Frank Robson & Mosaic: 'Happier Man' (1968)

Star 7" single #SW-1013 (1/1968)

Written by Frank Robson.

Frank Robson: vocals, organ
Vladimir "Nikke" Nikamo: guitar
Olli Könönen: bass
Raimo "Raikka" Rautarinne: drums

Frank Robson, like Jim Pembroke before him, was a London Mod who came to Finland and decided to stay. He got his start playing in various local bands in the south of England such as The Sons of Mad, The Swinging Machine and The Lower Third, also working occasionally as a session musician for bands such as The Artwoods and The Ivy League. The high point of early career was a brief spell as organist in The Small Faces between the terms of Jimmy Winston and Ian McLagan.

After moving to Helsinki at the urging of a few Finns he had met in London, in September 1967 Robson joined the new and coming Mosaic -- which also included bassist Olli Könönen from the legendary but unrecorded Creatures -- as vocalist and organist. This resulted in his first record, the psychedelic "Happier Man", which uncannily foreshadows the Scandinavian progressive rock style so pervasive in Finland in the early '70s. Robson soon left Mosaic to take Jim Pembroke's place in the last stages of Blues Section. In 1969, with Blues Section bassist Måns Groundstroem, he founded the progressive jazz-rock band Tasavallan Presidentti, who soon gained both national and international renown, recording two classic albums before Robson was replaced by Eero Raittinen in 1973. Robson has since made occasional solo albums and worked in various roles in the Finnish music business, also recently reviving Tasavallan Presidentti for the odd
gig and live album.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Mosaic
• Frank Robson
• Nikke Nikamo
• Finland
• Finnish rock