Sleepy Sleepers
| Sleepy Sleepers | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Lahti, Finland |
| Genres | Comedy rock |
| Years active | 1974–1990, 2007 |
| Associated acts | Leningrad Cowboys |
Sleepy Sleepers (commonly known as Sliipperit in Finland) is a Finnish pop/rock/punk/comedy band founded in 1974 by its two front-men Sakke Järvenpää and Mato Valtonen in Lahti, Finland. Between 1975 and their break-up in 1990 they recorded and issued a total of 19 albums. Sakke and Mato evetually went on to form and front the internationally successful Leningrad Cowboys.
The Sleepy Sleepers' music is steeped in humour that is quite often outrageous and definitely politically incorrect. No topic is safe from parody or ridicule. Politicians, religion, public scandals, hypocrisy, alcohol abuse, sexual perversion, the ridicule of demographic and social stereotypes. Live shows made extensive use of costumes, props, prosthetics and stage makeup, in fact anything that helps intensify the shock factor. So much so, that back in 1977 their antics managed to upset elements of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR with the album Takaisin Karjalaan (Back to Karelia). To many Finns, the loss the territory of Karelia to the Soviet Union during the Second World War is to this day a sensitive and controversial issue. No wonder then that The Sleepy Sleepers caused an diplomatic uproar at the time by issuing the single Kaapataan lentokone Moskovaan ("Let's Hi-jack a Plane To Moscow"), an adaptation of the Rolling Stones Paint It Black. Ever wary of potentially upsetting the sensitive Soviet regime at the time, the Finnish national broadcaster (YLE) decided to ban all Sleepy Sleepers music from both radio and television. For similar reasons, the band was also deemed persona non grata by many live concert venues of the day. It wasn’t until the break-up of the USSR in 1989 that these bans were eventually rescinded.
In 2007, the band reformed for some live shows and released the album Eurowiisut – Terveisiä perseestä (The Eurovision Song Contest - Greetings From the Arse (Ass))
Members
- Sakari Eerola
- Kari Kajala
- Pekka Laakso
- Sakari "Sakke" Järvenpää
- Timo Järvinen
- Olli Palkamo
- Jukka Käyhkö
- Ari Pänttönen
- Markku "Mato" Valtonen
- Albert Järvinen
- Dave Lindholm
- Silu Seppälä
- Sakari Kuosmanen
- Vesa Kääpä
- Jonttu Virta
- Harri Kinnunen
- Markus Heikkerö
- Kari "Pitkä" Lehtinen
- Vesa-Pekka "Costello" Hautamäki
- Heinäsirkka
- Tiina Tiikeri
- Jukka Kotialho
- Mauri Sumén
- Markku Vesala hevi gratzy DJ EDWARD show warm up
- Tony Steel
- "Dirty Dave" Desroches
- Christian J Henriksen
Discography
- Sinulle äiti (1975)
- Livet I Bordell (1976)
- Takaisin Karjalaan (1977)
- Holiday In New York '59 (1978)
- The Mopott Show (1979)
- Metsäratio (1980)
- Levyraati (1981)
- The Hevoset (Not published)
- Julkusen Mulkku (Not published)
- Enzio Benzina : La Musica (1982) CBS 40-85854, Sleepyjen italoiskelmälevy
- Sleepy Sleepers In The Rio (1982)
- Sleepy Sleepers In The Rio (engl.) (1982)
- Alma-tädin illuusio (1983)
- Chinese Nights (1983)
- Tohtori Pöhön aerobix (1984)
- Suomen poliisit (1984)
- Voikkaa ja huikkaa (1984)
- Sossu-possuilua Finlandiassa (cassette, under the name Sakke Järvenpää ja Mato Valtonen & Co, 1984)
- Born In The S.A.V.O. (1985)
- Rock'y VI - Pölkyllä päähän (1986)
- Sleepy Sleepers Sings Matti ja Teppo (1987)
- Turakaisten paratiisi (1988)
- Sleepy Sleepers Sings Elvis (1989)
- Eurowiisut – Terveisiä perseestä (2007)
- Roni Aaron & Sleepy Sleepers: Kekkonen Helsingissä (2007)
- Vain Elämää - Only Rock'n'Roll (2015)