Wanted - Nuori kuolemaan

Jukka Raitanen recorded "Nuori kuolemaan" (Too young to die) in 1979. It was released on the B-side of the single "Keikka Ouluun" (cover of Marty Robbins' "El Paso"). Jukka made his breakthrough in 1970 with self-written "Vangin toive" (Prisoner's wish). He had written it while doing time in Konnunsuo prison. Raitanen was quite succesful schlager artist throughout the 70's and is still active in performing. The Finnish lyrics for today's finnpick were written by Raul Reiman, who himself died too young ... The original song "Wanted" became known in Finland when it was played as signature tune in a popular radio morning show. The original name of the tune was "Wanted" and it was performed by Italian group Doogy degli Armorium. Doogy was a guest artist (the whistler?) for this one and a follow-up single. But Armonium was a rock group formed 1975 and still active today. The "Wanted" song was written by Armonium's keyboardist Franco Zulian and guitarist Vincenzo Stavolo. 

37 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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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.

Il Tempo Se Ne Va - On aika mennyt menojaan

In 1980 Kai Hyttinen recorded an eponymous album, on which he covered songs from all over the world. This "On aika mennyt menojaan" (The time has gone by for good) originated from Italy. The original "Il Tempo Se Ne Va" (The time goes by) was performed by Adriano Celentano, who scored hit with it all over Europe. The song was co-written by Toto Cutugno. You can see Adriano perform it live, here.

87 Finnpicks to go.

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Non Voglio Mica La Luna - Vie minut pakoon

This entry is dedicated to one of the Italian readers of the blog, who earlier this year send me a list of important Italian songs, whose Finnish covers so far had been omitted. This song was on the top of the list (I have to get back to that list in the future, too). Pirjo Lehti recorded "Vie minut pakoon" (Take me running away) in 1985, for her album "Se on rakkautta oikeaa". For some reason Pirjo never achieved the success that she perhaps deserved. The Finnish lyrics were crafted by Raul Reiman under the pseudonym of Pyry Lunden. The original song was called "Non Voglio Mica La Luna" (I don't want the moon) and it was performed in 1984 by Italian star Fiordaliso (b. Marina Fiordaliso ). To my mind it is one of the best Italian pop songs released in last 30 years. You can see her perform the song in television studio in 1986, here.
 
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Besame Mucho (Senora) - Besame mucho

The group Gulliver (see earlier entry) recorded "Besame mucho" in 1976 and it was released as a single. It was minor hit and was released also on their 1977 album "Paraisilla ollaan". The Finnish lyrics of this happy-go-lucky tune were put together by Veikko "Vexi" Salmi. The original song was called "Besame Mucho (Senora)", and it was a 1976 continental hit for Italian group Easy Connection. Internationallly they can be called One Hit Wonders, becouse I couldn't find any more hits worth to mention. But, what the heck, once is enough, when you do it big!

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Baby - Baby

Perhaps the four most-used words in song titles are 'i', 'love', 'you' and 'baby'. Today's finnpick is an example of the last one. Danny recorded his "Baby" in 1976 for his album "Elämän maku". The Finnish lyrics (yes, most of the lyrics are in Finnish ;-)) were this time provided by Chrisse Johansson. The original "Baby" was written (under pseudonym J. Garko) and performed by 60's and 70's Italian singer and songwriter Alberto Anelli. I don't know anything about him, but it's my guess that as a singer he used the pseudonym "El Tigre" (The Tiger). And this "Baby" was a Top 20 hit in Italy for him under that name.


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Tu Sei L'unica Donna Per Me - Jos sinäkin tahdot

Danny & Armi (Armi = Armi Aavikko) were a hugely popular vocal duo in the mid-70's. Danny was already established pop star and Armi was the freshly appointed Miss Finland. They had several big hits, and most of them were written by Veikko Samuli. They did also some covers and this "Jos sinäkin tahdot" (If you want it too) is an example of those. It was released in 1979 on the B-side of a less successful Veikko Samuli -written single. This might have fared better as an A-side. It was also included in their second album. The Finnish lyrics were by Raul Reiman.  The original song was Italian. "Tu Sei L'unica Donna Per Me" (You are the unique woman for me) was written and performed by Alan Sorrenti. The song was very big hit in Italy in 1979 and was 22 consecutive weeks in the Italian Top Ten.

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Un Amore Inutile - Voitko unohtaa

Tuire Lehtimäki is a songstress that I don't know anything about. She recorded just one unsuccessful single in 1969. On the B-side was the third Finnish version of "Ma Che Freddo Fa" (see the other two here) and on the A-side was this "Voitko unohtaa" (Can you forget), another cover of an Italian hit. It's a shame that Tuire didn't continue her recording career, becouse she had that something special in her voice. The original song was named "Un Amore Inutile" (Love in vain) and it was a 1968 hit for Italian singer Isabella Iannetti (b. Carmela Jannetti).  She released about 20 singles in the 60's and was a frequent sight at a variety of song contests. We have met her before in Finnpicks, see here.

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Le Stagioni dell' Amore/Seasons Of Love - Käymään vain

One of the biggest hits of Kai Hyttinen was "Käymään vain" (Just dropping in). It was the best selling single in Finland in the autumn of 1968. Juha Vainio's catchy Finnish lyrics and Jaakko Borg's arrangement contributed to the success. The original song was called "Le Stagioni dell' Amore" (The seasons of love) and it was a small hit in Italy for songstress Milva (b. Maria Ilva Biolcati).  She was also known as 'La Rossa', (Italian for 'The Red'), due to the colour of her hair. Milva was one the most populra female Italian singers of the 60's. This original Italian version of the song has been very hard to find, and since I don't have it, I'll present the - even rarer - English language version. Apparently Milva was trying to reach the vast English -speaking audience and become a truly international star. The song was released in UK on the B-side of a single in 1967, with the title "Seasons Of Love". However, it failed to draw any attention.    

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A Far L'Amore Comincia Tu - Potki potki sä vain

Kari Tapio recorded "Potki potki sä vain" (You just kick all you can) in 1977 for his album "Kaipuu". Kari's big breakthrough hit "Viisitoista kesää" was also on this album, but today's finnpick was not released as a single. The lyrics were crated by Pertsa Reponen, and Veikko Samuli did the arrangement. The original song was of Italian origin. "A Far L'Amore Comincia Tu" (To make the love start you) was a big hit for Raffaella Carra in 1977 all over Europe. You can see 'La Carra' perform the song here.

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La Pioggia - Mä aurinkoon jään

Matti Esko released his first, eponymous, album in 1971. This "Mä aurinkoon jään" (I'll stay in the sun) was on it and it was also released as a single, however failing to create any chart action. Matti's breakthrough was still some years away. The original song did not tell about sun, in fact the lyrics dealt with rain, "La Pioggia" in Italian, and how the love conquers it; "... rain does not exist if you look at me". The song was was performed in 1969 San Remo music festival by Gigliola Cinquetti, and it became a deserved hit for her. You can see the performance, here. Gigliola is of course best remembered by being the Eurovision Song Contest winner in 1964.

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Ibo Lele - Mombasa

It seems that we have Taiska Sunday again. This time we present the definitive Taiska song. She recorded "Mombasa" in 1975. It became top 10 hit in 1976 and it has since been one of the most popular Finnish records of all time. Therefore it's quite extraordinary that very few have heard the original tune called "Ibo lele". Well it was of Italian origin and composed by Fabio Frizzi, best known for his horror film scores, which have become some of the most widely known in the genre. But this song was from the score written for a 1974 erotic movie called "Amore Libero" (Free Love), directed by Pier Ludovico Pavoni. It features erotic movie star Laura Gemser ("Black Emmanuelle") in her first role. The movie is not set Mombasa, Kenya, but in the island of Seychelles. Then, what is "Ibo Lele"? Well, having not seen the movie, I don't know. I guess it's a location in Seychelles, becouse there's another tune in the soundtrack called "Ibo Lele at Night".

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Per un amore - Rakkauden tähden

Lea Valonen recorded only one single. "Rakkauden tähden" (For love) was released in 1968 under her first name Lea. The arranger was Aarno Raninen and the lyrics were maid by Sauvo Puhtila. I'm sorry but I know nothing about Lea. This single went nowwhere and she quit recording. The original song came from Italy. It was called "Per un amore" (For love) and it was a big Italian hit for a singer named Vibeke. Well I don't know anything about her, either. But both of these versions of unknown girls are well worth listen to.

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Marinai donne e guai - Merimiehet nainen tuska

Today is the 83rd birthday of Italian singer and composer Domenico Modugno. His songs have been frequently covered in Finnish. Here's one of the lesser known examples. Tuulikki Eloranta (who has earlier made a 'guest appearance' in Finnpicks, see here) recorded "Merimiehet nainen tuska" (The sailors, the woman, the pain) in 1971. The lyrics were written by a famous Finnish poet Jarkko Laine. It was released as a single, but sunk without a trace. It was most unfortunate, becouse it was an excellent beat version of the original one. And it was a song called "Marinai donne e guai" (Sailors, women and troubles) from the Italian 1958 movie of the same name, It was written and performed by Domenico Modugno. In that same year he did his major international breakthrough with "Nel blu dipinto di blu", better known as "Volare".

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Ti Guardero Del Cuore - More - Taas

It seems that this mini-series of "Finnpicks Goes To Movies" is also a series of lesser known Finnish 60's female singers. Lilja Luukkanen is one of them. She recorded only one single (in 1965) and this "Taas" (Again) was on it. For some reason this song has in Finland been versioned instrumentally far more times than vocally. Perhaps the reason for this is, that the original version was an instrumental tune. It was on the soundtrack of 1962 Italian 'documentary' film "Mondo Cane" (Dog's World). The film was directed by Paolo Cavara, Franco Prosperi, and Gualtiero Jacopetti, and it consisted glimpses of various odd cultural practices around the world with the intention to shock film audiences. Despite it is claimed to be genuine documentation, certain scenes in the film are either staged or creatively manipulated in order to enhance this effect. The movie's theme song "Ti Guardero Del Cuore" (translated in English version to "More") was written by famous scorewriters Riz Ortolani and Nino Oliviero. The song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song, but it didn't win the Oscar. "More" was made an instrumental hit for Kai Winding's Orchestra in 1963,but it has since become an evergreen with many vocal interpretations. We present here the original soundtrack version.

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L'eclisse Twist - Kuunpimennys

We conclude this year with the theme 'Finnpicks Goes To Movies'. We present some songs that were included in the various film soundtracks. These movies were quite obscure, but this first one is an exception. A songstress named Markita Mattson made two singles in the 60's. This "Kuunpimennys" (Eclipse of the moon) was the A-side of her first single released in 1963. Unfortunately I don't know much about Markita. She appeared in 1963 in several TV-shows and even in one film ("Lauantaileikit" directed by Maunu Kurkwaara). But after that - no trace of her, except one further single in 1964. This "Kuunpimennys" was arranged by Jaakko Salo and the lyrics were provided by Sauvo Puhtila under pseudonym Solja Tuuli. The original song "L'eclisse Twist" appeared in the soundtrack of the 1962 Italian movie "L'eclisse" (The Eclipse). It was directed by the legendary Michelangelo Antonioni, who also wrote the original lyrics for this song! The score was done by Giovanni Fusco, who scored many of the Neorealist films of Antonioni. The song was made popular by Italian pop singer Mina (b. Anna Maria Mazzini). The song was on the flipside of her Top 10 Italian chart hit "Renato". Mina was known for her three-octave vocal range, and her image as an emancipated woman. Mina's TV appearances in 1959 were the first for a female rock and roll singer in Italy. Her loud singing earned her the nickname "Queen of Screamers". The public also labeled her the "Tiger of Cremona" for her wild gestures and body shakes.

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Un po'artista un po'no - Yksin oon

It's been a while since we last heard of Lea Laven, the Cover Queen of the 70' and 80's. She recorded this "Yksin oon" (Alone am I) in 1988 for her album "Kortit kertoo kohtalomme". It was released only as an album track, even if it had some single hit potential. The original song was of Italian origin made by a couple of well-known artists. It was written by Toto Cutugno and performed by Adriano Celentano. The song "Un po'artista un po'no"(A little bit artist, a little bit not) was on Celentano's eponymous 1980 album, created during his golden years of collaboration with Cutugno between 1977 and 1980. The song was also a single hit. You can see music video made of the song, here.

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Il mare in cartolina - Huulet huulia on

We have met Kössi Härmä once before (see earlier entry) . He released several singles and one album in 70's, but never achieved any great success with any of those. This song "Huulet huulia on" (Jokes are just jokes) was released as a single in 1971, on the flipside of that earlier finnpick of his. The lyrics were written by Vexi Salmi. The original song was called "Il mare in cartolina" (The sea in postcard) was a modest hit for Italian singer Isabella Iannetti, after faring well in the RAI Television's popular song contest "Un disco per l'estate" (A record for the summer) in 1970.

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