Making Memories - Näin tehdään muistoja

This could be the theme song for Finnpicks. Lasse Mårtenson (see earlier entry) recorded "Näin tehdään muistoja" (That's the way to make memories) 1967. It was not such a big success at the time, but it has become some sort of 'Mårtenson classic'. The lyrics were made by Lasse himself, using pseudonym 'L. Vaajakorpi'. There was also a popular TV Show of the same name, starring Lasse Mårtenson. The original song was a 1967 hit for 50's singer legend Frankie Laine. Frankie has been finnpicked before; look here and here. About this theme song thing - well, actually the theme of Finnpicks should be 'Remaking Memories' ;-).

Here's the pair:

The Girl In The Wood - Tyttö metsässä

The legendary Finnish crooner Olavi Virta (see previous entry) probably recorded more covers in the 50' than other Finnish artists combined. One of Olavi's better known songs from those years is "Tyttö metsässä" (Girl in the wood"), released as a single in 1960. The song is also credited to the backing vocal group Nordias. The original song was sung by Frankie Laine (b. Francesco Paolo LoVecchio) in 1951. It was written by Terry Gilkyson, who later wrote the classic "Greenfields". Frankie Laine is perhaps best known for singing well-known theme songs for many Western movies. However, he was not a country & western singer, but rather a singer's singer who sang in variety of song styles and genres, stretching from big band crooning to pop to gospel, to rock, to folk, to jazz and blues, all delivered in his inimitable singing style.

Here's the pair:

Rawhide - Lännen tie

The final entry for now (I guess there will be a sequel ...) in 'Finnish Wild West In Song' is "Lännen tie" (The Trail of the West) by Matti Heinivaho. Matti started our mini series and thus it's appropriate that he will end it, too. The song was recorded in 1966 and famous for it's whip effects and cowboy yells. It was perhaps the most popular of the Finnish western songs in the 60's mainly becouse of the popularity of television western series 'Rawhide' that was shown in Finland at the time - and was also called 'Lännen tie'. 'Rawhide' was a series which aired on the American network CBS from 1959 to 1966 and launched the career of Clint Eastwood. The theme for "Rawhide" is (again) composed by Dimitri Tiomkin in 1958 and was originally recorded by Frankie Laine (real name Francesco Paolo LoVecchio). Laine was a successful American musician, singer and songwriter whose career started in 1930's and lasted 75 years, He sang songs stretching from big band crooning to pop to western-themed songs to jazz and blues, all delivered with his inimitable singing style.

Here's the pair: