Posted on 07/26/2009 7:30:29 PM PDT by JoeProBono
Oh, and if you can find the Red Army Choir’s version of “It’s a long way...” on YouTube or elsewhere, give it a listen. (I can’t on this computer).
The Leningrad Cowboys is a Finnish rock band famous for its humorous songs, ludicrous hairstyles and concerts featuring the Russian military band Alexandrov ensemble.
The band was an invention of the Finnish film director Aki Kaurismäki, appearing as a fictional band in his 1989 film Leningrad Cowboys Go America. The fictional band, however, was made up of Sakke Järvenpää and Mato Valtonen, members of a real Finnish band the Sleepy Sleepers with some additional musicians. In the film, they are joined by Nicky Tesco, former lead member of the UK punk rock band, The Members.
After the film, the band took on a life of its own, recording music, making videos and giving concerts. The band appeared in two other Aki Kaurismäki films, the Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses (1994) and the Total Balalaika Show (1994), which is a film of a concert performed by the band and the full 160-member Alexandrov ensemble in Helsinki, Finland in June 1993. Kaurismäki also wrote and directed two videos featuring the band: their cover of the 60’s folk standard Those Were The Days (1992) and Thru The Wire (also featuring Tesco) (1992).
In 1994, the band appeared together with 70 members of the Alexandrov ensemble at the 11th annual MTV Music Awards, at the Radio City Music Hall in New York, where they sang the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic Sweet Home Alabama. The show was seen by an estimated 250 million people worldwide. That same year, the band and ensemble again joined forces for the “Nokia Balalaika Show”, a concert held in Berlin. In 1998 they featured in the film L.A. Without a Map.
Currently, the band has 11 Cowboys and two Leningrad Ladies. The songs, all somewhat influenced by polka and progressive rock, are performed in English and have themes such as vodka, tractors, rockets, and Genghis Khan, as well as folkloric Russian songs, rock and roll ballads and covers from bands as diverse as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, all presented with lots of humour.
— I like this one, you get to see the Russians too !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lNFRLrP014 —
By far the superior version. Thanks for adding it to the record here :) I have had that version on my fave playlist for years now.
I am partial to their ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV6ETVQgob0
Why must Russians always look so grim? (Except for the third guy from the right, middle row, standing). He must be one of the tenors.
Even Better....
Happy Together (The Turtles) - Red Russian Army Choir & Leningrad Cowboys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3l48_EGNdY
You are right, that is a much better version tho it chops off the first part.
You get to see the Leningrad ladies in it too.
I think that one was performed in Helsinki.
I saw this video, and it freaked me out. I have no words.
The Leningrad Cowboys is a Finnish rock band famous for its humorous songs, ludicrous hairstyles and concerts featuring the Russian military band Alexandrov ensemble
Nice - Thanks for posting!
Now, isn’t that just the darndest thing...
Thanks !
Truly bizarre to someone who grew up on John Le Carre’s “Smiley” etc :)
Nyet Comradski...with much wodka sound good...you like web page dah!
http://www.leningradcowboys.fi/
ping
Ping.
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