Kaamos -

Kaamos was a Finnish symphonic/art-rock band that released the 1977 album Deeds and Talks.

Members: Ilpo Murtojärvi, Jarkko Leivo, Johnny Gustafsson, Kyösti Laihi

Background

Kaamos formed in 1973 in Turku, Varsinais-Suomi. By spring 1976, the group consisted of vocalist/drummer Johnny Gustafsson, bassist Jarkko “Jakke” Leivo, keyboardist Kyösti Laihi, and guitarist/vocalist Ilpo Murtojärvi. Gustafsson and Murtojärvi had both played in the Turku group Yellow. Leivo joined in late 1975 after the prior bassist left for the Pori City Orchestra.

Kaamos built its stage set around original material with pieces from Yes and Jack Bruce repertory. The band appeared on the Finnish television program Iltatähti with an early original, “Intialainen.”

In 1977, Kaamos recorded background music for a television program about vocalist/songwriter Hasse Ahlstrand, then worked on material for the M&T Production album Relax by Combination. In early summer 1977, Kaamos secured an M&T contract.

Deeds and Talks

Kaamos released their singular album, Deeds and Talks, in October 1977 on M&T.

Deeds presents English-language Finnish progressive rock across eight Ilpo Murtojärvi compositions, with “Moment (Now)” and “Suit-Case” as the longest tracks. Jocke Sumelius wrote the lyrics for the vocal pieces, while Kaamos arranged the album.

“Strife” opens on a quiet prelude, then tightens into a heavier electric section. “Are You Turning” leans into blues-marked phrasing through arranged section turns. “Delightful” snaps through off-kilter changes and sharp-edged vocal movement. “Barokki” alternates poised lead passages with quick cadence shifts and classically shaded voicings. “Moment (Now)” drives at an uptempo clip with firm keyboard-led movement. “When Shall We Know” rides a clipped, syncopated pattern under its compact vocal line. “Suit-Case” passes through organ-led breaks, straighter middle movement, and a late fusion-marked section.

A1. “Strife” (4:31) – Murtojärvi, Sumelius
A2. “Are You Turning” (5:48) – Murtojärvi, Sumelius
A3. “Delightful” (3:31) – Murtojärvi, Sumelius
A4. “Barokki” (3:32) – Murtojärvi
A5. “Isabelle Dandelion” (3:12) – Murtojärvi, Sumelius

B1. “Moment (Now)” (6:40) – Murtojärvi, Sumelius
B2. “When Shall We Know” (3:36) – Murtojärvi, Sumelius
B3. “Suit-Case” (8:33) – Murtojärvi, Sumelius

Kaamos recorded and mixed Deeds and Talks in August and September 1977 at Finnlevy Studios in Helsinki. Kaamos and M&T Production produced the album with sound engineers Tom Vuori and Tom Bildo. Tom Vuori mixed the album with Kaamos. The same year, Tom Vuori recorded parts of The Rollicking Good Times by Ronski & Exotic at Finnlevy Studios and mixed the album at Finnlevy Studios.

Tapio Kinnunen created the cover artwork. The front image shows a circular field with green rays, rust-brown cloud forms, a striped lower plane, and the Kaamos logo across the upper center.

M&T Production lifted “Strife” as a 1977 single (b/w “When Shall We Know”).

Postlude

Gustafsson engineered and played percussion on Screenplay, the 1980 Dig It! release by the Jimi Sumén Projekt. He also engineered The Pop-Oz Discomusikaali, a 1979 musical by composer Kalevi Rothberg.

Three-fourths of Kaamos (barring Leivo) worked with the duo Sini & Timo on their 1981 album on Fifty Fifty.

Discography: