Wigwam

Wigwam have the rare distinction of being the only '70s band from Finland to have made any impact outside the country, as well as being an incubator for the country's top prog musicians – the only catch was that the anticipated massive breakthrough never happened…

Long a favorite among progressive rock and pop fans in the know, Wigwam are best remembered for their 1975 album Nuclear Nightclub, which was released in Finland on Love Records and in England on Virgin Records. Led by U.K. singer-songwriter Jim Pembroke, Wigwam were the biggest band in Finland from the late '60s through most of the '70s. They reformed for a fantastic album in '92, entitled Light Ages, and now ten years after they rise again for a fantastic studio album called Titans Wheel, released in Finland on EMI / Harvest Records.

Moving to Helsinki from London back in the mid ‘60s, Jim Pembroke became situated as one of a select few of first class U.K. rockers to move their talents to the continent. Pembroke’s amazing songs, vocals, lyrics and production has graced many fine rock records to come out of Finland and even Sweden. Now 35 years after his early recordings with Blues Section and Wigwam, Pembroke & Co. have recorded and released another brilliant new studio album in 2005.

Wigwam (1972) is the first compilation by this Finnish band. It culls tracks from the band's first three albums with the focus being placed on the more commercial tracks on the albums. In fact eight of the ten tracks on the compilation are Pembroke compositions, another detail in Wigwam history which proves the pint that the main "commercial" factor within the band was indeed Pembroke with Gustavson, and to a lesser extent Pohjola, composing material that was deemed too complex for mass commercial appeal.