Juha Vainio
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Juha Harri "Junnu" Vainio, also known as Juha "Watt" Vainio (10 May 1938 in
Kotka Kotka (; ) is a town in Finland, located on the southeastern coast of the country at the mouth of the Kymi River. The population of Kotka is approximately , while the Kotka-Hamina sub-region, sub-region has a population of approximately . It is th ...
,
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
– 29 October 1990,
Gryon Gryon () is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality of the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud in Switzerland, located in the district of Aigle (district), Aigle. The entire village of Gryon and the Taveyanne area are designated as part ...
,
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
) was a Finnish
lyricist A lyricist is a writer who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment. Royalties A lyricist's income derives ...
, singer, composer and teacher. With the lyrics or music to over 2,400 songs to his name, Vainio is one of Finland's most prolific lyricists along with Sauvo Puhtila,
Reino Helismaa Reino Vihtori "Repe" Helismaa (12 July 1913 – 21 January 1965) was a Finns, Finnish singer-songwriter, musician and scriptwriter. Born in Helsinki, he was mainly known for his humorous, yet homely songs. One of his best-known interpreters was ...
and Vexi Salmi. Vainio enjoyed a short professional career as a teacher at Kymenranta Primary School. Vainio began writing songs in the early 1960s and continued until his death. Apart from his home town Kotka, he lived for several years in
Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
and
Espoo Espoo (, ; ) is a city in Finland. It is located to the west of the capital, Helsinki, in southern Uusimaa. The population is approximately . It is the most populous Municipalities of Finland, municipality in Finland. Espoo is part of the Helsi ...
. In his last years Vainio lived in Gryon, Switzerland, where he died of a heart attack in October 1990. He is buried in the family grave in Helsinki. He was given the nickname "Watt" on account of a song on his first solo record, the 1964 ''Paras rautalankayhtye'' ("The Best Rautalanka Band"). Never used by itself, the nickname was always part of "Juha Watt Vainio".


Biography


Family and childhood

Juha Harri Vainio was born on May 10, 1938, in Kotka, the first child of Tauno and Kaarina Vainio. He spent much of his early childhood in Vuoksenniska,
Imatra Imatra is a city in Finland, located in the southeastern interior of the country. Imatra is located in the region of South Karelia, on Saima, Lake Saimaa and the River Vuoksi. The population of Imatra is approximately , while the Imatra sub-regi ...
. his two siblings were Marja (born 1944) and Markku (born 1946). Vainio's grandfather, Emil Alajääski (born 1881), changed his name to Vainio soon after the turn of the century. Vainio's family on his father's side boasted many athletes whilst Kaarina Vainio had some athletic background. After becoming engaged to Kaarina in 1937, Tauno Vainio worked in Vuoksenniska as a regional head of the White Guard, and was known as a man of principle. Kaarina Vainio had a
middle school Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes g ...
education, and Tauno Vainio had graduated as a trade technician. As a child, Juha Vainio loved singing and the family's neighbours often asked him to come over and perform. When the
Winter War The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peac ...
started in 1939, Juha was too young to understand events. After his father went to war as a captain of the
military reserve force A military reserve force is a military organization whose members (reservists) have military and civilian occupations. They are not normally kept under arms, and their main role is to be available when their military requires additional ma ...
, Juha moved with his mother to Metsola, Kotka. As an adult, the only thing Juha Vainio remembered from the war were the air-raid sirens and people's anxiety. He once said that he was more afraid of the women next door than the war, but on the other hand admitted that the war left him with emotional scars. His song ''Eräänlainen sotaveteraani'' ("Some Kind of War Veteran"), on the album ''Sellaista elämä on'' ("That's How Life Is"), echoes these sentiments. Because Kotka was a harbour town and often bombed, Juha and his mother had to often evacuate. Sometimes they went to stay at her mother's cousins during the evacuations where Juha became friends with Olli Miettinen, a cousin of his mother. The two had an age difference of six years. The only brother of Kaarina Vainio, Mauno, was killed in the war. In 1945, the Vainios moved into a detached house in Metsola where they lived until 1950 before moving again to Kotkansaari, in the centre of Kotka. Juha Vainio recalled that the most beautiful years of his childhood were spent in Metsola. It was there that he met Nestori Miikkulainen, four years his senior and who later featured in Vainio's song '' Vanhojapoikia viiksekkäitä'' ("Moustached Bachelors"). Vainio often spent time in the harbour of Kotka with his friends. He was fond of the sea throughout his life. As a child Juha Vainio was diagnosed with congenital heart disease, causing his lips to turn blue, and the onset of rapid breathlessness. He underwent a heart operation in early 1949 at the same time as his mother suffered an attack of tuberculosis from which she later recovered. Juha was at first kept in the adults' ward due to the serious nature of the operation, but later transferred to the children's ward to recover. He soon went home and began to get better.


School

Juha Vainio's education did not start well. Frustrated with school he was once absent for three weeks without permission. After primary school he attended a gymnasium in Kotka. At the same time his family moved from Metsola to Kotkansaari. During his school years, Vainio's best friend was Risto "Tiso" Warjus, two years his senior. They both sang in the Kotka Gymnasium choir. Vaino's music teacher at the gymnasium, Arvo Vainio, was nicknamed "Junnu" on account of his big nose resembling that of a comic book character of the same name. Later on the name was given to Juha Vainio because he had the same surname as the teacher. When he was fifteen, Vainio felt sure he would become a writer. As a young man he read a book about poetics, and later said that the rules were easy to break once he had learned them. It became apparent in essays written whilst at the gymnasium that Juha had talent as a writer. However, teachers sometimes had mixed feelings about his writing; at one time he received no grade for a lighthearted
column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...
-like text he had written, because the teacher felt that it could not be graded as an essay. Although essays were his strong point, school was uninteresting for Juha. He considered quitting school, but the principal persuaded him to change his mind. He was transferred to another school and was later joined there by his friend Risto Warjus. In the end, the only school subjects in which Vainio excelled were singing and sports. Around 1957 Vainio's family moved from the centre of Kotka to near the harbour. After a few years they moved again, this time to a neighbourhood near Sibeliuspuisto. From childhood, Juha Vainio practiced sport even though before surgery he had suffered from heart problems. He liked football and basketball, which were very popular in Kotka and also practiced high jump together with Tiso Warjus. After his heart operation, Juha's physical condition deteriorated, but doing sport helped him improve it.


First contact with music

Juha Vainio became interested in music and started socializing with musicians in the mid-1950s. The centre of
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
music in Kotka was the restaurant Fennia where performers including Keijo Laitinen and the cousin of Vainio's mother, Olli Miettinen played. Although Vainio was under-21 and classed as a minor, he managed to slip into the restaurant where he presented his lyrics to the musicians and was occasionally allowed to play the piano. Vainio recalled that his friends remembered him as being always penniless. He started drinking more and more, often asking his friends for a drink. In late 1956 Vainio lived next door to one of his musician friends, Heikki Kauppinen, who was three years his senior. Vainio also became acquainted with drummer Erkki Liikanen. The friends had different tastes in music with Olli Miettinen and Reijo "Rempo" Tani listening to jazz, while Vainio liked schlager music. Vainio later named and described many of his friends in his song lyrics. Vainio was called up in 1957 for service in the Finnish army. He was 19 years old and in the penultimate grade of gymnasium. However, he did not want to start his military service right after the matriculation exams, because he wanted to find a profession first. The next spring, the last year of gymnasium, he decided to go to
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
for the holidays with his friend Pekka. Vainio was supposed to pass his matriculation exams in the spring of 1959, but he failed the Swedish exam and had to wait until the autumn to pass it.


Fatherhood, teaching and military service

In Fennia, Juha Vainio met his future wife Taina Kaukonen. When Taina became pregnant in early 1960, Juha's parents scolded the young father. As a result, the couple married in the summer of 1960 and a son Ilkka followed in October of the same year. Juha and Taina had three more children: Sami in 1961, Kalle in 1963 and Kati in 1967. At first the young couple lived at Juha's parents', but moved to
Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
when Juha started his studies there. He studied at the ''Yhteiskunnallinen korkeakoulu'' (School of Social Sciences, which later became the
University of Tampere The University of Tampere (UTA) (, ) was a public university in Tampere, Finland that was merged with Tampere University of Technology to create the new Tampere University on 1 January 2019. The university offered undergraduate, postgraduate an ...
) and later the ''Opettajakorkeakoulu'' (School of Vocational Teacher Education) where he graduated as a school teacher. Juha Vainio taught higher classes at Yläpää Primary School where the pupils informally called him "Junnu". His teaching methods were relaxed, such as making the pupils sing a children's song instead of a hymn in the morning. The pupils could also eat and watch television with Vainio. In 1964 he had a temporary absence from teaching due to military service. Already having some reputation as a lyricist, whilst in the army Vainio was assigned to write the lyrics for the new
cadence In Classical music, Western musical theory, a cadence () is the end of a Phrase (music), phrase in which the melody or harmony creates a sense of full or partial resolution (music), resolution, especially in music of the 16th century onwards.Don ...
of the
Karelia Brigade Karelia Brigade (; ) is one of the three Finnish Army List of Finnish Army units, readiness brigades. It is currently based at Valkeala. With some three thousand soldiers it is the second largest brigade in Finland. It is the only Finnish brigade ...
. Vainio finished his military service in the autumn of 1964, at the age of 26.


Breakthrough

Vainio's musical influences included
Tapio Rautavaara Kaj Tapio Rautavaara (8 March 1915 – 25 September 1979) was a Finnish singer (bass-baritone), athlete and film actor. Life Early years Tapio Rautavaara was born in the municipality of Pirkkala (now Nokia, Finland, Nokia), a suburb of the ...
,
Georg Malmstén Georg Malmstén (27 June 1902 – 25 May 1981) was a Finnish singer, musician, composer, orchestra conductor and actor. He was one of the most prolific entertainers in Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic cou ...
and
Henry Theel Henry Per-Erik Theel (November 14, 1917 – December 19, 1989), also known by his pseudonym Heikki Hovi, was one of the most prominent Finnish singers during the 1940s and the 1950s, though he continued to perform until the late 1980s. His most f ...
. As a young man he trained to play music because he wanted to become a professional musician. He started writing lyrics for friends' bands,Juha Vainio: ''Legendan laulut – 48 mestariteosta'' (album sleeve) and his texts brought him some fame. Vainio was above all a lyricist; he wrote lyrics or music for over 2,400 published songs, the majority of which were recorded by others. Many of Vainio's lyrics were written for
Toivo Kärki Toivo Pietari Johannes Kärki (; 3 December 1915 – 30 April 1992) was a Finnish composer, musician, music producer and arranger. He is especially remembered for his collaboration with Reino Helismaa Reino Vihtori "Repe" Helismaa (12 Jul ...
's compositions. He translated popular foreign songs into Finnish, work that he later abandoned since translators only received a fixed payment for their work rather than
royalties A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset or ...
. At the beginning of his career, comedian
Spede Pasanen Pertti Olavi "Spede" Pasanen (10 April 1930 – 7 September 2001) was a Finnish film director and producer, comedian, and inventor, who has been called an "all-around entertainer". During his career he directed, wrote, produced or acted in ...
asked Vainio and his friends to play in a radio show called ''Ruljanssiriihi'' ("Thrashing House of Rigmarole"). The band accepted, and after Pasanen gave up the radio show to start his television career, the musicians followed him. They played in Pasanen's shows including ''Speden saluuna'' ("Spede's Saloon") and ''50 pientä minuuttia'' ("50 Small Minutes"). With the help of his friend Erkki Liikanen, Vainio got a record deal with recording company Finndisc. His debut single, ''Paras rautalankayhtye'' was recorded in 1964. At the same time Vainio received the nickname "Watt", which was printed on the front cover of the single. Vainio wrote lyrics for several performers, including
Katri Helena Katri Helena Kalaoja (; born 17 August 1945) is a Finnish singer. Career Katri Helena released her first songs in 1963 and has since sold over 630,000 certified records, which makes her the second-best-selling female soloist in Finland ...
. In 1965 his parents and siblings moved to Helsinki, and at about the same time Vainio and his family moved to
Espoo Espoo (, ; ) is a city in Finland. It is located to the west of the capital, Helsinki, in southern Uusimaa. The population is approximately . It is the most populous Municipalities of Finland, municipality in Finland. Espoo is part of the Helsi ...
, where they lived for over 25 years. In 1966 he lost a good friend when Olli Miettinen died at the age of 34. Vainio's songs ''Mistä löydän ystävän'' ("Where Do I Find a Friend") and ''Maanantaitango'' ("Monday Tango") had already been recorded by Katri Helena in 1963 before Vainio's military service. After leaving the army, Vainio befriended composer and music journalist Sauvo Puhtila (known to the Finnish public by the pseudonym Saukki), who told him that
Yleisradio Yleisradio Oy (; ), abbreviated as Yle () (formerly styled in all uppercase until 2012), translated into English as the Finnish Broadcasting Company, is Finland's national public broadcasting company, founded in 1926. It is a joint-stock comp ...
was in need of lyricists. Eager to leave his job as a teacher, Vainio quit and started collaborating with musician Reino Markkula. Their song ''Sä kuulut päivään jokaiseen'' ("You Belong in Every Day"), composed by Markkula with lyrics by Vainio, was given to
Eino Grön Eino Grön, born January 31, 1939, is a Finnish American singer known for his performance of a wide range of popular music styles, including Tango, jazz, and spiritual music. Grön was born at the island of Reposaari in Pori but has lived the ...
who made it into a hit. Vainio worked at Fazer Music as a lyricist with monthly salary and at the same time wrote his own songs. He translated several international hits into Finnish, including ''Piilopaikka'' ("Hideout", originally "
You've Got Your Troubles "You've Got Your Troubles" was the inaugural composition by the prolific songwriting team of Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway in 1964. "You've Got Your Troubles" became a number 2 UK hit for the Fortunes in the United Kingdom in August 1965, affo ...
") by
Danny Danny is a masculine given name. It is related to and short for the male name Daniel.🖾🖾 People *Danny Altmann, British immunologist * Danny Antonucci, Canadian animator, director, producer, and writer * Danny Baker (born 1957), English j ...
and ''Nyt meni hermot'' ("Now I'm Furious"), which became the breakthrough recording of pop group "The First". Vainio was often late for arranged studio sessions, which irritated the bands and the company's management. At 30, Vainio wrote one of his best-known translations,
Fredi Fredi may refer to: * Fredi (Valencian pilota) (born 1957), retired Valencian pilota professional player * Fredi Bobic (born 1971), German football striker * Fredi González (born 1964), Cuban current manager of the Atlanta Braves * Fredi Walker, A ...
's ''Kolmatta linjaa takaisin'' ("Back along Kolmas Linja"). Another success was his translation of
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
' "
Penny Lane "Penny Lane" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a double A-side single with "Strawberry Fields Forever" in February 1967. It was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwr ...
", recorded by
Pepe Willberg Pertti "Pepe" Willberg (formerly Toivo Pertti Uolevi Willberg, till 1955 Kaukonen; born 17 December 1946) is a Finns, Finnish singer, songwriter and guitarist. Biography Willberg was born in Turku and started his musical career in the beginnin ...
as ''Rööperiin'' ("To
Rööperi ''Hellsinki'' () is a 2009 Finland, Finnish film directed by Aleksi Mäkelä (director), Aleksi Mäkelä. The film is based on the novel ''Rööperi – rikoksen vuodet 1955–2005'' by Harri Nykänen and Tom Sjöberg. ''Hellsinki'' follows the jo ...
"). Although Vainio's version is set in Helsinki, he has said he was thinking about Kotka when he wrote the lyrics. In addition to writing songs for others, Vainio became a popular solo artist. He also wrote the music to several of his songs, despite never considering himself a singer or a composer but above all a lyricist. At first he worked with Pertti Metsärinne's orchestra, recording the song "Hum-Boogie" (wordplay on the word ''humpuuki'', meaning "humbug"). Among his first recorded songs were ''Jos vain saisin nastahampaan takaisin'' ("If Only I Would Get the Spike Tooth Back") from 1964 and ''Suolaa, suolaa, enemmän suolaa'' ("Salt, Salt, More Salt") along with ''Juhannustanssit'' ("Midsummer's Ball") from 1965. All were included on Vainio's debut album, ''Juha "Watt" Vainio''. In the mid-1960s Vainio had success with ''Sellanen ol' Viipuri'' ("Such Was Viipuri"), ''Turistit tuppukylään'' ("Tourists Arrive in the Small Town") and a song written with Erik Lindström, ''Herrat Helsingin'' ("Big Shots of Helsinki"). When the Finndisc company was sold to Scandia, Vainio and Lindström's collaboration ended. Vaino soon afterwards became acquainted with composer Jaakko Salo, who was introduced to him by Saukki. He started writing lyrics for composer
Toivo Kärki Toivo Pietari Johannes Kärki (; 3 December 1915 – 30 April 1992) was a Finnish composer, musician, music producer and arranger. He is especially remembered for his collaboration with Reino Helismaa Reino Vihtori "Repe" Helismaa (12 Jul ...
, who had lost his primary lyricist
Reino Helismaa Reino Vihtori "Repe" Helismaa (12 July 1913 – 21 January 1965) was a Finns, Finnish singer-songwriter, musician and scriptwriter. Born in Helsinki, he was mainly known for his humorous, yet homely songs. One of his best-known interpreters was ...
in January 1965. Well-known songs from the late 1960s and early 1970s included ''Suomi–Ruotsi'' ("Finland–Sweden") and the 1971 release ''Matkarakastaja'' ("Travelling Lover"), which met with criticism. While Vainio's early albums were collections of singles, he recorded his first proper studio album in 1972. The album ''Viisari värähtää'' ("The Pointer Twitches") included the song ''Kaunissaari'' (a reference to a place in Finland), which Vainio recorded several times during his career. It was also included on his next album, ''Tulin, näin ja soitin'' ("I Came, I Saw, I Played"), which was released in 1975. Although ''Matkarakastaja'' and ''Viisari värähtää'' were Vainio's earliest published compositions, it was not until the late 1970s that he began to compose music more actively. In 1966 Vainio befriended Vexi Salmi and
Irwin Goodman Antti Yrjö Hammarberg (14 September 1943 – 14 January 1991), professionally known as Irwin Goodman, was a Finnish rock and folk singer. He started as a protest song singer in the folk boom of the mid-1960s; his humorous songs, often mocking ...
. The trio made a summer tour called ''Kansalle mitä kansa haluaa'' ("Give People What the People Want") but at times Vainio was too intoxicated to perform. Vainio and Reijo Tani made a collection of singles in 1968 called ''Juha "Watt" Vainio ja Reijo Tani''. The album included Vainio's ''Kauhea kankkunen'' ("Horrible Hangover") and ''Vanha salakuljettaja Laitinen'' ("Old Smuggler Laitinen"), which were both collaborations with Toivo Kärki. The latter song was named after Keijo Laitinen, a good friend of Vainio's. In 1970 Vainio started writing
causerie Causerie (from French, "talk, chat") is a literary style of short informal essays mostly unknown in the English-speaking world. A causerie is generally short, light and humorous and is often published as a newspaper column (although it is not defi ...
s with Gunnar Mattsson.


Back to teaching

Vainio returned to teaching in the early 1970s. Vainio made up nicknames for all his pupils, who in return called him Junnu. He had a habit of coming up with very unorthodox methods of punishment but in general got on well with his pupils. Often late and in the habit of leaving a lot of paperwork unfinished, shortly before he quit teaching Vainio organized an excursion for the pupils to express his gratitude for the time he had spent with them.


Alcohol use

As time went by, Vainio consumed more and more alcohol. In the late 1960s he frequented Tapion Tuoppi with Gunnar Mattsson and Aarre Elo. He often carried a
hip flask A hip flask is a thin flask for holding liquor. Description Hip flasks were traditionally made of pewter, silver, or even glass, though most modern flasks are made from stainless steel. Some modern flasks are made of plastic so as to avoid det ...
in case he ran out of something to drink. Vainio's deteriorating family relationships are considered to be one reason for his drinking. Many of his friends were heavy drinkers as well but despite his drinking problem, he always managed to finish his lyrics on time. Vainio's friends Heikki Kauppinen and Reijo Tani quit drinking in 1972, and at first Vainio found their decision odd. When Vexi Salmi was hired by Fazer in 1970, Vainio and Salmi started drinking together often and sometimes even came to work with hangovers. On one occasion, Vainio forgot that he was supposed to have finished the text of an advertising tune. When the deadline arrived, Vainio was too hung over to finish the lyrics and eventually Salmi agreed to help by writing the lyrics for Vainio's composition. Vainio's alcohol use increased in the 1970s, and his parents watched without being able to do anything about it. It is reported that Vainio would not go to sleep at night unless he had liquor under his bed, and he always kept a bottle with him. Vainio began to realize that he could not live like this forever. By summer 1975 he decided that he needed to stop drinking altogether. He was especially helped in this decision through his meeting footballer Kai Pahlman, who told Vainio that he was surprised he was still alive. In late 1975, Vainio stayed sober for four months, but then caved in for a short time. In January 1976 he finally managed to quit drinking for good. Vainio was supported by his friends who had quit drinking a few years earlier, such as Osmo "Osku" Kanerva. Eino Grön, a friend of Vainio's, decided to follow his example and managed to quit a year and a half after Vainio. Vainio never wanted to be called a teetotaler and considered himself a recovered alcoholic. After he quit drinking, Vainio's songs became more serious and more sensitive, although he still wrote humorous lyrics as well. Although Vainio himself did not consume alcohol, he was tolerant about others' alcohol use and could spend time with his friends even if they drank, keeping alcohol in his house in case his friends came over. He also began discussing the topic of drinking in his lyrics. Getting rid of his alcohol problem did not solve Vainio's domestic problems; he and Taina ended up divorcing.


Changes

After his divorce, Vainio's life slowly began to change. Creatively he was more prolific than ever in the late 1970s and 1980s. He began composing in addition to writing lyrics. He worked a lot with Veikko Samuli and Jaakko Salo, and Salo started arranging songs Vainio had written. In 1976 Vainio's ''Jawohl, jawohl'' from ''Kansi kiinni ja kuulemiin'' ("Shut the Lid and Goodbye") was criticized for its commentary about German tourists who visit Lapland. The album also featured a sensitive song, ''Mä uskon huomispäivään'' ("I Believe in Tomorrow"). Other well-known songs from the album are ''Playboy 60 v'' ("Playboy 60 yrs"), ''Suomi–Ruotsi'' ("Finland–Sweden") and ''Taas lapsuuden maisemiin'' ("Back Again to Where I Grew Up"). Vainio began composing actively in the late 1970s, although he had already published his own compositions at the beginning of the decade. His earliest compositions include ''Matkarakastaja'' and ''Viisari värähtää''. Among his most popular songs from the late 1970s is ''Käyn ahon laitaa'' ("I Walk by the Side of a Glade") from the 1979 album of the same name. Even though Vainio had already quit drinking, he still occasionally sang about alcohol. Vainio started writing more sensitive songs, a trend which became evident in his next albums. 1981's ''Albatrossi ja sorsa'' ("The Albatross and the Duck") contains one of Vainio's most well-known songs, ''Albatrossi''. The topic of the song was lost youth. Another sensitive song on the album is ''Apteekin ovikello'' ("The Pharmacy Doorbell"), the idea for which Vainio got from
Tapio Rautavaara Kaj Tapio Rautavaara (8 March 1915 – 25 September 1979) was a Finnish singer (bass-baritone), athlete and film actor. Life Early years Tapio Rautavaara was born in the municipality of Pirkkala (now Nokia, Finland, Nokia), a suburb of the ...
. Other well-known songs were ''Panaman konsuli'' ("The Consul of Panama") and ''Kun mä rupesin ryyppäämään'' ("When I Started Drinking"). In 1976, Vainio was hired to write a number of bawdy songs which were later released on cassette tape. Vainio wrote a part of the songs and sang on the record with all musicians using pseudonyms, Vainio's being ''Junnu Kaihomieli''. Many of the songs were based on a familiar melody whose copyright had already expired; for example, the song ''Kumi-Roope'' ("Rubber Roope") was an obscene version of the folk song ''Rosvo-Roope'' ("Roope the Robber"). In 1979 Vainio participated in another recording of similar songs. The songs were released on compact disc in 1992 and 1997 as ''Pahojen poikien lauluja 1–2'' ("Bad Boys' Songs 1–2") and ''Porno-ooppera / Pahojen poikien lauluja 3'' ("Porn Opera / Bad Boys' Songs 3"). Both records went
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
. In 1982 Vainio collaborated with bodybuilder
Kike Elomaa Ritva Tuulikki "Kike" Elomaa (née ''Sainio''; born 16 July 1955, in Lokalahti) is a Finnish professional female bodybuilding champion, pop singer, and member of the Finnish Parliament. Early life and education Elomaa was born in Lokalahti, ...
when they sang together on the single ''Kunto nousee sullakin'' ("You'll Get in Shape Too"), with lyrics by Vainio. The
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
of the single was ''Pokkana ja paikallaan'' ("Serious and Still"), sung by Elomaa alone. A compilation album called ''Sellaista elämä on'' ("That's How Life Is") followed in 1983, consisting of the most popular songs Vainio had himself recorded. 1985's ''Elämää ja erotiikkaa'' ("Life and Erotica") was Vainio's last finished studio album. Popular pieces from the album included ''Aleks ja Jaan'' ("Aleks and Jaan"), ''Heiskasen kanssa kun heiluttiin'' ("When We Hung Out with Heiskanen") and ''Yksinäinen saarnipuu'' ("Lonely Ash Tree"). After his divorce, Vainio had started dating Pirkko Heikkala. The couple were married on 27 December 1981 in Kuusamo. In 1983 they had a daughter, Suvi. The couple moved to
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
in the late 1980s. In 1988
Katri Helena Katri Helena Kalaoja (; born 17 August 1945) is a Finnish singer. Career Katri Helena released her first songs in 1963 and has since sold over 630,000 certified records, which makes her the second-best-selling female soloist in Finland ...
, Eino Grön, Pave Maijanen and other popular artists performed at a concert organized to celebrate Vainio's 50th birthday.


Death

Vainio's childhood heart problems surfaced again in 1990 with his sister Marja recalling that he often placed his hand over his heart. He had even finished writing his will. At one time Vainio was travelling to Florida with his friend, composer Veikko Samuli. Vainio had to go to the bathroom during the flight, and soon there was a call for a doctor from the flight crew. Vainio had kept his heart medicines in his pocket, where the box had opened and mixed with his
pastille A pastille is a type of sweet or medicinal pill made of a thick liquid that has been solidified and is meant to be consumed by light chewing and allowing it to dissolve in the mouth. The term is also used to describe certain forms of incense. A ...
s. Vainio had eaten too much of the medicine by accident, and his heartbeat started to slow down. Once a stewardess found out what had happened, she saved Vainio's life by quickly forcing him to vomit. Vainio gave his last performance on 12 October 1990. He died of a heart attack in his home in Gryon, Switzerland, on October 29, 1990, in the arms of his wife. He was 52 years old. A burial ceremony was held in the town of
Vevey Vevey (; ; ) is a town in Switzerland in the Vaud, canton of Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Leman, near Lausanne. The German name Vivis is no longer commonly used. It was the seat of the Vevey (district), district of the same name until 200 ...
, and Vainio's body brought back to Finland and buried in the family grave in
Hietaniemi Cemetery The Hietaniemi cemetery (, ) is located mainly in the Lapinlahti quarter and partly in the Etu-Töölö district of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. It is the location for Finnish state funeral services and is owned by the Evangelical Luthe ...
in Helsinki. The day before he died, Vainio had become friends with ice hockey coach
Juhani Tamminen Manu Juhani Tamminen (born May 26, 1950) is a Finnish retired professional ice hockey player who played in the SM-liiga and World Hockey Association. He played for TPS, HJK, HIFK, Cleveland Crusaders, and Phoenix Roadrunners. He represented ...
and dined with his family. According to Tamminen, Vainio had been in good condition at the time. The following week Tamminen learned of Vainio's death from a friend who had read about it in a Finnish newspaper. The record Vainio had worked on during the final years of his life was released posthumously by Scandia in 1991 as ''Viiskymppisen viisut'' ("Tunes of a Fifty-year-old"). Especially important for Vainio had been the song ''Kauan sitten'' ("Long Ago") which he had recorded in the early 1970s. Vainio's most important collaborator during his last years was producer Jaakko Salo.


Nicknames and pseudonyms

Juha Vainio's best-known nicknames were Junnu and Juha "Watt" Vainio. Junnu was a familiar name also used in connection with his last name as Junnu Vainio. The name Juha "Watt" Vainio was used on the cover of several albums and was a name he was publicly known by. Vainio's friends never used the nickname Watt – for them he always remained Junnu. Among the pseudonyms used by Vainio were Junnu, Junnu Kaihomieli, Jorma Koski, Ilkka Lähde, Mirja Lähde, Kirsi Sunila and Heikki Ilmari. The name Junnu Kaihomieli was used for Vainio's bawdy songs in the late 1970s.


Critical commentary

Peter von Bagh Kari Peter Conrad von Bagh (29 August 1943 – 17 September 2014) was a Finland, Finnish film historian and director. Von Bagh worked as the head of the Finnish Film Archive, editor-in-chief of ''Filmihullu'' magazine and co-founder and director ...
regards Vainio as the pioneer of Finnish 1960s humorous songs since he began their composition before
Irwin Goodman Antti Yrjö Hammarberg (14 September 1943 – 14 January 1991), professionally known as Irwin Goodman, was a Finnish rock and folk singer. He started as a protest song singer in the folk boom of the mid-1960s; his humorous songs, often mocking ...
. Producer Jaakko Salo commented that Vainio's career found a new start once Vainio quit drinking. According to him, it is evident from Vainio's texts that his songs are based on his own experiences. According to writer and film director Jukka Virtanen, Vainio usually wrote his lyrics at the same time as the music. This is evident in the song ''Vanhojapoikia viiksekkäitä'', written as a
waltz The waltz ( , meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom dance, ballroom and folk dance, in triple (3/4 time, time), performed primarily in closed position. Along with the ländler and allemande, the waltz was sometimes referred to by the ...
and whose lyrics feature an aged bachelor who never got to dance at his own wedding. Virtanen has said that while Vainio worked at a fast pace, songs were never easy for him to write. His work did not become easier when he quit drinking, but it did become more emotional.


Hobbies

Vainio frequently played football and basketball in his youth and later on remained an enthusiastic spectator. He wrote the lyrics for ice-hockey team
Tappara Tappara (; Finnish language, Finnish for "Battle axe") is a Finnish professional ice hockey team playing in the SM-liiga. They play at ''Nokia Arena (Tampere), Nokia Arena'' in Tampere, Finland. The team has won 20 Finnish league championships, wh ...
's anthem ''Tappara on terästä'' ("Tappara Is Made of Steel"), which was composed by Reijo Lehtovirta in 1976. Tappara's manager Mikko Westberg asked Vainio to write a song for the team, requesting that the lyrics contain the phrases "Tappara is made of steel" and "rye bread". Vainio became a lifetime fan of Tappara after writing the song. Vainio was fond of the sea and sailing. He often took his family and friends sailing in his boat, and in 1987 bought an island in
Österskär Österskär is eastern part of Åkersberga, Österåker Municipality in Sweden. It hosts the terminal station of the Stockholm suburban railway Roslagsbanan. The area is located in a hilly peninsula between Tunaviken and Sätterfjärden northwes ...
with his wife Pirkko. His love for sailing is evident in the song ''Kaikki paitsi purjehdus on turhaa'' ("Everything But Sailing Is Pointless"), which was composed by Lasse MÃ¥rtenson.


Legacy

Since Vainio's death many tribute concerts have been staged, with an event to celebrate his 70th birthday taking place in May 2008. Vainio's friend, songwriter Jukka Virtanen, wrote a play called ''Albatrossi ja Heiskanen'' ("The Albatross and Heiskanen") based on Vainio's songs. It was first performed in his hometown Kotka in 1992 and has been performed many times since. The Finnish film ' ("The Empire") describes the youth of Vainio and his friends in Kotka during the 1950s. The "Juha Vainio Award" (Juha Vainio-palkinto) for writers was introduced in 1991 and is given annually to notable Finnish lyricists with yearly prize money of 5,000 euros (previously 30,000
Finnish markka The markka (; ; currency symbol, sign: mk; ISO 4217, ISO code: FIM), also known as the Finnish mark, was the currency of Finland from 1860 until 28 February 2002, when it ceased to be legal tender. The markka was divided into 100 penny, pennies ...
s). In December 1994, a club named ''Junnun Lauluseura'' (Junnu's singing club) was established. Its members include Vainio's friends Keijo Laitinen, Pertti Metsärinne and Reijo Tani. The club has published two books entitled ''Junnun laululipas 1'' and ''Junnun laululipas 2''. Vainio's work continues to have major relevance in Finnish popular music, an example of which being two Vainio cover albums by
Vesa-Matti Loiri Vesa-Matti "Vesku" Loiri (4 January 1945 – 10 August 2022) was a Finnish actor, musician and comedian, best known for his role as Uuno Turhapuro, whom he portrayed in a total of 20 movies between the years 1973 and 2004. Loiri made a strong i ...
in 2003 and 2004. All of the songs that Vainio recorded were published in 2008 in a CD boxed set ''Legendan laulut – Kaikki levytykset 1963–1990'' ("Songs of the Legend – All Recordings 1963–1990"). It included his advertising
jingle A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meanings that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually ...
s, bawdy songs and a book. A compilation album released with the boxed set called ''Legendan laulut – 48 mestariteosta'' ("Songs of the Legend – 48 Masterpieces") reached second place on the Finnish album charts. Juha Vainio's son is in the music business and works as a music producer and songwriter.


Discography

* ''Juha 'Watt' Vainio'' (1966, compilation of singles) * ''Juha 'Watt' Vainio ja Reijo Tani'' (1968, compilation of singles) (Translation: "Juha 'Watt' Vainio and Reijo Tani") * ''Viisari värähtää'' (1972) (Translation: "The Pointer Twitches") * ''Tulin, näin ja soitin'' (1975) (Translation: "I Came, I Saw, I Played") * ''Kansi kiinni ja kuulemiin'' (1976) (Translation: "Shut the Lid and Goodbye") * ''Käyn ahon laitaa'' (1979) (Translation: "I Walk by the Side of a Glade") * ''Albatrossi ja sorsa'' (1981) (Translation: "The Albatross and the Duck") * ''Sellaista elämä on'' (1983) (Translation: "That's How Life Is") * ''Elämää ja erotiikkaa'' (1985) (Translation: "Life and Erotica") * ''Viiskymppisen viisut'' (1991) (Translation: "Tunes of a Fifty-year-old")


References


Bibliography

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Notes


Further reading

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External links

* *
Juha Vainio Award Winners
(1991–2012) at
Discogs Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vainio, Juha 1938 births 1990 deaths 20th-century Finnish male singers Finnish male songwriters Finnish expatriates in Switzerland People from Kotka