Leningrad Cowboys

The Leningrad Cowboys were a Finnish rock band who perform rock and roll covers of other songs. They had exaggerated pompadour hairstyles and wore long, pointy shoes. They often worked with the Russian military band the Alexandrov Ensemble.

Leningrad Cowboys
Background information
Origin	Finland
Genres	Comedy rock rock 'n' roll hard rock heavy metal glam metal alternative metal folk metal industrial metal
Years active	1986–2016
Labels	Megamania Plutonium Johanna Kustannus SPV Roadrunner Sony BMG
Members	Ville Tuomi Sakke Järvenpää Tume Uusitalo Varre Vartiainen Pauli Hauta-Aho Sami Järvinen Timo Tolonen Okke Komulainen Pemo Ojala Pope Puolitaival Jay Kortehisto Anna Sainila Hanna Moisala
Past members	See below

Beginnings

The band was an invention of the Finnish film director Aki Kaurismäki together with Sakke Järvenpää and Mato Valtonen, members of the Finnish comedy rock band Sleepy Sleepers. The three of them conceived the band in a bar in 1986 as a joke on the waning power of the Soviet Union. The two musicians expressed their wishes that Kaurismäki would direct their first music video, which resulted in the short film Rocky VI (1986). After two further short films, "Thru the Wire" (1987) and "L.A. Woman" (1988), Kaurismäki decided to direct a feature film about them, Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989).^[1][2]

After Leningrad Cowboys Go America

The band appeared in two subsequent music videos: Those Were the Days (1992)^[3] and These Boots (1993),^[4] as well as a concert film The Total Balalaika Show (1994)^[5] all directed by Kaurismäki.

In 1994, Kaurismäki directed a sequel to Leningrad Cowboys Go America entitled Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses.^[6]

December 2012 saw the release of an animated Christmas video featuring Dog'Y'Dog, a dog resembling the dog from the "You're My Heart, You're My Soul" video. The video also featured a cover of "Christmas in Hollis" from an upcoming Leningrad Cowboys album for Christmas 2013.^[7][8][9]

Red X-Mas was a tour of Finland by the Leningrad Cowboys and the Russian Air Force Choir from 27 November to 7 December 2013, featuring over 60 performers.^[10][11]

In co-production with Anima Vitae, Leningrad cowboys is producing an animated feature Dog'y'dog featuring the half-Siberian/half-Mexican dog (from their "Christmas in Hollis" music video) traveling from Siberia to Mexico via the US.^[12]

Dog'y'Dog also appeared in the Bonehead game for Android developed by Leningrad Cowboys Studios and Fingersoft and released 13 May 2014.^[13][14]

Band members

“Total Balalaika Show” of the Leningrad Cowboys and the Red Army Choir in 1993

Leningrad Cowboys in 2008

Current members^[15]

• Ville Tuomi: lead vocals (2011–2016)
• Sakke Järvenpää: vocals (1986–2016)
• Varre Vartiainen: guitar (2003–2016)
• Pauli Hauta-aho: guitar (2011–2016)
• Timo Tolonen: bass (2003–2016)
• Sami Järvinen: drums (2011–2016)
• Okke Komulainen: keyboards, accordion (2011–2016)
• Tume Uusitalo: vocals, guitar (2003–2016)
• Pemo Ojala: trumpet, Mitten (1991–2016)
• Pope Puolitaival: saxophone (2003–2016)
• Jay Kortehisto: trombone (2003–2016)
• Anna Sainila: dancer, vocals (2011–2016)
• Hanna Moisala: dancer, vocals (2011–2016)

Discography

Main article: Leningrad Cowboys discography

• 1917–1987 (1987)
• Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989)
• We Cum From Brooklyn (1992)
• Happy Together (1994)
• Go Space (1996)
• Mongolian Barbeque (1997)
• Terzo Mondo (2000)
• Zombies Paradise (2006)
• Buena Vodka Social Club (2011)
• Merry Christmas (2013)