Love Was On Your Mind - Sen voi vain aavistaa

Eddy was fronting the beat group Eddy & The Lightnings in 1964-66. In 1966 he left for solo career and this "Sen voi vain aavistaa" (You can only have a premonition of it) was his debut single in 1966. It was mildly popular, but Eddy's bigger hits came a couple years later. The original song "Love Was On Your Mind" came from Sweden and was a 1966 national hit for the group Ola & The Janglers. The song was written by the bands guitarist Claes af Geijerstam.

93 Finnpicks to go.

Here's the pair:

Pinewood Rally - Kimma kaasun avaa

Let's hear another Björn Skifs cover. Leo Luoto recorded the oddly named "Kimma kaasun avaa" (The girl twists the throttle) in 1974, and it was released on his album "Leo Luoto". The Finnish lyrics (about motorcycling girlfriend) were done by Raul Reiman.  Björn Skifs & Blåblus released the original song "Pinewood Rally" in 1973 on the B-side of their Top Ten US hit "Never My Love", which was the follow-up to their number one hit "Hooked On A Feeling". As yesterday's finnpick, this too was written by Björn Skifs together with producer Bengt Palmers.

Here's the pair:

Lonely Sunday Afternoon - Viimeinen iltapäivä

Kisu recorded "Viimeinen iltapäivä" (The last afternoon) in 1974 and while being a good song, it's sadly one of his lesser known songs. It was released on the B-side of his big home-made hit "Juustossa löytyy". The Finniah lyrics were done by Chrisse Johansson. The original was of Swedish origin and called "Lonely Sunday Afternoon". It was performed by Björn Skifs & Blåblus and co-written by Björn Skifs. At the time the group had just had a breakthrough in USA (as Blue Swede) with the number one hit "Hooked On A Feeling". So it's no wonder their records were sought-after cover material.

Here's the pair:

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.

Here's the pair:

Do It Over Again - Tee kaikki tuo uudelleen

Pirkko Mannola recorded "Tee kaikki tuo uudelleen" (Do that all over again) in 1963. This was one of the records she was accompanied by vocal group Four Cats. The Finnish lyrics were provided by Sauvo "Saukki" Puhtila. Although Pirkko was very popular singer at the time, this particular single was not a hit for her. The original song came from Sweden. Jerry Williams (b. Sven Erik Fernström) and The Violents was a very popular beat group in Scandinavia in the beginning of the 60's and they had a hit with the song in 1963. Jerry - "The Swedish King Of Rock'n'Roll" - was the lead singer in the Violents before going solo. We have already presented Jerry and the band in Finnpicks, see here.

Here's the pair:

Lasse liten blues - Pikku-Lassen blues

Eija Merilä recorded "Pikku-Lassen blues" (Blues for little Lasse) in 1974. Eija was primarily known as schlageer singer, but this little number demonstrate her abilities as a r&b -singer. The Finnish lyrics to this - kind of sad - story were crafted by Sauvo "Saukki" Puhtila. The original tune "Lasse liten blues" (Blues for little Lasse) was written and performed by Swedish troubadour, Dutch-born Cornelis Vreeswijk. He emigrated to Sweden with his parents in 1949 at the age of twelve, and taught himself to sing and play guitar in the fifties. His first album in 1964 was a hit and created a large following among the emerging radical student generation. Vreeswijk was a controversial figure in the 60'2 and early 70's and was disapproved by many for his rude language and persistent interest in people like prostitutes and criminals.

Here's the pair:

Wilma - Vilma

As a third (and last) entry in our miniseries "Scandinavian Novelties in Finnish" we present Ismo Kallio's 1962 recording of "Vilma". It was on the B-side of his big success "Arabi Ahab" (see earlier finnpick, here). l The "Vilma" charcater in the song, is Wilma Flintstone ("Vilma Kivinen" in Finnish), the level-headed wife of Fred Flinststone in the popular animated TV series "Flintstones" ("Kiviset ja Soraset" in Finnish TV). The song, however, wasn't ´included in the series and wasn't even originating from USA, but from Sweden where a revue artist and singer/songwriter named Owe Thörnqvist wrote and performed it. The swedish title for the song was "Wilma (Nya stenåldersvalsen)" (Wilma - new stone age waltz).

Here's the pair:

Sveriges elektriska ståltrådorkester - Paras rautalankayhtye

Juha Vainio's (see earlier entry) first big hit as a singer was this "Paras rautalankayhtye" (The best steelwire band) in 1964. Juha did not do much covers, but in the 60's he covered some Swedish novelty songs. This one was originally called "Sveriges elektriska ståltrådorkester" (The electric steelwire orchestra of Sweden). Vainio's Finnish version gave name to the distinctive era of Finnish guitar-driven pop music in the first part of the 60's. Prior to that the bands that played (imitating The Shadows) guitar pop, were called guitar bands, or instrumental bands, but since then they've been known as 'rautalanka' bands. The co-writer and performer of the oringinal Swedish record was Sören Andersson. He was famous in Sweden especially for his musical parodies of contemporary issues. We present here also a newer Finnish version of the same song, done by Kontra for their "Ei kontrollia" -album in 1977.

Here's the triplet:

Don Carlo dansar - Auringonmaa

Yes, it's 'Both Sides Now' -time again. On the B-side of yesterday's Anneli Pasanen finnpick was another cover of Swedish dance band hit. It was called "Auringonmaa" and the lyrics were again witten by Chrisse Johansson. The original song was a 1976 Swedish hit for the group Schytts. They were the original performers of the earlier finnpick "Jossain" (see here). As yesterday's finnpick, this This "Don Carlo dansar" (Don Carlo dances) was also composed by Torgny Söderberg.

Here's the pair:

Min dröm om frihet - Rakastan jokaista päivää

Anneli Pasanen's most popular song was perhaps "Rakastan jokaista päivää" (I love each and every day) released in 1976. Words for this most optimistic song were written by Chrisse Johansson. The original song cane from our neighbouring country Sweden and was a big hit for the forefather of all Swedish dance bands - Vikingarna (The Vikings). The band was formed already in 1958 and disbanded in 2004, but announced their comeback now in March 2011, however, with only two original members remaining. They are the best-selling "dansband" in Scandinavian music history, and had at the time of their disbanding sold more than 11 million records. This song "Min dröm om frihet" (My dream of freedom) was composed by Torgny Söderberg, who also wrote Herreys 1984 Euorovision winner "Diggi-loo, Diggi-ley".

Here's the pair:

He'll Have To Go - Hän poistukoon

For some reason, Seppo Pirhonen did not really make it. He recorded altogether 22 songs in two years in 1960-1961, but none of those hit the upper regions of charts. In 1962 he turned 20 and after serving in army, he quit recording. The extraordinary feature in Seppo's recordings was that the orchestral backing originated from Sweden. He recorded same songs as Swedish schlager singer Gunnar Wiklund and they used the same backing tracks. This goes also for this finnpick "Hän poistukoon" (He should go) in 1960; Wiklund recorded the Swedish version as "Han måste gå". The original version "He'll Have To Go" was a big country-pop hit for Jim Reeves in 1959. Jim made his breakthrough one night in 1952, when Hank Williams failed to make an appearance on the show, and Reeves sang in his place. Reeves was at the height of his career when his private plane crashed outside of Nashville in 1964.

Here's the pair:

Aj, aj, aj - Ai, ai, ai

Express was a popular beat pop group in the 70's. It was formed in 1967 and won the Finnish Pop Band championship in 1970. The group had a big hit with self-penned "Anna" in 1972 and this "Ai,ai, ai" was their second hit. The band is still active and gigging. The original song here originated from Sweden. "Aj,aj, aj" was a big hit for dance band Schytts. This band we have also finnpicked before, see here.

Here's the pair:

Jimmy Dean - Piirtelet mun sydämeen

Cat Cat -duo represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest back in 1994 in Dublin. Apart from the ESC -entry "Bye Bye Baby" the Kätkä sisters didn't really have other big hits. This post-Eurovision single "Piirtelet mun sydämeen" (You make drawings in my heart) released in 1995 as a CD single, might have been a hit (but for some reason, it wasn't). The lyrics were provided by another Finnish pop star Tauski (real name Tauno Peltonen). The original song was of Swedish origin and was a smash success for all-girl group Troll in 1989. Troll included 7 (!) girls - all childhood friends - from the city of Falun. This "Jimmy Dean" (with reference to James Dean) was their only big Scandinavian hit and after two albums and a couple of more singles they folded up. You can see them perform the song in this video clip.

Here's the pair:

Dangerous Happiness - Vaarallista onnea

On the B-side of Eino Grön's 1963 single "Seinillä on korvat" (see earlier entry) was this "Vaarallista onnea" (Dangerous happiness). Both sides of the single became very popular and built up Eino's career. The Finnish lyrics for today's finnpick were written by Sauvo Puhtila. Despite of the title of the original being in English, the song originated from Sweden. It was a big Scandinavian hit for Jerry Williams & The Violents. Jerry has been finnpicked before (see here). Soon after this success Jerry launched a solo career. In pre-Jerry Williams days The Violents had a great success with the instrumental tune "Alpens ros", but after his departure the star days were soon over and the band faded out around 1965.

Here's the pair:

He Is Your Brother - Mielin määrin

The three Kiviharju sisters known as Seidat (see earlier entry) recorded "Mielin määrin" (Anyway you like) in 1973 for their "Seidat" -album. The lyrics were made by another Finnish pop star Arto Sotavalta. The original was "He Is Your Brother", recorded in 1972 by ABBA, at the time known as 'Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid'. It was only issued as a single in Scandinavia, and was taken from the group's debut album Ring Ring, which was released in 1973. As ABBA had not yet achieved a great following outside of their native Sweden at the time, the song only charted in Scandinavian countries. In Sweden, it did not reach the sales chart, but was a big radio hit. ou can see ABBA perform the song during the group's tour inAustralia in 1977, here.

Here's the pair:

Nina, Pretty Ballerina - Nina, pikku balleriina

This is the B-side to yesterday's 1977 finnpick. Yes, it's "Both Sides Now" back again. Danny's "Nina, pikku balleriina" (Nina, tiny ballerina) is one of the lesser known Finnish Abba covers. The lyrics were by Pertsa Reponen. You can see a video of the song, here. Abba's "Nina, Pretty Ballerina" was recorded in 1973 for their "Ring, Ring" debut album. The album was full of potential hit singles and this song was released on single in Austria and France to promote the album. It reached number 8 on the singles chart in Austria.

Here's the pair:

Ljuva sextital - Se oli silloin

Yesterday's Finnpick was a song for "years gone by". And, literally, so is today's. Carola recorded "Se oli silloin" (That was then) in 1970. The lyrics (by Lasse Mårtenson, using the pseudonym "Savinainen") told about the colourful events that took place in Finland during the decade of 60's. The original song had the same theme. It was of Swedish origin and was called "Ljuva sextital" (Wonderful 60's). It was the first big hit composition for future Abba trio Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stikkan Anderson and it was performed by Brita Borg. Brita was the 50's schlager queen in Sweden, and represented her country in the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest with "Augustin". Later she was popular as revue artist. This "Ljuva sextital" was her last pop hit.

Here's the pair:

Snart är du gammal - Kun aika kuluu

While doing research for Finnpicks I have often found a song that I have never heard, but after hearing it for the first time, want listen to it again and again. This only shows how big is the treasure chest of the forgotten musical gems of the past. This "Kun aika kuluu" (As time goes by) is one of those gems. Jouko ja Kosti recorded it in 1973. It was the flipside of the earlier Finnpick, "Mama Loo" (see here) and the philosophical lyrics were done by lyrics master Juha Vainio. The original song "Snart är du gammal" (Soon you will be old) was penned by Benny Andersson in his pre-Abba days, and it was originally performed by Norwegian singer Jan Höiland, who was active both in Norway and in Sweden. BTW, Jan was the guy who made a Norwegian version of Marion's 1962 ESC song "Tipi-tii". This "Snart är du gammal" became a hit in Sweden in 1973.

Here's the pair:

Johnny Loves Me - Johnny pitää minkä lupaa

Pirkko Mannola recorded "Johnny pitää minkä lupaa" (Johnny keeps his promise) in 1964 and it was released as a single. On the flipside was "Nasta Mesta" (finnpicked here). Not a great success but a nice upbeat song in Pirkko's inimitable style. The original song was written by Larry Finnegan (who had a hit as a singer with "Dear One"). It was performed in 1963 by Dutch/Swedish singer Suzie (b. Maria Pereboom). Suzie was born in Netherlands, but was a Swedish citizen and recorded in Swedish, English, Danish, Dutch, German, French, Italian and Spanish. Later in the 60's she also fronted the Swedish girl group Suzie and the Sunnygirls. You can see her perform the "Johnny" -song in television, here.

Here's the pair:

Jag tror på sommaren - Taas on aika auringon

If yesterday's Finnpick was the definitive summer pop tune, this must be the definitive summer waltz. Reijo Salminen recorded "Taas on aika auringon" (It's sunshine time again) in 1968 and it was the most requested and played summer song in the end of the 60's and in the 70's (at least). Reijo Salminen was not primarily a singer but a comedian and an entertainer, whose specialty was doing impressions of famous people. This song however was a smash hit for him. The words were put in by lyrics master Jukka Virtanen. The original tune originated from Sweden. The waltz "Jag tror på sommaren" (I believe in summer) was written by Stig Olin and performed in 1967 by Mats Olin. Stig was a multi-talented man; actor, movie director, screenwriter and songwriter. But perhaps he's best known for being the father of the famous movie star Lena Olin. Mats, who sang this song, was his son (and Lena's brother ;-)).

Here's the pair: