Well, somebody told me the band actually exists (or existed, I don´t know certainly) so I was wondering......
DID THE BAND CAME ALONG WITH MOVIE SUCCESS OR BECAUSE OF THE BAND SUCCESS KAURYSMAKI DECIDED TO DO THE MOVIE? I had understood its the first, but surely I don´t know.
Additionaly, If the band really exist........Could somebody tellme a song of them that not is in the movie? Id really apretiate it.
Well hoping for answers.......KIAEREMECOL34.
The band does exist. One of my favorite Finnish bands actually.
First there was a band called Sleepy Sleepers which was formed in 1974 and in 1987 Leningrad Cowboys was formed by the members of Sleepy Sleepers. So the band was before the movie and the movie did make the band more famous abroad. The line-up has changed a lot through the years and most of the original band members have left.
Try Youtube. There's lots of songs.
One of my favorites:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXP7ZeuW_T4
Additionaly, If the band really exist...You obviously haven't done a Google. share
Like Hyrynen said, they came from the Sleepy Sleepers. They were still technically Sleepy Sleepers when the film was made. Kaurismaki contacted them and said he wanted to use their band in a movie, and this is the result. Because it was such a success, and because the band were looking to do something in English, they quietly retired the name Sleepy Sleepers and went with Leningrad Cowboys.
The opening song in the film is from a 1988 Sleepy Sleepers album called "Turakaisten Paratiisi" - song's name is "Heroiinimatka" (means horse travel, it's not about heroin!). That song itself is a retooling of an old Russian folk song. LC perform it later, calling it "Kasakka."
And the song they play in the biker bar (where the one band member is "afraid") just before "Born to be Wild" is an old Sleepy Sleepers song called "Kuka Mitä Häh."
Leningrad Cowboys are still around, recording and performing. Unfortunately, they're down to one original member, Sakke Järvenpää, and I'm not sure he's still there! They released an album in 2006, and the Sleepy Sleepers reunited and released one in 2007. LC have a great many songs, many covers, and an album of originals called "Go Space." Great stuff on there, "Leningrad" especially, that was linked earlier in this thread.