| Background | non_performing_personnel |
|---|
| Birth name | Juha Harri Vainio |
|---|
| Alias | Junnu, Junnu Kaihomieli, Jorma Koski, Ilkka Lähde, Mirja Lähde, Kirsi Sunila, Heikki Ilmari |
|---|
| Born | May 10, 1938 |
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| Died | October 29, 1990 |
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| Origin | Kotka, Finland |
|---|
| Coordinates | 60°42′23″N28°44′39″N |
|---|
| Occupation | lyricist, composer, singer |
|---|
| Years active | 1963–1990 |
|---|
Juha Harri "Junnu" Vainio, also known as Juha "Watt" Vainio (10 May 1938 in Kotka, Finland – 29 October 1990, Gryon, Switzerland) was a Finnish lyricist, singer, composer and teacher. Estimated to have written the lyrics or music to over 2,400 songs, he is known as one of Finland's most prolific lyricists along with Reino Helismaa and Vexi Salmi. By profession Vainio was a teacher and worked in Kymenranta primary school, but his career as a teacher was rather short.
Vainio's career started in the early 1960s and lasted until his death. Apart from his home town Kotka, he lived for several years in Helsinki and Espoo. For his last years Vainio lived in Gryon, Switzerland, where he died of a heart attack in October 1990. He is buried in a family grave in Helsinki.
The nickname "Watt" was related to a song on Vainio's first solo record, 1964's "Paras rautalankayhtye" ("The Best Rautalanka Band"). The nickname was never used by itself, but always as part of "Juha Watt Vainio".
Biography
Family and childhood
Juha Harri Vainio was born on 10 May 1938, in
Kotka, as the first child of Tauno and Kaarina Vainio. He spent much of his early childhood in Vuoksenniska,
Imatra. The family had two more children, Marja (born 1944) and Markku (born 1946).
The surname of Juha's grandfather, Emil Vainio (born 1881) was Alajääski, but he changed his name to Vainio soon after the turn of the century. There were many athletes in Tauno Vainio's family, and Kaarina Vainio had some athletic background. They got engaged in 1937. Tauno Vainio worked in Vuoksenniska as a regional head of the White Guard, and was known as a man of principle.
Juha Vainio loved singing as a child, and their neighbours often asked him to come over and sing. When the Winter War started, Juha was still too young to understand what happened. His father Tauno had to go to war as a captain of the military reserve force, and Juha Vainio had to move to Metsola, Kotka, with his mother. As an adult, the only thing Juha Vainio remembered from the war was the air-raid alarms and people's anxiety. Sometimes they went to stay at her mother's cousins during the evacuations, and Juha became friends with Olli Miettinen, a cousin of his mother. The two had an age difference of six years. The only brother of Kaarina Vainio, Mauno, was killed in the war.
In 1945, the Vainios moved into a detached house in Metsola. They lived there until 1950, after which they moved to Kotkansaari, in the centre of Kotka. Juha Vainio has said that the most beautiful years of his childhood were spent in Metsola. It was there that he met Nestori Miikkulainen, who was four years older than he. He later used Miikkulainen's name in the song "Vanhojapoikia viiksekkäitä" ("Moustached Bachelors"). He often spent time in the harbour of Kotka with his friends. He was fond of the sea throughout his life.
As a child Juha Vainio was diagnosed with a congenital heart disease. His lips turned blue, and he became breathless unusually fast. His heart was operated on in early 1949. At the same time his mother suffered from tuberculosis, but recovered later. Juha was at first kept at the adults' ward, perhaps because of the seriousness of the operation, but later he was transferred to the children's ward to recover. He soon got home and started getting better.
School
School did not start well for Juha Vainio. He was frustrated with school and was once absent for three weeks without permission. After primary school he attended
gymnasium in
Kotka. At the same time his family moved from Metsola to Kotkansaari. In his school years Vainio's best friend was Risto "Tiso" Warjus, two years his senior. He was given the nickname Junnu in gymnasium. Originally, the nickname belonged to music teacher Arvo Vainio, who had a big nose like a comic book character called Junnu. Later the name was given to another Vainio, Juha.
When he was fifteen, Vainio was sure that he would become a writer. As a young man he read a book about poetics, and he has later said that the rules were easy to break once he had learned them. It became apparent in essays written in gymnasium that Juha had talent as a writer. However, teachers had sometimes mixed feelings about his writing; one time he received no grade for a causerie he had written, because the teacher felt that it could not be graded as an essay. Although essays were his strong point, school was uninteresting for Juha. He even considered quitting school, but the principal persuaded him to change his mind. He was transferred to another school and was later joined there by his friend Risto Warjus. In the end, the only school subjects in which Vainio thrived were singing and sport.
Around 1957 Vainio's family moved from the centre of Kotka to near the harbour. After a few years they moved again, to the neighbourhood near Sibeliuspuisto.
Beginning in childhood, Juha Vainio practiced sport even though he suffered from heart problems before the surgery. He liked football and basketball, which were very popular in Kotka. He also practiced high jump together with Tiso Warjus. After the operation Juha's physical condition had deteriorated, but doing sport helped him improve it.
First contact with music
Juha Vainio was interested in music and started socializing with musician mid-1950s. The centre of jazz music in Kotka was restaurant Fennia; among others, Keijo Laitinen and the cousin of Vainio's mother, Olli Miettinen, played there. Although Vainio was still a minor – which at the time meant under 21 – he managed to slip into the restaurant. He presented his lyrics to the musicians and was occasionally allowed to play the piano. Vainio has told that his friends remembered him as being always penniless. He started drinking more and more, and often asked his friends for a drink.
In late 1956 one of Vainio's musician friends, Heikki Kauppinen, lived next door to him. Kauppinen was three years older than Vainio. Vainio also got acquainted with drummer Erkki Liikanen. Vainio and his friends had different tastes in music: Olli Miettinen and Reijo "Rempo" Tani listened to jazz, while Vainio liked schlager music. Vainio later described and named many of his friends in his song lyrics.
In autumn 1957 Vainio attended the obligatory call-ups for the Finnish army. He was 19 years old and in the second to last grade of gymnasium. However, he did not want to start his military service right after the matriculation exams, because he wanted to find himself a profession first. The next spring he reached the last year of gymnasium, and decided to go to Paris for the holidays with his friend Pekka. Vainio was supposed to pass his matriculation exams in the spring of 1959, but he failed the Swedish exam and had to wait until autumn to pass it.
Fatherhood, teaching and military service
In Fennia Juha Vainio met his future wife Taina Kaukonen. During the early phases of their relationship Juha's sister, Marja Vainio, had to work as a messenger. Juha's parents scolded the young father and Juha and Taina got married in the summer of 1960. A son was born in October of the same year, and he was named Ilkka. The couple had three more children: Sami in 1961, Kalle in 1963 and Kati in 1967. At first the young couple lived at Juha's parents', but moved to
Helsinki when Juha started his studies there. He studied in Yhteiskunnallinen korkeakoulu (School of Social Sciences, which later became the
University of Tampere) and later Opettajakorkeakoulu (School of Vocational Teacher Education).
Juha Vainio taught higher classes in Yläpää primary school. The pupils called him informally "Junnu". His teaching was fairly relaxed; in the morning he made the pupils sing a children's song instead of a hymn. The pupils could eat and watch television with Vainio. In 1964 he had a temporary pause in teaching due to military service. Vainio already had some reputation as a lyricist, and while in the army he was assigned to write the lyrics for the new cadence of Karelia Brigade. Vainio finished his military service in autumn 1964, at 26.
Breakthrough
Vainio's musical influences include Tapio Rautavaara, Georg Malmstén and Henry Theel. As a young man he trained to play music because he wanted to become a professional musician. He started writing lyrics for friends' bands, and his texts brought him some fame. Vainio was above all a lyricist; he wrote lyrics or music for over 2,400 published songs, the majority of which were recorded by others. Many of Vainio's lyrics were written for Toivo Kärki's compositions.). The band accepted, and after Pasanen gave up the radio show to start his television career the musicians followed with him. They played in Pasanen's shows including Speden saluuna (Spede's Saloon) and 50 pientä minuuttia (50 Small Minutes).
With the help of his friend Erkki Liikanen, Vainio got a record deal from recording company Finndisc. The debut single, "Paras rautalankayhtye" was recorded in 1964. At the same time Vainio got the nickname "Watt", which was printed on the front cover of the single. Vainio wrote lyrics for several performers, including Katri Helena. In 1965 his parents and siblings moved to Helsinki, and at about the same time Vainio and his family moved to Espoo, where they lived for over 25 years. In 1966 he lost a good friend when Olli Miettinen died at the age of 34.
Vainio's songs "Mistä löydän ystävän" ("Where Do I Find a Friend") and "Maanantaitango" ("Monday Tango") had been recorded by Katri Helena already before Vainio's military service, in 1963. After the army, Vainio befriended composer and music journalist Sauvo Puhtila (known to the Finnish public by the pseudonym Saukki), who told him that Yleisradio was in need of lyricists. Vainio was at the time eager to leave his job as a teacher, and started collaborating with musician Reino Markkula. Their song "Sä kuulut päivään jokaiseen" ("You Belong in Every Day"), composed by Markkula with lyrics by Vainio, was given to Eino Grön who made it into a hit.
Vainio worked at Fazer Music as a lyricist with monthly salary and at the same time wrote his own songs. He translated several international hits into Finnish, including "Piilopaikka" ("Hideout", originally "You've Got Your Troubles") by Danny and "Nyt meni hermot" ("Now I'm Furious"), which became the breakthrough recording of pop group The First. However, Vainio was often late for arranged studio sessions, which irritated the bands and the company's management. At 30, Vainio wrote one of his best-known translations, Fredi's "Kolmatta linjaa takaisin" ("Back along Kolmas Linja"). Another success was his translation of The Beatles' "Penny Lane", recorded by Pepe Willberg as "Rööperiin" ("To Rööperi"). Although Vainio's version takes place in Helsinki, he has said he was thinking about Kotka when he wrote the lyrics. Among his first recorded songs were "Jos vain saisin nastahampaan takaisin" ("If Only I Would Get the Spike Tooth Back") from 1964 and "Suolaa, suolaa, enemmän suolaa" ("Salt, Salt, More Salt") and "Juhannustanssit" ("Midsummer's Ball") from 1965. The album, however, was more a collection of singles than an actual studio album.
In the mid-1960s Vainio had success with "Sellanen ol' Viipuri" ("Such Was Vyborg"), "Turistit tuppukylään" ("Tourists Arrive in the Small Town") and a song written with Erik Lindström, "Herrat Helsingin" ("Big Shots of Helsinki"). When the Finndisc company was sold to Scandia, the collaboration of Vainio and Lindström ended. Soon, Vaino got acquainted with composer Jaakko Salo, who was introduced to him by Saukki. He started writing lyrics for composer Toivo Kärki, who had lost his primary lyricist Reino Helismaa in January 1965.
Well-known songs from the late 1960s and early 1970s were among others "Suomi–Ruotsi" ("Finland–Sweden") and 1971's "Matkarakastaja" ("Travelling Lover"), which was met with criticism. While Vainio's early albums were simply collections of singles, he recorded his first actual studio album in 1972. The album Viisari värähtää (The Pointer Twitches) included the song "Kaunissaari" (referring to a place name in Finland), which Vainio recorded several times during his career. It was also included on his next album, Tulin, näin ja soitin (I Came, I Saw, I Played), which was released in 1975. A collection of singles was made by Vainio and Reijo Tani in 1968, called Juha "Watt" Vainio ja Reijo Tani. The album included Vainio's collaborations with Toivo Kärki called "Kauhea kankkunen" ("Horrible Hangover") and "Vanha salakuljettaja Laitinen" ("Old Smuggler Laitinen"). The latter song was named after Keijo Laitinen, a good friend of Vainio's.
Back to teaching
Vainio started teaching again in the early 1970s. It is said that he made the choice by rolling a die. Vainio made up nicknames for all pupils, and the pupils called him correspondingly Junnu. He had a habit of coming up with very unorthodox methods of punishment. In general he got on very well with his pupils.
However, his career ended when a school inspector visited the school. The inspector found litter on the floor and noticed pupils with chewing gum. Vainio was often late and had left a lot of paperwork unfinished. Shortly before quitting teaching, Vainio organized an excursion for the pupils. He often carried a hip flask with him, in case of running out of something to drink. Vainio's deteriorating family relations are considered to be one reason for his drinking. Many of his friends were heavy drinkers as well. Despite his drinking problem, he still always managed to finish his lyrics in time. and at first Vainio found their decision odd. When Vexi Salmi was hired to Fazer in 1970, Vainio and Salmi started drinking together often and sometimes even came to work with a hangover. On one occasion, Vainio had forgotten that he was supposed to have finished the text of an advertising tune. When the deadline came, Vainio was too hung over to finish the lyrics and eventually Salmi agreed to help by writing the lyrics for Vainio's composition. Vainio's alcohol use increased in the 1970s, and his parents watched without being able to do anything about it. It is told that Vainio would not go to sleep at night unless he had liquor under his bed, and he always kept a bottle with him. However, Vainio started realizing that he could not live like this forever. By summer 1975 he had decided that he needed to stop drinking altogether. What especially helped his decision was a time when he met footballer Kai Pahlman, who told him that he was surprised that Vainio was still alive. In late 1975 Vainio stayed sober for four months, but then caved in for a short time.
Vainio was supported by his friends who had quit drinking a few years earlier, such as Osmo "Osku" Kanerva. Eino Grön, a friend of Vainio's, decided to follow his example and managed to quit a year and a half after Vainio. However, Vainio never wanted to be called a teetotaler and considered himself a recovered alcoholic. After he quit drinking, Vainio's songs became more serious and more sensitive, although he still wrote humorous lyrics as well.
Although Vainio himself did not consume alcohol, he was tolerant about others' alcohol use and could spend time with his friends even if they did drink. He even kept alcohol in his house in case his friends came over. He also began discussing the topic of drinking in his lyrics. Getting rid of his alcohol problem did not solve Vainio's domestic problems, however, and Juha and Taina Vainio ended up in a divorce.
Changes
After his divorce, Vainio's life slowly began to change. Creatively he was more prolific than ever in the late 1970s and 1980s. He began composing in addition to writing lyrics. He worked a lot with
Veikko Samuli and Jaakko Salo, and Salo started arranging songs Vainio had written.
In 1976 Vainio's "Jawohl, jawohl" from Kansi kiinni ja kuulemiin (Shut the Lid and Goodbye) was criticized for its commentary about German tourists who visit Lapland. The album also had a sensitive song, "Mä uskon huomispäivään" ("I Believe in Tomorrow"). Other well-known songs from the album are "Playboy 60 v" ("Playboy 60 yrs"), "Suomi–Ruotsi" and "Taas lapsuuden maisemiin" ("Back Again to Where I Grew Up"). ("The Albatross and the Duck") contains one of Vainio's most well-known songs, "Albatrossi". The topic of the song was lost youth. Another sensitive song on the album is "Apteekin ovikello" ("The Pharmacy Doorbell"), the idea for which Vainio got from Tapio Rautavaara. Other well-known songs were "Panaman konsuli" ("The Consul of Panama") and "Kun mä rupesin ryyppäämään" ("When I Started Drinking"). Vainio wrote a part of the songs and sang on the record. All musicians used pseudonyms, Vainio's being "Junnu Kaihomieli". Many of the songs were based on a familiar melody whose copyright had already expired; for example, the song "Kumi-Roope" ("Rubber Roope") was an obscene version of the folk song "Rosvo-Roope" ("Roope the Robber"). In 1979 Vainio participated in another recording of similar songs. They sang together on the single "Kunto nousee sullakin" ("You'll Get in Shape Too"), with lyrics by Vainio. The B-side of the single was "Pokkana ja paikallaan" ("Serious and Still"), sung by Elomaa alone. A compilation album called Sellaista elämä on (That's How Life Is) was released in 1983; the album consisted of the most popular songs Vainio recorded himself. after his divorce. They were married on 27 December 1981 in Kuusamo. In 1983 they had a daughter, Suvi. The couple moved to Switzerland in the late 1980s. In 1988 Katri Helena, Eino Grön, Pave Maijanen and other popular artists performed in a concert organized to celebrate Vainio's 50th birthday.
Death
Vainio suffered from heart problems in 1990, and his sister Marja remembered that he often placed his hand on his heart. He had even finished writing his will. At one time Vainio was travelling to Florida with his friend, composer Veikko Samuli. Vainio had to go to the bathroom during the flight, and soon there was a call for a doctor from the flight personnel. Vainio had kept his heart medicines in his pocket, where the box had opened and mixed with his
pastilles. Vainio had eaten too much of the medicine by accident, and his heartbeat started to slow down. Once a stewardess found out what had happened, she saved Vainio's life by quickly forcing him to vomit.
Vainio gave his last performance on 12 October 1990. He died of a heart attack in his home in Gryon, Switzerland, on 29 October 1990, in the arms of his wife. He was 52 years old. A burial ceremony was held in the town of Vevey, and Vainio's body was brought back to Finland and buried in a family grave in Hietaniemi graveyard in Helsinki.
The day before he died, Vainio had become friends with ice hockey coach Juhani Tamminen and had dinner with his family. According to Tamminen Vainio had been in good condition at the time. The following week Tamminen learned of Vainio's death from a friend who had read about it in a Finnish newspaper.
Among the pseudonyms used by Vainio were Junnu, Junnu Kaihomieli, Jorma Koski, Ilkka Lähde, Mirja Lähde, Kirsi Sunila
Hobbies
Vainio played a lot of football and basketball in his youth. Later on he remained an enthusiastic spectator. He wrote the lyrics for ice-hockey team
Tappara's anthem "Tappara on terästä" ("Tappara Is Made of Steel"), composed by Reijo Lehtovirta in 1976. Tappara's manager Mikko Westberg had asked Vainio to write a song for the team, and requested that the lyrics contain the phrases "Tappara is made of steel" and "rye bread". Vainio became a lifetime fan of Tappara after writing the song.
Vainio was fond of the sea and sailing. He often took his family and friends sailing in his boat, and in 1987 he bought an island in Österskär with his wife Pirkko. His love for sailing is evident in his song "Kaikki paitsi purjehdus on turhaa" ("Everything But Sailing Is Pointless"), composed by Lasse Mårtenson.
Legacy
There have been many tribute concerts after Vainio's death; the most recent one was organized in May 2008 to celebrate his 70th birthday. Songwriter Jukka Virtanen, a friend of Vainio's, wrote a play called
Albatrossi ja Heiskanen (
The Albatross and Heiskanen) which was based on Vainio's songs. It was first performed in his hometown Kotka in 1992 and has been performed many times since. The Finnish film
Keisarikunta (
The Empire) describes the youth of Vainio and his friends in Kotka in the 1950s.
A writer's award named after Vainio was introduced in 1991, called the Juha Vainio Award (Juha Vainio -palkinto). It is given annually to notable Finnish lyricists. The amount of money awarded each year is 5,000 euros (previously 30,000 Finnish markkas). In December 1994 a club called Junnun Lauluseura (Junnu's singing club) was established. Its members include Vainio's friends Keijo Laitinen, Pertti Metsärinne and Reijo Tani. The club published two books called Junnun laululipas 1 and Junnun laululipas 2.
All songs that Vainio recorded were published in 2008 in a CD box set Legendan laulut – Kaikki levytykset 1963–1990 (Songs of the Legend – All Recordings 1963–1990). It included his advertisiment songs, bawdy songs and a book. A compilation album released with the box set called Legendan laulut – 48 mestariteosta (Songs of the Legend – 40 Masterpieces) reached second place in Finnish album charts.
Juha Vainio's son Ilkka Vainio is in the music business. He works as a music producer and songwriter.
Discography
Juha 'Watt' Vainio (1966, compilation of singles)
Juha 'Watt' Vainio ja Reijo Tani (1968, compilation of singles) (Translation: Juha 'Watt' Vainio and Reijo Tani)
Viisari värähtää (1972) (Translation: The Pointer Twitches)
Tulin, näin ja soitin (1975) (Translation: I Came, I Saw, I Played)
Kansi kiinni ja kuulemiin (1976) (Translation: Shut the Lid and Goodbye)
Käyn ahon laitaa (1979) (Translation: I Walk by the Side of a Glade)
Albatrossi ja sorsa (1981) (Translation: The Albatross and the Duck)
Sellaista elämä on (1983) (Translation: That's How Life Is)
Elämää ja erotiikkaa (1985) (Translation: Life and Erotica)
Viiskymppisen viisut (1991) (Translation: Tunes of a Fifty-year-old)
References
Notes
Further reading
External links
Category:1938 births
Category:1990 deaths
Category:Finnish singers
Category:Finnish songwriters
Category:People from Kotka
