The Shape of Things To Come - Epitafi

Lea Laven recorded "Epitafi" (The Epitaph) in 1972 to somewhat obscure Finnish lyrics by Chrisse Johansson. It was released on her "Vuisikertaa" album. The original song was called "The Shape of Things To Come" (not to be confused with the Yardbirds' 1966 song "Shapes of Things"). It was written by famous songwriting duo Cynthia Weill and Barry Mann for the 1968 US exploitation movie "Wild in the Streets" and performed by a fictional band named Max Frost and the Troopers. Actually the song was performed by a studio group called The 13th Power. The song became a number 22 hit on the US Billboard charts. You can see the song performed in the movie, here. 

Only 5 Finnpicks to go.

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Stormy - Myrsky

Let's hear another cover of a Classics IV song. Beni Siltala (real name Pentti Siltala) recorded "Myrsky" in 1972. It was released only on a budget compilation album, and therefore quite hard to find. It might have been the first song that at the time 19-year old Beni recorded. He subsequently continued his career as a schlager singer and songwriter releasing 3 albums. The Finnish lyrics for "Myrsky" were provided by our old acquaintance Kari Kuuva. The original song "Stormy" was written by Classics IV guitarists Buie and Cobb, and - understandably - resebled a lot their previous smash hit (and yesterday's finnpick) "Spooky". You cans see Classics IV perform the song, here.

Just 14 Finnpicks to go.

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Una Favola Blu - Tuuli kääntyköön

Kari Tapio passed away excatly one year ago. To commemorate this late great singer, Finnpicks presents Kari's first solo single "Tuuli kääntyköön" (May the wind turn) from the year 1972. The Finnish lyrics were written by Pertsa Reponen and the arrangements were done by Esko Linnavalli. Kari's manly voice was already blooming. The original song was called "Una Favola Blu" (A blue fairytale) and it was the debut single and a modest Italian hit for Italian singer/songwriter Claudio Baglioni in 1970. The song was again riding the charts in 1971 when covered by Jose Feliciano. You can hear his interpretation here. In my humble opinion, Kari Tapio's version is best of these three ...

40 Finnpicks to go.

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Hitchin' A Ride - Liftari oon

We Finns have accustomed to Paula Koivuniemi being mostly as a schlager singer. Well, some 40 years ago she recorded pure pop songs, too. This "Liftari oon" (I'm a hitchhiker) is a fine example of Paula's poppier side. It was released in 1972 on the B-side of his come-back hit "Jos konduktöörin nait" (cover of Shocking Blue's "Never Marry A Railroad Man"). As often is the case, the B-side of a bigger hit is completely forgotten. The Finnish lyrics were provided by Vexi Salmi and the arrangement by Rauno Lehtinen. The original song "Hitchin' A Ride" was written by songwriting duo Peter Callander and Mitch Murray (they wrote also "The Night Chicago Died" and "Billy Don't Be A Hero") and it was a massive worldwide hit for UK pop group Vanity Fare.  It reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart in 1970, but was surprisingly a bigger hit in the US, reaching number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. You can see the band perform the song in BBC's Top of the Pops -programme, here.

52 Finnpicks to go.

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Popcorn - Sumu

We have had a couple of foggy mornings and we need no further excuse to present this song called "Sumu" (The fog). The girl group Seidat released it in 1972, as the A-Side to "Kuinka Voit Sä Kaukomailla" (finnpicked earlier, see here).  this somg is again fine example of how we Finns like to vocalize instrumental hits. Well, this wasn't a hit for the girls. The original "Sumu" was called "Popcorn", and it was originally released in 1969 on the album "Music To Moog By" by the early German American moog synthetisizer pioneer Gershon Kingsley (b. Götz Gustav Ksinski). He actually made the tune out of listening to a popcorn machine. "Popcorn" became an international hit in 1972 for UK instrumental cover band Hot Butter, fronted by the keyboard player Stan Free. The record sold over two million globally.

68 Finnpicks to go.

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Hello-A - Oi rakkain

Kai Hyttinen recorded "Oi rakkain" (Oh dearest one) in 1972. On single it was the A-side to "Eikö Muonio vastaa", finnpicked earlier (see here).  It was a hit, but not of Kai's greatest. The Finnish lyrics were done by Kai's old buddy, Vexi Salmi. The original "Hello-A" was a smash hit in 1972 for Dutch duo Mouth & MacNeal, i.e. Willem Duyn and Maggie MacNeal (b. Sjoukje van't Spijker). The song reached the top of the charts in many European countries. It was written by their producer Hans van Hemert who also wrote their first hit "How Do You Do" and their Euorvision entry "I See A Star". You can see M & M perform "Hello-A" in an early promotional film, here.

79 Finnpicks to go.

Green Green Trees - Meidät toisillemme luotiin

Arto Sotavalta recorded "Meidät toisillemme luotiin" (We were created for each other) in 1972 It was released only as a single, and failed to draw any attention. Arto also wrote the Finnish lyrics for this nice song. The original, called "Green Green Trees", was written by the quality songwriting team of Albert Hammond & Mike Hazlewood. It was first recorded already in 1968 and released on the first album of UK pop group Cupid's Inspiration. This group can be counted as a 'One Hit Wonder', becoouse their only (and big) hit was "Yesterday Has Gone" in 1968. Probably Arto, however, got his inspiration (;-)) from the version released by Leapy Lee (famous of "Little Arrows" that Sotavalta covered in 1968) in 1970. You can hear it, here.


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One Way Wind - Ikuinen tuuli

A singer named Heino Mara recorded only one single, in 1972. And that's about all I know of him. On the A-side of his sole recording product was this "Ikuinen tuuli" (Eternal wind). The Finnish lyrics were written by Chrisse Johansson and the arrangement was done by Heikki Laurila, better known as a top guitarist. Needless to say, this single went nowhere. The original song came from Netherlands. It was performed by The Cats, who were a rock band from the city of Volendam. They were key figures of what came to be called the "Palingsound" (eel-sound), label for the music from artists residing in Volendam (the country's top seafood city). This "One Way Wind" was composed by band member Arnold Muhren, and the song became The Cats' biggest ever hit. The song was inspired by the divi-divi trees of the Windward Islands. The growth of the trees is often contorted by the trade winds at coastal sites where it often grows. Hence the title "One Way Wind" ...


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Carolina - Carolina

Let's hear another song about a girl named Carolina. Eddy (b. Tapani Lehikoinen) recorded "Carolina" in 1972 and it was released as the B-side of the single "Pappa Joe", finnpicked earlier (see here).
The Finnish lyrics to "Carolina" were done by Vexi Salmi. The original "Carolina" came from Sweden. The song was a minor hit for Hep Stars in 1972. At the time the group had gone a long way from their mid-60's heydays. Only one original member remained, and eventually the band folded in 1973. This "Carolima" song was written by the Indonesian-born member of the 70's Hep Stars, Kookie Tian.

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Song sung blue - Mitä sisälläni on

Dave (see earlier entry) recorded "Mitä sisälläni on" (What's inside me) in 1972. It was released on eponymous album and also as a single. The latter one was a flop. The Finnish lyrics were provided by Chrisse Johansson. The original song was from the the productive pen of singer-songwriter Neil Diamond. He released "Song sung blue" in 1972, and it turmed out to be his second number 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was nominated for two Grammy Awards - "Record of the Year" and "Song of the Year - but won neither of those. You can see Neil perform the song live, here.

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Denn Ich Liebe Die Welt - Mikä meidän nyt on

Katri Helena recorded "Mikä meidän nyt on" (What it is with us now) in 1972. It was the final track on her album "Lauluja meille kaikille". It was also released on the B-side of a single. The Finnish lyrics were written by Pertsa Reponen. The original song was composed by our old friend Giorgio Moroder, and there were several succesful versions recorded around Europe during the year 1972. The first one however was done in 1971 in Germany sung by Uschi Glas and produced by Moroder. In original German lyrics, it was called "Denn Ich Liebe Die Welt" (Then I love the world). The English language version "Everybody Join Hands" it was a hit for Debbie (b. Ria Schildmeyer) in Netherlands. But the version that inspired Katri Helena probably was the French one, done by Mireille Mathieu and titled "En frappant dans nos mains" (Clapping our hands). You can see Uschi's performance here , Debbie's here  and Mireille's here.

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A Horse With No Name - Päättömällä pollella

For some reason, this song represents a classic 'summer song' for me, although there's nothing particularly 'summery' in the lyrics. Well, it's the mood and the feeling, I guess ... Petri & Pettersson Brass had a sizeable single hit with "Päättömällä pollella" (On a headless horse) in 1972. BTW, on the B-side was early Anderssson-Ulvaeus cover (of "She's My Kind of Girl"). The crucial factor in the success of the song were the nonsense lyrics crafted by Jukka Virtanen. The original song was the first single - and smash hit - of the group America and called "A Horse With No Name", written by group member Dewey Bunnell. The song was banned by some US radio stations because of supposed drug references. This comes from the fact that “horse” is a common slang term for heroin. Actually in Finnish slang, the word 'polle' also stands for heroin. But there was no commotion about the Finnish lyrics at the time. You can see America perform the song live, here. http://youtu.be/HdsHfZG19HM

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Alaska country - Alaska country

The end stop in our Grand Tour of USA is the northern-most state. Lea Laven recorded "Alaska country" in 1972 for her album "Vuosikertaa". The arrangement was in the the capable hands of Veikko Samuli and the Finnish lyrics were from the pen of Chrisse Johansson. The original "Alaska Country" was a track on Shocking Blue's second album "Scorpio's Dance" released in 1970. The album was partly recorded in New York and continues the band's exploration of Americana and country music. Alaska Country" was one of the most obvious references to America. Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It was purchased from the Russian Empire in 1867.

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Sacramento - Sacramento

Paula (see earlier entry) recorded "Sacramento" to the Finnish lyrics of Pertsa Reponen in 1972. It was a non-successful single with another Middle Of The Road cover ("Ennenvanhaan"/"Samson And Delilah") on the flipside.  Sacramento was one of the biggest hits for Middle Of The Road, released in 1972 and hitting number 1 on almost every European singles chart. You can see a promotional video of the song - filmed in Scotland, not in Sacramento - here.  Sacramento is the capital of the state of California. In 2002, Sacramento was cited by Time magazine as America's most ethnically and racially integrated city.

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It Never Rains In Southern California - Antaa tulla lunta tupaan

"Antaa tulla lunta tupaan" (Let the snow inside the house, for all I care) was the title (lyrics by Hector) of the song that Cay & The Scaffolds released in 1972. The Scaffolds was one of the pioneering Finnish guitar groups, founded in 1962.  For three years it was quite popular, scoring the first Finnish vocal beat group hit with self-penned "Girls" in 1963. The vocalist was at that point Cay Karlsson, and the group's name was changed to Cay & The Scaffolds. The band broke up in 1965, but was briefly re-united in 1972, when they recorded today's finnpick, with the cover of Don McLean's "Vincent" on the flipside. Hector later re-wrote the lyrics for Kirka, who recorded this song in 1983 for his album "Täytyy uskaltaa" with the title "Viikon verran sankareina" (Heroes for a week). The original song "It Never Rains In Southern California" was a big hit for Albert Hammond in 1972. It was written by Hammond and his songwriting partner Mike Hazlewood. You can see Albert perform the song, here.  BTW - you can monitor the weather in Southern California here.

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Mother of Mine - Äideistä parhain

Well - it's Mothers Day and we just have to play this song. Jari Huhtasalo was 13 years old when he recorded "Äideistä parhain" (The best of mothers) in 1972. It went all the way to number one in the charts and has become an evergreen. Jari never repetaed this success, but he has been active as a musician and singer and recorded several albums in recent years.The original "Mother of Mine" came from UK, and was performed by 13-year-old Scottish singer Neil Reid. He won the British TV talent show Opportunity Knocks 3 times and as result he was given a recording contract, and this was Reid's first single. He later became the youngest artist to top the UK album charts. However, he was unable to follow up his success. The song was written by session guitarist Bill Parkinson, who wrote it about/for his own mother.

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Don't Go Down To Reno - Älä lähde rakkain

Now we go west ... Markku Aro recorded "Älä lähde rakkain" (Don't go darling) in 1972. It was released on the "Oo mikä nainen" -album and on the flipside of "Täyttä totta" (cover of Slade's "Look wot you dun") single. The Finnish lyrics this time were made by Vexi Salmi. The original song "Don't Go Down To Reno" was written by famous songwriting duo Mitch Murray and Peter Callander and performed by Tony Christie ((b. Anthony Fitzgerald). Christie is best remembered by his rendition of "Amarillo" (see earlier entry). Reno, Nevada is known as "The Biggest Little City in the World", ant it's famous for its casinos and liberal divorce laws. Like the lyrics say: "In Reno town for a few dollars down, you can buy yourself a separation". You can see Tony perform a live version in 1979, here.

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California Here I Come - Sinustakin apua ois

Yes, it's "both Sides Now" again. Today we present the flipside to yesterday's finnpick "On miten on". Chrisse Johansson wrote the (somewhat obscure) Finnish lyrics for this "Sinustakin apua ois" (You could be of some help). Lea Laven's interpretation is quite good, but went unnoticed at the time. The original Shocking Blue song was called "California Here I Come" and it was on the excellent second SB album "At Home" released in 1969. It was the their first album recorded with lead vocalist Mariska Veres.

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Shocking You - On miten on

Lea Laven has recorded more Shocking Blue covers than any other Finnish artist, maybe more than ANY artist. Its' such an irony that she have never had a charted hit with those covers. Lea's voice had same kind of output and tone than Mariska Veres had, so that may explain the multitude of her Shocking Blue finnpicks. In 1972 Lea released a single with Shicking Blue song on both sides. Today we present "On miten on" (It is what it is). And it's among the best of Lea's covers. The original was called "Shocking You" and it was a hit for SB in 1971. You can see the band perform the song, here.

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Iron Horse - Eteenpäin

Yesterday we had a Finnpick named "Jet", today we present Finnish performer named Jetit. It was a pop duo of two young men (whose names I didn't find anywhere) formed obviously to challenge at the time the other Finnish power pop duo Jouko & Kosti. However they had only one hit, this "Eteenpäin" (Forward), in 1972. The lyrics were done by Vexi Salmi under pseudonym "Leo Länsi". The original song "Iron Horse" was third and final hit for UK pop combo Christie. Christie was led by Jeff Christie, who also wrote most of their material. You can see the band performing "Iron Horse" on a rare promotional film, here. As a bonus I have added a newer (1994) Finnish version by Tuulikki Eloranta, called "Soitellaan" (Let's call), simply becouse I like it ...

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