Leningrad cowboys

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Leningrad Cowboys at the TFF.Rudolstadt 2010

The Leningrad Cowboys are a thirteen- piece band from Helsinki , Finland , best known for their musical parody pieces and their unusual appearance with “unicorn” hairstyles (an Elvis Presley parody ) and extremely long, pointed shoes.

Emergence

Originally the Leningrad Cowboys were a fictional band invented by Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki for his film Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989). The ensemble was mainly composed of the members of an existing band, the Sleepy Sleepers , which had existed since 1975 and were very well known in Finland and musically related to punk rock . The nine musicians at the beginning of the film are Sakke Järvenpää, Heikki Keskinen, Pimme Korhonen, Sakari Kuosmanen, Puka Oinonen, Silu Seppälä, Mauri Sumén, Mato Valtonen and Pekka Virtanen. During the course of the film, the “lost cousin” joins as the tenth musician, played by Nicky Tesco, the founder of the former punk rock band The Members .

The geographical allocation of the band remains unclear in the film. By the name and z. B. the appearance of a "Siberian party functionary" with a red badge as well as the performance of Russian folk songs is interpreted as a Russian music group. Nevertheless, all "Russians" in the original film speak Finnish as long as they are in their country of origin.

After the international success of the film, the film band developed a life of their own, performing as "Leningrad Cowboys", releasing albums and making videos. Aki Kaurismäki made two music videos for the band in 1992, Those Were the Days and Thru The Wire (again with Nicky Tesco). In the follow-up feature film Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses (1994) he let her take on the lead role again.

Music style and appearance

Guitarist with "Baikonur Girls"

The Leningrad Cowboys play a mixture of cover versions of well-known pop and rock songs and Russian folk songs. Some of his own compositions deal thematically with stereotypes about the Soviet Union.

The instrumentation is also a mixture of typical rock music instruments such as drums , guitar and electric bass as well as traditional musical instruments such as accordion , tuba , trumpet , clarinet , violin and ukulele . Many band members play multiple instruments, so a variety of combinations are used. The arrangements are deliberately idiosyncratic, the band plays with the most varied of styles and tempos, which they often deliberately oppose the traditional way of playing the pieces. In the film alone, the very different styles of polka , rock 'n' roll , country and mariachi are mixed in with others . Often the genres are caricatured, the Leningrad cowboys are essentially music parodists . The film and stage appearances also correspond with this: some of the musicians stand stoically without moving the slightest expression, others jump and fool around wildly.

Another mixture of homage and parody was the engagement of two, meanwhile also several gogo dancers , who since then have complemented the performances under the name “Baikonur Girls”. Her clothes and hairstyle are said to be reminiscent of the Soviet fashion of the 1960s.

In 2013 the anime series "Danganronpa" dedicated a character to the Leningrad cowboys. This one has the typical hairstyle of the Leningrad cowboys and is titled as such in the first episode.

Collaboration with the Alexandrov Ensemble

The cooperation of the Leningrad Cowboys with the choir and dance ensemble of the Soviet Army , with which they interpreted numerous rock classics such as Stairway to Heaven and Yellow Submarine , caused a sensation . Aki Kaurismäki, the band's documentary filmmaker reversing the original situation, shot a 54-minute film of the joint open-air concert Total Balalaika Show in front of 70,000 spectators on Senate Square in Helsinki on June 12, 1993. The members of the Leningrad Cowboys in this film are given as Twist-Twist Erkinharju, Ben Granfelt , Sakke Järvenpää, Sakari Kuosmanen, Jore Marjaranta, Ekke Niiva, Pemo Ojala, Silu Seppälä, Mauri Sumén and Mato Valtonen. The show, originally conceived only for the appearance, was even brought on tour with financial support from Finnish companies.

Discography

Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Albums
Happy Together (with The Alexandrow Red Army Ensemble )
  DE 59 08/01/1994 (8 weeks)
Leningrad Cowboys Go Space
  FI 2 
gold
gold
13/1996 (19 weeks)
  DE 88 05/06/1996 (4 weeks)
  AT 48 05/05/1996 (3 weeks)
Mongolian barbecue
  FI 14th 24/1997 (3 weeks)
Zombie's Paradise
  FI 39 21/2006 (1 week)
  AT 70 06/16/2006 (3 weeks)
Those Were The Days - The Best Of Leningrad Cowboys
  FI 11 16/2009 (15 weeks)
Singer Tuomas Uusitalo as "Rock Lobster"

Albums

  • 1988: 1917-1987
  • 1989: Leningrad Cowboys Go America ( soundtrack )
  • 1992: We Cum From Brooklyn (FI:goldgold)
  • 1993: Live in Prowinzz
  • 1993: Total Balalaika Show (with The Alexandrow Red Army Ensemble , FI:goldgold)
  • 1994: Happy Together
  • 1996: Leningrad Cowboys Go Space
  • 1997: Mongolian Barbecue
  • 1999: Thank You Very Many ( compilation )
  • 2000: Go Wild (compilation)
  • 2000: Terzo Mondo
  • 2003: Global Balalaika Show
  • 2006: Zombie's Paradise
  • 2009: Those Were The Days - The Best of Leningrad Cowboys (Best of Compilation)
  • 2011: Buena Vodka Social Club
  • 2014: Those Were the Hits

Singles

Filmography

Feature films

Concert films

  • 1993: Total Balalaika Show
  • 2003: Global Balalaika Show

Short films

  • 1986: Rocky VI
  • 1987: Thru The Wire
  • 1988: LA Woman
  • 1991: Those Were The Days
  • 1992: These Boots

Web links

Commons : Leningrad Cowboys  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Chart sources: FI DE AT
  2. ↑ Awards for music sales: FI FI2