THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,822) Blues Section — “End of a Poem”
This “seminal and ground-breaking [Finnish] band” (Aleksi, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOdXm6rhtRM) with a British singer gives us a wistful and simply gorgeous breakup song in English. “Let me be Set me free”
Wigwam tells us (Translation checked by Mark Jones):
Blues Section were . . . together . . . only a year and a half, but during that period they managed to revolutionize the Finnish rock music scene. . . . [They] were founded in spring 1967. Inspired by John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, guitarist Hasse Walli of the Jormas and bassist Måns Groundstroem of the Roosters had become greatly interested in Furious R&B, agreeing that it was time for Finland to step further from the accustomed beat pop course. In May their faith was strengthened by Jimi Hendrix who created an ineffaceable influence on his Helsinki concert audience. . . . Atte Blom and Otto Donner had been launching a new progressive record company, Love Records, and were searching for a proper rock band to be taken under its wing. . . . Love Records found the rock players they were longing for, while the young blues enthusiasts got a Publisher for their music. Blues Section found a vocalist in Briton Jim Pembroke in whose backing group, the Pems, Groundstroem had earlier played. Because of its innovation, some jazz players also became interested in this pop musicians’ project. Edward Vesala joined the band as drummer, bringing along alto saxophonist Eero Koivistoinen. The latter stayed in the band, but Vesala was replaced by Raimo Rautarinne from the Roosters. Rautarinne was, himself, replaced by Ronnie Österberg . . . . Already on their earliest gigs . . . . [t]he crowd marveled open-mouthed at smoke-bombs, howling amplifiers, and other show tricks. . . . [T]he band play[ed] a Bluesbreakers, Yardbirds, Jimi Hendrix and Cream repertoire with a strong intensity. . . . [and] soon became Finland’s number one band . . . . [Its] live performances began to draw away from basic blues, becoming more and more improvised and jazzy . . . . As a rule, before Blues Section Finnish pop bands had recorded only material selected or approved by the record company, commercial potential being the guiding principle. Blues Section were the first Finnish band able to make records to their own liking without this hit pressure . . . . Blues Section recordings . . . included predominantly more pop-ish stuff than their live repertoire. . . . [T]he recording studio opened the possibility of utilizing the Wonders of modern technology, so some of the tracks were quite experimental in the spirit of the Beatles and other psychedelics of the time. Almost all of the recorded songs were penned by the band members or close partners. In particular, Pembroke showed his Talent as a Writer of excellent melodies: he created great pop songs – not blues pieces. . . . In spring 1968 Groundstroem left the band in order to concentrate on his studies. He was replaced by jazz bassist Pekka Sarmanto . Then Jim Pembroke got tired of the band, and another Briton, Frank Robson from Mosaic, was hired as singer. The new personnel continued together for a few months, making a couple of recordings, but Walli and the band’s jazz musicians were getting involved in too many other activities. In the summer Koivistoinen left the band, and Blues Section finally split up in autumn 1968, with Sarmanto going to serve his time as a conscript. Walli went on to play in the Otto Donner Treatment, Österberg and Koivistoinen in the Boys, and Sarmanto later in the jazz circles. Robson left for England, returning in 1969 to join the President of the Republic, founded by Groundstroem. Pembroke worked at Love’s office until early 1969, then joined Wigwam who had been founded by Österberg. Blues Section Musicians thus gave birth to the two most important Finnish rock bands of the early seventies[, Wigwam and President of the Republic . . . .
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