VA – Rock And Roll All Night Long - A Rockabilly Tribute To Hurriganes CD

Various Artists – Rock And Roll All Night Long - A Rockabilly Tribute To Hurriganes

FINLAND, THE LAND OF A THOUSAND LAKES

Exaggerating slightly, one could say that the same number of Hurriganes cover bands can be found in this sparsely populated country and a few more in our neighboring Sweden. To this day, in pubs, clubs and other concert venues, Hurriganes classics get the dance shoes going wild. Hurriganes’s position as a trailblazer cannot be overemphasized. The band proved that, also from our own country, a rock ‘n’ roll band could come along and sound just as good as their world-wide counterparts and with a great style to boot.

I decided to use national boldness and put together a tribute album to this legendary group. My idea was to gather together, from the rockabilly, original rock ‘n’ roll and teddy boy scenes, bands and performers for many of whom Hurriganes has marked the starting point to the world of real rock ‘n’ roll.

In Finland, in the early 1970s there were few restaurants, alcohol was expensive and in the leftist art world, it was generally held that the United States was the world’s threat and the Soviet Union, the bringer of peace. Also in the world of music, there were few exceptions to the rule of progressive and art rock performers, for whom the idea of rocking out was to stare at their “nailed-to-the-floor” shoes and demonstrate, with wrinkled brow, their virtuoso playing skills and long solo sections. But somewhere smoldered a rebellious seed and time began to be ripe for a new wave of rock ‘n’ roll, the rock ‘n’ roll revival.

In 1971, Remu Aaltonen formed Hurriganes, along with Ile Kallio and Cisse Häkkinen. The group worked hard and its popularity began, slowly but surely, to increase. Hurriganes’s sound was, from the start, completely modern, although the band also played 1950s and 60s rock ‘n’ roll, instrumental rock and ballads.

Cisse Häkkinen’s bass playing and Remu Aaltonen’s drumming formed the spine of Hurriganes’s sound. The duo’s playing wasn’t necessarily virtuoso but neither did it sound academic. One could say that it was a taste of life. In Remu’s head, the exclamations and phrases of “rock English” were created, forming a truly original singing style. British musician, Nick Lowe, called Remu’s singing style the Esperanto of rock music. Ile Kallio, Albert Järvinen and Janne Louhivuori took care of the guitarists’ job, each in turn and occasionally even together. Each one of these guitarists had his own strengths and each of their styles contributed to the band’s overall sound.

Hurriganes broke audience records in both Finland and Sweden and in 1977 the group was at the top in its home land, without a single noteworthy challenger. But in the metropolitan area, a 1950s trend had started and it spread, little by little, throughout Finland, creating an unprecedented rockabilly boom. During 1978, Hurriganes’s number one position among the youth of Finland, switched to Teddy & The Tigers. From 1977 – 1981 Finland gave birth to more and more new ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll and rockabilly bands, which strove for the old original American sound or switched to playing British teddy boy rock ‘n’ roll. The estimate, that during these so called “crazy years”, there were, in Finland, over 200 groups which described their style as rockabilly, is probably pretty close to the truth. During 1982, this trend also began to fade but, during these years, a firm base for Finnish rock ‘n’ roll culture was built and it is still going strong today.

Hurriganes played their last show in 1984. In 1988, they did a short comeback tour that had its moments, although it wasn’t very successful. Remu Aaltonen has, to this day, had bands that use the name Hurriganes.

That’s all, except to say, happy rock ‘n’ roll.
-Kurre Avaro-

Tracklist:
1. Mystery Train: The Phone Rang
2. Jussi Syren & The Groundbreakers: Mary Jane
3. The Lo-Lites: Keep A-Knockin'
4. Jetfires: Fourty Night
5. Oo Wee 55: Ridin' Ridin'
6. Tortilla Flat: Saturl'ly Night Club
7. Flatbroke Trio: My Only One
8. Tres Paradoxalez: Judy
9. Cast Iron Arms: Kinky Reggae
10. Berryman & Bullet: Sweet Sue
11. Mr. Breathless & Rockin' Paradox: An Awful Crime
12. Greased Lightning: Shorai Shorai
13. The Sun Connection: Indian Woman
14. The Moontones: It Ain't What You Do
15. Tres Paradoxalez: Rocking Belly

Label: Goofin' Records
Released: 2012