Wigwam

Biography

Wigwam was a Finnish progressive rock band formed in 1968.

History

Wigwam was founded after the split of the seminal Blues Section, with whom drummer Ronnie Österberg had played before. He formed the band as a trio, but soon brought in British expatriate singer/songwriter Jim Pembroke (also in Blues Section) and organist Jukka Gustavson. A year later, Pekka Pohjola joined on bass. Kim Fowley produced Wigwam's second album Tombstone Valentine×Tombstone Valentine1970 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Tombstone Valentine3:08A2In Gratitude!3:49A3Dance of the Anthropoids1:08A4Frederick & Bill4:27A5Wishful Thinker3:49B1Autograph2:41B21936 Lost in the Snow2:13B3Let the World Ramble On3:24B4For America4:24B5Captain Supernatural3:03B6End3:36 (1970). This album also featured an excerpt of Erkki Kurenniemi's electronic composition 'Dance of the Anthropoids'. The 1974 album Being×BeingFebruary 1974 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Proletarian2:10A2InspiRed Machine1:31A3Petty‐Bourgeois2:58A4Pride of the Biosphere3:18A5Pedagogue9:12B1Crisader4:51B2Planetist3:10B3Maestro Mercy2:33B4Prophet6:10B5Marvelry Skimmer2:28 is often called Wigwam's masterpiece. After its release, though, Pohjola and Gustavson quit the band. Commercially the most successful Wigwam album must be the more pop-oriented Nuclear Nightclub×Nuclear Nightclub1975 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Nuclear Nightclub2:46A2Freddie Are You Ready5:38A3Bless Your Lucky Stars6:03A4Kite4:18B1Do or Die5:06B2Simple Human Kindness4:06B3Save My Money & Name4:11B4Pig Storm4:42 that followed in 1975, with new members Pekka Rechardt on guitar and Måns Groundstroem on bass. The album was recorded in Stockholm with better studios, and featured Esa Kotilainen, the Finnish equivalent of Rick Wakeman, on synthesizer. The effect of the synthesizer was to steer the group away from the organ and piano sound of Gustavson that dominated previous albums. The band from Nuclear Nightclub on had songwriters Pembroke and Rechardt often working together, and the two came to describe the style as "deep pop" instead of progressive rock.
For a time in the 1970s Wigwam seemed poised to break through in Europe, along with bands like Tasavallan Presidentti, but even though they were highly praised by the UK press large-scale international fame eluded them, and by 1978 they had disbanded. Jim Pembroke and Ronnie Österberg formed the Jim Pembroke Band in late 1979, but following health problems with diabetes, Österberg committed suicide on 6 December 1980.
Wigwam reformed in the 1990s with the Pembroke-Rechardt-Groundstroem core intact, and has been active to the present. In Finland they have a lasting (although limited) following, and their influence on Finnish rock music is widely recognised.
In the 2010s, the former members of Wigwam have made concerts billed as Wigwam Unplugged or Wigwam Revisited. The latest line-up consists Mikko Rintanen, Jan Noponen, Måns Groundstroem and Jukka Gustavson with Pekka Nylund playing guitar.
In late 2018, the band made a short 50th anniversary tour in Finland with line-up of Jukka Gustavson, Jim Pembroke, Pekka Rechardt, Esa Kotilainen and Jan Noponen with Pave Maijanen on bass.
Band leader Jim Pembroke died in October 2021, aged 75. As other members of the band have decided not to perform under the name Wigwam without Pembroke the 2018 concerts will remain their final performances. However Gustavson, Rechardt, Kotilainen and Noponen with bassist Janne Brunberg have since performed under the name Wigwam Experience and Gustavson, Noponen, Mikko Rintanen, Brunberg and guitarist Puka Oinonen under the name Wigwam Revisited.

Latest lineup

Jim Pembroke – vocals, keyboards (1969–2018; died 2021)
Jukka Gustavson – vocals, electric organ (1969–1974, 2018)
Pekka "Rekku" Rechardt – guitar (1974-)
Jan Noponen – drums (1991–1993, 2018)
Esa Kotilainen – keyboards (1974–75, 1977, 2001-2018, died 2023)
Pave Maijanen – bass guitar, vocals (2018; died 2021)

Drums

Ronald "Ronnie" Österberg (1968–1980; died 1980)
Jari "Kepa" Kettunen (1993–2006)

Bass guitar

Mats Huldén (1968–70, 2004–2006)
Pekka Pohjola (1970–1974; died 2008)
Måns "Måsse" Groundstroem (1974–2003)
Jussi Kinnunen (2003–2004)

Keyboards

Heikki "Pedro" (or "Hessu") Hietanen (1975–1977, 1991–1992, 1999–2000; died 2023)
Mikko Rintanen (1992–1993)

Guest musicians

Jukka Tolonen, guitar (1970–1972), bass (2018)
Esa Kotilainen, keyboards (1974–1975, 1977)
Kristian (Bengt Huhta), vocals (1968)
Ilpo Aaltio, saxophone (1968)
Ilmari Varila, oboe
Tapio Louhensalo, bassoon
Hannu Saxelin, clarinet
Risto Pensola, clarinet
Unto Haapa-aho, bass clarinet
Eero Koivistoinen, soprano saxophone
Pekka Pöyry, soprano saxophone
Pentti Lasanen, clarinet, flute
Paavo Honkanen, clarinet
Aale Lindgren, oboe
Juhani Tapaninen, bassoon
Juhani Aaltonen, flute
Seppo Paakkunainen, flute
Erik Dannholm, flute
Pentti Lahti, flute
Kari Veisterä, flute
Taisto Wesslin, acoustic guitar
Erkki Kurenniemi, VCS3 synthesizer
Jukka Ruohomäki, VCS3 programming assistant
Heikki Laurila, guitar, banjo
Kalevi Nyqvist, accordion
Pedro Hietanen, keyboards (2018)
Mikko Rintanen, keyboards, vocals (2018)
Kepa Kettunen, drums (2018)

Albums

Hard 'n' Horny (1969)
Tombstone Valentine (1970)
Fairyport (1971)
Being (1974)
Nuclear Nightclub (1975)
The Lucky Golden Stripes and Starpose (1976)
Dark Album (1977)
Light Ages (1993)
Titans Wheel (2002)
Some Several Moons (2005)

Compilations and live albums

Wigwam (1972)
Live Music from the Twilight Zone (1975)
Rumours on the Rebound (1979)
Classics – The Rarest (1990)
Highlights (1996)

Jim Pembroke (& Wigwam)

These are Jim Pembroke's solo albums, which are played by Wigwam

Hot Thumbs O'Riley: Wicked Ivory (1972)
Jim Pembroke & Wigwam: Pigworm (1974)
Jim Pembroke: Corporal Cauliflowers Mental Function (1977)