MIKKO ALATALO BIDS FAREWELL WITH A SYMPHONIC ALBUM

“This symphonic album is the crowning achievement of my career,” says Mikko Alatalo. “It’s unlikely that I’ll make any more records. After all, I’ve released more than 50 albums over the decades. So this one can serve as a grand farewell to the people who love our music.”

WHERE DID THE IDEA OF RECORDING SYMPHONIC VERSIONS OF YOUR SONGS COME FROM?

The idea of making a symphonic album had been simmering since the 1980s. Back then, I appeared as a guest soloist with various city orchestras, and those experiences lit a spark that has now finally become a reality.

The album Se se on rokkii… ja sinfoniaa (ALRCD060 and ALRLP061) was created in collaboration with Oulu Sinfonia and the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, both conducted by Jukka Myllys. A new generation of arrangers – Sampo Kasurinen, Artturi Rönkä, Jussi Lampela and Perttu Vänskä – came up with arrangements that really rock, but also have their tender moments. At times, they even sound like something straight out of Hollywood!

Jukka Myllys was full of admiration for the arrangements. He said we’d created something truly special – a landmark work bringing together different musical worlds, emotions and colours. Crème de la crème!

CHOOSING THE SONGS MUST HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT. YOU'VE WRITTEN 600 WITH HARRI RINNE, NOT TO MENTION YOUR SOLO COMPOSITIONS AND THE SONGS YOU WROTE WITH JUICE LESKINEN!

A lot of songs that are dear to me had to be left out. Still, the album features nine songs that I wrote either on my own or together with Harri, including 11 virran maa and Ihmisen ikävä. There’s also a touch of Juice Leskinen, with Per Vers.

Jukka Myllys created a wonderful swing arrangement of Maalaispoika, while Masi Luoma arranged Suojelusenkeli. Juha Tapio also updated the lyrics of Kiiminkijoki slightly when he performed the song in Koiteli.

The album includes Finnish-language versions of some songs that mean a lot to me: Pelit seis, Beethoven (Roll Over Beethoven), Anna mulle lovee (Gimme Some Lovin’), Milloin viimeksi mä kerroin sulle? (Have I Told You Lately?) and Yhä pitkä matka kesään (Långholmsgatan 2).

WHAT MEMORIES DO YOU ASSOCIATE WITH THESE COVER SONGS?

Pelit seis, Beethoven really rocks, just like ELO! In 1977, I saw Jeff Lynne perform the song with Electric Light Orchestra at Wembley. That performance stayed with me.

At one point, Juice gave me his Finnish lyrics for Pelit seis, Beethoven, which I later updated a little. When we recorded it, the violinists of Oulu Sinfonia played the most energetic passages standing up!

I also met the song’s composer, Chuck Berry, when I was hosting Ruisrock in 1976.

When I saw Steve Winwood on Finnish television in the 1960s, I realised that rock should be sung high and loud. That was the inspiration behind Anna mulle lovee.

I also happened to meet Van Morrison at a jazz club in London. I told him I’d recorded Have I Told You Lately in Finnish. He asked me my name, and I told him. His response was: “I don’t know, but all the best!”

THE ALBUM ALSO FEATURES SOME SWEDISH MUSIC, DOESN'T IT?

Yes! There’s Yhä pitkä matka kesään, which I sing as a duet with the wonderful Pamela Kilpeläinen. It’s our Finnish adaptation of a ballad by Niklas Strömstedt and Johanna Frostling.

I also received the string arrangements from Sweden, courtesy of conductor Erik Arvinder. He’s an accomplished musician who has worked on arrangements for international stars such as Coldplay, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga.

MIKKO ALATALO AND THE KUOPIO CITY ORCHESTRA – WHAT'S NEXT? WILL WE HEAR YOU PERFORMING WITH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS AGAIN?

I hope to perform more symphonic concerts in the future. This spring, I’ll be singing my songs with the full Kuopio City Orchestra on Friday, 20 March. The concert will be hosted by Jyri Lipponen of the Levykauppa Äx record store chain.

WE HEAR YOU MADE THIS ALBUM IN TRUE KUMMELI FASHION – THE ARTIST PAYS! HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?

I didn’t want to use orchestras from Eastern Europe, even though they would have been cheaper. I wanted to show my appreciation for Finnish musicians.

And when you have fewer miles ahead of you than behind you, you want to leave something lasting and meaningful for future generations.

Dave Lindholm once wrote a song called Se se on rokkii eikä sinfoniaa (That’s Rock ’n’ Roll, Not Symphony). This album proves that rock and symphonic music can go hand in hand – as long as they swing!

An interview with Mikko Alatalo for Viihdeuutiset.