Shturcite ( ; English "The Crickets"), sometimes romanized as Shturtsite, was a Bulgarian rock group. They were one of the most successful bands in Bulgaria during the 1970s and 1980s and still have many fans. The band broke up once in 1990, reformed in 1997, and disbanded again in 2013. The group has been characterized as "Bulgaria's answer to The Beatles". History The group was created in 1967 in Sofia by Kiril Marichkov, Petar Tsankov (both from Bandaratsite group), Petar Gyuzelev, and Veselin Kisyov (both from Slanchevi Bratya group). Their first performance was at a students party in VITIZ (The Bulgarian School for Performing Arts), and in 1967 they made their first records. At first Georgi Minchev took part in the group, too, and with him they made their first success: the song "Byala Tishina" ("Бяла тишина"; "White Silence") of the composer Boris Karadimchev, winning the national award of Zlatnia Orfei ("Златния Орфей", the Golden Orpheus). In 1968, the group issued their first EP containing the songs "Veselina" ("Веселина", lyrics: Radoy Ralin), Zvan ("Звън"; Ringing), Malkiat Svetal Prozorets ("Малкият светъл прозорец"; Little Bright Window) and Izprashtane ("Изпращане", Dispatch). It was not until 1976 that they recorded their first homonymous LP with its hit single "Day Mi Malko Nejhnost" ("Дай ми малко нежност"; "Give Me A Little Tenderness"). Their second album Shturtzite '78 two years later introduced band's new keyboard player and singer, Valdi Totev. His influence took away the band far from its early pop sound to a new prog rock territory. The first song on the LP "Nyakoi Ot Vas" ("Някои от вас"; "Some Of You") is their first leading album song not to be sung by lead vocalist Marichkov, but by the newcomer, Totev. Despite his influence on the band's sound, Totev did not write a single song for the album. In 1980, Shturcite issued XX vek (20th Century), featuring the hits "Dve sledi", the title track and "Svatben den". Two years later, the double LP Vkusut na vremeto (The Taste of Time) was issued, featuring many hits, such as the title track. The band spent the rest of the 1980s recording two new albums, Konnikut and Musketarski marsh, released in 1985 and 1987. They then played a national tour to celebrate their 20th anniversary throughout 1987. Tracks from the concerts were edited together into a triple album called 20 godini po-kusno, released in 1988. In 1990, the