The 69 Eyes biography
The 69 Eyes are a multi-platinum selling Finnish gothic rock band. They are currently signed to EMI Finland. The band's albums are now distributed worldwide. The End Records acts as the band's official North American distributor, as Nuclear Blast Records provides distribution in Mainland Europe, Ireland and the UK. Australia will be handled by AmpHead Music. All Asian and Latin American releases are handled by EMI affiliates.
Music style
Initially, The 69 Eyes' music style was of glam metal and sleaze rock, influenced by acts such as Mötley Crüe and Hanoi Rocks. However, they began to incorporate more influence from gothic rock bands such as The Mission and, The Cult and The Sisters of Mercy. Their sound was described as a mix of the gloominess of gothic rock with guitar-powered rock'n'roll. Their music continued to show further influence from other rock artists such as The Doors, Elvis Presley, and Billy Idol as well as vampire films and literature. The term "goth 'n roll" is used by fans to describe their style. They are often described as a dark rock band, a term which the band has embraced. In recent times, with the release of
Back in Blood The 69 Eyes have moved back to a more guitar based sound, although gothic imagery and lyrical themes remain forefront in their style.
Band history
Formed in the bars of Helsinki, Finland in the summer of 1989 by Jyrki 69, Archzie (formerly of Syyskuu), Timo-Timo, Lotto and Bazie; The 69 Eyes originally had a glam metal sound and were compared to other Finnish Sleaze Metal acts such as Smack and Hanoi Rocks.
The band's lineup has stayed the same since 1992 when drummer Jussi 69 replaced original drummer Lotto who had played on the band's first two 7 inch vinyl singles.
1989-1999
The band released their first 7 inch EP, "Sugarman", in 1990, followed by another 7 inch, "Barbarella" in 1991. These are the only two releases that do not feature Jussi. These releases paved the way for the band's first album
Bump 'n' Grind released in 1992 which contained some re-recorded versions of songs from the first 2 EP. This same year, the band released their final 2 7 inch EP's, titled "Juicy Lucy" and "High Times Low Lives".
The band's second CD "Motor City Resurrection" was released in 1994 via Japanese Label 1+2 Records. It has since been re-released with 8 bonus tracks worldwide. Though not a full length release, but rather a compilation album (much like Hanoi Rocks' Self Destruction Blues), it collected the majority of the bands early material and contributions to other compilations.
It was followed in 1995 by
Savage Garden which featured Hanoi Rocks guitarist Andy McCoy on the track "Wild Talk".
Also released during this time were 2 VHS tapes "Motor City Resurrection" and "Savage Tales" available only through the band's self-run fan club (the aptly titled "Get Down to 69") which are seen rarely, if ever for sale online.
1997 saw the release of
Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams, which fans generally mark as the last 69 Eyes "glam-era" album. The title track of this album was re-recorded for the Angels album 10 years later.
The goth rock infused
Wasting the Dawn was released in 1999 and was considered a milestone success for the band. The CD was released internationally on Roadrunner Records and marked the band's major label debut. The album's hit single, the title track
Wasting the Dawn lyrically paid tribute to The Doors' Jim Morrison and was released as a digipack CD single. Jyrki 69 developed a concept video for this track which featured long-time friend and collaborator HIM member Ville Valo posing at a snowy cemetery as the ghost of Jim Morrison. This video was released on DVD in Finland with a bonus behind the scenes feature and marked first ever music DVD released in the country.
Both the video and feature were later added as extras on 2003's Helsinki Vampires DVD.
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