Leonid Agutin performed the song "For a Long Time" as part of the tribute band "Lyube"

Singer and composer Leonid Agutin performed the song "Long Time" as part of the tribute album "Lube 35. Everything is starting again...". In a conversation with Izvestia on July 25, he said that he immediately agreed to participate in the recording of the collection, but it was not easy for him to choose a musical composition.

"I have, of course, my own story related to the song "Long". At the beginning, I was offered the song "Don't look at the clock" — a beautiful, wide, melodious song. But it's impossible to make this song better than Rastorguev, and it's also ridiculous to do it in a completely different way. However, I really wanted and needed to participate in the tribute," Agutin shared.

As the singer noted, he is connected not only by friendly relations with singer Nikolai Rastorguev and composer Igor Matvienko, but also by deep respect. Then, while visiting a friend, he shared that he was struggling with choosing a song for the collection and could not find the right one, they say, "the gestalt has not been closed."

"He says, 'Don't Kolya Rastorguev have enough songs? For example, the song "Long Time". Have you ever heard of it?" I say, "Honestly? No way." And he played me a song performed by Nikolai Rastorguev and Lyudmila Sokolova. I once had a ward, a great singer. And that's how it sometimes happens with authors — they perform it in their own way, but I immediately heard that I could do it in a different way, and I realized how I could be useful in this case and what I could bring," he added.

His choice was approved by the creators of the album. Agutin chose Mikhail Savin, who works with jazz music, as an arranger, and immediately found a creative understanding with him.

The song "Long Time" was originally written in 2013 specifically for the Channel One program "Two Stars", where it was performed by Rastorguev and actress Ekaterina Guseva. In the tribute performed by Agutin, it is already presented as a first-person narrative. The new arrangement, stylized as the retro sound of a jazz ballad, combines the musician's unique vocal style with the music of the ensemble into one whole. Rastorguev himself believes that the re-recorded version of the song after the TV project "Two Stars" with singer Lyudmila Sokolova turned out to be less successful.

"I like the Katya version much more — Sokolova is too professional for such songs. Lenya Agutin chose this song for a reason: he is an extremely musical artist, which means he understood what he could do with it. If he "liked" a song and wanted to make it, then he "sees" it. It was very interesting for me to listen to her, I waited until she was ready," said the Lyube leader.

On July 5, it was reported that singer and People's Artist of Russia Oleg Gazmanov performed the musical composition "Don't be a fool, America" as part of the tribute album "Lube 35. It's starting again..." The performer called Rastorguev's voice unique and "the true voice of Russia," which is why it was not easy for him to sing "Don't be a fool, America!" Gazmanov also congratulated his colleague on the release of the tribute and wished him new creative victories.

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