A Swede who lives in Finland and who is lost in Euroland - the wonderful world of Eurovision
There is always some matter to discuss or just a song I want to share
Very welcome - I hope you'll like it here!
I am yet to give you all my final prediction for tonight as I still haven't got the faintest idea who is going to win this year. It is all so open and so possible and so thrilling. If Abba were right and the history book on the shelf actually does repeat itself, then I am hoping for the voting to be a bit like it was back in 1985.
Look at the screenshot above. Switzerland just surprisingly gave their top mark to Turkey instead of neighbour - and red hot favourite - Germany and suddenly host country Sweden finds itself in the lead.
With four countries left to vote, the gap between the leader and the song in 6th place (Ireland) is a ridiculous twenty points. Had Sweden and Austria been as unpredictable as Switzerland, United Kingdom or even Ireland could leap into the lead.
Only moments earlier Italy had also been a real contender. Picture it: seven out of nineteen participants involved in the final battle for victory. Please let it happen again!
Then Luxembourg ruined the fun already in the second last round of voting and put Norway in a lead nobody could challenge which was fun for Bobbysocks but not so great for the drama.
With a bit of luck the new voting format will have us all screaming before we know the winner.
You could say an awful lot about Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest but I think we could safely state that being particularly progressive never were their thing.
The average Danish entry is easily accessible, understandable and familiar. Only on very few occasions did they offer us the unexpected or surprising and not always with the best outcome.
In 1985, the regional juries thought it best to repeat the winning formula from the year before and sent Hot Eyes across the water to Gothenburg with another pleasant and safe song. I always liked that one and won't bash it.
But the obvious one for me in the 1985 Danish final is this smashing mother-daughter act. Gry was a well-established star and had already represented Denmark two years earlier, while mother Vivian had tried to win national heats since before Gry was born.
Surprisingly edgy to come out of a mid-1980's Danish final, complete with a pretty avantgarde dance routine. I would give anything to know what the international juries would have made of this one.
While Gothenburg had learned fast on how to make a better tv show, Malmö would prove to have greater difficulties understanding what had gone wrong the first time. In an attempt to keep the budget to a strict minimum, the whole show was pushed inside one of their rather small studios, allowing only a limited audience and no room for any orchestra.
Using pre-recorded backing tracks was a good idea since everything sounded an awful lot better compared to two years earlier but some other production ideas didn't go down equally well. Turning the studio into a disco could have been a good idea but only looks cheap and tacky. Who'd like to be seen dancing in this scenery?
If Bibi Johns hadn't been inexperienced enough in 1983, this time Malmö opted for someone with even less television experience: a former miss Sweden who had no idea how to improvise or handle a situation like the scoreboard running amok. Which it did.
The general standard of entries was less impressive again. There exists an LP with 16 songs entered but rejected for this final and it is a mystery how some of the finalists were selected. What was the jury thinking?
Picture borrowed from oppetarkiv.se
10. Suzanne Frölén / Vänner
Suzanne was still a teenager but had released a number of singles and had been sent to Germany to record with an international team. A good voice and an obvious talent are totally wasted on a mind-numbingly dull song with amateurish lyrics. Whoever on Suzanne's team thought this would be a good idea? Grade: 1/5
9. Per-Erik Hallin / Morgonluft
Per-Erik didn't give up and decided to try his hand at making gospel a popular genre in this contest and brought along a backing group of his own to add some temper to the performance. He should have worried more about the actual song that doesn't feel finished and contains a few abrupt changes too many to work. Feels like it is over before it even begins. Grade: 1/5
8. Li Berg / Jag vet hur det känns
Just like Suzanne Frölén, Li had a few records to her name and seemed to operate in a very different musical landscape as she was suddenly pushed into melodifestivalen with a fairly basic entry. They both shared the same label and were possibly victims of the same poor decision-making. The best part of this is Li's helmet-like hair (as she makes a pirouette, not a single hair is moving) as well as the Prince Charming who is coming on to her as part of the performers. The stuff that nightmares are made of. Grade: 2/5
7. Stefan Borsch / Sjung din sång
The Mariann label didn't always pay much attention to styling or staging and this is one case where it back-fired. This is quite a good and fairly bombastic schlager ballad that could easily have been improved and made more marketable. Stefan Borsch was a huge name on the dansband circuit and recorded several ESC entries in Swedish versions, often with pretty good results. Grade: 2/5
6. Ritz / Nu har det hänt igen
A mature pop schlager that only made the final cut after one of the originally selected songs had been disqualified (and the first reserve met the same fate). More likeable that exciting and more of an album track than an entry that would stand a real chance in a song contest. Grade: 2/5
5. Göran Folkestad / Eld och lågor
Second consecutive attempt from Göran who would never really impose himself as a solo singer. This chorus has a kind of call-and-response between him and the backing group that you hardly ever find anywhere else but in 1980's schlager. Nice and upbeat but that's pretty much it. Grade: 2/5
4. Pernilla Wahlgren / Piccadilly Circus
A mega hit and a huge breakthrough, which probably goes out to explain why most people tend to remember this pretty standard schlager as better than it really is. Most Swedish people my age visiting London will start humming this to themselves when passing the place in question. Grade: 3/5
3. Bel Air / 1 + 1 = 2
Proof that enough wrongs piled upon each other will turn into something rather fantastic in the end. The lyrics are forced, to say the least, and these three sisters weren't quite ready for the big time. If you listen carefully, you can probably hear the sound of a choreographer crying backstage. This is what Belle & The Devotions would have looked like had they grown up in the Swedish countryside and I love it. Grade: 3/5
2. Dan Tillberg / Ta min hand
If this is Malmö, then you can be sure there will be some local talent involved. Just like Nils-Åke Runeson in 1983, Dan Tillberg sings in the local dialect of Scania but has a much better song. A fine example of clean-cut Swedish soft pop of the 1980's. Grade: 3/5
1. Kikki Danielsson / Bra vibrationer
Apparently nobody saw this one coming. Kikki thought the song was too modern to suit her and was reluctant to sing it. The label never saw it as a winner. The press award went to Dan Tillberg. Everyone expected Pernilla Wahlgren to win. How come nobody heard what a terrifically strong entry this was? Obviously the best one of 1985. By miles and miles. Grade: 5/5
Conclusion:
Again Malmö had extreme luck and managed to find the golden ticket in a pretty weak final. Maybe this final left the heads of SVT in doubt of Malmö's abilities after all? It would take three years until they would have another shot at hosting and then they would show a very different approach to the event.
In a parallel universe:
Nobody else from this bunch could have impressed like Kikki did in Scandinavium. She was at the height of her popularity and was both professional and radiant. Dan Tillberg would have looked weak and lost on that big stage and Pernilla Wahlgren's song wouldn't have carried far at all. I doubt either one would have made into the top ten.
Kikki Danielsson / Bra vibrationer (Sweden 1985, NF performance)
Last night I went to see "The Imitation Game", had too much candy to eat and felt far too sugary coated to be able to sleep. I decided to watch the Portuguese semi final instead.
The first Portuguese final I ever saw was the one back in 1996, which in retrospect has proven to be possibly the best Festival da Canção on record. At least four or five songs were really good in the sense that they would have been suitable for Eurovision, something I haven't really experienced since.
This year, feeling the current line-up of songs for Vienna is quite meagre, several fans have started pinning their hopes on Portugal finding that masterpiece entry that will make them a real contender. Nothing in the first semi would point in that direction, to be honest. But at least there was Adelaide Ferreira.
Adelaide - in case you don't remember - represented Portugal back in Gothenburg 1985, where she was a bit of a press favourite and seen as a possible surprise in the making before her entry crashed and burned on second last place.
Thirty years later, she was back in the running with her song Paz. Perhaps not the strongest song since the beginning of pop culture but well performed and clearly one of the better ones in this semi. Click here to see it on RTP's web.
But do the Portuguese reward her for trying? Indeed they didn't. Really not the way to treat a lady. Remains to be seen if they are about to treat Simone de Oliveira any better in the second semi.
When I was nine years old I was anything but a cynic. I'm not saying I'm a cynic now, but I find it harder to accept certain things in life these days.
One of the things I struggle with is adults pretending to be naïve, pretending that all life will be wonderful if we all just sing a song and think happy thoughts.
In other words, I find the 1985 German entry a bit challenging these days. More because of the words and it's wide-eyed approach to life than the male falsetto voice.
When I was nine, however, I really loved this song. It was catchy and instant and highly likeable. I was really fond of these people and wanted to hang out with them. I liked their song, I liked their look and I happily sang along.
Sometimes when I let my guard down, I can recall how happy I felt when listening to "Für alle" and actually appreciate it almost the same way I did way back when. I can miss being less critical at times.
I think I just decided to try and like it a little bit more, like I used to. Not least to honour the memory of its songwriter Hanne Haller who would never make it to the ESC stage again.
A deserved 2nd place?
Well, why not. It fitted its zeitgeist perfectly. There were much better songs in the running, but I'd rather see this in second place than as the runaway winner it looked like halfway through the voting.
Many people seem to think Tanja from Estonia may have borrowed just a tiny bit too much from Loreen's 2012 Eurovision entry. First of all, I don't think these two songs are too similar. Germany's entry from last year was a much more obvious copy of Loreen if so.
You can also borrow quite a lot from other songs without anyone of importance reacting too strongly. There have been some rather spectacular occasions where people have borrowed famous fragments or complete melody lines without any kind of action taken against them.
Or how about this one? When the ESC was held in Gothenburg in 1985, the home entry went down well both with the audience and the juries and ended in 3rd place. No wonder since it sounded and looked professional, with a catchy hook and a good dance routine.
Kikki Danielsson - Bra vibrationer (Sweden 1985)
A Danish team got really inspired and decided to borrow a couple of elements for their own entry for the 1986 national final. The melody line was a bit similar, so they borrowed some or the arrangement. Or most of it, actually.
And as for the performance, wouldn't it be nice to have a male and a female dancer, just like the Swedes? Or why not the same dancers? If they are good once, they must be good twice. And that the female lead decided to choose a pink outfit similar to Kikki's? Pure coincidence, surely.
As the rehearsals are in full swing for the second semi of Melodifestivalen 2014 in my home region of Östergötland, it seems Sanna Nielsen now fully and completely emerged as the Big Favourite, hotly tipped by most to qualify for the final, win the final and possibly even take the crown in Copenhagen.
Big words, but Sanna is well loved by the Swedes, have an actively televoting fanbase and most people present in Linköping seem convinced she just can't lose.
A little bit like Paloma San Basilio in 1985.
The Spanish diva had conquered the world of latin music through her lead role in the Spanish version of "Evita" and was given a big ballad from the plume of Juan Carlos Calderón who had been a mere heartbeat away from winning the whole contest in 1973 with "Eres tú", a song that went on to become a major hit single all over the world.
Paloma had the passion, the conviction and the perfect song. She couldn't lose.
Until she did. Something must have gotten lost on the way from Scandinavium out to the juries around Europe and once all the votes were cast, Paloma were left with 36 points and a very modest 14th place shared with Turkey.
Not saying the same will happen to Sanna - I believe in her song as well. I'm just saying you have never won until you actually won.
Paloma San Basilio - La fiesta terminó (Spain 1985)
I do like it when established names show up at Eurovision. They bring attention and a press following and a natural spotlight they can also share with some of the less known contenders. I for one think the presence of some established acts is vital to the contest.
But a big name alone is not enough, just like Switzerland proved in 1985.
There was quite a bit of enthusiasm when the news broke that Anita Kerr had composed the Swiss entry for Gothenburg. Anita Kerr was the leader and arranger behind the legendary Anita Kerr Singers, she had written books and had received a Grammy Award and was - arguably - one of the most influential women in the history of showbiz. She also became the third - and last - woman to conduct an entry at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Just too bad that the song wasn't all too special. Not bad but not breathtaking enough to be composed by a living legend. A competent little schlager - surely not the worst Switzerland ever took to Eurovision - and an ode to a Swiss German kind of love where you keep a lid on your emotions and passions in order not to let them get in the way of your rational lifestyle.
Pino and Mariella perform it well and the last chorus, where they intertwine the chorus with the verse, is pretty elegant. I always liked it, but it is far from being that everlasting evergreen many people seem to have expected.
Pino Gasparini & Mariella Farré - Piano Piano (Switzerland 1985)
As the participants rehearse in Malmö and most people - including myself - are busy predicting how the contest will end this year, maybe it's about time reminding ourselves how hard it can be to foresee what will work with the voters and not.
It doesn't matter how many people believe in you in advance - it is the grand total of points you manage to accumulate on the scoreboard that decides your fate, nothing else.
Paloma San Basilio knows this, for instance.
Being a celebrated star - not least after singing the lead role in the Spanish production of "Evita" - she was chosen to sing a grand ballad composed by Juan Carlos Calderon, who had almost won the contest in 1973, scoring a worldwide hit with "Eres tú".
"La fiesta terminó" had everything needed to win: passion, intensity, an strong chorus and an exquisite performer. I think it is safe to say most people assumed the Spanish entry to be the ballad of the evening, cemented in the final top five.
Paloma San Basilio - La fiesta terminó (Spain 1985)
I doubt I will ever understand what went wrong, but the juries heard or saw nothing of greater value in Paloma's performance. Spain had to content themselves with a shared 14th place out of 19 participants. A result that remains a mystery.
I sometimes wonder who these people in the jury were. They voted for pleasant but light-weight entries from United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Switzerland but paid no attention to grand ballads?
If it is any consolation to Paloma and her fans, Spain was not the most badly treated ballad of the night. The press on location in Gothenburg had taken not of the classy performance by Adelaide and considered Portugal to be a bit of a dark horse.
This particular dark horse had to go back home with a total of nine points and a second last place.
A number of songs in Malmö are also going to disappoint before the final is over. We just don't know who they are as yet.
Switzerland has done it. Spain, Luxembourg, Israel and Ireland too. Now is the big question whether Sweden would be ready to join the club of winning host countries. They would certainly want to.
Robin Stjernberg - You (Sweden 2013)
Maybe last year's victory made the Sweden a bit braver than they usually are, as the eventual winner was a song they hadn't really warmed to at first. Robin only reached the final through the Andra Chansen heat, but then convinced juries and televoters alike of his qualities.
(Well, in all fairness the televoters would still have preferred the song ending in second place, but that's another story.)
Robin is another one of these starry-eyed starlets that Sweden favoured sending off to the ESC lately and he really is an asset with his distinct voice and intense presence. Either you enjoy his show or not, he is sure to spark some sort of emotion in his audience. Which is a good thing.
Then there is the song, though. And then I'm not so sure anymore.
My first impression was that the whole package was a bit messy. Especially the beginning where precious seconds fly by without the verse taking any direction or pointing out where it is going. The chorus is strong and has a good hook, and the last thirty-forty seconds - where he bursts into his impressively high-pitched happy cry - are very strong, but now and then it feels like this song gets a little bit lost in the woods.
Potential winner:
You never can tell. Sweden has a way of breaking through to the international audiences and Robin himself is an intriguing force of nature. But my insticts tell me the song isn't strong enough.
So that's a no, then.
My grade: 3/5
But then again - Robin is going to perform as #16 in the final, just like Kikki Danielsson did in Gothenburg twenty-eight years ago. She was not predicted to do particularly well either but almost won the whole shebang and ended in third place. A good omen for Robin?
There are good news and bad news concerning this song. Good news: Cyprus is sending in one of their bigger stars for Eurovision. Bad news: she doesn't have a whole lot of a song to work with.
Despina Olympiou - An me thimáse (Cyprus 2013)
Perhaps there is something I should know to appreciate this entry more. Perhaps it falls very well into the standard repertoire of Despina. Perhaps it has lovely lyrics or touches a string with the home audience.
All I hear is a polished little ballad that is very pleasant but never quite takes off. It does nothing wrong, it is clean and enjoyable but bound to fall into oblivion as soon as the next song starts.
Despina is a good singer that manages to add some temper and colour, but there are limits also to what a skilled performer can do to save an unspectacular entry.
Qualifier:
No. It would be a real surprise if this one managed to capture the audience enough to qualify.
My grade: 2/5
In fact, this song always make me think of another Cypriot ballad entry that was pleasant and did nothing wrong but failed to have any impact in the end. I believe this year's entry will share the same fate.
Lia Vishi-Piliouris - To katalava arga (Cyprus 1985)
Usually I content myself with just one Song of the Day, but since I haven't published any in a while I thought I could have two today. Are you with me on that? Splendid!
This year, I feel Portugal has selected rather a dull ballad for Eurovision which is a shame since Portuguese ballads often have been really good through the years.
In 1984, Maria Guinot sang her own poetic song about how, in the middle of the great silence, she suddenly finds the right words to say. Or how she, when being among so many people, can finally see who she truly is herself.
A touching and atmospheric entry, not quite as well recieved by the juries as it should have been.
Maria Guinot - Silencio e tanta gente (Portugal 1984)
The Portuguese grapes were, however, to turn even more sour the next year in Gothenburg. Their singer Adelaide, also co-writer of her song, recieved quite a lot of positive attention from the press - dubbed one of the classiest performers by one Swedish newspaper.
She belted out her dramatic ballad with gusto and conviction but completely failed to capture the hearts and votes of the jury. Only the Greek jury, voting last out of the nineteen participants, saved her the humiliation of a last place.
Adelaide, a contender for last place? I can't believe neither my ears nor my eyes, to be honest.
In my review I mentioned Izhar Cohen and his impossibly cheerful backing group from Gothenburg 1985, so I felt like showing them to you all as well for reference.
But not for reference only.
It is a jolly good and catchy litte song, one if Israel's best ones in the 80's if you ask me. And the performance is a bit of a thriller as well.
Keep your eyes on the blonde backing singer, the one wearing what I'd call blue. Or green. You'd probably call it something else. The girl not wearing pink. She is happily dancing and happily smiling, but when she gets to the chorus you suspect she was hired for her dancing skills alone.
Her voice cuts through the first chorus like a chainsaw, and the reason I'm sure it must be her is because of what happens next.
During the second verse, her tiny microphone breaks free from her dress and starts living a life very much of its own. It takes a while before she notices it and decides to do something about it... and she hides it well. Blink and you will miss it.
A highly entertaining entry on many different levels indeed.
Back in the 80's, when Eurovision was still commercially successful in the Nordic countries (before the big comedown of the 90's), we had ESC cover versions released on tape.
For many years, these cover versions were my truth and my originals.
And in the 1985 cover cassette, I was always fond of the Swiss entry. I found it catchy and easy to sing along to. In short, a very fun song.
In 1992, I found a sampler album with all the songs in original versions and got to hear the real singers for the first time in seven years. A very happy event in my life, but the Swiss disappointed me.
Later that same year, I got a video copy of the 1985 contest and was even more disappointed with the Swiss. What I always thought would be a quick-paced, snappy entry turned out to be a slack little duet, lacking the forza and attack it had on my cover tape.
Given that it was composed and conducted by a real musical legend, in the shape of Anita Kerr, makes it even more disappointing.
But Pino and Mariella look cute together, and the chorus is still catchy. At least that is something. And good enough for a 12th place.
Pino Gasparini & Mariella Farré - Piano Piano (Switzerland 1985)
Now we are quickly approching the times that formed my idea of what Eurovision was and what it was supposed to sound like.
The first ESC I know I saw at least fragments of is 1983. The night of ESC 1984 was spent at my uncle's and as he had no functioning tv set, I had to content myself with the radio broadcast. Then we came home in time for the voting, so I remember seeing my native Sweden win.
In 1985 and 1986, I was allowed to sit up until Sweden had performed, then it was time for bed. And 1987 was the first year I saw in full.
My ideas of these years and songs have been formed through cover versions on tape, the odd newspaper article I happened to come across and very fluid memories from here and there.
And then, when I finally saw the live versions, I had to change my mind. Again and again. My old ideas and likes and dislikes crashed into what I really saw and heard. And if I was the judge now, these are my winners.
1981 - Portugal
Carlos Paião - Playback (Portugal 1981)
I admit that this is a pretty odd choice. But 1981 is a pretty odd year. It contains a handful of real pearls mixed up with a whole bunch of mediocre songs that are not really bad (not a single song is outright bad in 1981) but that fail to make a difference.
This portuguese piece of plastic pop surely makes a difference. It is obnoxious, repetitive, pokes fun at showbiz in general and is performed in a very tongue-in-cheek fashion by Carlos and his strutting backing vocalists.
I love the entries that come to Eurovision not craving to be loved. A great portion of attitude and a distinct will to be different is more than enough for me.
Real winner:
Bucks Fizz - Making Your Mind Up (United Kingdom)
1982 - Spain
Lucia - El (Spain 1982)
Provocation seems to go down well in my list. At the time, this had a pretty distinct taste of politics, aimed at the host country.
But provocation alone is boring. The urge to do something different in a contest that was turning more and more streamlined is a far more interesting trait.
And this song may be political, but it is also furious, tempestuous, sexy and funny. Again, completely lacking a will to kiss up and be gentle and loveable.
The european juries wanted a little peace but I'd rather like a bit of tango.
Real winner:
Nicole - Ein bisschen Frieden (Germany)
1983 - Luxembourg
Corinne Hermès - Si la vie est cadeau (Luxembourg 1983)
The last real outburst of The Classic French Ballad, up until this point crushingly superior to most genres in the ESC but now rapidly losing in strength.
Other winds were blowing, other tempos climbed the charts, other moods hit home better with the audience. But once Corinne Hermès stepped onto that stage in Munich, it was as if nothing had ever happened and that a big ballad in French would always beat everything else.
The French ballad wouldn't sink away over night, there would be more songs of this kind. In 1988 and 1993, Luxembourg and Switzerland would actually place rather high with this kind of song.
But the era was over. And what a worthy ending, with one of the strongest and most elegant winning songs ever.
Real winner:
Corinne Hermès - Si la vie est cadeau (Luxembourg)
1984 - Italy
Alice & Franco Battiato - I treni di Tozeur (Italy 1984)
One question will always haunt me. When there is a song like this one in the running, what kind of jury favours a ditty like "Diggi-loo diggi-ley" instead?
What do they look like? Do they have ears? What do they have for breakfast? And who decided that they, out of all people in the world, should be on the Eurovision jury?
This Italian entry was stylish, original and immensly beautiful, the kind of victory that could have injected some well-needed commercial interest at a point were just that started to ebb away from the ESC.
Shame on the juries.
Real winner:
Herreys - Diggi-loo diggi-ley (Sweden)
1985 - Finland
Sonja Lumme - Eläköön elämä (Finland 1985)
Gothenburg 1985 looked very exciting as two countries that had never fared well in the contest were tipped as likely winners: Norway and Finland.
We all know how the story goes as Norweigan Bobbysocks stormed to victory and Sonja Lumme from Finland somehow slid into oblivion and ended in a ninth place. If it had anything to do with being drawn at the dreaded second starting position or not, we will never know.
"Long Live Life" has anyhow turned into a eurovision evergreen, well loved by fans as well as the general audience in Finland. And rightly so. A powerful chorus and a powerful performer who squeezes every drop of schlager juice out of her song.
Eurovision in Bergen 1986 was a very attractive setting. But Helsinki would not have been out of place either.
That is the eternal question for dedicated followers of Eurovision. The tickling, thrilling thought of parallel universes, where everything could have been different.
What if Abba had won Melodifestivalen 1973 with "Ring Ring", would the expert jury in Luxembourg have rejected them?
What if televoting had been introduced earlier, would the ESC have looked and sounded different in the 90's?
What if Finland or Portugal had scored a victory at an early stage, would their ESC histories have looked different?
One of the easiest games of this kind is the "what if" concerning the outcome of the national finals. What if the runner-up would have won instead? Could that have changed ESC history? I will lift up a few of these cases, just to amuse myself.
Let's start with Norway 1985 - in order to better their poor results, NRK had invited four international judges who alongside with five national juries would select the winner. The experts reached complete consensus and all had the same favourite:
Anita Skorgan - Karma (Norway NF 1985)
The juries did not agree and in the end, their winner beat Anita into a second place. The presenter asked Ronnie Hazlehurst, UK conductor and jury member, if he didn't think Norway could win with Bobbysocks. He replied: "I'm afraid not".
The juries may have had a point - "Karma" is a sophisticated entry in a lavish arrangement - but who would have thought that this was the year when Norway would break their Eurovision curse, all by themselves, despite what the international panel said?
Bobbysocks won the 1985 ESC in Gothenburg and all of Norway was in Bobby-shock. What if NRK had entered Anita Skorgan instead, would she have won?
This is a dear gem for almost everyone I know who know Melodifestivalen. Completely ignored by the juries back then and subsequently not a big hit after the contest either.
Bel Air - 1 + 1 = 2 (Sweden 1985 NF)
Åtvidaberg's finest wouldn't let themselves slip into obscurity that easily, however. The singing sisters had not transformed themselves into the local Belle & The Devotions only to be forgotten.
Something about this chorus eats its way into the back of your head, and you will find yourself humming it when you least expect it. Add to that the visual brilliance of it: the hair, the outfits, the choreography...
This piece of schlager demands to be loved. And you would have to be a real enemy of pleasure not to like it at least a bit.
One of the things I have been busy doing this last week is converting old vinyls to mp3 format. Among other things I have converted are the Danish national final compilations of 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988 and 1989.
You can say a lot of things about the 80's, but they were almost never as bright, happy and bubbly as they were in Denmark. Here are only three out of the many gems from these years.
Enjoy! Plastic fantastic!
Snapshot - Gi'r du et knus? Second place in 1983, losing out narrowly to Gry Johansen. I wonder how this one would have fared in Munich with its infectious chorus? Snapshot would try their luck several times, and one of the girls, Lotte, would make it to the international final in 1992 together with Kenny Lübcke.
Vivian & Gry - Vi ska leve After beating Snapshot in 1983, Gry tried the game again, this time in a duet with her mother Vivian who had several participations of her own under her belt already. A very modern entry that perhaps wasn't cheerful enough for the juries back in 1985. Sixth place out of ten still remains a mystery in my book - a classic!
Kirsten & Søren - Sig' det som det er After representing Denmark in 1984 and 1985, Hot Eyes were at it again in 1986 where this very bouncy performance impressed the juries a bit less, landing them a 4th place. Maybe the verses are slightly too anonymous to make this entry their best, but the chorus makes me bubbly with joy.
