Leevi And The Leavings

Leevi and the Leavings was a Finnish rock-band that operated from 1978 to 2003.

The band consisted of Gösta Sundqvist, Risto Paananen, Juha Karastie and Niklas Nylund. Sundqvist was the leader of the band, he composed and wrote all the band’s songs as well as being the vocalist. Sundqvist was also an interesting character, he rarely gave interviews or appeared on television, although he hosted a radio program for YLE.

The band’s music relied heavily on Sundqvist’s tragicomedic lyrics and catchy choruses. The best example of the band’s style is the song «Teuvo, maanteiden kuningas» («Teuvo, the king of the highways»). The song tells the story of a reckless driver dreaming about being a rally driver. Other famous songs include «Rin Tin Tin», a bitter-sweet reminiscence of a long lost romance, «Unelmia ja toimistohommia» («Dreams and office work»), «Pohjois-Karjala» («North Karelia») and «Itkisitkö onnesta» («Would you cry of happiness»). Many people rate Sundqvist’s lyrics the best rock lyrics in Finland, and a television play based on the characters in his songs was produced and broadcast by Finnish TV.

The band was extremely popular, and many of their songs are sung by Finns in karaoke bars. Leevi was also famous for never performing live. On August 15, 2003, Sundqvist died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 46, and the band decided to call it a day.
Albums (CD)
Leevi and the Leavings released 16 albums:

Suuteleminen kielletty (Kissing forbidden) (1980)
Mies, joka toi rock n’ rollin Suomeen (The man who brought rock n’ roll to Finland) (1981)
Kadonnut laakso (The lost valley) (1982)
Raha ja rakkaus (Money and love ) (1985)
Perjantai, 14. päivä (Friday the 14th) (1986)
Häntä koipien välissä (Tail between legs) (1988)
Musiikkiluokka (Music class) (1989)
Varasteleva joulupukki (Thieving Santa Claus) (1990)
Raparperitaivas (Rhubarb sky) (1991)
Turkmenialainen tyttöystävä (Girlfriend from Turkmenistan) (1993)
Rakkauden planeetta (Planet of love) (1995)
Käärmenäyttely (Snake exhibition) (1996)
Kerran elämässä (Once in a lifetime) (1998)
Bulebule (2000)
Onnen avaimet (The keys of happiness) (2002)
Hopeahääpäivä (Silver wedding anniversary) (2003)
Collections (CD)
11 Collection albums

Leevi And The Leavings (1983)
Salaiset numerot (Secret Numbers) (1986)
Unelmia ja toiveita (Dreams and Wishes) (1989)
Menestyksen salaisuus (The Secret of success) (1992)
Leevi and the Leavings (Suomen parhaat) (Best Of Finland)(1994)
Lauluja rakastamisen vaikeudesta (Songs about difficulty of loving) (1994)
Itkisitkö onnesta / 20 suosikkia (Would you cry of happiness / 20 favorites) (1997)
Keskiviikko… 40 ensimmäistä hittiä (Wednesday… 40 first hits) (1997)
Torstai… 40 seuraavaa hittiä (Thursday… 40 next hits) (2001)
Stereogramofoni (Stereogramophone) (2001)
Keskeneräinen Sinfonia (Uncompleted Symphony) (2004)