Wigwam - guestbook

Name :	Jouko, Kerava
Message :	Pedro Hietanen played keyboards and accordion from 1991 to spring 1992, after which he left and Mikko Rintanen came in. This much can be gleaned from the gig list for that period.
	17/04/09 21:40

Name :	the Tanskalainen
Message :	Can someone clear up a few mysteries around the Wigwam reunion of the early 1990s? When exactly did it start and who was in the line-up at the time? The reunion album "Light Ages" is from 1993, but the group would have been going for some two years before that, since they played a live gig broadcast by Finnish radio in October 1991. This gig puzzles me a bit, since there is a lot of accordion playing it, so I doubt it was Rintanen playing second keyboards (or first, if you like) at the time. Only one track was new, namely "Talking Brought Me Here". It would be nice to hear from someone who saw the band around this time and can describe them this line-up.
	17/04/09 20:50

Name :	EsaJii
Message :	In Youtube, if you put in Wigwam and Grass, you get the long piece, lots of odd shots but some of Rekku playing can be figured out. Also Wigwam and Kite or Colossus.
	17/04/09 16:13

Name :	EsaJii
Message :	Mad Hatter, there are a few Wigwam videos in Youtube. Also, the same are in http://yle.fi/elavaarkisto/ plug in Wigwam to the "Hae" box there.
	16/04/09 20:25

Name :	Hessu, Vantaa
Current favourite song :	Pig Storm
Message :	The May concert, when he's playing solo, could be a good opportunity to investigate his playing even further. Count me in!
	16/04/09 07:48

Name :	Jusu, Vaasa
Found :	Just surfed on in
Message :	Another thing I've noticed about Rechardt and the Wigwam sound in general: they're not playing in the "same key". Say the song's tonality centers on A; Rechardt might still play it as if it's in B. This is a canny sort of musical thinking, and I haven't been able to analyze it too much. It often seems to be the general idea, though.
	15/04/09 22:34

Name :	MadHatter
Current favourite song :	The Item is the Totem
Found :	Just surfed on in
Message :	Whatever Rechardt is inspired by hasn't prevented him from developing his own unique style, that's for sure. He should make a DVD showing his style of playing. I've heard some of his later stuff and he's still good, but his sound is more piercing now. I find that often happens with guitarist when they grow older. Mick Green is a good expample. Perhaps their hearing is suffering so the top end has gone down the drain and it sounds good to themselves, I don't know.
	15/04/09 20:46

Name :	EsaJii
Current favourite song :	Rush: YYZ
Message :	Though I have only seen Rekku play once, it looked like he played a lot of arpeggios when backing the song. I could not tell where he was when soloing. But I recommend you try to get hold of Wigwam Plays Wigwam live and Titans Wheel to see where he is at these days. He made a living for a lot of records just a sessions man, and played just rhythm for some. I wish I could get my cassette repaired, but he made a fun record with Veltto Virtanen, completely out of his Wigwam style. The LP may be hard to find.
	15/04/09 16:13

Name :	Jusu, Vaasa
Found :	Just surfed on in
Message :	MadHatter, I met Mr. Rechard once and asked him about the same thing. In brief, he said his style is based on the blues playing of Peter Green and Eric Clapton. He regards Clapton's fluid three-finger string bending technique as an important innovation and has adopted/adapted it for his own purposes.
	15/04/09 14:44

Name :	the Tanskalainen
Message :	MadHatter, Rekku Rechardt's (please note the spelling) solo style is indeed unique. He isn't a very fast player (though he can be if he wants to), but he is extremely emotional and tasteful. He has a perfect vibrato that probably comes from the fact that he started out as a cello player. As you suggest, he plays in non-standard positions, for example, if you are in the key of A, the basic norm would be to solo around notes from 5th to 8th fret, but Rekku would probably solo around 2nd to 5th fret; perhaps that is what you men by being "behind on the fretboard". I may wrong about this, but that's how I hear it anyway. He also uses a hell of a lot of triplets. Since you have become a fan of his style I would suggest you also get hold of his recent solo album called "Snakecharm". An in-depth interview with Rechardt on this site about his style would be very interesting indeed, perhaps accompanied by some tabs etc.
	15/04/09 13:14

Name :	MadHatter
Current favourite song :	Horace's Aborted Ripoff Scheme
Found :	Just surfed on in
Message :	Having only recently discovered the group Wigwam, I am wondering what the secret is behind their guitarist's fabulous solos. It sounds to me as though he isn't playing in the usual patterns, e.g. around the bar chord positions, but in positions kind of "behind" these on the fretboard. If there are any guitarists out there who have other ideas as to what on earth this guy Pekka Richard is doing, please tell me because I really want to copy his style ... if I can!
	15/04/09 03:23

Name :	Suonna
Message :	Rekku laulaa... "Joo joo ja murot juttelee", niin kuin Savossa tavattiin sanoa, kun siellä asuin.
	13/04/09 22:48

Name :	-rh
Current favourite song :	Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock
Message :	Jahah, Tolos-Jukka sitten pian vapautunee ekakertalaisena, ja epäilemättä muutenkin hyvin käyttyneenä. ---- kuva, tuossa Esan kaivamassa is-linkissä, paha. äijä kuitenkin vasta 56 v.
	13/04/09 19:10

Name :	EsaJii
Message :	Being was sort of the Wigwam Sgt Pepper. Dominated by Jukka, it had a few nice songs from Jim, and good vocal parts to balance the serious Jukka. Sunny Disaster stands on its own. Speaking of Jukka, I downloaded http://wigwam.stc.cx/discography/toinen_maisema.htm toinen maisema. I had no idea of this side of Jukka, he is hilarious, good sense of humor. It is of course dealing with serious matters like human rights, but I was laughing out loud with the spoken "Juhlapuheissa ja kahvikutsuilla". There are a few funny bits in English but mostly you need to understand Finnish. The song about Helge is touching and the lyrics should really be here, it touches closely on the Wigwam Legend. It also comes across as truly a Finnish story, the scenery of a little country with a few serious musicians trying to play rock for a living. Of course there is some money in music in Finland these days, more clubs and festivals.
	13/04/09 17:12

Name :	the Tanskalainen
Message :	Yes, the answer is "Whaling Stories" from the album "Home". And now to something completely different. JP uses the word Hi-Falootin' in his song "Marvelry Skimmer" on the Wigwam album "Being". The song also appears on the reunion 2LP "Light Ages" under the title "Friend From the Fields", where the word is spelled Hi-Falutin' in the lyric sheet. Really, Hi should be spelled High, of course. According to several dictionaries High Falutin' is slang for "pompous". It is never spelled with a "g" at the end. The origins are uncertain, but there is a Dutch word, "verlooten", which means something in the same vein. My guess is that it has slipped into English via Dutch immigrants in the US. That would also explain the lack of a "g" at the end. Funnily enough, Jim's way of spelling the word on "Being" is wrong according to the dictionary, but closer to the (supposed) Dutch origin. Okay, I'll get a life!
	13/04/09 15:51

Name :	Jore
Message :	Kuuntelin läpi pitkästä aikaa Gutsin CD:n Kiiltomato, ….. Tekstit saavat aikaan kyllä hiukan epätoivoisen vaikean olon; ovat ne sen verran naiiveja ja se uskonnollinen ote kyllä häiritsee. Harmi, muuten niin loistava levy. Onko uudella levyllä suomeksi laulettuja biisejä? Toivottavasti ei. Einari, hm... ei kai nyt sentään.
	13/04/09 14:53

Name :	Einari ilman pyörää, Vaajakoski
Current favourite song :	Frederik & Bill
Message :	Onkohan tuolla toukokuun keikalla odotettavissa kauankaivattu Rekku Rechardtin lauludebyytti? Trubaduurina voisi olla kysyntääkin ja uutta materiaalia olisi myös kiva kuulla.
	13/04/09 07:55

Name :	Pete
Current favourite song :	GD:Estimated Prophet Hartford´77
Message :	Gutsin uusin kuunneltu läpi pari kertaa,hyvältä vaikuttaa. Vähän jää kyllä kaipaamaan intensiteettiä mitä kumpikin bändi livenä saa aikaiseksi. Livelevyä peliin pikaisesti.
	10/04/09 18:04

Name :	the Tanskalainen
Message :	A while back the was a discussion about groups who may have been inspired by certain Wigwam songs. Turning that around for a moment I wondered if I'm the only one who finds the instrumental bridge on "Talking Brought Me Here" reminiscent of a certain track by Procol Harum ... That aside, does anyone know how Tolonen is doing in prison and when he will be out?
	10/04/09 13:30

Name :	EsaJii
Home page :	http://www.iltasanomat.fi/uutiset/kotimaa/uutinen.asp?id=1527876
Message :	Tolonen linkki yllä. Toukokuussa 2008: Tolonen, 56, tuomittiin yli kahdeksi vuodeksi vankeuteen naisystävän puukotuksesta. Käräjäoikeus antoi määräyksen viedä hänet heti vankilaan. Tuomionluvun päätyttyä kaksi poliisimiestä astui saliin ja nouti Tolosen. Partio saattoi hänet oikeustalon vankitiloihin ja sieltä edelleen Vantaan vankilaan.
	10/04/09 04:23

Name :	EsaJii
Message :	Progeurkureissa Emerson oli ihan kelpo. En koskaan halunnut nähdä bändiä, Lake ei innostanut. Jo The Nice aikoihin Emerson oli etevä pianossa ja uruissa. Mutta sitten tuli se perhanan Lucky Man kausi.
	10/04/09 04:17

Name :	Jouko, Kerava
Current favourite song :	Lewis Taylor: I Dream The Better Dream
Message :	Kuuluisat brittiurkuri-aikalaiset Emerson, Wakeman ja Lord olivat pellejä verrattuina Gustavsoniin. Emerson puukotti Hammondiaan showmielessä, mutta ELPn musiikki ei siitä parantunut. Paremmat vertailukohdat Wigwamiin olivat Egg (Dave Stewart) ja Soft Machine (Mike Ratledge).
	10/04/09 00:39

Name :	Pongogongo
Current favourite song :	The National - Fake Empire
Message :	ELP:hän oli livenä todella kova. Viisi ensimmäistä levyä olivat myös kaikki täyttä asiaa (muutamaa huumoribiisiä lukuunottamatta). Sen jälkeen alamäki oli kyllä jyrkkä.
	09/04/09 21:38

Name :	Tenu
Message :	ELP ei ole kyllä kestänyt aikaa ollenkaan. Trilogy on mielestäni osittain edelleen suht' hyvä levy, mutta livenä bändi on ollut umpisurkea kuuntelee/katsoo mitä tahansa vanhaa materiaalia. Youtubessa mielipide sen kun vahvistuu karmeiden Laken kitarajuttujen ja vokaaliosuuksien nuotin vierestä (tai oikeastaan aina alle) vetämimisien perusteella. Ja joku on vielä tehnyt tällaisenkin... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weS4_hF8KkE&feature=related
	09/04/09 21:15

Name :	-rh
Home page :	progeclub
Current favourite song :	Genesis - The Knife
Message :	Onko Tolonen lusimassa? Onhan tuosta vitsailtu aina näiden erilaisten biisien soiton yhteydessä. Mustaa huumoria, myönnän.
	09/04/09 15:34