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Wigwam

 
Artist: Wigwam
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists

Group Members:

Hessu Hietanen, Mans Groundstroem, Jim Pembroke, Jukka Gustavson, Nikke Nikamo, Pekka Rechardt, Mats Hulden, Paavo Maijanen, Ronnie Osterberg, Pekka Pohjola

Similar Artists:

Hatfield and the North, Renaissance, Gentle Giant, Gryphon, Jukka Orma, Curved Air, Pavlov's Dog, Camel, Babe Ruth, Spock's Beard, Happy the Man, Grobschnitt

Influenced By:

The Band, Spirit, The Beatles

Followers:

Freudiana, Anglagard
  • Formed: 1969
  • Disbanded: 1977
  • Genres: Rock
  • Representative Albums: "Being", "Fresh Garbage: Rarities", "Hard N' Horny

Biography

Wigwam have the rare distinction of being the only '70s band from Finland to have made any impact outside the country, as well as being an incubator for the country's top prog musicians -- the only catch was that the anticipated massive breakthrough never happened. The group came together in the late '60s, when drummer Ronnie Österberg, expat English singer/keyboard player Jim Pembroke, guitarist Nikke Nikamo, and bassist Mats Hulden, all of whom had been in Blues Section, decided to form a new band. They drafted in keyboardist Jukka Gustavson, and Wigwam was born. Their first album, 1969's Hard'n'Horny, had Gustavson's work on one side, Pembroke's on the other. For their second album, Tombstone Valentine, both Hulden and Nikamo had vanished, having experienced disputes with the producer, American scenester Kim Fowley. But the record did see the debut of virtuoso bass player Pekka Pohjola. While well received, it still didn't sell many copies, which was also true of their next disc, Fairyport. Following that, both Pembroke and Pohjola made solo albums, leaving Gustavson to put together the next band effort, the dark and prog-ish Being, which won Album of the Year in Finland. But even awards couldn't keep Pohjola and Gustavson in the band, although before they left, they took part in the shows that made up 1975's Live Music From the Twilight Zone, a concert mix of solo material and covers of the Beatles and the Band. Following that, the band split briefly. The reformation brought plenty of new personnel and Pemboke as the central figure, Wigwam went on to enjoy their most successful period, releasing Nuclear Nightclub, which was licensed for international distribution by Virgin, who brought the band to England to tour -- at which point they also recorded their next disc, Lucky Golden Stripes and Starpose. Wigwam seemed on the verge of real success, but couldn't quite cross over, and when the follow-up, tentatively titled Daemon Duncetan's Request, was turned down by Virgin, the bottom seemed to fall out. The record was revamped and released in Finland in 1977 as Dark Album. But by the time it hit the shelves, Wigwam had played an unofficial farewell show and split for the second time. Pembroke moved to Kansas, and continued to record solo albums, and in 1993 the band regrouped to record Light Ages. Occasional shows have been played since, but while best-of and rarities CDs have been released, the group definitely isn't officially together. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: Wigwam (progressive rock)
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
This article is about the Finnish band. For the tent, see Wigwam. For other bands, see Wigwam (band).
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Wigwam is a Finnish progressive rock band formed in 1968.

Wigwam was founded after the split of the seminal Blues Section, with whom drummer Ronnie Österberg had played before. He formed the band as a trio, but soon brought in British expatriate singer/songwriter Jim Pembroke (also in BS) and organist Jukka Gustavson. A year later, Pekka Pohjola joined on bass. Kim Fowley produced Wigwam's second album Tombstone Valentine (1970). This album also featured an excerpt of Erkki Kurenniemi's electronic composition 'Dance of the Anthropoids'. The 1974 album Being is often called Wigwam's masterpiece. After its release, though, Pohjola and Gustavson quit the band. Commercially the most successful Wigwam album must be the more pop-oriented Nuclear Nightclub that followed in 1975, with new members Pekka Rechardt on guitar and Måns Groundstroem on bass.

For a time in the 1970s Wigwam seemed poised to break through in Europe, along with bands like Tasavallan Presidentti, but even though they were highly praised by the UK press large-scale international fame eluded them, and by 1978 they had disbanded. Jim Pembroke and Ronnie Österberg formed the Jim Pembroke Band in late 1979, but following health problems with diabetes, Österberg committed suicide on December 6th, 1980.

Wigwam reformed in the 1990s with the Pembroke-Rechardt-Groundstroem core intact, and has been active to the present. In Finland they have a lasting (although limited) following, and their influence on Finnish rock music is widely recognised.

Contents

Band members

Current lineup

Drums

  • Ronald "Ronnie" Österberg (1968-1980)
  • Jan Noponen (1991-1993)

Guitar

  • Vladimir "Nikke" Nikamo (1968-1970)

Bass guitar

  • Pekka Pohjola (1970-1974)
  • Måns "Måsse" Groundstroem (1974-2003)
  • Jussi Kinnunen (2003-2004)

Violin

Vocals

  • Jukka "Gutsi" Gustavson (1969-1974)

Keyboards

  • Jukka "Gutsi" Gustavson (1969-1974)
  • Heikki "Hessu/Pedro" Hietanen (1975-1977, 1991-1992, 1999-2000)
  • Mikko Rintanen (1992-1993)

Guest musicians

  • Jukka Tolonen, guitar (1970-1974)
  • Esa Kotilainen, keyboards (1974-1975, 1977)
  • Ilmari Varila, oboe
  • Tapio Louhensalo, bassoon
  • Hannu Saxelin, clarinet
  • Risto Pensola, clarinet
  • Unto Haapa-aho, bass clarinet
  • Eero Koivistoinen, soprano saxophone
  • Pekka Pöyry, soprano saxophone
  • Pentti Lasanen, clarinet, flute
  • Paavo Honkanen, clarinet
  • Aale Lindgren, oboe
  • Juhani Tapaninen, bassoon
  • Juhani Aaltonen, flute
  • Seppo Paakkunainen, flute
  • Erik Dannholm, flute
  • Pentti Lahti, flute
  • Kari Veisterä, flute
  • Taisto Wesslin, acoustic guitar
  • Erkki Kurenniemi, VCS3 synthesizer
  • Jukka Ruohomäki, VCS3 programming assistant
  • Heikki Laurila, guitar, banjo
  • Kalevi Nyqvist, accordion

Discography

Albums

  • Hard 'n' Horny (1969)
  • Tombstone Valentine (1970)
  • Fairyport (1971)
  • Being (1974)
  • Nuclear Nightclub (1975)
  • The Lucky Golden Stripes and Starpose (1976)
  • Dark Album (1977)
  • Light Ages (1993)
  • Titans Wheel (2002)
  • Some Several Moons (2005)

Compilations & live albums

  • Wigwam (1972)
  • Live Music from the Twilight Zone (1975)
  • Rumours on the Rebound (1979)
  • Classics - The Rarest (1990)
  • Highlights (1996)
  • Fresh Garbage - Rarities from 1969-1977 (2000)
  • Wigwam Plays Wigwam - Live (2001)

Jim Pembroke (& Wigwam)

These are Jim Pembroke's solo albums, which are played by Wigwam

  • Hot Thumbs O'Riley: Wicked Ivory (1972)
  • Jim Pembroke & Wigwam: Pigworm (1974)
  • Jim Pembroke: Corporal Cauliflowers Mental Function (1977)

References

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

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