alternatehistory.com

If there was one person who made the biggest impact in the 20th century than it has got to be Pyotr Ivanov. He was born on May 23rd, 1934, in the village of Zelenograd, Russia. He was the first, illegitimate, son of impoverished parents, Yon Ivanov and Anna Orlova. Shortly after he was born his parents married.

At a young age became adapt at music especially stringed instruments. He followed his dream of being a violinist in the St. Petersburg orchestra for much of his childhood. But he was a sophomore at Gnessin State Musical Collage he found his real passion, psychology. In 1954, transferred collages to Moscow State University to receive an undergraduate in music therapy. After graduation, was immediately accepted for a Masters in Psychometry, where he studied another 3 years.

However, due to the low demand in the job market for research assistants in psychology, Pyotr Ivanov could not find employment so he returned to music, but this time instead of picking up a violin, he picked up an electric guitar, he and a few of his childhood friends, Vladimir Smirnov, Pavel Kuzentsov and Sergei Sokolov formed the band "The Vodkas". They obtained almost immediate success with their power ballads blended with classical riffs. He also married his childhood crush, Marina Veraova in 1959.

In January 1960, they released their first EP which was roughly translated into "A Place to Call Home". By December, the name "The Vodkas" was widely known around all soviet states. However Ivanov had a greater target in his sights, the North American market. For months he spent many late nights learning English, just for the slight chance that he gets to perform in front of a Memphis crowed. After numerous phone calls, and numerous rejections he finally got a performance offer in the west.

They were to play in Liverpool, to open for several independent bands. It was a stellar performance; Ivanov used what he learned from psychology to get the audience involved. “It was like he was only singing to me.” One concert attendee said.
“Pyotr used a different style than what I have ever seen before,” his future manager, Chuck Brown said, “He invented the technique of wandering with a purpose, most artists of the day [who were in that genre] stood in one place.”

One of the attendees, Paul McCartney, mentioned that he was very impressed by the new talent. But Ivanov was not satisfied; he still wished to tour America. A couple weeks later The Vodkas boarded a boat for Montreal to see if they could play in coffee shops.

“On their visit to Toronto,” one attendee remembers, “they said that they were looking at a home in the ‘great land of’ Canada. Holding up a picture of 24 Sussex drive, Pyotr Ivanov announced that he found a property he liked in Ottawa. The crowd burst out laughing. ‘Now convincing the current owner to leave is a different challenge’ he said”

Ivanov enjoyed the hospitality that the Canadians gave, however he was still looking south. He westernized his name, briefly taking up the names Pete Jones and Peter Johnson. He finally chose the name Peter Ivanov.
“They tried several times to go to America,” Brown said “but each time the, they were denied by the government.” From Montreal, they toured aimlessly up the St. Lawrence. In early 1962, they released a single entitled “Dear, Mr. President”. “The song itself was a plea,” Ivanov laughed, “It was our big attempt to get into the states.” In under a week it became an anthem for activist groups and youth in the northeast, and the song’s popularity quickly spread across the country at a pandemic rate.

The American government was faced with a dilemma; either allow a soviet band into the country, or face the wrath of the public. The clever government came up with a compromise, they issued a letter to the band asking them to meat with he staff in Washington. They came to the agreement that The Vodkas were allowed to tour America on the condition that they write some pro-capitalist songs. Ivanov immediately agreed, he also requested that he did an acoustic show in front of the monument, the government allowed him...

(more to come)
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