Spooky - Hamppu-aave

Lea Laven recorded very-oddly-named "Hamppu-aave" (Weed ghost) in 1970 for her album "Lea Laven - Se jokin". Considering drug associated title, it's perhaps understandable that the song was never released as a single, even if the original one was an international hit. The Finnish lyrics - obscure but quite innocent - were provided by Chrisse Johansson. The original was originally an instrumental jazz tune, composed and performed by saxophonist Mike Sharpe. It was picked up by a pop rock group Classics IV, and band's guitarists J.R. Cobb and Buddy Buie added lyrics to it. Subsequently, the single "Spooky" went up to number 3 in the Billboard Hot 100. The lead singer of Classics IV, Dennis Yost, has been credited as the creator of the "Southern Soft Rock" sound. He was known as "the singer's singer" and "The Classic One" because of his smooth, unique voice, and was described as singing "with a tear in his voice".

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Wight Is Wight - Kuunnelkaa uutta sanomaa

Simon Scott (real name Veikko Salonen, see earlier entry) recorded "Kuunnelkaa uutta sanomaa" (Listen to the new message) in 1970. It was released on the B-side of his debut single "Vain ulkopuolelle jään". Both failed to make the charts, but they're still remembered by Finnish schlager aficionados. The lyrics for "Kuunnelkaa uutta sanomaa" were made by another performing artist Jukka Kuoppamäki with his familiar manifesto style.  The original song was somewhat oddly titled "Wight Is Wight" and it was a product of French songwriting partners Roland Vincent and Michel Delpech (who also performs the song). The most known of their songs is "Pour Un Flirt" (covered in Finnish as "Flirtaten"). Released in 1969,  the hippie influenced "Wight Is Wight" sold over one million copies in in France, and was recorded the following year in English by Sandie Shaw (non-hit). You can see Michel perform it live with Demis Roussos (and with pathos), here.

Just 18 Finnpicks to go.

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Daughter of Darkness - Pettävä nainen

Well, well - it's time for another Frederik Friday. And this song nicely fits in the dark season we now live in here in Finland. Frederik recorded "Pettävä nainen" (Cheating woman) in 1970. It was on Frederik's debut album and also released as a single, but it wasn't such a great success. Again, the original was an international success for Tom Jones. "Daughter of Darkness". The song reached number 5 in UK Charts in 1970. It was written by Les Reed, who also arranged it, and another prolific songwriter Geoff Stephens. This duo wrote also "There's A kind Of Hush", finnpicked here.  You can see Tom perform "Daughter of Darkness", here.

33 Finnpicks to go.

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National Brotherhood Week - Valtakunnallinen toveruusviikko

We presented Vesa-Matti Loiri's "Voi saasta" song here. On the B-side of this 1970 single was "Valtakunnallinen toveruusviikko" (National brotherhood week). The Finnish lyrics (by Sauvo "Saukki" Puhtila") referenced to some real then-day Finnish celebrities by their real name. The idea of the song was of course the same as in the original: there should be one designated week of the year when even the most bitter enemies would be friends/brothers. The original song was the namesake "National Brotherhood Week", and it is one of the most famous songs of the American satirist Tom Lehrer. Lehrer does not name names, with one exception: The line "Lena Horne and Sheriff Clark are dancing cheek to cheek" refers to singer and civil rights activist Lena Horne and to Sheriff Jim Clark, of Selma, Alabama, who was responsible for a violent attack on civil rights marchers. You can see Tom present the song - with oral introduction - here.In this live concert version "Cassius Clay dances cheek to cheek with Mrs (Lurleen) Wallace", the Governor of Alabama, who strongly opposed to racial desegration in Alabama.

39 Finnpicks to go.

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Man kann nicht alle mädchen kûssen - Jos vielä kerran hetken verran suudellaan

In the 50's and still in the beginning of the 60's Finnish singers did frequently covers of German schlagers. After the pop revolution (i.e. Beatles e.a.) there were fewer and fewer of those. And in the 70's it was quite a rarity. So, this "Jos vielä kerran hetken verran suudellaan" (If we still kiss for awhile one more time) is one of the rare breed. It was recorded by a singer named Marco I (real name Markku Härkönen) in 1970. Marco I released only 4 singles in the years 1968-1971, using also his real name on some. Sadly, the big success avoided him. The original German song was called song was called "Man kann nicht alle mädchen kûssen". (One can not kiss all the girls). It was first mad national hit by an artist named Bernd Apitz. Bernd was a singer and a disc jockey, who had a couple of hits 40 years ago and is still active and touring today. BTW, his present road show is called "Reiner Wahnsinn" (Pure Madness).

57 Finnpicks to go.

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Andremo in citta/Oltre la notte - Kaiken kauniin rinnalla

Jari Lappalainen was a true Finnish One Hit Wonder. This 1970 recording "Kaiken kauniin rinnalla" (In reference to all the beautiful) was his only hit, and a big one at that. Jari is one of the most famous Finnish session musicians and his main instrument is violin, but he also masters mandolin, guitar and bass. In the 70's he also released some solo records as a singer. The Finnish lyrics for this song were provided by Sauvo "Saukki" Puhtila and the arragements by Jaakkko Salo. The original song "Oltre la notte" (Beyond the night) was the one of the two main themes in the 1966 Italian movie "Andremo in citta" (We're going to the city). The movie starred Geraldine Chaplin and it was a story of a woman, his blind kid brother and a partizan during the Nazi occupation of Yugoslavia in World War II. The score for the movie was composed by Ivan Vandor, partner of Ennio Morricone. We present here the song as published in the soundtrack of movie. The Italian singer Iva Zanicchi later made a minor hit with the vocal version of "Oltre la notte". And that version was probably the one that inspired Jari.

70 Finnpicks to go.

Iptissam - Kuunnellaan

Sebastian was the stage name for Rainer Laamanen. Sebastian recorded two singles in 1970, but after that he kept low profile. But since the year 1994 he has been the lead vocalist in popular Finnish dance & schlager band Tulipunaruusut.  On the second of his 1970 singles was this "Kuunnellaan" (Let's listen), that should've been a hit. But was overlooked at the time and forgotten since. The (probably) original version was done by Italian singer and actress Milva (b. Maria Ilva Biolcati) as "Iptissam (Love's Song Adelina)" in 1970. Milva has been finnpicked before, see here. The song was co-written by the French producer and songwriter Jean Kluger, whose productions/compositions have been frequently presented here in Finnpicks.

72 Finnpicks to go.

Think Summer - Sun ja mun on lämmin

When the cold weather is upon us again, I guess it's time to think warm thoughts. And this finnpick is just about that. In 1970 Marion Rung recorded "Sun ja mun on lämmin" (You and I are feeling warm) together with Aarno Raninen (arranger and orchestra leader, but also a singer). The song was released on the B-side of Marion's "Makeelta maistaa" -single, and also on the album of the same name. The Finnish lyrics were written by Sauvo "Saukki" Puhtila. The original song was called "Think Summer" and it was a minor US hit in 1969 for duo Ed Ames and Marilyn Maye. The song peaked at number 17 in the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart. These both singers had individually some modest hits but this was their only common success story. The song was written by Paul Evans, whose best-known composition is "Roses are Red".

81 Finnpicks to go.

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Take My Heart - En kadu mitään

It's quite rare for an artist to cover both sides of a certain single on his own single. Well, Markku Aro did it in 1970. This song "En kadu mitään" (I regret nothing) was on the B-side of another Engelbert Humperdinck cover ("Winter World of Love"). The Engelbert's original - and the B-side to "Winter World" was called "Take My Heart". It was written by his manager, Gordon Mills.

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The Wonder Of You - Sä ihmeitä teet

Arto Sotavalta released "Sä ihmeitä teet" (You're working wonders) in 1970 as a single, but it flopped. The song was also on his "Arto Sotavalta" album, released in the same year. The Finnish lyrics were provided by Pertsa Reponen. The original song "The Wonder Of You" was a big hit for Elvis Presley in 1970, but the first version was done by Ray Peterson already in 1959. The song became a Top 40 hit for him on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 25. But Ray's breakthrough happened in the following year when his "Tell Laura I Love Her" was a worldwide smash hit.

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Copper Coloured Years - Jäi talo tyhjilleen

Hector did not usually do any covers, but this "Jäi talo tyhjilleen" (The house was left empty) is one rare example of those. It was released as a single in 1970, but was not successful chartwise. The Finnish lyrics were, of course, done by Hector himself. The original song was called "Copper Coloured Years". It was performed by British harmony pop group West Coast Consortium. The band released only two singles under that name, and the rest were released as Consortium. They had one minor hit under the latter name, the Baroque -style "All the Love in the World", which you can hear here. Today's finnpick was composed by the band's lead guitarist Geoff Simpson.

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Blame It On The Pony Express - Pony Express

This song is one of Kisu's lesser known efforts. He recorded "Pony Express" in 1970 for his album "Sinulle", to the Finnish lyrics written by Chrisse Johansson. The original "(Blame It) On The Pony Express" was written by our old songwriring friends Tony Macaulay, Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway. It was a number 7 hit 1970 in UK for a US soul vocal group called Johnny Johnson and His Bandwagon. Although the group originated from America they had their most successful moments in UK, and in the 70's they were based in London. They had their first hit in 1968 with "Breakin' Down the Walls of Heartache". At the time the band had a slightly different name: Johnny Johnson and The Bandwagon. The original  'Pony Express' was fast mail service that carried messages by horseback riders in relays to stations across the prairies, plains, deserts, and mountains of the Western United States in 1860-61. There was no 'Pony Express' in Finland, although horses of course were used in mail carrying in the old days.

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Temma Harbour - Rantaan, rantaan

Now is the season for the beach life - eagerly awaited by many, many Finns for 7 months. Päivi Paunu recorded "Rantaan, rantaan" (To the beach, to the beach) in 1970 scoring a minor hit with it. The original song "Temma Harbour" was written by a British singer-songwriter named Philamore Lincoln, who also recorded the song  for his sole album “The North Wind Blew South” in 1970. But earlier that year Mary Hopkin  had hit the charts with it, peaking at number 6 in the UK Singles Chart. "Temma Harbour" locates in Tasmania, Australia, but the song is not about that location. The songwriter, Philamore Lincoln, states the name was selected randomly from a map while looking for a place name that sounded romantic ;-).

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Hier encore - Eilen kun mä tiennyt en

Päivi Paunu recorded "Eilen kun mä tiennyt en" (Yesterday when I didn't know) in 1969 for her album "Hei vain" and it was also released as a single on the B-side of her home-made hit "Oi rakkahin". The same song received more success in the following year, when Tapio Heinonen (see earlier entry)  released his version, using the same lyrics. The original song was of French origin. Armenian-born Charles Aznavour (b. Shahnour Vaghenag Aznavourian)  co-wrote and performed "Hier Encore" (Yesterday again) and the song was released in 1964. It turned out to be one of Aznavour's greatest hits. In 1969 US country singer Roy Clark  made his version as "Yesterday When I was Young", and It was big hit in both Country, Pop and Adult Contemporary Charts. It also broke through internationally, appearing on charts in many countries. This is the version that inspired Päivi and Tapio.

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Highway Song - Kaikki tiet vievät Roomaan

"Kaikki tiet vievät Roomaan" (All roads lead to Rome. in Latin: omnes viae Romam ducunt) was released in 1970 on Carola's album "Kielletyt leikit". It clearly had some hit potential, but it was never released as a single. The Finnish lyrics were provided by Vexi Salmi. The original was one of Nancy Sinatra's lesser known songs called "Highway Song". It peaked at 21 in Billboard Hot 100 in January 1970.
Well, the highway is calling me too, and Finnpicks will be on vacation for next two weeks. After that we're going to take a musical journey across USA!
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Suspicious Minds - Epäilet Vain

Eero Raittinen recorded "Epäilet Vain" (You just suspect) in 1970. It was not a hit and it's one of the forgotten singles of Eero. The Finnish lyrics were crafted by his Brother Jussi Raittinen. The original song "Suspicious Minds" was written and first recorded by American singer and songwriter Mark James. After the failure of his own recording, the song was handed to Elvis Presley and it became one of his most notable hits and a number one in 1969. It turned out to be the last number-one single for him in the United States. Rolling Stone later ranked the song number 91 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

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Tzeinerlin - Käyköön niin tai näin

Our old friend Robin recorded "Käyköön niin tai näin" (Will it be it as it may) in 1970. It was released on the B-side of his minor hit "Jäähyväiset" (finnpicked here). The Finnish lyrics were made this time by Robin himself. The original song was of French origin and called "Tzeinerlin". It wa written by André Popp, the famous French composer and arranger, and it was a continental hit in 1970 for Les Compagnons de la Chanson. They were a French vocal group from Lyon, founded during World War II. Their most known song is the "'Les trois cloches' (The Three Bells) (yet to be finnpicked) that they recorded in 50's together with Edith Piaf. The version that Robin covered was the one by Herman's Hermits. They had a international hit with it under title "Years May Come, Years May Go".

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Je t'attends - Maa muuttukoon

Pasi Kaunisto had one of his greatest and most loved hits with "Maa muuttukoon" (May the world change) in 1970. The immaculate lyrics were provided by Veikko "Vexi" Salmi. The original song "Je t'attends" (I am waiting for you) was written and performed by French legend Gilbert Becaud (b. François Silly). "Monsieur 100000 Volts" wrote many worldwide hits, of which the best-known are perhaps "Et Maintenant" (What Now My Love), "Je t'appartiens" (Let I Be Me) and "Nathalie" (finnpicked here).

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Le Chemin De Papa - Vaarin humpappa

On the B-side of the Tapani Perttu's "Nooakin Arkki" (finnpicked here) in 1970 was this "Vaarin humpappa" (Granpa's oom-pah-pah). The lyics were written by Kari Tuomisaari and the arrangement was provided by Jaakko Salo. The original song "Le Chemin De Papa" (Papa's way) was written and performed by Joe Dassin. It was released on his album "Les Champs-Elysées" in 1969. You can see him perform the song on French television, here.

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And I'll Be There - Tässä olen vain

On the B-side of the 1970 hit "Kesäaikaan" (finnpicked here) of the group Ernos was this little ditty called "Tässä olen vain" (I'm just being here). It was a duet performed by the lead vocalist Erno Lindahl and band member Kati Borg, and credited to them as Erno ja Kati. To my amazement I found out that this was the second Finnish cover of the nearly unknown US psychedelic/sunshine pop group Peppermint Rainbow. Actually this was the first one, becouse the other one by Markku Suominen (see it finnpicked, here) was done on the following year. These both songs and the famous "Green Tambourine" (finnpicked here) were written by Paul Leka. (And perhaps the most famous one "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" is yet to come.) So his writing really appealed us Finns. This "And I'll Be There" was on the B-side of Peppermint Rainbow's Top Ten single "Will You Be Staying After Sunday" in 1969.


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