Toni Wirtanen - Sata kesää, tuhat yötä (English subtitles) (Finnish music)

"A Hundred Summers, A Thousand Nights", from Vain elämää, Season 3, Episode 7 (aired October 31st 2014).
Toni Wirtanen's take on "Sata kesää, tuhat yötä" is one of those covers that grabs you right away - it's got that classic Wirtanen intensity, but with a bit of extra flair this time. Originally, "Sata kesää, tuhat yötä" was a Paula Koivuniemi hit, and it's practically an institution in Finnish pop music. Paula's version was all about that smooth pop glitz, with her powerful voice giving it that emotional punch. But Toni's take? Well, he flips it on its head and adds his unmistakable grit.
Toni Wirtanen, the frontman of Apulanta, has always had a way of transforming anything he touches into something unmistakably his. With Apulanta, he's given us angst-filled anthems and straightforward, punchy rock that's resonated with fans for decades. When he took on "Sata kesää, tuhat yötä" as part of the Vain elämää TV show, it was about taking this classic and showing it from a different angle - rawer, heavier, and a bit more rock ‘n’ roll.
Vain elämää is a bit of a musical sandbox for artists - where they reinterpret each other's songs, sometimes in ways that you would never expect. It's really been a unique way to highlight just how versatile some of these musicians are. And Toni, with his punk rock roots, managed to take this pop classic and rough it up around the edges - just enough to make it feel like an Apulanta track while still paying tribute to Paula's version.
Paula Koivuniemi is a powerhouse in her own right. Her career spans decades, and "Sata kesää, tuhat yötä" is just one example of her ability to create songs that get under your skin - catchy, full of feeling, and completely timeless. Toni’s version honors that spirit but makes it a bit more anthemic. It’s still got the nostalgia, but Toni layers on this raw energy that makes it almost feel like it belongs in an Apulanta setlist.
What makes this cover stand out is that it's not just Toni copying Paula's style or simply adding a guitar riff here and there. He’s putting his own story into it. The vocals are a bit gruffer, the arrangement a bit more intense, and yet it keeps that familiar melody that makes everyone want to sing along - because, let’s face it, everyone knows that chorus. You can feel that it’s still a summer anthem, but it’s got this edge now - something a bit more haunting, which is very Toni.
In Vain elämää, Toni always brought this kind of honest, unfiltered rock vibe, which was a refreshing counterpoint to some of the other styles presented on the show. He never really strayed too far from what makes Apulanta great - honest lyrics, strong melodies, and the kind of passion that makes you feel every word. His cover of "Sata kesää, tuhat yötä" is just another example of that - taking something already beloved and giving it that extra depth.
Overall, Toni’s rendition of "Sata kesää, tuhat yötä" feels like a bridge between generations - paying respect to Paula Koivuniemi’s original while breathing new life into it for those who maybe wouldn’t have listened otherwise. It’s nostalgic, powerful, and very much a testament to what makes the Vain elämää show so fascinating: artists stepping out of their comfort zones and surprising us.