Natalia and Svetlana left the ranks of the team, the further successful existence of the team under the well-known name - the Mirage group, turned out to be questionable. The composition, fortunately, was soon replenished by Natalia Vetlitskaya. But she did not solo for long, only during 1988. Subsequently, she made a solo career. The short stay of the girl in the team was not in vain for her. She was featured in the first Mirage video.

What makes him special? It represents video frames selected not for one composition, but for three at once. Such a peculiar medley of "I don't want", "Music bound us" and "This night".

The composition of the Mirage group in 1988 is distinguished by the highest instability of personnel and, to be honest, little fame among fans. For example, Inna Smirnova, who later also became a member of the Fairies, was also in her ranks.

"Together Again": Sukhankina sings again for "Mirage"

In the summer of 1988, the secondmagnetic album, called "Together Again". Paradoxically, Sukhankina was again invited to record it. Under the vocal parts performed by Margarita, it was proposed to "sing" Natalya Gulkina. She refused to open her mouth to the soundtrack and left the group.

This album traces the further creative mood and the direction of the music, which harmoniously combines dance and rock notes. Such a visiting card became characteristic of the group due to the influence of guitarist Alexei Gorbashev.

In 1989, the Mirage group, whose composition changed again, continues to actively tour the country. Despite the fact that the voices of Gulkina and Sukhankina still sounded from the speakers, new vocalists flaunted on the stage. Tatyana Ovsienko and Irina S altykova - this is the new female side of a group that is inconsistent in composition, but regular in popularity. Soon Irina S altykova left her ranks, and Ovsienko became the only soloist. However, for a long time she did not have to bask in the rays of glory in this role. In 1990, Lityagin replaced her with Ekaterina Boldysheva. At this time (since 1991) the group is actively working on the recording of the third album.

Goodbye, plus soundtrack. Hello Boldysheva

With the arrival of Ekaterina Boldysheva in 1990, the era of touring with positive soundtrack ended. She sang all the songs exclusively with her voice. Perhaps this fact was the reason for her long collaboration with Lityagin, whose main brainchild was and remained the Mirage group. The new composition, which included CatherineBoldyshev, existed until 1999.

If we look at the band's history based on different sources, one fact remains unclear: who performed the songs on the 1997 Danceremix remix album? According to some data, all compositions were covered by Boldysheva. According to others, Ekaterina performed only a part, the rest of the parts were given to Sukhankina.

Recordings of numerous remixes

The release of the third album did not take place. The reason lies in the economic situation in the country, which had a very detrimental effect on the group. "Not the first time" instead of the alleged 1991 came out already in 2004.

But remix albums came out one after another: "Version 2000", Dance remix 2000 (remix of the Danceremix album), "Back to the Future" and "Drop".

The last compilation - "Drop" - consisted of tracks that were supposed to be released back in 1991.

In 2004, thanks to the publishing house "Jem", work began on the release of "Not for the first time." In the same year, the third numbered album was released.

A new stage in the creative path of "Mirage"

The composition of the Mirage group in 2004 is changing dramatically. Four new soloists come to the team at once: Evgenia Morozova, Maria Kharcheva, Nicole Ambrazaitis and Elena Stepanyuk. However, the girls in the group did not stay long.

In 2005, in the year of the group's "coming of age", the Mirage group holds a number of concerts. One of the most iconic and memorable was the event held at the Olimpiysky sports complex. This is where every fan couldsee your favorite composition of the Mirage group, even if it belonged to different eras of its development.

Tatiana Ovsienko, Svetlana Razina, Irina S altykova, Natalya Gulkina, Margarita Sukhankina, Ekaterina Boldysheva sang from the Olimpiyskiy stage. Each of them performed compositions exclusively with their own voice.

"Solo for two" by Margarita Sukhankina and Natalia Gulkina

Natalya Gulkina and Margarita Sukhankina, despite being involved in the same creative team, did not know each other personally until the early 2000s. However, when this happened, the vocalists decided to join forces to create their own offspring. Considering the illegality of using the name of the group in which they previously successfully soloed, Natalya and Margarita created a new one: “Solo for Two”. But such a name did not take root, and women began to use their fairly well-known names to promote compositions. In 2004, under the names of Sukhankina and Gulkina, the single "Mirage of Love" was released. And in 2005, the second joint album “Just a Mirage” was released.

The success of the former soloists Andrey Lityagin took with discontent. He claimed that Sukhankina spoiled his compositions with her "wretched remakes".

It is believed that, in addition to verbal insults, threats were poured from him towards Gulkina and Sukhankina.

Sukhankina admitted that she suspects Andrei Lityagin of organizing the attack on her.

Golden voices of the Mirage group

Fortunately, the confrontation between Lityagin and his former soloists ended peacefully. The result of cooperation between them was the transformation:

1. Gulkina and Sukhankina officially became the Golden Voices of the Mirage group. They were also given the name of Lityagin's official band.
2. The composition of the group, existing at the time of the armistice, was renamed "Mirage-Junior".
3. Both bands began to give concerts, which created a little confusion: people did not understand which line-up would perform at the announced concert.

Here begins a new era of the creative path of the "old" Mirage.

The creative union of two vocalists from different line-ups was not accepted by everyone positively.

In 2010, the Mirage group (consisting of N. Gulkina and M. Sukhankina) ceased to exist. Since January 2011, Natalia began her solo career. And Sukhankina teamed up with Svetlana Razina.

Cooperation between Sukhankina and Razina did not last even a year. At the end of December 2011, Svetlana left the group.

Creative awards and achievements

At the "Best of the Best" award held in April 2007, the "golden line-up" of the Mirage group: Andrei Lityagin, Alexei Gorbashev, Alexander Bukreev and Ekaterina Boldysheva - was awarded medals and diplomas in the nomination "Professional of Russia "".

In 2008, the team of Gulkina and Sukhankina won the Superstar 2008. Dream Team project. In addition to the golden-voiced participants, domestic pop stars of the Soviet period and the early 90s participated in the television project of the NTV channel.

In 2013, the long-suffering album "Not for the first time" was awarded the status of "Golden Disc" (by the number of copies sold).

Mirage Group: Stellar Stories

The composition of the original Mirage team became the progenitor of not only the first songs and videos, but also the first books. For example, Svetlana Razina, who made her debut in Mirage in 1987, published a book in 2009. In it, Svetlana revealed not only her secrets, but also secrets concerning the group.

Where to look for the truth?

Interestingly, depending on the source, information about the gold composition varies.

For example, on one site there is information that Sukhankina and Gulkina agreed to a settlement agreement with Lityagin only after he officially recognized them as the "golden voices" of the Mirage group.

Another site containing information from 2011 says that this title is held by a team that includes Ekaterina Boldysheva, Alexei Gorbashev, Andrey Grishin, Maxim Oleinik.

However, given the time frame, this discrepancy can be explained as follows. By 2011 (by April), the duet of Margarita and Natalia ceased to exist. Consequently, the title could pass to other soloists. This willful dragging of the palm from one team to another has more than once become the cause of litigation.