Joy to the World! Like The First Time by The Bablers is reviewed and front man Arto Tamminen answers the Pure Pop Phive

By Henry Lipput

25 years ago The Bablers released their album Like The First Time – but only in Japan and Finland, their native country. After that the album, for all intents and purposes, disappeared.

But a few years ago their current label, the California-based Big Stir Records, has been releasing singles from Like The First Time which was only whetting the appetites of power pop devotees as to whether the entire album would be made available at a future date.

That time is now. Joy to the world!

For the first time Like The First Time (Big Stir Records) is out now for the whole world to enjoy. If, like me, prior to the album’s release you’ve only heard the great power pop bangers (like the opening track “You Are The One For Me” ) you’re really in for a treat because the ballads are just as good – and all together make the whole album a terrific listen. And although the Big Stir release has a new track listing and new mixes and arrangements we’re not dealing with what Capitol records did to The Beatles albums pre-Pepper – this is the album The Bablers want us to hear and the way they want us to hear it.

The album’s power pop rave ups are the sounds The Bablers have developed since they got together in the 1970s. Songs like “You Are The One For Me,” the Peter Gunn-with-a-bullet of “Thinking Of You,” and “Holding Me Tight Tonight” all show the band working at full steam.

On the wonderful ballads the band’s influences show but none of this takes away from what The Bablers have done with them. “Together Forever” recalls solo McCartney while The Bablers channel solo Lennon with “In This World.”

The Bablers’ Arto Tamminen answers the Pure Pop Phive

How would you describe your music?

Pop with a rock attitude… or as our slogan says: “The best possible organic pop music. No artificial ingredients.” We use no samples, no autotune – no artificial ingredients!

What/who are your major influences?

Each member of the band has different preferences. I was born and raised in a family where music was everywhere. Everyone played an instrument or sang in a choir.

My first influences were classical – from Sibelius (the Finnish composer) to Bach, Mozart, and the rest of those guys. I remember we had "go-to-sleep music" when we were very young, and I still remember falling asleep to those beautiful classical pieces. I started playing the cello when I was six, and it has stayed with me ever since – you can hear it on our new album, on tracks like “Where The Wind Blows Free.” So classical music is a big one!

Then came jazz, fusion, progressive rock, folk-rock, Irish folk, and all that British Invasion stuff – plus Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Wonder. I got into those through my older brothers, who had about 1000 vinyl records in our "music room," where we had a drum kit, a Vox AC30, a Gibson SG, acoustic guitars… and my mother’s piano, which I still use in our recordings!

Do you perform live? Do you have any upcoming gigs?

Not at the moment. But you never know! If something interesting comes up, we’re open to hitting the road. For live shows, we’d need a fifth member – a multi-instrumentalist – to make it possible to play all the tracks from Psychadilly Circus and Like The First Time. In some arrangements, four guys just don’t have enough hands. 😊

Everyone's pretty busy playing with other bands and working on recordings. Janne, our drummer, and Pekka, our bassist/keyboardist, are on the list of the top 10 most recorded musicians in Finland – and they’re constantly touring with top Finnish artists, so they’re really in demand! Hannu now works full-time in a recording studio. He also used to do a lot of touring and producing – which he still does.

Nevertheless - this is a secret - we are working on new Bablers material.

How do you support yourself so you can continue to make music?

I’m the only one with an "honest day job" at the moment. The others work with music 24/7. I used to be a full-time musician for almost eight years, but lately I’ve been working as a director at a copyright licensing agency.

What's your favorite album of all time  (that's not one of yours)?

I’ve never really thought about that. But if I had to choose right now, I’d pick Mstislav Rostropovich’s recording of J.S. Bach’s six suites for solo cello. It has everything!