Go 'Way From My Window - Mene ikkunani luota

As today is the 70th birthday of Cliff Richard, we present a finnpick bunch that includes a contribution from Sir Cliff. One of the most loved songs of Päivi Paunu's folk days is "Mene ikkunani luota" (Go away from my window) that she recorded for her first single in 1966. The beautiful lyrics were provided by folk-compatriot Pertti "Pertsa" Reponen. The song that Päivi obviously covered was Joan Baez's version "Go 'Way From My Window" on her 1964 album "Joan Baez/5". The song is a traditional American folk song originally called "One Night As I Lay On My Bed", which is recorded under many different titles. Perhaps the most famous one is the heartbreaking delivery and arrangenment by legendary folklorist and singer John Jacob Niles, who recorded it with the title "Go 'Way From My Window" on his 1958 album "I Wander As I Wander". I was truly surprised as I found another Finnish version of this song, recorded BEFORE Päivi Paunus's version. Lasse Liemola recorded "Nyt ikkunasta katson" (Now I'm looking out the window) for the B-side of his 1963 single "Taas kerran". The inspiration for this recording must have come from Cliff Richard's version "I'm Looking Out the Window". This song was released in the UK in November 1962, and rose to the Top 10 in early 1963. You can see Cliff perform the song, here. Funny thing is, that in Finland (at least), Päivi's version is labeled as 'traditional', and Lasse's version is credited to John Jacob Niles. Well, it's definetely the same song, as you yourself can hear ...

Here's the bunch:

Donna Donna - Dona Dona

Seppo Hanski was for a short time one of the most popular Finnish singers in the 60's. He was actually a saxophonist and was more into jazz music, but started his recording career in 1965 cutting a tango tune. Later in the same yea´r his breakthrough came with the "Dona Dona", a song that became the biggest selling record for the latter part of 1965. Seppo had a couple of other big hits but unfortunately he lost his voice in tonsils operation and had to withdraw from the pop scene. The first popular English language version of the song titled as "Donna Donna" was done by Joan Baez on her debut album "Joan Baez" 1960. The original song was written as "Dana Dana" in Yiddish, for the musical play "Esterke" (1940-1941). It was composed by Sholom Secunda, a Jew living in the USA, and the song was written in days of Nazism. The original lyrics tell a story of how "calves are born and soon are slaughtered with no hope of being saved, only those with wing like swallow will not ever be enslaved". Undoubtedly describing the moood of the Jews under Nazis' rule. So quite a long shot from the Finnish version's beautiful poetic verses. I guess a few Finns knew about this background of the song at the time it was a hit.

Here's the pair:

East Virginia - East Virginia

Let's go to the 60's. Danny (real name Ilkka Lipsanen) was perhaps the most popular male pop artist in Finland in the 60's. In 1964 he recorded his first single "East Virginia" together with his group - the Islanders. Danny had found the song from Joan Baez' first album ('Joan Baez' - 1960). The folk song of Baez was given a a clever pop arrangement and consequently became number 1 hit in Finland. The song originally was a traditional American folk-blues number, known usually as 'East Virginia Blues'. As an example here I give you folk-legend Buell Kazee's version (published in 1958).

Updated on 22.1.2009. Added the Finnish language version "Tuntematon" (1965).

Here's the bunch: