The first “boy” group that entered the USSR with a lyrical repertoire for teenagers was “Tender May”. The composition of the group (first) was recruited from the youths in Orenburg by S. Kuznetsov.
The need to create a group
The success of the “Tender May” ensemble, the composition of the group of which included mainly senior pupils of boarding school No. 2, is due to several factors.
Firstly, social necessity. The country was on the verge of rethinking important human emotions. Everything that used to be a ban (love, sex, romantic relationships) began to come to the fore. The repertoire consisted mainly of songs about unhappy love, rejected expectations, misunderstanding and personal disasters.
Secondly, the simplicity of the material. The era of serious songs about life is ending, in return there is a pop-music direction for discos and parties. In fashion, a light perception of music, where you do not need to reflect on the meaning of life, but just be in emotional resonance with the composition. Prior to Tender May, a similar experiment was with the Mirage and Combination groups. But they sang for the older generation, and the young group performed precisely the teenage repertoire.
Thirdly, the influence on the modern culture of that time of Western countries. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Soviet teenagers saw a symbol of freedom and emancipation in love songs. Fashion includes clothes, hairstyles and music from America and Europe. All these factors allowed the group to rise to such a peak of fame that no one after them could conquer.
Group Creation History
Sergey Kuznetsov worked in Orenburg at boarding school No. 2 as the leader of a music club. On December 6, 1986, the ensemble gave its first performance within the walls of the educational institution. The song "White Roses", which later became the group's calling card, did not make much impression on the students. And the school leadership, including the director of Tazikenov, spoke out sharply about the composition.
But already in the summer of that year, producer Andrei Razin got into the performance. He immediately takes the guys under his wing. Shatunova and Serkova are transferred to a school for gifted children, the group is officially registered, and the Tender May studio is opened on its basis. Composition of the 1989 group:
- The main soloist is Yu. Shatunov (vocals, saxafon).
- Second soloists and vocals, team leaders: K. Pakhomov, A. Razin.
- Vocal: Yu. Gurov, V. Kulikov, A. Gurov, A. Tokarev, O. Krestovsky, Yu. Barabash, V. Shurochkin.
- Musicians: R. Isangulov (keyboard player), S. Kuznetsov (author, composer, keyboard player), I. Igoshin (drummer), I. Anisimov (keyboard player), A. Burda (keyboard player), S. Serkov (lighting design).
What was the reason for such a large number of members of the “Tender May” collective? The composition of the group was divided and the musicians traveled to several cities at the same time. In 1989, the composer S. Kuznetsov leaves the group and creates a new collective called “Mom”. In his place they invite V. Boyko. In 1992, the soloist Shatunov terminated the contract with the group and left for Germany, after which the collapse of the collective became inevitable. In 2009, "Tender May" in the new composition gives performances, and has some success, thanks to nostalgia and memories of the days of youth.
In the photo above the composition of the band "Tender May" in 1988.
The formation of the composition lasted until the last day. Basically it was a set of musicians for the tour of the ensemble. The selection form was diverse. The participants brought their friends to the audition with personal recommendations, Razin invited familiar musicians, and also went to music schools in search of talent. As a result of this, the group was replenished with new keyboardists (M. Sukhomlinov, A. Jurgaitis, V. Polupanov).
After Shatunov
In 2009, fashion went on songs of the 80s. Andrei Razin creates a group with an old repertoire, where he himself performs the famous White Roses and other compositions.
“Gentle May” (composition of the group of 2009):
- S. Lenyuk (drummer).
- S. Serkov (second soloist).
- A. Kucherov.
- A. Razin (soloist).
Biography of Yuri Shatunov
Vera Shatunova married Vasily Klimenko when she was 18 years old. The husband (5 years older than his wife) reacted so cool to the birth of his son that he did not give him his last name. Vera wrote Yura to her girl and sent the child to her parents. Grandfather Gavrila Egorovich and grandmother Ekaterina Ivanovna up to 4 years old raised a grandson in the village of Pyatki.
After 3 years, Vera divorces her husband, takes her son to the village of Savelyevka and marries a second time. Yuri's stepfather suffers from alcohol addiction, does not like someone else's child. During each of his binges, the young Shatunov escapes to Heels to his grandmother. In 1984, the mother becomes seriously ill and sends her son to a boarding school in Kumertau, and on November 7 dies of heart failure. The father refuses to take a child who is already 11 years old, his guardianship authorities do not let him go to his stepfather, as to an insolvent citizen. Grandfather and grandmother find themselves in a position where the age of the law does not allow them to be guardians, the boy is taken by Nina Gavrilovna, an aunt from the village of Tulgan.
But the stress of losing a mother is stronger than others expected. Yura runs away again and wanders around Bashkiria for several weeks. Finally, he is taken into the care of the Orenburg boarding school. There he meets Kuznetsov and at the age of 13 performs his first hit, White Roses.
Singer Shatunov
The school already formed the main part of the ensemble, there was not only a performer. The first members of the “Tender May” group included: S. Kuznetsov (played keyboards), V. Ponamorev (bass guitar), S. Serkov (light music). With the advent of Yura Shatunov, the team began performing in DC and discos. Until 1988, they performed songs by the head of the ensemble: “Evening of winter”, “Blizzard”, “Summer”, “Gray night” and other compositions.
To continue his musical education, Shatunov goes to Germany, where he studies to be a sound engineer. Kudryashov, with whom they have been friends for many years, becomes its producer. Jura continues fruitful cooperation with the old author Kuznetsov, and since 1992 has been releasing several solo albums.
In 2000, he met a girl named Svetlana, the romance lasts 7 years and in 2007 they get married in Germany. At this point, they already have a common son, Dennis. In 2013, a girl Estella was born in the family. In 2015, Yuri Shatunov was awarded the state award “For Contribution to the Culture of Russia”. With new members of the “Tender May” group, he maintains friendly relations. Especially with Serkov, with whom he studied at a boarding school, and Andrei Razin even became godmother for his son.
Producer and performer Andrey Razin
Andrey was born in 1963. When he was barely a year old, his parents died in a disaster. The child was in the orphanage in the city of Svetlograd.
By profession, Razin is a bricklayer, at one time he worked on laying a gas pipeline, in 1982 he entered the school of cultural education. He served in the tank troops for 2 years. First appeared on the stage to sing a duet with Ekaterina Semenova from the Mirage group, where he worked as an administrator.
The composition of the “Tender May” group of the 80s, 90s formed itself. This was his first experience of a multi-team team, when several compositions simultaneously gave performances in different cities. The trick with the doubles turns into a grand scandal, from which Razin gracefully emerges, declaring himself a relative of Gorbachev.
Andrei Razin is the editor of Tender May and the author of two books on the creation of the group and the fate of the participants. He released three solo albums in 1990, in 1996 and in 2000. Married, has two children from different wives.
The happy fate of the participants
After the breakup of the group, everyone went their own way. No one could repeat the fantastic success experienced at a young age. What happened to those who were part of the “Tender May” group? Vladimir Shurochkin, who performed the ensemble's hits in one of the brigades, became the father of Anna Shurochkina. The girl under the pseudonym "Nyusha" performs songs of her own composition, writes music, plays in the movies.
Konstantin Pakhomov has his own business, Kuznetsov first wrote songs for fellow artists, and in 2013 opened the site. Yuri Barabash under the pseudonym "Petlyura" performed the chanson until his death.
The fate of other participants
Yuri Gurov at the age of 41 died in a car accident. Igor Igoshin in 1992, after a fight, jumped out of the window of a multi-story lady and died in intensive care. In 2013, Igor Anisimov was killed by a knife as a result of a quarrel with drunk friends. In 2012, the body of Alexei Burda was discovered near the cemetery, the cause of death was alcohol poisoning.
Mikhail Sukhomlinov was shot dead in 1993 in front of Yura Shatunov at the entrance of his own house. Arvid Jurgaitis seriously suffered a break with the band members, became addicted to drinking and in 2004 burned out at his dacha.
Folk love
In the history of Russian show business, no one is able to repeat the short but fantastic success of the “Tender May” ensemble. The composition of the group (there was a photo of the participants in each house) changed, despite this, the artists were always carried in their arms. For the first time, the country faced a frenzy of a fanatical attitude towards the musicians of young schoolgirls. At each concert, an ambulance crew was on duty because the spectators lost consciousness. The most diligent students threw their underwear onto the stage. It was after Shatunov's performances that techniques were developed for the export of artists secretly from the public.