About The 69 Eyes
The 69 Eyes is a Finnish rock band. It was founded in 1989 in Helsinki by vocalist Jyrki 69 , guitarists Bazie, Timo-Timo and bassist Archzie, joined in 1992 by drummer Jussi 69; the lineup never changed since then. The 69 Eyes music blends gothic rock with glam metal and rock 'n roll in a style that was dubbed "goth 'n roll".
The 69 Eyes is 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 Europe. Australia will be handled by AmpHead Music. All Asian and Latin American releases are handled by EMI affiliates.
Formed in the bars of Helsinki in the summer of 1989 by Jyrki 69, Archzie , Timo-Timo, Lotto and Bazie, The 69 Eyes originally had a glam metal style and were compared to other Finnish glam 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.
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 two EPs. This same year, the band released their final two 7-inch EPs, 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 eight bonus tracks worldwide. Though a compilation and not a full-length release , it collected the majority of the band's 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 two VHS tapes Motor City Resurrection and Savage Tales, available only through the band's self-run fan club .
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. It 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 digipak CD single. Jyrki 69 developed a concept video for this track which featured longtime friend and collaborator 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 the band's first music DVD released in the country. Both the video and feature were later added as extras on 2003's Helsinki Vampires DVD.
Map & Directions To Venue
