Daleko je Sunce

Following the release of the 1986 album Digni ruku (Raise Your Hand), the band was joined by a new member, Bratislav "Bata" Zlatković, a graduate from Sarajevo Music Academy and multi-instrumentalist, who took on the role of the band's keyboardist, flutist and second guitarist.^[1] Up to that point, Galija's principal composer was the band's frontman and leader Nenad Milosavljević, with only Digni ruku offering more space to compositions by guitarist Jean Jacques Roskam.^[1] With Zlatković's arrival, the songwriting duties were shared among himself, Milosavljević and Roskam.^[1] Simultaneously, the band started to collaborate with lyricist Radoman Kanjevac, who would soon replace the group's second vocalist Predrag Milosavljević as the band's principla lyricist.^[1] Despite the fact that Zlatković and Kanjevac had never before worked with a professional rock band–prior to Galija, Zlatković's had little experience in rock music, and Kanjevac, at the time a journalist for Radio Belgrade, had never written song lyrics–the two brought fresh ideas to the group's work.^[1] Kanjevac brought up an idea of releasing an album trilogy which would deal with contemporary political turmoil in Yugoslavia,^[1] and Zlatković introduced folk music influences into the band's sound.^[2]

The songs for Daleko je Sunce were written in Makarska seaside resort (where the band had held regular summer performances since 1980) during the summer of 1987.^[3] The album was recorded during the winter of 1987–1988.^[4] The album was produced by Dušan "Šane" Petrović, and featured numerous guest appearances, including keyboardists Saša Lokner (of Bajaga i Instruktori) and Kornelije Kovač, bass guitarists Rade Bulatović (of Jakarta) and Nenad Stefanović "Japanac", drummer Ivan Vdović "Vd" and Fejat Sejdić Trumpet Orchestra.^[1][4] The album was titled after a novel by renowned writer Dobrica Ćosić, and the songs were titled after the works of Dobrica Ćosić, Branko Ćopić, Ivo Andrić, Laza Lazarević and Aleksa Šantić.^[1] The songs featured multi-layered lyrics, dealing with political topics through form of love songs.^[2] The spoken intro to "Žena koje nema" ("A Woman That Is Not There") features the last line from Ćosić's Distant Is the Sun red by three different actors, Branislav "Ciga" Jerinić, Miloš Žutić and Mihajlo Viktorović.^[4] The song "Zebre i bizoni" ("Zebras and Buffalos") featured provocative lyrics dealing with Josip Broz Tito's residence at Brijuni.^[1] On the insistent of the record label, "Zebre i bizoni" lyrics were omitted from the inner sleeve.^[1] The track "Orlovi rano leto" ("Eagles Start Flying Early") includes a verse from the poem "Wait for Me" by Russian poet Konstantin Simonov, and the song "Mi znamo sudbu" ("We Know Our Destiny") includes motifs from the lyrics of Serbian World War I song "Tamo daleko" ("There, Far Away").^[4]

Daleko je sunce was the band's fifth and last album recorded with long-time bass guitarist Zoran "Čupa" Radosavljević. After the album release, he left the band, and was replaced by Predrag Milanović.^[1]

The album cover was designed by Slobodan Kaštavarac and features a photograph of sunset at Mount Athos, Greece, taken by Danko Đurić. The back cover features Đurić's photograph of sky taken from inside the walls of Hilandar Monastery.^[5]

• Nenad Milosavljević - vocals
• Predrag Milosavljević - vocals
• Jean Jacques Roscam - guitar
• Bratislav Zlatković - keyboards, flute, guitar
• Zoran Radosavljević - bass guitar
• Boban Pavlović - drums

• Kornelije Kovač - keyboards
• Saša Lokner - keyboards
• Ivan Vdović - drums
• Nenad Stefanović "Japanac" - bass guitar
• Rade Bulatović - bass guitar
• Fejat Sejdić Trumpet Orchestra
• Dušan Petrović - producer, arranged by
• Radoman Kanjevac - recorded by
• Slobodan Kaštavarac - design
• Danko Đurić - photography