Record #0879: Räätälin ralli (Skräddarevisan) / Jannu tanssii valssia (Kväsarvalsen) – EERO JA JUSSI SEKÄ THE ESQUIRES

Decca 45-SD 5589 (original), Finland, May/June 1963
Words & Music by:  Side A – Stig Rossner, Britta, Reino “Repe” Helismaa; Side B – Arthur Högstedt, Reino “Repe” Helismaa
Musicians: Eero Raittinen (lead vocals, drums), Jussi Raittinen (harmony vocals, rhythm guitar), Reijo Bergström (lead guitar), Jorma Kalenius (bass)
Recording sessions: Produced by Reino Helismaa at Elektrovox Studio in Helsinki, Finland, on 22. May 1963
Highest chart positions:  none

Eero and Jussi were devoted rock ’n’ roll fans who wanted to play contemporary American-style rock. However, their label and producer, Reino Helismaa, steered them towards traditional Swedish folk and couplet songs updated with electric guitars. The brothers saw these as corny novelty numbers rather than authentic rock.

In October 1963, they left The Esquires to join the instrumental group The Sounds. Early the following year, they departed and formed their own backing band, The Boys, which remained active until 2023. Known as the “University of Finnish Rock & Pop”, The Boys produced an impressive roster of musicians who became prominent in Finland’s music scene.

Frankly, Helismaa didn’t do a good job here. To me, the arrangement and production is a bit of a mess. The only thing that works is the vocal harmonies of the Raittinen brothers. No wonder this didn’t enter the Finnish charts.

An interesting detail behind the writing credits of side A: both Stig Rossner and Britta were pseudonyms of Stig Andersson, who later became the manager of ABBA.

List price: A price guide for Finnish records and CDs lists this for 50 euros. Discogs.com median price is 12 €. I didn’t find any sold copies in eBay.

 

Record #0878: Something’s Missing / The Edge – THE ESCALATORS

Big Beat NS 86 (original), UK, March 1983
Words & Music by:  Side A – The Escalators; Side B – The Escalators
Musicians: Nigel Lewis (vocals, guitar), Bart Coles (vocals, bass), Mark Robertson (drums), Woodie Taylor (guitar)
Recording sessions: Produced by the Escalators and engineered by Glenn Skinner at Alvic Studios, London, UK in early 1983
Highest chart positions:  none

This is the first of the two singles the Escalators released. I’ve posted the successor here.

Alvic Studios was a prominent fixture in the British post-punk, indie pop, and underground rock scene during the early 1980s. It was known for its cozy, highly practical setup, allowing indie bands on strict budgets to record, mix, and master tracks with quick turnaround times.

The sessions were engineered by Glenn Skinner. Skinner was an experienced hand in the UK indie scene, going on to work with notable acts like The Nightingales, Curiosity Killed the Cat, Debbie Harry, Boy George and Killing Joke.

List price: The median price at discogs.com is 13,12 €. I found two copies sold in eBay for 20 € and 21 €, in the UK and in Germany correspondingly.

 

Record #0877: Monday / The Munsters – THE ESCALATORS

Big Beat NS 87 (original, 2^nd edition), UK, July 1983
Words & Music by:  Side A – Bart Coles; Side B – Jack Marshall (the label credits “Fine, Wilson, Herbert”)
Musicians: Nigel Lewis (guitar), Bart Coles (vocals, bass), Mark Robertson (drums), Woodie Taylor (guitar, drums)
Recording sessions: Produced by the Escalators at Alvic Studios, London, UK in 1983
Highest chart positions:  none

The single was released with a distinct illustrated picture sleeve designed by Technimedia, featuring photography by DC3/Waldo. Musically, it bridges the gap between early 80s neo-garage rock, 1960s revival, and psychobilly. Various pressings exist, including standard labels, picture labels, and highly sought-after white label test pressings.

The B-side of the single features a cover of "The Munsters Theme" from the 60’s TV-series “The Munsters”. Despite being the B-side, it is widely considered the standout track of the release and drove much of the single's initial indie popularity. The physical label on the vinyl credits the songwriting to "Fine, Wilson, & Herbert". This was an error by Big Beat Records; the song was written by Jack Marshall.

The band was formed in London in 1982 after Lewis and Robertson split from The Meteors following creative differences with frontman Paul Fenech. They released two singles and a studio album “Moving Staircases” in 1983 before they split due to internal friction. Lewis and Robertson moved on to form the Tall Boys.

Happy Halloween! 

List price: The median price at discogs.com is 11,57 €. I found 16 copies sold in eBay from 17 € to 27 €. One test pressing sold for 187 £ in the UK in May 2026.