Love Will Keep Us Together - Stop, ei tuhlata aikaa

Pepe Willberg recorded "Stop, ei tuhlata aikaa" (Stop, let's waste no time) for his debut solo album "Sinulle" in 1976. By coincidence, we seem to have Pertsa Reponen week, becouse the lyrics for this song were again done by him. The arrangements for the album were done by Markku Johansson. The original song "Love Will Keep Us Together" was the product of the pens of power songwriting-duo Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. It was first released in the UK on Sedaka's 1973 LP "The Tra-La Days Are Over". However, it is best remembered for the 1975 cover version by The Captain & Tennille (finnpicked before, see here). It was their debut single, reaching number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975 and it was the top US single for the entire year. You can see the joint performance of the duo and Neil Sedaka, here.

Here's the triplet:

My World Keeps Getting Smaller Every Day - Sun kanssas kohtaan huomisen

Fredi concludes our "time" -related mini series. He recorded "Sun kanssas kohtaan huomisen" (I'll face tomorrow with you) in 1970. It was released as a single on the B-side of "Sympatiaa" (see ealier entry). This beautiful ballad was put into words by Matti Siitonen, i.e. Fredi himself. The Master of Melody, Neil Sedaka (together with his songwriting partner Howard Greenfield), was responsible for the original song "My World Keeps Getting Smaller Every Day". It was written especially for Eydie Gorme, who took it to number 24 in the US Adult Contemporary Chart in 1070. But we present here Neil's own heartrending version.

Here's the pair:

Queen of 1964 - Prinsessa 65

Seppo Närhi (see earlier entry) recorded "Prinsessa 65" (Princess of 65) in 1975. It was released as a single., but despite of getting a lot of radio plays. it didn't reach the top positions in the charts. The smart lyrics were done by Heikki Harma (i.e. Hector). The original somg was a lesser known tune "Queen of 1964" by Neil Sedaka, written of course by Sedaka himself and his songwriting partner Hovard Greenfield. Both the Finnish and original versions told about an old groupie, 'Stage-Door-Jenny', as she's called in the original lyrics. In the Finnish lyrics Hector has updated Elvis Presley to David Bowie.

Here's the pair:

Little Devil - Paha poika

Pirkko Mannola (see previous entry) released "Paha poika" in 1961 in the B-side of a Paul Anka cover. "Paha poika" (Bad boy) was an extraordinary title for a pop song those days, but the lyrics (by Kari Tuomisaari) of course were quite innocent. Pirkko and his male colleague Lasse Liemola were practically the only singers in Finland those days doing POP COVERS, targeting the youth. The rest of the singers were into 'schlager' format that attracted the adult people. The original song "Little Devil" was a product from Greenfield-Sedaka song factory and performed by Neil Sedaka himself. It was a modest hit for him in 1961.

Oh Carol - Voi Maija

Whether you want it or not, the Frederik Friday is here again! Frederik recorded "Voi Maija" in 1975 in his 3rd album "Se jokin minulla on" (I've got that something). The song is done in the usual tongue-in-cheek Frederik style. The song is originally the famous "Oh Carol" written and sung by Neil Sedaka in 1959. It has become one of the true classics of the pop genre. At the time, Sedaka was already a professional songwriter and after studying hit records in several countries, Sedaka incorporated common factors like a certain drum beat and the use of a girl's name. "Oh Carol" was the result. Sedaka wrote this for the songwriter colleague Carole King, who was his girlfriend while studying in Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, New York. Using the same melody line, Carole King write a funny answer song 'Oh Neil' in 1960. As it's rarely heard we present it here as a "bonus track".

Here's the triple:

Amarillo - Amarillo

Johnny (see previous entry) sang about "Amarillo" 1972. It was a big hit in Finland and has grown up to be a cult classcic. The original "Amarillo" -song was recorded by Tony Christie and released in the UK in 1971, initially reaching number 18 in the UK Charts. However, it was a bigger hit at that time across Continental Europe, notably in Germany and Spain. In Germany, the song's chorus is widely adapted as a chant by football and hockey fans even today. When it was re-issued in 2005 to raise money for the Comic Relief charity, it reached number 1 in the UK. Tony was subsequently being given the freedom of Amarillo by this Texan city's mayor. The song is written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. It is about a man travelling to Amarillo to find his fiancée. The reason that Amarillo was chosen for the song was because it was the only place name that Sedaka could think of that rhymed with "willow" and "pillow". We present here also Sedaka's own - a bit different - version of this classic.

Here's the triple:

One Way Ticket - Menolippu

Teen starlet Theresa (real name Theresa Rosenius) was a true one-hit wonder. I don't know if she ever cut but this one single. But the A-side of that single (in 1965) "Menolippu" has assured her a place in Finnish pop history. The original was Neil Sedaka's lesser known recording "One Way Ticket (To The Blues)" from the year 1959. Many of us probably remember the disco version by Eruption in 1979.

Here's the pair: