| Sami Yaffa | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Sami Takamäki |
| Born | 4 September 1963 |
| Genres | Rock, glam punk, glam rock, blues |
| Occupations | Musician |
| Instruments | Bass guitar |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Associated acts | Hanoi Rocks, Michael Monroe, Pelle Miljoona Oy, Jetboy, Jerusalem Slim, Demolition 23., New York Dolls, Mad Juana |
Sami Yaffa (born Sami Takamäki September 4, 1963 in Finland) is a bass guitarist best known for his time in Hanoi Rocks during the 1980s. He is currently the bassist for the New York Dolls[1] and the Michael Monroe band. He also plays guitar in his own band "Mad Juana".[2]
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Yaffa first began playing music when only fourteen years old in 1977 with a band called Babblers. He went along with another member of the Babblers (Pepe Seivo) and formed a punk rock band, Suopo, in 1979. They did not record any material and stayed relatively unknown even in the Finnish punk rock scene. Around this time Yaffa also played with another Finnish punk rock band, Pohjanoteeraus.
In 1980 Yaffa joined future Hanoi Rocks bandmate Andy McCoy in Pelle Miljoona Oy. The two of them took part in the band's most successful album "Moottoritie On Kuuma". Before the group toured they both decided to leave and to join Hanoi Rocks.
Hanoi Rocks became the biggest band in Finland at the time, releasing a string of successful albums. The group moved from Stockholm to London and continued to gain fans and influence the music scene there. In London, Yaffa, along with Hanoi Rocks bandmates Nasty Suicide and Razzle, as well as Knox of the Vibrators, recorded an album under the name Fallen Angels. Knox continued to perform as Fallen Angels after, though the Hanoi Rocks members including Yaffa never played with the band onstage.
After Razzle's death, Yaffa left Hanoi Rocks and formed Chain Gang with Pelle Almgren in Stockholm. They only recorded one EP under the name Pelle Almgren & Sam Yaffa. 1987 saw Yaffa doing a couple of gigs with then London based Johnny Thunders. Another member of the New York Dolls, Jerry Nolan, was also in the group. At this time Yaffa considered getting a day job and quitting his music career.
Around this time he was asked to join San Francisco-based band Jetboy. He joined the band and stayed with them until 1990. He recorded two albums with Jet Boy: "Feel The Shake" and "Damned Nation". Although Jet Boy toured all over the States, Yaffa still found time to play with Johnny Thunders' band on his US tour and with a group called Stronzo (Featuring Mark Ford of the Black Crowes and Craig Ross of Lenny Kravitz's band). He also played a gig with Michael Monroe's solo band in Los Angeles in 1988.
In 1989 Yaffa briefly joined a Finnish band Smack who had moved to Los Angeles. He played bass on tracks "Can You Dig It" and "Crazy River". He was credited as Ulan Bator because he was still in Jetboy at the time and had been asked not to use his real name.
Yaffa moved to New York in 1990 to join Hanoi frontman Michael Monroe in a new band, Jerusalem Slim. The group featured Billy Idol's guitarist, Steve Stevens. The band broke up in 1992, because of Michael Monroe's and Steve Stevens' strong musical disagreements. They nonetheless released an album.
Yaffa played in a band called Love Pirates with Gass Wylde of the Pretenders from 1990–1993. Between 1991–1994 Yaffa also played in Alison Gordy's band. Gordy had earlier played with Johnny Thunders and had also performed minor roles in several television shows. Yaffa played on Gordy's album Blonde and Blue.
Demolition 23 saw Yaffa in another band with Michael Monroe. This group also featured Jay Henning (Star Star) and drummer Jimmy Clark. Henning was later replaced with Nasty Suicide. The group broke up with only one album after Nasty left in the middle of a European tour. Henning committed suicide a few years later in 1997.
Earlier in 1993 Yaffa and Monroe recorded Steppenwolf's song "Magic Carpet Ride" with Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash for the movie Coneheads.
In 1995 Yaffa formed Mad Juana (briefly known as Lewt Vagrant) with his wife Karmen Guy. Yaffa described the band's sound as "Think of the Pogues meets (the) Clash with all acoustic instruments. Beautiful female voice in a Velvet Underground dungeon."[1]. The following year he played bass on an album by Jan Stenfors, aka Hanoi Rocks' Nasty Suicide.
From around 2000 to 2002, Yaffa played in the NYC-based band Vasquez with former DGeneration guitarist Richard Bacchus. Along with drummer Eric Kuby, this trio released one CD, titled "Two Songs", and also recorded a live record which remains unreleased to this day (Yaffa is in possession of the master tapes).
In 2002 Yaffa toured in the US and in Japan with Murphy's Law. He then joined up with Joan Jett and played with her for a year, until 2004.
In 2006, when not working with the revamped New York Dolls, Yaffa also toured as a member of Jesse Malin's backing band.
Yaffa joined the current incarnation of the New York Dolls in 2004 and features on the group's new album One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This. He is still also playing acoustic guitar with his wife in Mad Juana.
In his satirical autobiography, British writer Seb Hunter states that Yaffa was his hero during the 1980s when he played bass for Hanoi Rocks.
On 25 January 2010, ex-Hanoi Rocks singer Michael Monroe held a press conference is Los Angeles, introducing a new band named after the lead singer. Yaffa was introduced as the band's bass player. The new Michael Monroe band started to tour in March 2010, and continued to tour for the Summer. The band's first live album was released in late September, and their first studio album will be released in 2011.
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