Eri Esittäjiä: Kymijokibeats

Eri Esittäjiä: KYMIJOKIBEATS

Various Artists: Kymijokibeats 1965-1981 (1990)

FinnArctic-esittely:

Here are two interesting compilations that introduce various bands and singers from the Kymijoki river area in southeast Finland.

Kymijokibeats 1965-1981:

1. The Mods: Pretty Thing (1965) - hometowns Kuusankoski and Kouvola

The Mods started in the early 60's as a popular guitar instrumental band named The Shouts, but in early 1965 they changed their name and image: frilled shirts, bell-bottom trousers and eye-catching makeup. They capped this new style by choosing female artist names for themselves. One single was produced, "Pretty Thing" b/w "Tommy Jones", both self-penned. Before the original lineup disbanded in 1966, they cut some songs in a studio, but for some reason none of them were released. The Mods kept on playing in some form or another until the early 1970's.

2. Charlies: Like the Purpose Told Me (1969)
3. Try Or You'll Never Die (1969) - hometown Kausala

Both songs taped in a jail in Uusikylä with Eero Ravi (guitar), Kari Lehtinen (bass), Ari Ahlgren (drums) and Wellu Lehtinen (vocals).

4. Colombo: Live Love (1976)

Colombo could be called the vocational school for pop music in Northern Kymenlaakso, despite being a one-single obscurity to most Finns. Led by all-around man Arska "Silmu" Salminen, they toured with their Rock in Memory show in 1973-1979 around Finland, aided by a stage show consisting of coffins, bombs, lights and the biggest gear in the area. The single "Frankenstein / Live Love" was taped in Microvox Studio in Lahti.

5. Peer Günt: Dead Dog Blues (1980)
6. Animal Lover (1980) - hometown Kouvola

Basic hard boogie band Peer Günt was formed in 1976 by Timo Nikki (guitar), Pauli Johansson (drums, later punk band Loose Prick) and Vesa Suopanki (bass). Names and lineups changed until a new PG was born in 1978, with Nikki, Reima "Pomo" Saarinen (drums), J. Loikala (bass) and Sefi (synthesizer). Sefi was soon replaced by Timo Kipahti on guitar and vocals, and Loikala by Petri "Helmi" Korppi. These men cut their first self-taped and self-released single in 1979: "Don't Wanna Speeding / Never Said I'll Fall". Another self-released (but cut in a studio) single "Animal Lover / Liquore & Drugs" followed next year. "Dead Dog Blues" also hails from this session, but remained in the can.

Peer Günt got their recording career properly going in 1985, and since then they've put out nine albums of very basic and straightforward hard rock for their limited but trusty gang of fans. They threatened to disband in 2006 due to Nikki's drinking problems, but they decided to soldier on regardless. Nikki, Pete Pohjanniemi (bass) and Sakke Koivula (drums) are the present-day members.

The name Peer Günt comes from a species of rose, not from Ibsen's play.

7. Session: Tahdon olla kanssasi (1974) - hometown Kouvola

8. Haukka: Kukaan ei uskalla tietää (1979) - hometown Kouvola

Haukka started in 1977 with Esa Pajunen on vocals and guitar, Seppo Jarva on vocals and bass, Harri Louhensuo on guitar and Juha Virta on drums. Keyboardist Seppo Helin from Kuusankoski joined them in early 1978. They took part in the national rock band contest the same year and won.

The first single "Suomi-äiti sairastaa / Faija lähti Ruotsiin" was released by Love Records in 1978. The a-side was a punk-influenced original song, the b-side a Steely Dan cover. The lyrics met with some criticism, so the other two singles had lyrics by other songwriters.

The second single "Kukaan ei uskalla tietää / Kotiin" (Love Records, 1979) had lyrics by punk king Pelle Miljoona on the a-side, and by Yari from art punk band Se on the b-side. Unfortunately, Haukka failed to find an own style and personality, as their vocalist saw it fit to copy the voice and singing style of whomever provided them with lyrics. "Kukaan ei uskalla tietää" (Nobody Dares to Know) is nevertheless a magnificent song, and the melancholy, even depressed b-side had a splendid keyboard solo.

The third single "Kaikki ei oo kohdallaan / Piti tulla seikkailu" (Johanna, 1980), both written by aforementioned Yari, was still a bit too Se-influenced, and it proved the last release for Haukka before they disbanded in 1981.

9. Loose Prick: Kaupunki elämää (1979) - hometown Kouvola

Punk band Loose Prick started in 1977 and released the debut single "Mua potkitaan päähän / Velton nimeen" in 1979. "Kaupunki elämää" (City Life) is from their second 7", the classic four-song "Kaupunki EP".

Pauli Johansson (vocals), Jussi Kylliäinen (guitar), Harri Jantunen (bass), and Timo Ranta (drums) had sideline activities with the Kouvola Association of Live Music (KEMU) and their own fanzine Punk-Shanomat.

A third single "Yöt ympäri / Lupaukset onnellisista lapsista" followed before the debut album "Valkoiset sotilaat" saw the light of day in 1980. This and the second album "Etkö rakastaisi..." (1981) are ambitious, grandiose works that still await their CD re-release in entirety, although there's a good best-of CD ("Likaisia enkeleitä, valkoisia sotilaita") available.

10. Top Rank: Me voitais laulaa kauniimmin (1981)
11. Irtopalanen (1981) - hometown Kuusankoski

Top Rank produced two English and three Finnish singles in 1979-1983 plus one LP "Liikutaan" in 1984. Founder Timo Ronkainen formed the band after visiting London in 1978 and seeing a band called Radio Stars. Drummer Reijo Koponen, bassist Matti Rantaoja and guitarist Timo Lavi joined him, and they signed to Poko Rekords, who released all their records.

"Irtopalanen" (Loose Little Bit) was the third single, "Me voitais laulaa kauniimmin" (We Could Sing More Beautifully) was an unreleased song from the same session. Both glorious pop/rock songs, and Top Rank's finest moments, I think (I haven't heard their album in years, so don't take my word for it).

Kymijokibeats II - 1965-1991:

1. The Mods: Pretty Thing (1965)
2. Charlies: I'm So Glad (1969)

From the same session as the songs on KJB 1.

3. Session: Sanni Blue (1973)
4. Haukka: Kukaan ei uskalla tietää (1979)
5. Loose Prick: Kaupunki elämää (1979)
6. Marstio: Light and Dark (1980)

Breakthrough demo for stylishly rough-voiced singer Harri Marstio (1957-). Active in the music business ever since, with ten albums under his belt.

7. Nowadays: Tytöt piirtää sydämiä seiniin (1980) (The Girls Draw Hearts on the Walls)

Power pop with good synth work. A minor classic from a band who only produced this one single.

8. Top Rank: Me voitais laulaa kauniimmin (1981)
9. Peer Günt: Woman on the Radio (1981)

Third single for this band, and the first record for a real record company (Johanna). Some distinct new wave influences here. A four-year hiatus followed after this, before their self-titled debut LP came out.

10. Maho Neitsyt: Tehdaskaupungin lapset (1983) (Factory City Kids)

HC punk legends.

11. Beer Band: She Was There (1986)

One single only did this relatively unknown band produce - but it's a good organ-driven tune that borders on hard rock.

12. Whizz Kids: So Fast (1986)

So fast indeed! Two singles in 1987, one in 1988, but this song isn't on any of them. I just noticed that Whizz Kids from New Zealand have a song titled "So Fast", but this is not them.

13. Maanalainen Flanelli: Dalmatian koirat (1987) (The Dalmatian Dogs)

Crazy rock'n'roll! One single only.

14. Tom Roinila: Vapaana taivaan alla (1987) (Free Under the Sky)

Underground accapella. So deep under ground that there's a heavy echo in the background. A single for Poko Rekords in 1987, duet albums with Kalevi Kullasvaara: "Pikkukaupungin pojat" (1992) and "Matkalla" (1996). "Vapaana taivaan alla" was intended for an LP that was never made.

15. Riverside Raiders: Rollin' Down (1987)

Nice pop with a female singer.

16. Idän pikajuna: Yksinäisten sydänten kerho (1989) (Lonely Hearts Club)

Relaxed, down-to-earth country rock.

17. Barefoot Brothers: I Wish You Well (1990)
18. Noise In Dirt: Want You Anytime (1990)
19. The Blue Yodle: This Kind of Love (1991)

Hard kickin' country with a female vocalist.

20. The Twangers: Ainoain (1991) (My Only One)

A guitar band doing The Hollies' "I'm Alive" with a female singer.

21. Rhymin' Jet Brilliant & The Psychic Lovers: The Way of Unicorn (Song For Zelda) (1991)

A neo-hippie tune with acoustic and twanging guitars, bongos and violin.

22. Kalevi Kullasvaara: Pikkukaupungin Poika (1991) (Small Town Boy)

A seven-minute Dylanesque epic. A song everyone deserves to hear.