78s

...and on the singles side, we make an excursion to Rillumarei, popular music scene in 50s which came as a backlash to the accusations from the "serious art music" side that popular music was unsophisticated and low-brow...resulting to a number of artists happily embracing vulgarity and performing humorous polkas and whatnots with accordion, often mocking "culture" and "art"...

First one is one of the main performers of the scene:
Reino Helismaa: Sorsanmetsästys / Pojanpojan lättähattu
http://www.mediafire.com/?32tzykyo4to

The other one is more marginal, more of a one-hit wonder:
Veikko Sato: Linjuripolkka / Rengasmatkalla

http://www.mediafire.com/?yqkinnziwkz

Topi Sorsakoski - Yksinäisyys

Topi has done his best to be Olavi Virta of the 80s and 90s, you be the judge if he succeeds.

http://www.mediafire.com/?ejtzbwdmyya

Arja Saijonmaa - La Cumparsita

This round, two modern tango albums, the first one by Arja Saijonmaa:

http://www.mediafire.com/?z52yjdzm4mz

78s

Two older jazzy numbers!

The first one was discussed on Tahtipuikko blog in an article discussing versions of a Cole Porter classic "Night and Day". I did a bit of snooping around to get that Olavi Virta version and here it is:

Olavi Virta: Päivin öin / Oi tyttösein
http://www.mediafire.com/?qkoj2yynoil

The second single is from Reino Armio, a singer popular in 30s and early 40s who has been mostly forgotten nowadays...and even in 40s ended up quitting his work with Sointu recording company because he considered he was getting only B-grade material and all the good stuff was going to Eugen Malmsten and A. Aimo. He was right in that of course, but still a shame because he was a good performer.

Reino Armio: Sateenraskaat pilvet / Swingiä maisteri
http://www.mediafire.com/?d4ammamnom3

Louis Prima - The Wildest

The hit album of the fun jazz singer and band leader Louis Prima. Yes, it opens with the "Just a Gigolo/Ain't Got Nobody"

http://www.mediafire.com/?11vmmyny2yw

78s

...and to end our Independence Day special, let's put in a socialist living in USA and a man with suspiciously Russian name singing an international tango (and supported by an orchestra with history in political right wing...)

Hiski Salomaa: Vapauden kaiho / Elisan valssi
http://www.mediafire.com/?qz2noyzmmml

Jucca Fedosow: Plegaria / Viljo Immonen: Kotimaani tähdet
http://www.mediafire.com/?ki03jyjwzxy

VA - Russia Bombs Finland

Not really the regular fare of this blog, but deserves its place is this compilation of numerous Finnish hardcore punk greats.

http://www.mediafire.com/?2nk1cnjkwto

Erkki Rankaviita & Pinnin pojat

Celebrating the Finnish Independence Day, let's have a variety of records...first one is pretty much my favorite Finnish folk music album, where skilled performers play with wonky humour and just enough experimentation to neither lose focus nor do just that same old same old.

http://www.mediafire.com/?ydoitddxw0y

78s

This time we have two versions of classic Katupoikien laulu, both made in 1942.

First, and the better one, is a feverish performance by Birgit Kronström (I am especially fond of the way she pronounces "pollarin"), sided by Tauno Palo.
Birgit Kronström - Katupoikien laulu / Tauno Palo - On syömmein lemmensairas
http://www.mediafire.com/?zrmetydy20q

The second one is by young Olavi Virta, whose performance is not quite there yet...and I'm not really sure what to make of the sudden improvisation bit by the band. But anyway...
Olavi Virta - Katupoikien laulu / Seitsemän tuntia onnehen
http://www.mediafire.com/?t4mymyyiqmm

Sun Ra - Second Star to the Right (Salute to...)

More weird music associated with children...highly eccentric free jazz genius Sun Ra happened to see the film Dumbo, loved it and for this decided to do an album full of songs from Disney animations. In his own style of course, even if the performance here is considerably more melody-driven than is usual...
This is a live recording so sneaked in is also a jazz standard Frisco Fog not from any film.

http://www.mediafire.com/?dzn4lezmjzl

Iso mies ja keijukainen

Bunch of psychedelic underground people like M.A.Numminen, Rauli Somerjoki, Jarkko Laine et al got interested in making an album of children's music, with support of people like Edward Wesala and members of a Romany band Hortto Kaalo...
The result is one of the strangest Finnish albums ever made, mixture of children's songs, fairy tales, psychedelic folk, tango, rock'n'roll, gypsy music, experimentation...
This one is the CD reissue with extra songs; "Siilin kuutamo" is the last song of the actual album.

http://www.mediafire.com/?wz0yj0znrbw

78s

And more of these...

Back in the day many classically trained opera singers did do also these popular songs, sometimes under a pseudonym. Georg Malmsten of course effectively switched completely to popular music, while e.g. Ture Ara and Sulo Sala did both. Sulo Sala in general seems to be mostly forgotten nowadays (apparently there were no major hits for him), a shame since what I have heard of him I have liked.
And then again there were singers with no classical training, like A. Aimo.

Here Ture Ara performs a traditional Karelian folk song in early 30s, with an interesting mixture of bombast and melancholy:
Ture Ara: Reppurin laulu / Vallinkorvan laulu
http://www.mediafire.com/?zjezwjnyjmm

And a split single from mid-40s,
A. Aimo / Sulo Sala: Ruusuja hopeamaljassa / Suo mulle hymysi Maria
http://www.mediafire.com/?amkqzdmmzne

Cassandra Wilson - New Moon Daughter

New vocal jazz, perhaps my favorite of her albums.

http://www.mediafire.com/?yntn35nzmtd

Orbina - Orbina II

More cool new joik from...Norway, I think?
http://www.mediafire.com/?y4tmvtzg5dk

popularity contest

At the moment download numbers have remained reasonably modest, but then again I didn't even set out to do more than an obscure place for relatively obscure music enjoyed by people like me...

But at the moment the top 5 most downloaded files from here are:
Miriam Makeba - Pata Pata
Erdmöbel - Altes Gasthaus Love
Viljo Vesterinen - Laivaston tanssiaiset / Säkkijärven polkka
Chris Connor - Chris Connor
Army of Lovers - The Gods of Earth and Heaven

(there are also couple of files with atm no downloads at all)

I congratulate you on your taste, but it would be nice to hear how you liked those things :)

More 78s

Today's order is two versions of international hit Bei mir bist du schön, covered by more artists I can count...but here two quite different versions, one from 30s and the second from 50s

First one is from mid-30s,
Arvi Tikkala - Jäähyväiset / Sä kaunehin oot
http://www.mediafire.com/?ltmxizuizdn

and the second 20 years later,
Brita Koivunen - Mustat silmät / Sä kaunehin oot
http://www.mediafire.com/?jjbj5jmuedm

Pirkka-Pekka Petelius - Muistan sua Elaine

When PPP and Pedro Hietanen started to pick music for already legendary TV show Velipuolikuu in mid-80s, they found old and relatively obscure humppa-fox recordings and decided to redo and update them...some same stuff I have been posting here too.
The title song is considered by many to be the first Finnish jazz composition, recorded in 1930.

http://www.mediafire.com/?gdih51yyevz

For the interested, here is the list of original performers and recording year:
Muistan sua Elaine: Ramblers (voc: Leo Adamson) 1931
Tahiti: Erkki Eklund 1932
Bulu bulu bulu: Arvi Tikkala 1936
Niilin rannalla: Arvi Hänninen 1933
Marie Marie: not done before in Finnish, but it is an old German schlager
Siperia: Mauno Tamminen 1931
Budapestin yössä: Annikki Tähti 1957
Isabell: Ville Alanko 1930, Erkki Eklund 1931
Saharan lilja: Georg Malmsten 1940
Danakil: Reino Armio 1937
Abessinia: Arvi Hänninen 1935
Itämainen idylli: Kullervo Linna 1951

Mina - L'oro di Mina

Is this a compilation or a genuine album recorded in 1987 from the major Italian pop singer Mina? At least it has a solid number of hits...

http://www.mediafire.com/?y1znmlmmk3d

More 78s

A double feature from 50s, we have...

Somewhat following the success of vocal group Harmony Sisters started Metro-tytöt, though their preferences stick closer to folk songs, and the era of course is different too.
Here they however perform an Italian? song followed by a cover of Que Sera Sera, original made famous by Doris Day in that Hitchcock movie...

Metro-tytöt: Kaunis pesijätär / Kenpä tietäis sen
http://www.mediafire.com/?2zwmznxk3z3

And then, yet again, Olavi Virta...this time doing version of Glendora (I am especially fond of the tinny percussion sound here) followed by more Italian originals whose name escapes me atm...

Olavi Virta: Ikkunaprinssi / Poika varjoisalta kujalta
http://www.mediafire.com/?jnmygomzwah

Marife de Triana - La copla

Copla as a musical style can be considered something like more pop type of flamenco, enjoying the peak popularity from 40s to 60s though modern artists do dabble in the style too.
Marife de Triana is an artist from latter part of the golden era, singing loud and with passion...

http://www.mediafire.com/?2ovizkli2nj

Leonard Nimoy - Mr Spock's Music from Outer Space

Live long and prosper! Nimoy doing lounge music in character, fun of course.

http://www.mediafire.com/?mtndzzqvzzj

Finnish 78s

And another round...

Valtonen sisters, Finnish equivalent of Andrews Sisters, doing rhumba:
Harmony Sisters: Hymyillen / Vanhan kitaran laulu
http://www.mediafire.com/?nz4zzuiiozo

Numerous people have recorded the first part of the song Meksikon pikajuna, but here is Repe Helismaa doing also the second part and resolving the situation.
Reino Helismaa: Meksikon pikajuna 1&2
http://www.mediafire.com/?ynzowtnzgzr

Relk - Pedres blaves

Totally wonderful Catalan dreamy pop ensemble, this is one of my most-listened albums this year...

http://www.mediafire.com/?mdyzuqmqgdy

Itä-Saksa - Kontrol

The debut album of the side project of some notable Finnish producers, this 1995 album quickly went OOP and has since become something of a collectors' item.
A horrible mess or the only nu-metal album worth listening?

Sorry, no cover pic, but it features couple of ice dancers.

http://www.mediafire.com/?zjwjzf2xjzt

More shellac

One Hiski Salomaa single was on earlier post, here's his debut one from 1927

Hiski Salomaa - Tiskarin polkka / Askon kolmirivinen
http://www.mediafire.com/?2zeymledrmm

Loituma's recent version of Ievan polkka became a while ago a bizarre Internet phenomenon (go search YouTube for that), but it's not the only version; here's Jorma Ikävalko in 1950.

Jorma Ikävalko - Ievan polkka / Kenen syy
http://www.mediafire.com/?inzkjgumtjm

(and if someone could point me to the direction of Matti Jurva's 1935 version of the same, I'd be happy...)

M.A. Numminen - Swingin kutsu

The resident eccentric genius goes for swing and foxtrots not unlike those shellacs I've been putting on this blog, but on his own style and terms.

http://www.mediafire.com/?2gqmvjvqydj

Miriam Makeba - Pata Pata

Mama Africa doesn't quite know (or her producers didn't) what to do here, resulting to mixture of vocal jazz, folk pop and such, but it's definitely worth a listen and the title track of course a classic.

http://www.mediafire.com/?a3mnblyydhm

More Finnish shellac

Foxtrots from late 30s, back to those days when Africa symbolised dance, music and fun and not famine, war and misery:
Arvi Tikkala - Bulu Bulu Bulu / Vaimoke
http://www.mediafire.com/?znmkydddfzj

That Version of Säkkijärven polkka, pushed to radiowaves 24/7 for several months during WWII to block the signals for radio-controlled bombs...
Viljo Vesterinen - Säkkijärven polkka / Laivaston tanssiaiset
http://www.mediafire.com/?dnlkngmlz3z

V/A - Tatuaje

Modern Spanish popular singers (Ana Belen, Joaquin Sabina among others) give a shot for some old copla standards.

http://www.mediafire.com/?mmwumerfjjg

Erdmöbel - Altes Gasthaus Love

Delightful pop group from Cologne.

http://www.mediafire.com/?zyww4ddcmiw

Tango! on shellac

King of Finnish tango, Olavi Virta, recorded and issued two different times the single Mustasukkaisuutta / La Cumparsita, and here they are together for comparison:

1953 recording issued by Decca, and on La Cumparsita supporting vocal group is Metro-tytöt:
http://www.mediafire.com/?4mmqwoxnzgk

Three years later in 1956, released by Triola and on La Cumparsita support comes from vocal group Harmony Sisters:
http://www.mediafire.com/?imxijmmygtk

Ulla Pirttijärvi - Máttaráhku askái

More good joik albums, this one is kind of chamber jazz joik...

http://www.mediafire.com/?zlyh2zolhlh

Paris Combo - Paris Combo

Fun French jazzy group. Not a bad track here, now I'm looking for more of these guys' albums...

http://www.mediafire.com/?mz5mmozm5wz

And Finnish 78s

Split single from mid-40s, one cheerful, one melancholic:
A. Aimo - Aamu Airistolla / Georg Malmsten - Erokirje heilille
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=RMZYT69K
http://www.mediafire.com/?ftoygmmlytn

Lumberjack romanticism from a singer quartet, early 50s
Kipparikvartetti - On lautalla pienoinen kahvila / Tukkipoika porskuttaapi
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8QWZ3RR6
http://www.mediafire.com/?2quyjydwhqy

Nina Hagen - Return of the Mother

Of later albums of German punk goddess, this one is the best I have heard.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=W0RDNAU7
http://www.mediafire.com/?yqtagnzwwwh

Dionne Warwick - Aquarela do Brazil

A salute to bossa nova.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=U2VI03LS
http://www.mediafire.com/?lmy3mnjzwh2

Finnish 78s

Finnish-American classic from 20s
Hiski Salomaa - Lännen lokari / Iitin Tiltu
http://www.mediafire.com/?onomej2ftmo

Musical tunes from 40s from the First Couple of older Finnish cinema
Tauno Palo & Ansa Ikonen: Pot-pot-pot / Nuoruuden sävel
http://www.mediafire.com/?hgcmnkkgt5n

Toti Soler - M'aclame a tu

Catalan singer-songwriter

http://www.mediafire.com/?zuynwrweoy2

Army of Lovers - The Gods of Earth and Heaven

"Army of Lovers on parade / Flash lingerie and then invade"
Eurodance gets no better than this.

http://www.mediafire.com/?zj1yhm4ixib

Finnish 78s

Classic children's songs from 30s
Georg Malmsten & Greta Pitkänen: Mikkihiiri merihädässä / Hyljätty nukke
http://www.mediafire.com/?ywwmkyd0jf0

Tango from mid-50s
Reijo Kallio: Kylmät huulet / Romanialainen kitara
http://www.mediafire.com/?z32yjdzchmm

Okay Temiz - Zikir

Turkish jazz

http://www.mediafire.com/?mimmyjzmyiz

Moon Cakes - Moon Cakes

I used to worship this band as a teenager. Artsy pop/rock.

http://www.mediafire.com/?zfe4cnjat2n

More Finnish 78s

Ture Ara: Emma/Villiruusu, hit single from 1929

http://www.mediafire.com/?miz2ci1yizt

A. Aimo: Uraliin/Iso Antti, jaunty WWII propaganda

http://www.mediafire.com/?ljdgy41bjh4

Chris Connor - Chris Connor

http://www.mediafire.com/?memzz4en2xd

Recently deceased superb jazz vocalist, R.I.P.

Dolly Parton - The Grass Is Blue

http://www.mediafire.com/?wznytzdujzf

One of the more improbable absolutely wonderful albums, listening to this one killed the last smidgen of my street-credible indie kid hipsterism.

Two 78s

Two great Finnish shellac singles from 40s:

Georg Malmsten: Kaunis valhe / Suurin onni, lyhyin onni
http://www.mediafire.com/?qxrndmtuzzz

Henry Theel: Ensi silmäyksellä / Marjatta ystäväin
http://www.mediafire.com/?kvjj4ym2utk

Hildegard Knef - From Here On It Got Rough

The titular compilation of this blog. Knef is a German actress, a cool diva performing pop standards and her own songs in her unique voice and style.

http://www.mediafire.com/?2nnodiz24ew

Nils-Aslak Valkeapää & Esa Kotilainen - Beaivi, áhcázan

http://www.mediafire.com/?5lkdjin4mvc

One of the better joik albums I have heard (and I have heard a few), nice atmospheric stuff.

First entry

Hello!