Big up for Belgium

The first semi final of the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest is about to begin soon but whatever happens result-wise the best entry of the night is Belgium.

You already knew this, I've been praising this madly talented little Loïc ever since last winter. Of course he is my favourite.

But I also enjoy stating it since it's not quite every year that Belgium shows their better sides and enter something good or convincing. Very much like Austria, I tend to enjoy their entries but very rarely have them on my first place.

So just because I can, I'd like to share a couple of times when Belgium really got it right.

They had their moments already before the ESC went in colour. I don't know what kind of heartless creature you must be not to melt for Tonia and her fool-proof recipe for love. (She does get the guy in the end, you know.)



Tonia - Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel (Belgium 1966)

Louis Neefs is something of a monument to entertainment in his home country of Flanders. He competed twice at the ESC and while his first song turned into a real evergreen, it's the second one that is a minor masterpiece with it's wonderfully suggestive arrangement, complete with the kind of lazy trumpet that I love.



Louis Neefs - Jennifer Jennings (Belgium 1969)

Just like Louis Neefs, Ann Christy left the world far too early and with far too few commercial successes under her belt. This wonderfully breezy little song - according to the songwriter a tale of lesbian love - is one of my all-time favourites.



Ann Christy - Gelukkig zijn (Belgium 1975)

All hell broke loose at the Flemish final when Pas de Deux and their minimalist pop experiment beat all the pre-contest favourites and the debacle in Munich was possibly inevitable, but I wish more countries dared to this kind of thing. Think of this while you hear a number of pretty but mind-numbingly dull ballads in tonight's semi.



Pas de Deux - Rendez-vous (Belgium 1983)

There are more wonderful songs in Belgian song-book than this one, but if we talk favourites this jaunty yet aggressive plea for world peace must be included. A touch too much of everything and that's what I love the most about it. Liliane for president!



Liliane St-Pierre - Soldiers of Love (Belgium 1987)

Runner-up: Sweden 1966

What will you get if you take two of Sweden's best and most loved vocalists ever and have them sing a song by a top lyricist and one of the country's finest musicians? A timeless classic? A wonderful hit single? Not quite.

Instead all of these superb ingredients resulted in a novelty entry. The queen bee of eurovision jokes, if you so wish.

The jaunty little song tells the tale of a lovely but prude princess that bumps into the hippest swine herd around. The princess learns how to play sweet music on the herd's cooking pot and eventually convinces the cool man to swap places with her.

If you understand Swedish it is all very funny, I can promise you that. Nevertheless it proved a most controversial winner of the national final and the general public felt genuinely convinced their country would get seriously humiliated in Luxembourg.

For some reason beyond reason, the national juries of Denmark, Norway and Finland decided to let themselves go and gave all their top marks to the Swedish novelty. The audience laughed and whistled but, with the aid of an extra point from Switzerland, it was enough for Sweden to sail past everyone but the Austrian runaway winner and end in second place.

A deserved 2nd place?
Absolutely not. Entering novelties like this one into a song contest is a bit like cooking instant noodles on Master Chef. Joke entries need to be stronger and have hit factor to deserve high placings and this one doesn't cut it.

It remains a bitter pill to swallow that Lill Lindfors never got to display her talent for real with a true contender of a song, even though her presenting the 1985 final - and subsequently dropping her skirt in front of an entire world - got her written into Eurovision history for good.



Lill Lindfors & Svante Thuresson - Nygammal vals (Sweden 1966)

Song Of The Day: Belgium 1966

1966 was in many way a defining year in the history of Eurovision. The year before, a modern pop song had won for the first time and now quite a few countries decided to hop on that same train. Among them a group of countries that had previously sent in traditional, old-fashioned and clean-cut entries: Finland, Portugal, Switzerland... and Belgium.

(Amusing, then, that the great pop nation in Europe - the United Kingdom - would not join the pop squad until a year later, in 1967.)

The Belgian entry was not only more lively and youthful than their previous attempts, it was also unusual in the way that French speaking Wallonia was represented by a Flemish singer (performing in French, although she also recorded her entry in Dutch as "Een beetje suiker").

The most enchanting (pun intended) lyrics, possibly inspired by pop classic "Love Potion no 9", were also regarded by many as a breath of fresh air.

Given the usual Belgian track record in Eurovision, a fourth place is not to be sniffed at. Tonia would later almost come back to Eurovision after placing second in the 1973 German final, before her career faded in the early 80's.



Tonia - Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel (Belgium 1966)

Tobson's winners: 1966 - 1970

During this period, the ESC gets what could be described as its greatest innovation of all time as the contest was broadcast in colour from 1968 and on.

A politically turbulent period of time in Europe and elsewhere, especially the mythical year of 1968, and pop culture began to take over also at Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson.

By now, the contest was a commercial hitmaker and big labels wanted to send their most interesting names into competition, in hopes of breaking the international market.

On the continent, the German market was by far the most important one to crack in terms of record sales and it was about as common to record German versions of eurosongs as making the English versions.

1966 - Luxembourg



Michèle Torr - Ce soir je t'attendais (Luxembourg 1966)

France Gall sent shivers through old Europe and her fresh faced appearance inspired no less than six countries to send more modern and upbeat entries, performed by young women, to see if the success could be repeated.

It couldn't - the young ladies most probably stole points off each other and a convincing victory was given to a male solo singer instead.

The best one of these six was, in my opinion, the best song on the night, competing for host nation Luxembourg, performed by Michèle Torr who was about to recieve star status in her native France a few years later.

For me, this is an irresistible piece of French pop: inspired, lightweight but not silly and, above all, very well performed. Strangely enough, it was heavily ignored by most juries with the exception of Sweden, giving it top marks.

Real winner:
Udo Jürgens - Merci chérie (Austria)


1967 - France



Noëlle Cordier - Il doit faire beau là-bas (France 1967)

It would be absolutely impossible to rank all songs that ever took part in the ESC, but if I could, this one is very likely to be in the top ten.

A power ballad of a rare sort, complimented by a surprisingly raw lyric, not at all sticking to the usual voice of the modest heartbroken woman we often hear in song lyrics.

This woman is sweet at first, then scornful ("When you left it was to get happy / if it worked, then good for you") and then falls out into a bitter chorus about how much she hates all the people around her. "I hate them because they never talk to me about you."

A powerful, original and beautiful entry, but the juries wanted a happy pop tune instead. Not a bad choice, either.

Real winner:
Sandie Shaw - Puppet On A String (United Kingdom)


1968 - France



Isabelle Aubret - La source (France 1968)

For the second year in succession, the French entered a good song with somewhat controversial and, this time, slightly disturbing lyrics, inspired by "The Virgin Spring" by Ingmar Bergman.

Isabelle Aubret was good already when she won in 1962, but now she is sensational, telling the story of the innocent girl who gets raped and killed by three men in the forest. Yes, all of this is there in the lyrics. So much for family viewing.

One would think that a classical piece like this would be perfectly suited for the grand orchestra, but the musicians let this song down as well.

Maybe that is why it was beaten by two pop songs instead? Or maybe the mood of this song wasn't quite the party starter people needed in these troubled times?

Real winner:
Massiel - La la la (Spain)


1969 - Spain



Salomé - Vivo cantando (Spain 1969)

To be honest, I'm not sure about this one. Or, I'm sure I absolutely adore song, singer, performance and outfit. But I'm not sure it is my outright favourite.

1969 is a very strong and even year where several songs claim the title as my favourite: Italy, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal, Switzerland, France...

But the massive madness in Salomé's way of attacking this entire number casts makes this a winner. At least it is the best out of the four songs sharing the trophy this year.

Real winners:
Salomé - Vivo cantando (Spain)
Lulu - Boom Bang A Bang (UK)
Lenny Kuhr - De troubadour (Netherlands)
Frida Boccara - Un jour, un enfant (France)


1970 - Germany



Katja Ebstein - Wunder gibt es immer wieder (Germany 1970)

Watch out, modern times are coming. In more ways than one.

Television-wise, Dutch television (selected to host after a draw between the four winners of 1969) invented the postcards, partially to make up for the low number of participants. Only 12 countries took part after Sweden, Norway, Finland and Portugal dropped out after the split winner fiasco in Madrid.

But the German entry also signalled that new musical influences would, again, find their way into the ESC. Hippie-esque, with a touch of flower power, this song had a groove never before heard in the ESC.

Or it should have had, since this is yet another song the orchestra is unable to do justice. Also Katja is yet to compose that stage magic she would develop later in her career.

But in its recorded form, this song is stunning and a brilliant example of the creativity in the German market at this time.

Real winner:
Dana - All Kinds Of Everything (Ireland)

Austria is back - with a good selection

Ever since their 1957 debut, when their western influenced ode to a pony ended in last place, Austrian television has had a rather ambivalent relation to Eurovision.

Sometimes they have tried to raise the intellectual level on the show (very much like Sam, the American Eagle, tried to do on The Muppet Show). Sometimes they have entered songs possibly only Austrians can understand. Sometimes they have seriously been trying to achieve good scores, usually with moderate success.

Sometimes they have just been gone, withdrawn but secretly watching from the sidelines.

After their 2007 entry ended second last in the semi final in Helsinki, they have stayed at home in anger, giving one reason sillier than the other why they won't take part.

But now they are back, and again they want to make an impression and leave a positive mark on the ESC. It could be that this is their time lucky. The ten finalists, selected by an expert jury and the radio listeners of Ö3, is a lively and varied selection, which should include something for most people.

After hearing snippets of all ten songs, I can clearly conclude that the Austrian selection contains more edge, variety and profile than most others.

That does not necessarily mean success. A strong final won't take you far unless there is a real gem that could also impress the european audience. Austria has had a hard time breaking through, with only three top five scores since their 1966 victory in Luxembourg.

I would be very happy for them if they would leave Düsseldorf with a good score in May. Listen to the ten candidates on their official page here .

My Song to represent Albania

Some people believe Eurovision goes on half the year or so nowadays. They are not entirely wrong - in some countries the season starts very early.

Most years, Albania is the first country to select their entry through the prestigious Festivali i Këngës, traditionally held late December. (This year Switzerland beat them to it, but one cannot always be first.)

The winning song, "Kënga ime" (My Song) by Aurela Gaçe, can be seen
here .

What I have liked about most Albanian entries since their elegant debut back in 2004 is that they often have a certain roughness and a bit of an edge and attitude, the way Turkey used to play it back in the 80's. A strong sense of personality even in the most radio friendly songs. I really like that.

This year's winner is no exception: it is powerful and almost aggressive, in a good way. Aurela Gaçe gives it her all and if the final production for Düsseldorf makes the melody line a bit sharper and clearer and avoids the tiny risk of the chorus getting too shouty, then Albania could have a shot at top ten.

For the final, Aurela had a dramatic change of look and hair colour. I like her semi final look better, where she showed a shocking ressemblance to a Eurovision legend from older times. Look for yourselves!



Tonia - Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel (Belgium 1966)