Thursday, April 09, 2015

Tony Carreira - L'oiseau et l'enfant (avec Lisa Angell)


France 2 has chosen Lisa Angell to represent France in Vienna with the song N'oubliez Pas (Don't forget), a song is written by Robert Goldman.

In 2014 Lisa Angell recorded a version of the French 1977 winner L'oiseau Et L'enfant (Marie Myriam) with Portuguese singer Tony Carreira. This version in Portuguese and French can be found on Carreira's album  Nos Fiançailles, France / Portugal which was a No. 4 in the French album charts.
Other Eurovision singers to duet with Carreira on this album are Natasha St. Pier, Serge Lama, Gérad Lenorman and Anggun

Eurovision entry N'oubliez Pas will be included in Lisa Angells forthcoming album Lisa Angell which will be out on May 11.
On the new album, her 4th,  Lisa worked with Robert Goldman, Patrick Fiori (Eurovision 1993), Jacques Veneruso and Serge Lama (Eurovision 1971)

More sur L'oiseau....:
L'oiseau style Zouk, Aurore Kimberley

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Simone de Oliveira, Rainha do festivais


A living legend, Simone De Oliveira, returns to the Festival RTP da Canção, the Portuguese  national selection for Eurovision. À Espera das Canções is the song she will try to return to the contest with, 45 years after her last visit to the Eurovision stage.
As far as festivals go, Simone de Oliveira is royalty.
The Portuguese final of 2015 is on March 7.
Update: So Simone didn't make it to Vienna, which is a shame of course. But here at Eurocovers we're happy she's still out there and we hope to see her again in some Festival or another.

Promo EP 1969
Simone De Oliveira made her first appearances at the Festival da Canção Portuguesa* in the late 50’s and early sixties, winning a few of them along the way.

Other festivals she attended are Festival da Canção da Figueira da Foz. (winning in 1962), Festival Internacional da Canção do Rio de Janeiro, Festival da Nova Canção de Lisboa (winner in 1979) and the 1980 OTI festival (Songcontest of Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries)

* Not to be confused with the Eurovision selection Festival RTP da Canção.

Simone De Oliveira entered Eurovision twice. In 1965 with Sol De Inverno and in 1969 with Desfolhada Portuguesa. She only finished 13th and 15th but both songs now rank top five of Great Portuguese Classics that happened to be Eurovision entries. 
I think Desfolhada Portuguesa only has to leave the 1974 entry E Depois Do Adeus (Paulo De Carvalho) before it in the Portuguese evergeen immortality stakes.
Both of Simones songs have been recorded by many artists and are still covered and performed today.


Simone also recorded a few interesting Eurocovers. There's Volare and Puppet On A String (but who hasn't covered these?) but also the 1968 entries of Germany and Monaco.
Eurocovers loves lists, so below you can find the discography of Simone's own entries and her Eurocovers. Finally there's a list of Festival RTP da Canção entries.





Simones Eurovision songs and versions
Portugal 1965 - Sol De Inverno (13th place)
- Sol De Inverno (Portuguese) - on EP (Continental Rec. P-QB 192)
- Sol De Invierno (Spanish) on EP Nàpoles 1965 (with three other ESC entries) (ES: Belter 51.520)
Note: Spanish EP Sol De Invierno has the Portuguese version (Belter 51.509, Spain)
Thanks for the correction Jean François!
- Sol De Inverno (in Medley Português) on LP Algumas Canções Do Meu Caminho (Live) (Ariola 1106844, 1992)
- Sol De Inverno (live acoustic 2004) on CD Intimidades (Vidisco, also on DVD)
Note: French EP Soleil d'Hiver (Decca PEP 1088) is sung in Portuguese, French version unconfirmed.

Portugal 1969 - Desfolhada Portuguesa (15th place)
- Desfolhada Portguesa (Portuguese) on EP (Decca PEP 1276)
- Deshojada (Spanish) on 7” inch single  (Decca MO 648, Spain)
- Terre guitarre (French) on 7”  (Decca PN 110, France, also has Spanish version)
- Promo EP (Decca VC4) has Portuguese, Spanish, French & Instrumental by Thilo’s Combo. The Instrumental is actually track 1 on side A.
- Desfolhada (live 1992) on LP Algumas Canções Do Meu Caminho (Live)
- Desfolhada (live acoustic 2004) on CD Intimidades (Vidisco, also on DVD)
- Desfolhada Portuguesa (2018) - Namorados Da Cidade ft. Simone De Oliveira on CD Namorades Da Cidade. All info on this 2018 release is here at Eurocovers.





Simone De Oliveira Eurocovers
Italy 1958 - Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare) - Domenico Modugno
- Nos Teus Olhos Vejo O Céu - EP   (Alvorada mep 60136, 1959)

Spain 1966 - Yo Soy Aquel - Raphael
- Tu És Aquele - EP Música No Coração 
  (Decca PEP 1131) see video above

U.K. 1967 - Puppet On A String - Sandie Shaw
- Marionette - EP (Decca PEP 1204)

Germany 1968 - Ein Hoch Der Liebe - Wenche Myhre
- Viva O Amor - EP (Decca PEP 1250)

Monaco 1968 - A Chacun Son Chanson - Line et Willy
-  Para cada um sua canção - EP (Decca PEP 1250)
The 1968 songs can be found on the same EP

Germany 1967 - Anoushka 
                               - Simone and Marco Paulo
- Duet on EP Tu Só Tu (Decca Pep 1211)
I’m not sure about this one, track could be by Marco Paulo only. If you know more, e-mail me or leave a comment, thanks. 
Update: It is indeed a song by Marco Paulo solo. Many thanks for the info Klaus! The EP features one duet, two tracks by Simone and one by Marco Paulo.

Simone de Oliveira at the Festival RTP da Canção
1964 Olhos nós olhos - 3rd
1964 Amar é ressurgir - 8th
1965 Sol de inverno - 1st
1965 Silhuetas ao luar - 4th
1968 Dentro do outro mundo - 8th
1968 Canção ao meu piano velho - 6th
1969 Desfolhada Portuguesa - 1st
1973 Apenas o meu povo  - 8th
2015 À espera das canções - finalist

Some links and sources
Simone De Oliveira FB
Festivais da Canção History pages
The 10.000 coverversions project.
EP discography at Os Reis Do Vinyl
4x40 - Eurovision 1969 at Eurocovers




Sunday, February 22, 2015

Amazing Estonian Voices



Acapella coverversion of last years Estonian Eurovision entry by Tanja, recorded for this years National final show.

Tanja's original Eurovision performance may have been a bit of a hit 'n' miss (and missed out on the final), but the original studio track remains my favorite song of the 2014 contest. All details and trivia on Amazing and its releases and versions can be found here at the Copenhagen Collection.

Estonia don't disappoint in 2015 either. Check out all about the totally wonderful Goodbye To Yesterday by Stig Rästa and Elina Born here at the Vienna Collection.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Goodbye to Lesley Gore (1946 - 2015)

American singer Lesley Gore has passed away. She's probably most known for her hits It's My Party and You Don't Own Me but she also recorded an English version of the 1968 Eurovision winner La La La by Massiel.
Lesley Gore had 19 US top 100 hits and will have her place in music history forever, at least for those two songs.
In 2009 the singer was featured in a Eurocovers post, which you can read again below.

1968: La La La And I'll Cry If I Want To

La La La, the Spanish Eurovision winner by Massiel from 1968 is a well covered song.
Last year or so 'news' came out that it had won because the Generalo, Franco, bribed some juries because he wanted Spain to win.
All Allegedly of course, and I have a hard time believing the story. Cliff Richard didn't win, get over it.

La La La was a song of controversy all along. First the original singer Joan Manuel Serrat was sent packing because he insisted on singing the song in Catalan, later Massiel was critisized over her way too short dress which disgraced the Spanish people in Europe. Today the song is still ridiculed for the amount of La's that are in it, but somewhere deep inside there's a message, of freedom even...

Eurovision singer Massiel recorded the song in Spanish, French, German and English. Original singer Serrat recorded Spanish, English, French, Italian and Portuguese. Serrat's Catalan version was recorded for a radio show many years later, but it has never been released on record.

La La La is written by Ramón Arcusa and Manuel De La Calva, also known as Dúo Dinámico. Coverversions were recorded in at least 20 languages and the list includes version by Eurovision stars Gitte, Kirsti Sparboe with Arne Bendiksen and Oddvar, Edina Pop and Heidi Brühl.
With over 140 coverversions the song sits neatly inside the top 20 of most covered Eurovision songs. Youtube Eurovision Version.

It's My Party
Lesley Gore shot to fame with her first single It's My Party. A classic and a #1 hit in the US and a top 10 hit in many European countries. She followed it up with three more top 10 hits of which the feminist You Don't Own Me is probably the best known. Lesley Gore also recorded You Don't Own Me in French, German and Italian and Eurocovers loves that.
You Don't Own Me features heavily in the Bette Midler / Diane Keaton / Goldie Hawn movie The First Wives Club.

The song was the last Lesley Gore single to reach the US top 10 but she continued to score 16 more top 100 hits.

In 1968 she recorded the Eurovision winner as He Gives Me Love (La La La) and after two singles that failed to chart in the Billboard top 100, He Gives Me Love went to #91. It was her last top 100 hit. (Mercury 78219)

Lesley Gore continued recording in the 70's but after her 1982 cover album The Canvas Can Do Miracles it took over 20 years for her to get back in the studio.
In 2005 she recorded the album Ever Since which includes a stunning new version of You Don't Own Me and several new songs from Lesley Gore's own pen. Ever Since is available at Amazon and iTunes

Several Lesley Gore compilations are also available including a splendid 5CD box It's My Party! (Bear family) with all her 60's recordings, including several foreign language versions of her early hits.


links and sources
Lesley Gore Homepage - Fanclub.(since 1965, remarkable!)
Youtubes: It's My Party - You Don't Own Me
Lesley Gore - La La La Discogs page




Sunday, February 15, 2015

Il Volo book a flight to Vienna and honor the Italian classics

Il Volo have won the 2015 edition of the Sanremo contest with the song Grande Amore. The trio have stated they will be the Italian representatives in Vienna, but it is not confirmed Grande Amore will be the Eurovision song. (well, now it is..ed.)

A 7 track CD Sanremo Grande Amore will is released on februari 17. It includes the winning Sanremo song and also coverversions of two ancient Italian Eurovision songs. See full tracklist below.

Young operatic trio Il Volo are Piero Barone (Tenor), Ignazio Boschetto (Tenor) and Gianluca Ginoble (Baritone).
They met in 2009 when they were individual participants at Ti Lascio Una Canzone, a singing competition on RAI TV.

Il Volo have released four official albums and several digital singles.
Their 2010 (2011 in most countries) debut album Il Volo (produced by Tony Renis) was a worldwide success.
It was a #1 album in Austria and #2 in New Zealand. It reached the album top 10 in Italy, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium and the USA. Plus a #18 in Australia and 43 in the U.K..
The trio also recorded the album in Spanish, which scored well the charts in Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia and Puerto Rico.

The albums Il Volo, We Are Love and live album Il Volo... Takes Flight: Live from
the Detroit Opera House, are re-issued on februari 24 in a boxset titled the Platinum collection.

Links and sources
Il Volo at the Vienna Collection
Il Volo Website and FB
Find some more tenors and baritones here at Eurocovers:
I Quatro - Luciano Pavarotti and G4 - Mouslim Magomaev - Ingvar Wixell

Tracklist CD Sanremo Grande Amore
Grande Amore
- Sanremo 2015 winner
Ancora
- 1981 Sanremo song originally by Eduardo De Crescenzo
Vacanze romane (2015 Version)
- 1983 single by Matia Bazar from (in my opinion) their best and utterly amazing album Tango.
Canzone Per Te (2015 Version)
- Sanremo winner from 1968, originally by Sergio Endrigo who went on to Eurovision the same year, but with another song Marianne.
Piove (2015 Version)
- Domenico Modugno's second Sanremo winner and Eurovision entry from 1959
Romantica
- 1960 Sanremo winning song that was the Eurovision entry by Renato Rascel. 
L'immensità (2015 Version)
- 1967 Sanremo song originally by Don Backy and by Johnny Dorelli

Check out more about the 2015 Eurovision hopefuls at the Vienna Collection.
Quick links to all countries:

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Die Oue Musikant (Afrikaans) - Marnie

Oh well, the video is removed, but I'll leave the rest here anyway...

Someone uploaded this to the Tube and made me very happy.
It's the Afrikaans coverversion of the Dutch 1973 entry De Oude Muzikant by Ben Cramer.
This version was released on a single in 1974 (Philips TOS 1010, South Africa).
I'm quite sure this version uses the original backing track.

Marnie is an early artists name of Manuel Escorcio. Under his own name he (later) recorded coverversions of Volare, Piove, All Kind Of Everything, Halleluja, Ein Bisschen Frieden and Io Senza Te.
See full Eurocovers discography below.


Still looking for the b-side though (well, and the actual vinyl single). The b-track Sylvia Kom Dans Met My is a coverversion of one of Ben Cramers National Final songs that was also the flipside to his own releases.

Marnie / Manuel Escorcio Eurocovers Discography
Italy 1958 Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare) - Domenico Modugno
- Volare (Portuguese) on CD Iets Vir Almal (Select SELBCD 154)
Italy 1959 Piove (Ciao Ciao Bambina) - Domenico Modugno
- Italian on CD Iets Vir Almal (Select SELBCD 154)
Ireland 1970 - All Kinds Of Everything - Dana
- Soveel Herinner My (Afrikaans) on LP Hei Monique
Netherlands 1973 - De Oude Muzikant - Ben Cramer
- as Marnie - Die Oue Musikant, single (Philips TOS 1010)
- Single also has Ben Cramer pre-song Kom Sylvia Dans Met My,
Israel 1979 - Halleluja - Milk And Honey
- on LP Manuel Escorcio With The Drakenberg Seunskoor (1984 Transistor CBK 7031)
Switzerland 1981 - Io Senza Te - Peter, Sue and Marc.
Me Without You (English) on LP Musica (1983,Transistor  CBK 7011)
Germany 1982 - Ein Bisschen Frieden - Nicole
- A Little Peace (English) on LP Romance (Select SEL 106)

Links and Sources:
Manuel Escorcio website and Facebook
If you want to find out more about Eurocovers in Afrikaans, just follow this link and you'll get the posts with South African stars doing your favorite Eurovision tunes
Also check out our Facebook page and the Vienna Collection

Monday, December 22, 2014

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Some moody Finnish music for the winter.



Lovely new version of the first ever Finnish entry, still a classic at home.
And a new classic in the making: a Finnish version of Dutch 2014 entry Calm After The Storm

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

R.I.P John Holt



Jamaican singer John Holt passed away October 19, aged 67.
Here's an audio of his coverversion of Warum Nur Warum by Udo Jürgens (Austria's entry of 1964), maybe better known as Walk Away made famous by Matt Monro.

Holt also recorded Sandie's Puppet On A String.

John Holt had several hits with coverversions of other peoples songs, but his biggest claim to fame probably is The Tide Is High which Holt wrote and recorded with his band The Paragons. The song was covered by Blondie and by Atomic Kitten who both took it to the Number 1 spot of the U.K. charts.

Monday, August 11, 2014

Polle & Myrthe - Calm after the storm



The Kids Are Alright!. Here's Polle and Myrthe doing a younger version of the Common Linnets' Eurovision hit Calm After The Storm.

Junior fans may know Polle from his 2011 participation in the Dutch preselection for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. His Music In My Heart stranded in the first semi.

It was an unexpected pleasure to see the Netherlands end the runner up at the Copenhagen contest, but the commercial success of Calm After The Storm is even more surprising. The song went top 10 in many countries' charts and is still in the top 10 in Germany and Austria (August 2014).
It was also the first ever #1 hit for a Dutch entry in the Belgian (Flemish) charts.

Find out more about Calm After The Storm, the chart history, the cdsingles, versions and the acclaimed hit album The Common Linnets here at the Copenhagen Collection

More Calm After The Storm coverversions
Zuwer Scheerwol - Pien In Mien Haart (Pain In My Heart, sung in Gronings,Dutch regional language)
- on CD Doalders (2015, Amlow records 0150028)
Lisa del Bo and Eli  - Stilte na de storm (Flemish)
- on CD Voor Een Moeder, Door Een Moeder (APR Works 217)
Howard Carpendale (English, live)
- on CD Das ist unsere Zeit - Live aus Berlin
Sonja Maria (English)
- on CD Last Chance Texaco 
Uwe Müller (English)
- on CD Ein Weihnachtstraum von Uwe Müller 2017 Live!
Josh Oudendijk (English)
- on CD Nylon
Peter Simon Company (English)
- on CD Harvest
Urban Beach (English)
- on CD Urban Vibes-Live in Hamburg
Gab Veläzques (English)
- on CD The Remixes (Ethernal works)
Asher Quinn (English)
- on CD Sun, Sorrow, Flowers, Moon
Ben Ransom (English)
- on digital album Ben Ransom Live
Erica from Drifters and Andreas from Sannex  - Lugn Efter En Storm (Swedish)
- on CD Blå blå Känslor (Drifters)   (Neptun Records)
Tommi Soidinmäki ja Saija Tuupanen - Myrskyn Jälkeen Kirkastuu (Finnish)
- digital release (Magnum music)
Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir (Sylvia Night) & Magni Ásgeirs - Þegar storminn hefur lægt (Icelandic)
- digital release (Magnaðir ehf, 2018)
Frankie Zhyrnov a Lenka Ambrožová (Violin + Saxophone instrumental)
- on CD Memory

Cheap xerox versions under different names like The Campfires, Mix factor, MC Flipside, New Tribute Kings, Clara Oaks, Cream Cuts etc. also exist but are crap.


Polle FB, at KidsTop20 and Youtube channel.

Sunday, August 03, 2014

Eisenhauer - One For Me



cdsingle
Above video is a coverversion of the Hungarian 2013 entry Kedvesem by ByeAlex

It's sung in English by Eisenhauer and is titled One For Me.
The track wass released in May 2014 in Germany. The cdsingle includes four versions of the song.
One For Me - single version
One For Me - Thomas Lizzara mix
One For Me - "One Love" remix
One For Me - Karaoke
Out on Rhingtön (Universal Music), also available at your usual digital outlets.

Kedvesem ended 10th in the final in Malmö.
Read all about the original song and its versions here at the Malmö Collection.
For a coverversion by Swedish Eurovision singer Jan Johansen go here at Eurocovers.
Special thanks to Ivor Lyttle.

Monday, June 23, 2014

2014 My Słowianie - Metal And Muscles



Polish 2014 Eurovision stars Donatan Cleo and their Slavic Girls brought you Boobs, and the viewing rates for the contest went up by 15.000.000. But what do real men love even more than Boobs? Yes, Metal, Full Growl Metal to be more specific.

My Słowianie, this years 'The Song That Keeps On Giving' is covered in this amazing version by Sławek Wyłup and Mateusz Trojak in the clip above. 
And if the growling vocals are too much for you, you can also listen to the Metal version mixed with Cleo's vocals. (Here at Youtube)

There's more Slavic fun to be had, V-Unit, Polish hip-hop rappers, have recorded a 'parody' (Youtube here also has a free download link). It deals with a whole other set of prejudices than the Donatan Cleo version, involving testosteron and stealing wallets. And instead of boobs there's muscles, very big muscles.

The V-Unit track was also remixed as My Słowianie (Odpowiedź mężczyzn) and that one is released on their CD Bękarty Internetuon (also on Spotify).

A rock'n'roll version of My Słowianie was recorded by Late Again. I don't know if it has been released officially, but here's a Youtube of the studioversion. Nice.
Late Again facebook

There are many more parodies of My Słowianie. Here's one with some Polish firefighters already clocking over 2.000.000 views.

Donatan (and) Cleo have recorded quite a few fab versions and remixes in Polish and English themselves. You can find out all about these here at the Copenhagen Collection.

And if anyone has a copy of the Donatan Cleo cd single to spare / sell, think of me, My life is not complete without it.



Saturday, June 14, 2014

LA LA LA - NALVA AGUIAR



Brazil singer Nalva Aguiar sings the Spanish 1968 winner, to cheer up the Spanish side.
Originally from a 1968 Carnaval LP Carnaval de Picaretagem. (Various artists)
Picture from / find out more on the LP at Sintonia Musikal

Sintonia Musikal are also showcasing some cool World Cup LP's (like LP's with WC goals on them!) and other history bits.
Also several albums with Eurocovers like
Claudia Barroso, Pop-5, Cauby Peixoto

A website that'll keep you busy until the next game.
Also check out the commentarios.

Some Eurocovers posts featuring stars from Brazil.
Bossavision, Perla, Fabulosa Leny Eversong, Year Of The Puppet: Brasil

Sunday, June 08, 2014

Releases: Eurovisjonen EP, Aldri I Livet and Country Is The New Eurovision

Eurovisjonen EP is an EP with three coverversions of Norwegian Eurovision entries and a song from an ancient Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix.
It's chirpy fun rock, but not really loud.

Tracks:
1. Aldri I Livet
- Finn Kalviks 1981 entry that got zero poing. Agnetha and Frida sing on the original studio version you know, and Benny tinkles the ivories.
2. Voi Voi 
- Noways first ever Eurovision entry / classic from 1960. Originally by Nora Brockstedt.
3. Du Ber Meg Om Evighet
- 5th in the 1983 Norwegian national selection for Nyssa Nyberget.
4. Do Re Mi
- Norwegians Prince Of Eurovision Jahn Teigen managed to make it to #9 with third and last Eurovision entry.

The Eurovisjonen EP is part of a project involving students of the Nordic Institute of Stage and Sound and EP's. I can pretend I know all about it, but I don't.
Norwegians (and others??) can buy the digital EP at Klicktrack
The EP is on also Spotify, so you can have a listen for yourself.
You can find Nora Brocksteds full Eurovision and Eurocovers Discography here at Eurocovers

Aldri I Livet Again
Another new version of the ill fated Finn Kalvik song was recorded by Kjell Inge Torgersen.
It's the first single of a various artist project  Kom Ut Kom Fram, covering Finn Kalvik songs.
The digital single is out now through DaWorks.

Kjell Inge Torgersen website



Haba Haba
Here's one that's a little bit older, but worth mentioning. Another Norwegian entry that enjoys an interesting cover is Stella Mwangi's Haba Haba. It crashed in Eurovision but that didn't stop South Africa's Country boys Die Campbells recording the song.
Haba Haba found its way to their Greatest Hits double CD Grootste Platinum Treffers (Biggest Platinum Hits) as one of four new tracks. The album was released in 2011. Listen here to Haba Haba.
Oh, and Country is the new Eurovision, with hats'n'all.

The album is available through iTunes, as are most of their 15 or so albums. The CD's are available at Kalahari.
Die Campbells Website

I Didn't Know That: Please Speak To Me Of Love



Pic nicked from the Bay
Please Speak To Me Of Love is the English version of Hablemos Del Amor, the 1967 Eurovision entry for Spain by Raphael.
The lyrics to the English version were written by Tony Hiller (I didn't know that), the man who gave us Save Your Kisses For Me (U.K. 1976) and a couple of hundred other Brotherhood Of Man songs.

The clip above is an audio of the coverversion by Earl Wilson Jr., there's also Raphaels own English version on Tony Hillers Youtube.
Earl Wilson Jr.'s version was released in 1968 on the LP This Is. Earl Wilson Jr. (Mercury SR 61147)

Another version of Please Speak To Me Of Love was recorded by the Dutch band Sparklings fronted by 1973's Dutch Eurovision singer Ben Cramer. (on LP ...... And The Sparklings (Kritos 130046, 1967) See discogs entry here)

Tony Hiller Website
New Yorker Earl Wilson Jr. from works as a composer / lyricist of musicals.
There's a good bio here at Don Cornell (it's a PDF file).
Earl Wilson Jr. Website
Raphael Website

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Austria wins Eurovision 2014! Conchita Wurst Rises.

But I guess you already know that. Congratulations to Austria for their second Eurovision victory (after almost 50 years). And Congratulations to Unstoppable Conchita Wurst.

Will There Be A CDsingle of Rise Like A Phoenix?
What about the Common Linnets Album?
Beard Yes, Moustache No? Why?

The fully updated pages on the 2014 artists and songs can be found at the Copenhagen Collection.
We'll keep on following new releases, charts success, upcoming albums and more on all the satrs that made Copenhagen Eurovision.

Sunday, May 04, 2014

Mona Ersare - Blundar Nu



Here's a new Swedish coverversion of Kedvesem, last years Hungarian entry by ByeAlex.

The singer is Mona Ersare. The track will be out on your digital stores and streamers soon.



Hungary in Copenhagen

CPH 2014: Another coverversion of that fab Danish Ditty


I posted this 5 years ago (here), but since it's Copenhagen week it won't hurt to give this wonderful coverversion some webtime again. Something special about it, the spaced out tribal rhythms, the eery vocals, I don't know, just love it. Jazzbox is Per Ebdrup and he named this track Dancing Ditty.

The Jazzbox EP, Pigeon At The Disco, with two versions of Dancing Ditty, is still available at here iTunes.
He also has his Face on the book.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

The Dutch Meet The Danish - Dansevise by Streetorgan De Turk



Dansevise is the Danish Eurovision winner from 1963 that became an evergreen even outside the Danish borders.
The song by Grethe and Jörgen Ingmann has survived over 40 years and I hope there will be a place for it in the 2014 Copenhagen contest. Here's Dutch organ De Turk playing the song in the streets.

List of Dansevises
Listfans: The Dansevise Document is here. It includes details on the versions of the song recorded by the Ingmanns and also a list of 85 coverversions of the song with release details. It's a word doc and uploaded with 4shared. If you can't use 4shared, just send an e-mail.

Big thanks to the filmer / YT uploader of the wonderful 'draaiorgel' clip.
More Dansevise at Eurocovers
Check out The Copenhagen Collection for all the releases, CDs, versions, charts and other goings on of the 2014 Eurovision hopefuls. ---

Sunday, April 06, 2014

Happy ABBA Day!

Waterloo picture sleeve from Austria
It was 40 years ago today, ABBA won the Brighton Eurovision with Waterloo.
Four decades on ABBA's music is as relevant as ever.

1983 picture disc
 with French and German versions
ABBA - Waterloo 40 - releases.
We all have the songs, bought them several times on singles, LP's and CDs, but still the host of festive releases celebrating the 40 years of Waterloo are making me greedy.
Sadly there is no unreleased material included and of course the ABBAs have enough money, but I might just buy one or two items to celebrate.
Here's a few that might tickle your fancy.

Picture Disc
- A 7" inch picture disc with Waterloo in Swedish and English will be released on April 6 in Sweden. A similar issue will be released in other countries to celebrate Record Store Day (April 19)
Update: My Shiny Waterloo Picture Disc has arrived # 0701/7000

Netherlands sleeve
Waterloo: The Album
- April 6 is also the release date of the special edition of the Waterloo album. It will include 8 bonus tracks including all the versions of Waterloo that were ever released. Also the US and UK remixes of Ring Ring are included.
The set comes with a DVD featuring several TV performances including the two Eurovision versions, two MF versions, the preview version and two TOTP performances of Waterloo.
The infamous Finnish caviar sleeve




40 singles box
- If you really want to splash out there is a box with 40 vinyl 7 inch singles out on the 5th of May.
Next to the 31 singles that were originally released in Sweden there are 9 international singles including the German and French Waterloo’s, Spanish language Chiquitita and I Have A Dream, When All Is Said And Done (as released in Australia) and Lay All Your Love On Me, originally released on 12 inch maxi.
Yugoslavia
The sleeve and label of each single in the box set are exact replicas of the original issues. 
Only the 9 singles not originally released by Polar Music have been given new Polar labels, corresponding to the design used by Polar during the era when each single was released.
It's a severely limited edition, although no numbers are specified.
Retails at a mere € 220,- to 300, -. 
See full track list below.


ABBA Gold Superdeluxe
- April 6 also sees a 3 disc edition of ABBA Gold, featuring the original ABBA Gold and More Gold CDs plus a third disc with tracks that have appeared as b-sides to the various single releases. 59 tracks in all, but maybe the least interesting release of the bunch.

ABBA 40/40 Japan
ABBA's career in Japan, like many western popstars' was at least patchy. Some of the big international hits didn't do very well, while some others, some Japan only singles were more successful.
Björn and Benny also has some success in Japan before the girls were ven mentioned. She's My Kind Of Girl and Love Has It's Ways were hits in various Japanese charts in 1972. It resulted in the release of some very early ABBA singles like I Am Just A Girl and Another Town Another Train.
In Japan the Anniversary Of The Year is celebrated with a 2CD ABBA 40/40 with 40 songs selected by Japanese fans in a survey held last year. Out since March 26. Some surprising choices there, Tiger, Our Last Summer, Hey Hey Helen, Move On, but the pre-Ring Ring oldies are not included.

25th anniversary CD-EP
The 40 Singles Box includes
1. People Need Love / Merry-Go-Round
2. He Is Your Brother / Santa Rosa
3. Ring Ring Swedish Version / Åh, vilka tider
4. Ring Ring English Version / She's My Kind of Girl
5. Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Isn't Hard Enough) / I Am Just A Girl
6. Ring Ring German Version / Wer Im Wartesaal der Liebe steht
7. Waterloo Swedish Version / Honey, Honey Swedish Version
8. Waterloo English Version / Watch Out
9. Waterloo German Version / Watch Out
10. Waterloo French Version / Gonna Sing You My Lovesong
Australia EP
11. Honey, Honey / King Kong Song
12. Honey, Honey German Version / Ring Ring (remix)
13. So Long / I've Been Waiting For You
14. I Do, I Do, I Do / Rock me
15. S.O.S / Man In The Middle
16. Mamma Mia / Intermezzo No.1
17. Fernando / Hey, hey Helen
18. Dancing Queen / That's Me
19. Money, Money, Money / Crazy World
20. Knowing Me, Knowing You / Happy Hawaii
21. The Name Of The Game / I Wonder (Departure)
U.K. promo EP
22. Take A Chance On Me / I'm A Marionette
23. Eagle / Thank You For The Music
24. Summer Night City / Medley: Pick A Bale of Cotton-On Top of.
25. Chiquitita / Lovelight
26. Chiquitita Spanish Version / Lovelight
27. Does Your Mother Know / Kisses of Fire
28. Voulez-Vous / Angel eyes
29. Estoy Sonando / Does Your Mother Know
30. Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight) / The King Has Lost His Crown
South Africa
31. I Have A Dream / Take A Chance On Me (live)
32. The Winner Takes It All / Elaine
33. Super Trouper / The Piper
34. Happy New Year / Andante, Andante
35. Lay All Your Love On Me / On And On And On
36. One Of Us / Should I Laugh Or Cry
37. Head Over Heels / The Visitors
38. When All Is Said And Done / Soldiers
39. The Day Before You Came / Cassandra
40. Under Attack / You Owe Me One

Thanks to Jean-François and to Fernando. 
Parts of this article have been featured previously on our facebook page
Japan Anniversary 2CD