Casanova - Voi mikä Casanova!

Mona Carita's first album in 1979 was also called " Mona Carita". One of the album tracks was this "Voi mikä Casanova!" (Oh, what a Casanova"). It was a typical disco dance tune with lyrics by Chrisse Johansson. The original song "Casanova" was one of the several hits written by Dutch producer Hans van Hemert for pop/disco girl trio Luv'. The song's arrangements were inspired by Flamenco, Latin American music and 1970s Europop, making it a smash hit in Benelux, the German speaking countries and Denmark. Van Hemert and his songwriting/producing partner Piet Souer were also known as "Janschen & Janschens". You can see Luv' perform "Casanova", here.


Here's the pair:

U.O.Me - Sun vain oon

Mirumaru (see earlier entry) recorded "Sun vain oon" (I'm only yours) in 1978. It was on their eponymous album and was released as a single, but didn't hit the charts. Lyrics were written by Pertsa Reponen. The original song "U.O.Me" was the third single, and first real mainstream success for Dutch girl group Luv', released in 1978. This record is also credited as "U.O.Me (Theme from Waldolala)", becouse it was originally composed (by producer Hans Hemert) as a theme for a popular Dutch TV series "Het is weer zo laat" (a.k.a Waldolala). You can see the group perform the song, here. Luv' has been finnpicked twice before, see here and here.

Here's the pair:

Eeny Meeny Miny Moe - Kuti kuti kultasein

Mona Carita recorded "Kuti kuti kultasein" (Koochie koo my darling) in 1979 and it was released as a single,backed with cover of "Then He Kissed Me" on the flipside. The lyrics were again provided by Chrisse Johansson. The single was, however, not very succesful chartwise. The original song was called "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" and it was major European hit for Dutch girl group Luv' . It was their 7th single and it's bouzouki and balalejka -theme is highly inspired by Boney M.'s "Rasputin". You can see them perform the song, here. "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" is a children's counting rhyme, used to select a person to be "it" for games and similar purposes. The rhyme has existed in various forms since the 1850s, and is common in many languages, with similar-sounding nonsense syllables. In Finland the corresponding rhyme would be "Entten tentten teelika mentten" (of German origin).

Here's the pair:

You're The Greatest Lover - Vetonaula

It's a time for another Finnpicks Disco Week. We start with "Vetonaula" (Attraction) which was a hit single for Eini (real name Eini Orajärvi) in 1979. Eini was herself an attraction with not-so-typically-Finnish looks - raven dark hair and voluptuos body. She was acting Finnish Disco Queen in the end of 70's and beginning of the 80's. Eini made her breakthrough with Baccara's "Yes Sir I Can Boogie" -cover in 1977. This "Vetonaula" single was culled from second album "Laululintunen" (songbird). The original was a big disco hit for Dutch girl group Luv (Marga Scheide, José Hoebee and Patty Brard) and called "You're The Greatest Lover". The group was formed in 1976 by Dutch music producers Hans van Hemert and Piet Souer and manager Han Meijer, inspired by the German disco trio Silver Convention. This song was the fourth single of the group, released in the summer of 1978. It was Luv's international breakthrough and is often considered as their signature song.

Here's the pair: