American rockabilly took hold of Finland and never let go. Something about it must have clicked with the national demeanor and sense of humor.

I found this 1980 live video from a group called the Twisters (led by Matti Miettinen) and watched it over and over. They’re doing a version of “Why Don’t Somebody” by Welsh Teddy Boy group Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers, who they cover five times on their cassette. (An alternate version of the cassette featured cover art with the Confederate stars and bars, which the scene had latched onto long ago.) While Crazy Cavan’s original (recorded in ’77) is a more settled-in Scotty-and-Bill situation, the Twisters give it a young punk’s sense of tension, with ratatatting lead guitar, right arms pumping in sync, and sober countenances. I like it better than the original, filled as it is with the kind of artistic virtue only inexperience can provide.

The performance happens in a town near Helsinki in front of one of Finland’s ubiquitous Sokos department stores. Mothers mind their bemused children, heads nod slightly, and rockabilly kids cluster and lean against walls. It ain’t no rumble, but it’s still rock ‘n’ roll.

The Twisters – “Why Don’t Somebody (live)” (1980)

Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers – “Why Don’t Somebody” (1977) 

Although this record comes from the early seventies heyday of the California-centric Jesus Movement, band leader Jim Palosaari – a first generation Finn from the Northern US – apparently had a large scale evangelistic agenda which had him rockin’ all over the world. Jeesus-Rock! came out on the Finnlevy label, which was kind of like the Finnish Warner Bros. until the real life Warner Bros. swallowed it up in ’93. The whole thing’s in English except for two tracks sung in exuberant, American-accented Finnish, including this one – which translates lyrically to “Jesus loves” and musically to “dig my big bass riff, Baby.”

The Sheep – “Jeesus Rakastaa” (1972)

posted by Kim Simpson

Finland’s finest doing a live number from their ass-kicking Roadrunner album. Their first album came out in 1973 and pumped out loads of amped-up fifties-isms sung in simulated English, which is often the best kind. This is perhaps where Finland’s rockabilly revival really took off and, to this day, has never touched ground.

If you’re already familiar with this song either as a U.S. hit by Mac and Katie Sissoon (UK-based Trinidadians) in ’71 or the Euro smash by Middle of the Road that same year, you might especially enjoy this tender treatment by a Finnish now-you-see-’em-now-you-don’t outfit called Briard.

Briard – “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep”

Here’s a picture of my Lordi Christmas ornament as it currently dangles. Those of you who don’t follow the annual Eurovision song contest, a Finnish group of monsters called Lordi won the whole thing earlier this year. I’m of Finnish descent, but I’m sure I’d still be basking in the glow of this historic coup if I weren’t.