Eppu Normaali
Encyclopedia
Eppu Normaali is one of the most popular rock bands in Finland
. The band formed in 1976 in Ylöjärvi
, a small town near Tampere
. The band is the best-selling music artist in Finland, with certified sales surpassing 1.5 million records. In addition to their studio albums, Eppu Normaali also released live records, DVDs, and over 20 singles.
and Jaakko Syrjä). In 1979, bassist Mikko Saarela left the band, and Mikko Nevalainen played bass with Eppu Normaali until 1989. The current bassist is Sami Ruusukallio.
The band took its name from a character in the Mel Brooks
movie Young Frankenstein
, and the subtitler translated the name of the character Abby Normal (abnormal) into the Finnish equivalent Eppu Normaali (epänormaali).
In 1977, the band participated in a local rock music competition. Finnish folk/pop legend Juice Leskinen
was present and issued a demand that they "must win", but the judges were unimpressed—the band did not win. The band began sending demos
to various record companies and they were soon signed to POKO Rekords.
They initially released albums in a punk
pop style that gained favourable reviews, but the band did not gain mainstream acceptance until 1984 with what had evolved into a more AOR
-oriented music style. Rupisia Riimejä Karmeita Tarinoita was released in 1984, and it was followed by Kahdeksas Ihme in 1985 and Valkoinen Kupla in 1986. This trio of albums were all hits, with combined sales of over 300,000 copies. Kahdeksas Ihme is their top-selling non-greatest hits record to date.
Although their albums all sold well, the band decided to take a break in 1989 after intensive tours around the country and when Mikko Nevalainen left the group. In 1993, they released Studio Etana, which was to become their last studio album for eleven years. The band came close to breaking up, citing "lacking inspiration" as the primary cause. Their 1996 release Repullinen hittejä, a greatest hits compilation sold over 240,000 copies, reaching the top of the Finnish charts. This record also stayed on the charts for over two years, a duration which is second of all time in Finland. After its release, the band effectively stopped touring or performing live.
In 2004, the band announced they would record a new album, Sadan Vuoden Päästäkin, which became one of the band's most successful releases. In 2007, they released their most recent album, Syvään päähän.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. The band formed in 1976 in Ylöjärvi
Ylöjärvi
Ylöjärvi is a town and a municipality in Western Finland located west of Tampere.The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . The population has increased rapidly in recent years, in 1990 it was slightly over 18,000.Ylöjärvi was founded as...
, a small town near Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
. The band is the best-selling music artist in Finland, with certified sales surpassing 1.5 million records. In addition to their studio albums, Eppu Normaali also released live records, DVDs, and over 20 singles.
History
The members of the original band were Juha Torvinen (guitar), Mikko Saarela (bass), Aku Syrjä (drums), and brothers Martti Syrjä (vocals) and Mikko "Pantse" Syrjä (guitar). (The brothers are the sons of accomplished writers Kirsi KunnasKirsi Kunnas
Kirsi Marjatta Kunnas is a Finnish poet, children's literature author and translator into Finnish. Her extensive oeuvre consists of poems, fairy tale books, drama, translations and non-fiction. Her books have been translated into Swedish, English, German, French, Hungarian, and Estonian...
and Jaakko Syrjä). In 1979, bassist Mikko Saarela left the band, and Mikko Nevalainen played bass with Eppu Normaali until 1989. The current bassist is Sami Ruusukallio.
The band took its name from a character in the Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
movie Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein is a 1974 American comedy film directed by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder as the title character, a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein. The supporting cast includes Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Richard...
, and the subtitler translated the name of the character Abby Normal (abnormal) into the Finnish equivalent Eppu Normaali (epänormaali).
In 1977, the band participated in a local rock music competition. Finnish folk/pop legend Juice Leskinen
Juice Leskinen
Juhani Juice Leskinen , better known as Juice Leskinen , was one of the most prominent Finnish singer-songwriters of the late 20th century. From the early 1970s onward he released nearly 30 full-length albums, as well as writing song lyrics for dozens of Finnish artists...
was present and issued a demand that they "must win", but the judges were unimpressed—the band did not win. The band began sending demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
to various record companies and they were soon signed to POKO Rekords.
They initially released albums in a punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
pop style that gained favourable reviews, but the band did not gain mainstream acceptance until 1984 with what had evolved into a more AOR
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
-oriented music style. Rupisia Riimejä Karmeita Tarinoita was released in 1984, and it was followed by Kahdeksas Ihme in 1985 and Valkoinen Kupla in 1986. This trio of albums were all hits, with combined sales of over 300,000 copies. Kahdeksas Ihme is their top-selling non-greatest hits record to date.
Although their albums all sold well, the band decided to take a break in 1989 after intensive tours around the country and when Mikko Nevalainen left the group. In 1993, they released Studio Etana, which was to become their last studio album for eleven years. The band came close to breaking up, citing "lacking inspiration" as the primary cause. Their 1996 release Repullinen hittejä, a greatest hits compilation sold over 240,000 copies, reaching the top of the Finnish charts. This record also stayed on the charts for over two years, a duration which is second of all time in Finland. After its release, the band effectively stopped touring or performing live.
In 2004, the band announced they would record a new album, Sadan Vuoden Päästäkin, which became one of the band's most successful releases. In 2007, they released their most recent album, Syvään päähän.
Studio albums
- AknepopAknepopAknepop is Eppu Normaali's first album released in May 1978. It was recorded 13–15 March 1978. Pertti Ström is a secret name of Epe Helenius...
(Acne pop) (1978) - Maximum Jee&JeeMaximum Jee&JeeMaximum Jee&Jee is Eppu Normaali's second album, released April 17th, 1979. The album cover was inspired by The Who's gig poster Maximum R&B.- Track listing :# Kaljanlanttauslaulu # Njet njet # Myrkkyä...
(1979) - Akun tehdasAkun TehdasAkun Tehdas is the third album by Eppu Normaali. It was released February 19, 1980. On the album, the band switched their style from punk rock to new wave. Mikko Saarela wasn't Eppu Normaali's bassist on the album, but he still wrote lyrics to it...
(Aku's Factory) (1980) - Cocktail Bar - Musiikkia Rantalasta (Cocktail Bar — Music from Rantala) (1981)
- Tie vieTie vieTie vie is a 1982 album by Finnish group Eppu Normaali. It is the band's fifth album. Mikko Saarela didn't write lyrics for the band anymore so the new lyricist became Eppu Normaali's singer Martti Syrjä. Tie vie was different than the band other albums, because they used so much piano on the songs...
(The Road Carries) (1982) - Aku ja köyhät pojatAku ja köyhät pojatAku ja köyhät pojat is Eppu Normaali`s sixth album released on June 5, 1983. Aku ja köyhät pojat was different than band previous album Tie vie, because they did not use piano at all, and now the music was guitar based....
(Aku and the Poor Boys) (1983) - Rupisia riimejä karmeita tarinoita (Scabby Rhymes and Frightening Stories) (1984)
- Kahdeksas ihmeKahdeksas ihmeKahdeksas ihme is the eight album of Finnish rock group Eppu Normaali. The album was produced by Mikko “Pantse” Syrjä, the guitarist and main songwriter of the band...
(Eighth Wonder) (1985) - Valkoinen kupla (White Bubble) (1986)
- Imperiumin vastaiskuImperiumin vastaiskuImperiumin vastaisku is the tenth album of the Finnish musical group Eppu Normaali, published 23 June 1988.-Track listing:The album includes the following songs :...
(The Empire Strikes Back) (1988) - Historian suurmiehiä (Great Men of History) (1990)
- Studio Etana (Studio Snail) (1993)
- Sadan vuoden päästäkin (Even After a Hundred Years) (2004)
- Syvään päähänSyvään päähänSyvään päähän is a 2007 album by Finnish band Eppu Normaali. It is the band's fourteenth album.-Track listing:#"Tahdon sut" #"Syvään päähän" #"Kuumemittari"...
(To the Deep End) (2007)
Live albums
- Elävänä Euroopassa (Alive in Europe) (1980)
- Onko vielä pitkä matka jonnekin? (Is there still a long way to somewhere?) (1994)
Compilation albums
- Pop pop pop (Pop pop pop) (1982)
- Hatullinen paskaa (A hatful of shit) (1984)
- Aku, Juha, Martti ja Mikko² - soolot (Aku, Juha, Martti and Mikko² - solos) (1987)
- Poko-klassikko (Poko-classic) (1987)
- Lyömattömät (Unbeatables) (1989)
- Hatullinen paskaa/Soolot (A hatful of shit/Solos) (1990)
- Paskahatun paluu (Shithat's return) (1991)
- Repullinen hittejä (A bagful of hits) (1996)
- Reppu 2 - toinen repullinen kuolemattomia Eppu-klassikoita (Bag 2 - another bagful of immortal Eppu-classics) (2003)
- Singlet 1978-2003 (Singles 1978-2003) (2003)
- Jackpot - 101 Eppu-klassikkoa 1978-2009 (Jackpot - 101 Eppu-classics 1978-2009) (6 CD, 2009)
External links
- Eppunormaali.fi Official home page
- Eppunormaali.net Fan page