December 24: Seyyal Taner

It is Christmas Eve, everyone! It is time to be happy. Maybe to dance around if you feel like it. And to be very very happy.

Few people in the world were ever happier than the people representing Turkey at Eurovision in the 1980's. Or the people fighting it out for the right to represent Turkey. They were all happy and never far from breaking out into neck breaking dance routines.

Few people ticked as many boxes in the "happy and dancing"-department as Seyyal Taner did. In 1986 she ended in second place of the national heat with this piece of bounciness. One year later, she went on to win and flew off to Brussels where quite a few people expected her to get an unusually good placing for being a singing Turk.

Instead, she famously returned home without a single point. A disgrace. Red card for the juries. (And the colour red suits Christmas very well as well.)



Seyyal Taner / Dünya (Turkey NF 1986)

Runner-up: Turkey 2010

For almost thirty years Turkey had been the given loser at Eurovision. They kept entering original, ethnic, interesting, inspired entries, often breaking out of the typical mold and it never seemed to pay off.

Regardless what they came up with, Turkey almost always ended in the bottom half. Not seldom in the bottom five. Then came Sertab Erener and hit the ESC like a flash from a clear blue sky. Nothing would ever be the same again.

Suddenly Turkey had turned into a top player that more often than not made its way into the top ten. Helped by a heavily televoting diaspora perhaps, but that's not the whole truth. Turkey had turned into a credible contender, a country people would happily vote for.

Still original, this is energetic and melodic rock - a genre that used to fare as badly in eurovision as the average Turkish entry, but now it seemed the Turks were the kings of everything.

How wrong can you be? Only two years later, TRT was to pull out of the ESC and are yet to be seen again.

A deserved 2nd place?
Yes. Brave, ambitious and not your typical eurosong. Very well done.



Manga - We Could Be The Same (Turkey 2010)

Nobody's favourite but mine, part 1

Sometimes I get the impression there is a certain kind of eurovision fan who only watches the contest in order to get to criticise as many things as possible. To just slam every song they hear and rip them to shreds.

I admit it can be great fun to do just that. When you find something that is really terribly bad and you manage to find just the right words to explain why something makes your ears bleed and your heart cry.

It's just that I'm so incredibly fond of liking things. I can often find redeeming factors in most really weird entries and in general I like so many more things than I dislike. So just to prove my point I will present you a number of songs only I like. Here are five songs I like very much to most people's honest surprise and incomprehension.



Afroditi Fryda - Clown (Greece 1988)

Famously, the jury in the national final selected a winner only after pointing out how underwhelming all candidates were and recommending the national tv company to pull out of the competition instead of sending either one to a sure defeat in Dublin. If that anecdote is true - it has been attached to a number of Greek national finals through the years - the jury were not entirely wrong as the song received a grand total of ten points.

I disagreed with juries - business as usual - and found an attractive sadness in between all the compulsive laughter. When I finally saw a translation of the lyrics I realised it was all in my head as there wasn't the slightest trace of ambiguity or darkness. I still love it anyway. Ha ha ha ha!



George Nussbaumer - Weils dr guat got (Austria 1996)

Eurovision and gospel music has always been a hard nut to crack. Quite a few entrants have tried through the years without really getting it right. It becomes a bit too polished and soft and harmless to leave any real traces or reveal any deeper emotion. Except perhaps for this bunch of crazy Austrians.

The song is perhaps not all that remarkable in itself and I wasn't really blown away by the preview clip, but the live performance is the closest thing we ever came to a perfect re-enactment of a tropical hurricane. The backing group - including Stella Jones and Bettina Soriat who both represented their country as solo singers in the 90's - become so incredibly animated and worked-up that you suspect the hall will run out of oxygen before the song is over. Not everyone's cup of tea but I find it irresistible.



Oleksandr - Hasta la vista (Ukraine 2003)

Isn't it strange that Ukraine - famous for doing everything right in the ESC - would start out by getting more or less everything wrong in their debut entry? The cheesy lyrics, the old-fashioned arrangement, the Kermit-the-frog-at-the-opera vocals and the most peculiar dancer in the background. It is all so puzzling. What were they thinking? Were they convinced they had a winner on their hands? The worst part still is that I've grown remarkably fond of it over the years. For all the wrong reasons, mind you. But very fond all the same.



Modern Folk Trio & Aysegül - Dönme dolap (Turkey 1981)

I'm surprisingly easy at times, I have to admit to that. Shake a piece of homemade disco muzak Made in Turkey in front of me and my knees will turn into jelly. If it is performed by three distinguished gentlemen in white, accompanied by a cheerful lady, performing a choreography that should be simple but that seems to pose a real challenge for the group, I'll be even happier. If you top it with a shockingly nonsense set of lyrics - stating that life is a merry-go-round as it goes up and then down again - I'll just roll over and admit I'm defeated.



Daisy Auvray - Mister Music Man (Switzerland 1992)

This is what I suppose happened: Poor Daisy didn't get out much and this time she decided to really live the moment to the fullest. She had enjoyed a glass of wine or two and felt lovely and vibrant and alive and wanted the whole world to know. She grabbed a microphone, decided to put her happiness into song and asked the band to strike up an old-fashioned sound that would suit her perfectly. How was poor Daisy to know this was not a karaoke bar at all but the Swiss national final?

Seriously, though. This was so violently out of sync with any kind of musical trend or fashion back then, but time has been really kind to this in comparison to many other entries from the same year. Perhaps not the best song there ever was, but the whole performance is sweet. And endearing. And that must be worth something too.

Turkvision - a good idea?

I think it is fairly safe to assume that Turkey is in no hurry to come back to the Eurovision Song Contest. Copenhagen seems to be completely ruled out and the future doesn't look too bright either for fans of Turkish eurosongs.

TRT is still claiming to be upset about the current rules, how the juries seem to be keeping the Turkish entries down in the ranking and - the latest thing that transpired - how they feel Turkey lacks influence at the EBU. Oh dear.

So instead of trying to court Europe and insist on changes being made to the ESC format, TRT decided to stage their own song contest instead.

Copyright: TRT

Why not? A song contest, slightly modelled on the ESC, to bring the various Turkic people together in friendly competition. That can't be all bad. Can it?

It depends what your goal is, of course.

Turkey has been spending quite a lot of time and effort to market their own progress in the fields of democracy and human rights. With that in mind, it seems strange to snub the EBU - with their current discussions of perhaps adding a human rights index of some sort to the participation criteria - for a new set of best friends with rather different views on the matter.

Countries like Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan all have very poor human rights records and oppressive regimes. Inviting them to an international event can only give these regimes a chance to shine and do their best at coming across as respectable and acceptable. Why would you want to do that?

Also, allowing Northern Cyprus to take part under their own flag is a problematic move. So be it that this contest is aimed squarely at a Turkic audience, but Turkey is the only country in the world to recognise this republic as an independent country.

In short, Turkey's new choice of playmates doesn't look great from a political point of view.

Maybe this can still be a musically interesting event where will get sights and sounds from countries we seldom interact with and know very little about, but attaching too much attention to Turkvision will also contribute to promoting and normalising an unpleasant thing or two.

Absent friend: Turkey

When I was child and fell in love with this weird, wild and wonderful contest I quickly realised it was truly those weird and wild things that made the whole thing wonderful.

So how could I not love the Turkish entries? They didn't sound like anyone else, they didn't look like anyone else. Not even their flag looked like the others - so colourful, so stylish. They hardly ever scored any substantial amount of points, but that was less important.

Their whole joie de vivre attacked me and walked hand in hand with me through Euroland. How I loved the Turkish entries.



Seyyal Taner & Grup Lokomotif - Sarkim sevgi üstüne (Turkey 1987)

Ten years ago, Turkey took a radical turn and re-invented themselves in the ESC. Superstar Sertab Erener seduced the entire continent and the eternal loser blossomed into a success story. Cinderella got her prince and would never turn back again.



Sertab Erener - Everyway That I Can (Turkey 2003)

Since then most Turkish entries ended in the top ten, four of which even made the top four. Most impressive. Then suddenly - without a word of warning - Turkish tv decided to pull out of the competition, giving some really dodgy and sketchy excuses about the rules being unfair and them not wanting to be a part of this.

At first, I thought there was a hurt ego somewhere in the middle of this story. Turkey is a fast-growing economy that seeks financial and political influence in its region, and I thought maybe they would want to be treated like royalty also at the ESC. Why would they want to find themselves below the likes of France, Germany or Spain in this contest?

But then I spoke to some Turkish friends - good, intelligent and perceptive people - who suggested more sinister reasons for their country's absence.

Despite being a secular country, the current Turkish government has a mildly Islamist agenda. Knowing this, you can note that the country has not sent any female representative since 2009 despite that particular female gaining a good result.

My friends suspect that phasing out women was the first step, phasing out western cultural from the state television would be the next. I'm not saying this is the one and only truth, but this what my friends suggested and it got me thinking. If this is the case, we would probably have to wait quite a long time until we see another Turkish entry in this competition.

So in order to how my say in this matter, I decided to phase in a number of feisty and fabulous females made in Turkey. They rock. May they be back soon.



Ajda Pekkan - Petr'oil (Turkey 1980)



Klips ve Onlar - Halley (Turkey 1986)



Pan - Bana Bana (Turkey 1989)



Şebnem Paker - Dinle (Turkey 1997)



Pinar Ayhan & S.O.S - Yorgunum anla (Turkey 2000)



Sibel Tüzün - Süperstar (Turkey 2006)

PS! Just to be crystal clear - if anyone is in doubt - this is not a text against neither Turkey nor TRT. I hope for them to be back. And if anyone can add anything to this discussion - please leave a comment. DS.

Tobson's Ranking: #11 Turkey

Hayde, indeed! Turkey is back on track in this competition.



Can Bonomo - Love Me Back (Turkey 2012)

Ever since back in the day, when nobody voted for Turkey or paid them much attention, I have cherished their entries and held them as one of my favourite ESC countries. So it feels very good indeed to see that the mishap of 2011 was nothing but the occasionally slip and not a new trend in Turkish entries.

Can Bonomo is really bringing Turkey back to form with a catchy rhythm, a singalong chorus and a fun performance. What is even better is that this oriental ditty also manages to be quite divisive and not everyone's cup of tea.

Anything that can annoy people and be entertaining at the same time is most welcome.

The only reason it is not higher in my list is (apart from strong competition) Can himself. The rest of his output is wilder, more daring, less streamlined, has sharper edges.

I would have liked to see what kind of emotion some of his other sings might have stirred up in Baku.

My grade: 4/5

The 2012 review, part seven

Four more songs from the second semi, including some of the best and one of the absolute worst of this year's crop.

11. SWEDEN



Loreen - Euphoria

Not since Alexander Rybak in 2009 has there been such a consensus about a probable winner as this year. Loreen is the sky high favourite everywhere - not everyone's top choice, of course, but the eventual overall winner in most polls and rankings around the internet.

There is a danger in that, too. Many songs have been named probably winners and then not recieved the expected response from televoters or juries. Sweden also has an added complication as their numbers are so meticulously planned and perfected already in the national final that there is no room for improvement for the international final. The best possibility is that Loreen performs almost as well as in Melodifestivalen.

All those objections aside - this is one of the strongest entries of the year. Simple and yet powerful, minimalistic and artistic, well sung and with a stylish look.

Qualifyer:
Yes. Without the shadow of a doubt. And, unless it has a maximum of bad luck in the draw, it will surely make top five. And possibly win the whole thing.

My grade: 5/5

12. GEORGIA



Anri Jokhazde - I'm A Joker

Where do I begin? When a song is bad, you can start the review by pointing out the flaws in the song-writing. That is very hard to do here, as there has been very little song-writing going on. This is just a parade of pointless sounds with no goal, no aim, no point. If the "song" had not been bad enough in its own right, the lyrics are a very cheap re-write of "The Joker" by Steve Miller Band.

And, to add insult to injury, the performance is completely on the same level as the melody and lyrics. How a country that gave us Sopho Khalvashi can decide to inflict something like this on us is a mystery.

Qualifyer:
No. Georgia has qualified every year, but if this mess hops out of an envelope there must be something severely rotten in the Kingdom of Eurovision. Horrific beyond description.

My grade: 0/5

13. TURKEY



Can Bonomo - Love Me Back

Luckily the contest takes a sharp turn back to really good entries again as Turkey seems determined to take revenge for last years debacle in Düsseldorf. Exit the rock, in with a song full of oriental, Turkish and Jewish influences. As well as a hint of Pirates of the Caribbean, to be honest.

A fairytale story about pirates and ships set to very jaunty music, performed by the breathtakingly endearing Can Bonomo. He is all smiles and in a very playful mood. Not everyone's cup of tea, perhaps, but surely captivating enough to make into the safe haven of the final.

Qualifyer:
Yes, oh yes. The sails fill up with ravishing rhythm and this ship will have a very pleasant journey over the Sea of Eurovision.

My grade: 5/5


14. ESTONIA



Ott Lepland - Kuula

There is always room for a big ballad, especially when it is as well-constructed, gripping and stylish as this one. Ott is also a rare asset, as he manages to hold back his notes, delivering it well, singing his heart out without making the vocal chords go pop.

Estonia has also had a way to make lyrics in their own language appeal to the voters. I have a feeling Ott will reach out also to the people who have no idea what he is singing about.

Qualifyer:
Yes. I didn't believe in it at first, but now I think the final needs Ott and a song like this to find harmony and balance.

My grade: 4/5

Nul points: Turkey 1987

After the spectacular double-zero in Munich 1983 came a few leaner years in Euroland where no song was left without points. If it was because the juries were more understanding or because the competing countries became less daring may be debatable, but all entries were awarded for their efforts.

Maybe the Turks were lured into a fraudulent feeling of security, that you were among friends at eurovision, and that among friends you would dare show your real self.

Think again, Turkey.

Seyyal Taner, backed up by Melis Sökmen and her band Lokomotif, were apparently the light of every party in Brussels and started to stand out as something of a dark horse beforehand. Could a knockdown contribution like this be the sensation of the year?

Of course not. The juries didn't understand anything. Who did those Turks think they were?

Nul points?

I don't understand what the juries were thinking. In my book, it is always better to stand out from the others and be brave, bold and different. Seyyal's melody was clearly one of the best of the year.

Had entries like this managed to win jury approval instead of rejection, and had the juries dared to encourage the more spectacular entrants, it is quite possible that the audience interest in the ESC would not have dropped like it did during the 90's.



Seyyal Taner & Grup Lokomotif - Şarkım sevgi üstüne (Turkey 1987)

Nul points: Turkey 1983

When the 1983 entries were presented in my local newspaper, the description of the Turkish entry went something along the lines of this: "After the national final, the national press was disappointed as they believed it could be hard for the selected song to win in Munich."

That could very well qualify as the understatement of the century.

From beginning to end, this creation is a complete mess that can't make its mind up whether to be a parody or a hommage, or indeed whether to be opera or something completely different. Nobody in their right minds could for a single moment have thought this song capable of anything but a splendid and complete fiasco.

In many ways, it is the eurovision equivalent of a disaster movie, a three minute all-singing all-dancing version of "The Towering Inferno" . Terrifying and very entertaining at the same time.

Nul points?

Oh yes. This is the stuff that real nul-pointers are made of. Hysterical and bouncy, calculated but misconcieved, humourous and yet deadly serious. A masterpiece in its own little way.

I only wish Çetin Alp would have been able to see the whole thing from a distance and see all the adorable and naïve charm of this musical shipwreck, but I very much doubt he ever did.





Çetin Alp & The Short Wave - Opera (Turkey 1983)

Bad Draw Day: Turkey 1997

Typical Turkish bad luck, the way it used to be at Eurovision. Turkey had been drawn early on in the running order most of the years, usually going back home with dismal placings and a few complimentary points in their suitcase.

Most people agreed that the Turkish entry was the most user-friendly one for years, but then again being drawn in the dreaded #2 slot would do it no favours.

What did we know? The biggest underdog there ever was in the contest (since Norway shaped up in the mid-80's) surprised everyone and scored their by far best placing until then. Şebnem Paker recieved three top marks and came in third.

This proves beyond the shadow of a doubt, that a bad draw can make things a bit harder for you. But a good song is still a good song, a convincing performance is still a convincing performance, and when it is time to vote nobody cares what starting position you had.

Once you break through to people, you will score. A good starting position just makes everything a little easier.




Şebnem Paker & Grup Ethnic - Dinle (Turkey 1997)

ESC 2012: exit Armenia

Yesterday, Armenian television finally made their minds up and decided not to send any representative to the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest. The reason for this is, of course, the strained relations between them and host country Azerbaijan.

Politics have always been present at Eurovision, but this kind of action has still been rare. In 1979, Turkey made a last-minute decision not to send a song to Jerusalem (some sources claim this was the result of pressure put on Turkey by Arab countries) and in 2009 Georgia ultimately did not participate in Moscow (although they made an attempt of sending an anti-Putin song into competition).

Also, Morocco would have been far less likely to take part in 1980 had Israel participated, just like Lebanon withdrew in 2005 due to not wanting to be in competition with the Jewish state.

I can't blame Armenia for not taking chances, but I can't estimate the effort the EBU and Azeri television made in order to have them in.

However, if Armenia knew already from the beginning that they would not participate, it would have been better to make a dignified exit already before the regular deadline and saved us the last-minute drama.

Now I just hope that Armenian television will still broadcast the ESC from Baku, so the national fans won't miss out, as well as for them to be back with a vengeance in 2013.



Sirusho - Qele Qele (Armenia 2008 preview) 

Turkey 2012: who wouldn't love this guy back?

Turkey has revealed their entry for Baku and hopes were high after last year's surprising flop and subsequent lack of a spot in the final.

We already knew that Can Bonomo, a young Sephardic Jew from Izmir, had been internally selected for the task and that deserves a special applause, I think. How brave of TRT, in these tense times, to have themselves represented by a member of a minority community.

I can't help thinking that TRT is doing more good for the image of Turkey internationally than anyone else at the moment.

The chosen song might strike you as slightly peculiar at first, but it possesses a chorus that will eat its way inside your mind and stay there, forcing you to hum along.

And Can himself is an adorable, most loveable, appearance. A true artist who really believes in his thing and who has dared sprinkle his entry with both Turkish and Jewish folklore.

A most welcome return to force for Turkey and I dare predict rather a good result already at this early stage. How good? Let's see the final presentation first.

But with a song like this, who wouldn't love a guy like Can Bonomo back?



Can Bonomo - Love Me Back (Turkey 2012)

Turkey 1979: I love (but I won't go to Jerusalem)

Turkey selected its third eurovision entry in a national final held on February 24th in Istanbul. Seventeen juries voted and gave a very close victory (by one point only) to Maria Rita Epik & 21. Peron performing "Seviyorum" (I love).

This is what we know for sure before things begin to get a bit fuzzy. Sometime from this time until the distribution of the preview clips, Turkish television decided to withdraw from the contest.

Swedish and Finnish press at this time appear a bit confused as to why Turkey has decided to stay at home. Speculation then, and now, suggests that Turkey, as a muslim nation, was put under pressure from the Arab world not to take part in a contest hosted in Israel.

Turkey would have performed as eleventh in Jerusalem, sandwiched between the Israeli winner and French Anne-Marie David, ending in third place.

It is an educated guess that "Seviyorum" wouldn't have made a huge difference to the final result. Jaunty and upbeat, but possibly a tiny bit bland, it would probably have ended up where Turkey used to end up back in the day.

Far far back.



Maria Rita Epik & 21. Peron - Seviyorum (Turkey 1979, never took part) 

PS. Twenty years later, the ESC was again held in Jerusalem. This time Turkey proudly took part in the competition, ending in 16th place with Tuba Önal.

You would hardly recognise the Turks

It is hardly an understatement to say that Turkey struggled during their first twenty-five years in Euroland. Whatever star performers or hit choruses they sent in kept coming back home largely ignored and with a minimum of points to their names.

In the 80's, Turkish television started to look for qualified help in order to make their own entries more appealing. The song that won the national final was sent off to some music company (often in Germany) that would add a helping touch here and there.

Some years, they did far more than just the odd fine tuning. Some years they added long segments, cut whole verses out and - in severe cases - added a hook or a whole chorus.

Watch and compare for yourself. How would the original versions have fared at Eurovision?

1984 - Luxembourg




Bes yil once, on yil sonra - Halay (Turkey 1984 national final)

Most of this song is fully recognisable from the national final, but recieved a somewhat softer arrangement and a less busy choreography. And - a chorus, including a handle for the juries to hold on to. Result - a 12th place, which was the best Turkish showing until then.



Bes yil once, on yil sonra - Halay (Turkey 1984 eurovision version)

1986 - Bergen



Klips ve Onlar - Halley (Turkey 1986 national final)

For some reason, I can only find a very short clip of the national final version of this one but I think you will get the big picture. This entry is, in short, a complete mess. A heap of good ideas thrown together with no structure and nothing in particular going for it.

The musical helpers slowed down the pace considerably and added a very contemporary sound to the final arrangement, which resulted in Turkey's first ever top ten showing.



Klips ve Onlar - Halley (Turkey 1986 eurovision version)

1988 - Dublin



MFÖ - Sufi (Turkey 1988 national final)

This is a schoolbook example of how little it takes to turn something promising into something really good. These two versions are not so far apart, really. What is added is - again - a more modern touch to the sound as well as a distinctly oriental flavour and an instrumental hook most europeans would understand as typically Turkish.

The final version also has a better flow and sounds more melodic and catchy. It was quite rightly mentioned as a dark horse and possible outside at Eurovision, before finishing in a most disappointing 15th place.



MFÖ - Sufi (Turkey 1988 eurovision version)

1990 - Zagreb



Kayahan - Gözlerinin hapsindeyim (Turkey 1990 national final)

The first minute is almost the same, only the arrangement is different - more pompous and old-fashioned than the final version - but then the original throws itself head first into a difficult, un-catchy chorus. The production company would have nothing of it and cut it all out, replacing it with a much simpler singalong, still with a slightly oriental feel.

This was not a huge success and ended in 17th place in Zagreb, but I suspect the original version would have fought it out in a battle for the very last places.

Not bad, but in no way user friendly.



Kayahan - Gözlerinin hapsindeyim (Turkey 1990 eurovision version)

Everybody wanted to be Abba

At some point in life, all children just want to close their eyes, make a wish and transform into something else. At some point, every little girl would want to be a princess and every little boy an astronaut.

In the late 70's, quite a few groups entering Eurovision really wanted to be Abba.

Not surprising, given Abba's remarkable success at the ESC itself and even more so afterwards, when conquering the world.

But being Abba takes a little bit more than just being two girls and two guys singing together. As the juries cast their votes, it was time for these acts to wake up and face the music.

(At some point, maybe Björn, Benny, Agnetha and Frida watched the ESC, looked at each other with puzzled facial expressions, thinking to themselves: "is this really what these people think we sound like?")




The Swarbriggs Plus Two - It's Nice To Be In Love Again (Ireland 1977)



Gemini - Dai-li-dou (Portugal 1978)



Nazar - Sevince (Turkey 1978)

Song Of The Day: Turkey 1981

Many people have, through the years, sung songs about life and love being much like a merry-go-round. In that sense, this song is nothing unusual.

During the late 70's and early 80's, many countries contributed disco songs with disco strings for Eurovision. Nothing unusal there either.

The disco songs were often performed by a goodlooking woman, which is also the case here.

What makes this one stand out is that pretty Aysegül have been paired up with three men that don't stike me as typical disco regulars in any way. (Not that they can't handle the choreography. Looks can decieve.)

Also, most disco hits were depending heavily on some kind of hook or catchy chorus. This song has nothing of the kind. It is pleasant and trots along, but it is not the kind of merry-go-round that will leave you breathless and exhausted.

So the juries went for a much more energetic ride called Bucks Fizz and left the disco Turks in second last place with only nine points.



Modern Folk Trio & Aysegül - Dönme dolap (Turkey 1981)

Tobson's Winners: 2001 - 2005

After relatively successful years, commercially speaking, and a big breakthrough in terms of production and ratings with the 2000 final, the ESC was still up for a few years of unplain sailing.

The winners of 2001 and 2002 were commercial flops, and the problem with corrupt voting figures (as countries had started to trade points in the mid-90's to avoid relegation) was still very present.

Also, the ratings suffered in the countries that got relegated. In Finland, where interest in the ESC had always been strong, the ratings were reduced to nothing after being out every second year since 1994.

So the EBU took action - all televotes started to go to a central switchboard in Cologne, so that the official scrutineers had full control over the numbers presented during the final.

And - in 2004, the ESC changed dramatically, as the semi final was introduced. Now every interested country could take part every year, and in retrospect, this move seems to have consolidated the popularity of eurovision. At least for the time being.

2001 - France



Natasha St Pier - Je n'ai que mon âme (France 2001)

Disaster comes quickly, when DR follows up the slick, elegant and modern production of 2000 with a monster contest where staging the biggest contest ever matters more than anything else.

Also, the songs lined up for the 2001 contest could, on average, be the weakest bunch since the mid-60's or so.

At least France decided to deliver again after some lean years, and sent in a great song - rather reminiscent of "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" and similar recent pop hits in French - with a Canadian star in the making.

Thanks to TF1 picking the song up (rather than any effort from participating broadcaster France3), the song became the biggest commercial success to come out of Eurovision in France since "White And Black Blues" eleven years before.

The live performance doesn't quite do the song justice, but the recorded version is top crop.

Real winner:
Dave Benton & Tanel Padar - Everybody (Estonia)


2002 - Finland



Laura - Addicted To You (Finland 2002)

After a span of unsuccessful entries, often more aiming at being liked rather than trying to communicate anything of lasting importance, Finland selected an entry that felt fresh, relevant and inspired.

2002 was a hard field to crack. The general level of songs being quite alright, but with many songs sounding very much the same, trapped in an updated disco landscape, sharing the available points between them.

Despite being hailed as one of the favourites, Laura Voutilainen crashed and burned on a pale 20th place, behind many lesser songs. This was nothing new for Finland, but the feeling that the voting had been anything but fair left a bitter taste.

Looking at the scoreboard, some countries are obviously trading points with each other, some others are obviously voting tactically to keep other favourites down. The EBU stepped in, did what had to be done and took control over the voting process.

If not, who knows what it would have taken to restore the audience's faith in the voting.

Real winner:
Marie N - I wanna


2003 - Turkey



Sertab Erener - Everyway That I Can (Turkey 2003)

After two musically lean years, Riga offered fresh winds and a more daring collection of songs again. More surprises, new musical directions. Exactly what the contest needed.

Even better then that Europe favoured a variety of different styles and the final top ten had ballads, humour, radio pop, latin pop, rock anthems, world music, punk pop... and a very Oriental winner.

For the first time ever, Eurovision decided to give thumbs up to an exotic praline and Turkish superstar Sertab Erener won the title after a nailbiting finish, where Belgium looked like the winner up until the last country cast its vote.

Of course Turkey was the right winner - a dancefloor stomper, a commercial hit and a clear departure in a new direction for the ESC.

Real winner:
Sertab - Everyway That I Can (Turkey)


2004 - Serbia & Montenegro



Željko Joksimović & Ad Hoc Orchestra - Lane moje (Serbia & Montenegro 2004)

The first Serbian eurosong for 2004 was well worth waiting for - anthemic, majestic, hypnotic. Very well sung, very well performed.

Željko has been back as composer as well as host of the entire show, but never has he left quite such an impression as he did this time.

Despite being another slightly weaker year, there are still quite a few really good classics in the running. But Lane moje blows them all away. Should have won by a mile.

Real winner:
Ruslana - Wild Dance (Ukraine)


2005 - Iceland



Selma - If I Had Your Love (Iceland 2005)

Oh, how the ESC can mess with your head. From the first time I heard Selma's comeback entry, I was sure Iceland had a good placing coming.

I thought it was modern, intriguing, haunting and very, very catchy. But what did that help? When the last envelope was opened in the semi final it read "Latvia". Not "Iceland".

Team Selma had a fall-out with the production team shortly before the semi, something that surely disturbed everyone more than a bit. The live performance isn't perfect and the choreography doesn't quite work.

But still. How a fantastic entry like this one can miss the final is beyond me.

It would take a few years before the semi final worked up enough ratings for the results to be representative rather than just a fancy lottery. Having two semis instead of just the one also helped a lot.

But I doubt that made Selma any happier.

Real winner:
Helena Paparizou - My Number One (Greece)

Tobson's Winners: 1996 - 2000

And then, unexpectedly, the contest started gaining in popularity again. Entries started finding their way back into the charts, more people watched, and Eurovision suddenly seemed capable of launching careers again.

Behind the scenes, this should have not been a greater surprise to anyone as some EBU members, Germany above all, decided to have a final stab at the old event before abandoning it for good.

We will never know how close it was that the ESC was discontinued in the mid 90's. 1995 would have been a logical last year - celebrate the 40th anniversary and then let the old ship sink.

But the ESC was destined to go on. And now the only way was up.

1996 - Estonia



Maarja-Liis Ilus & Ivo Linna - Kaelakee hääl (Estonia 1996)

It was very exciting times, when a small ex-Soviet republic with no reputation in the world and rather a different language suddenly found itself one of the top favourites for victory.

It didn't win, but it beat the big hot favourite, Gina G from the UK, and it was recorded in a few cover versions around the continent. All in all a very pleasant little package, most sympathetic and very easy to like.

And I'm still hoping for Maarja's grand retun to the Eurovision stage, to better her fifth place.

Real winner:
Eimear Quinn - The Voice (Ireland)


1997 - Iceland



Paul Oscar - Minn hinsti dans (Iceland 1997)

1997 is not only a very strong year. It was like waking up from a long sleep - after so many years of slowly collapsing, the ESC came on like a flash out of the dark.

Suddenly there were pop song, modern rhythms, thought-through stage acts, songs with hit potential... And the epitome of this new world was the entry of Iceland. Modern, provocative and knocked out over a white leather sofa.

Pretty tame compared to many of the acts that were to follow, but back in the day Paul Oscar walked in like a one-man-version of the French revolution. Even if I love many of the entries of 1997 with a deep passion, nothing quite sums up the esprit of the year like this number.

Also, far too much for the juries, but embraced by the televoters. The next year, the juries would be gone. Not a minute too soon.

Real winner:
Katrina & The Waves - Love Shine A Light


1998 - Croatia



Danijela - Neka mi ne svane (Croatia 1998)

1998 saw the grand exit of the juries - and the grand introduction of televoting. That, plus the relative success of some more television-friendly performances the year before, lead to a line-up including quite a few really strong songs.

Some things proved too difficult for the televoters to grasp on a first listening: the beautiful Slovakia waltz, the Polish pop and the Leonard Cohen-esque debut entry of FYR Macedonia, for instance.

The winner was the only credible choice, though. The only way to go. A colourful performer with an evident chorus, set to hit the charts. Maybe the UK could have pulled the same thing off, possibly Dutch Edsilia could have achieved something.

But the one for me is Danijela and her mega-chorus, dramatic verse and huge key change. One of the few songs that can make me see the point of having the orchestra, which was about to vanish as well.

Real winner:
Dana International - Diva (Israel)


1999 - Estonia



Evelin Samuel & Camille - Diamond Of Night

At the time, I favoured the likes of Cyprus and Croatia, with Selma from Iceland as my sky-high favourite. Unfortunately, the Cypriot chick couldn't carry her tune, and Selma's song aged badly.

Croatia is still a real party song, but it is the Estonian ballad that really does it for me. Sweet, enchanting and spellbindning.

By far, my favourite violin through eurovision history.

Real winner:
Charlotte Nilsson - Take Me To Your Heaven (Sweden)


2000 - Turkey



Pinar Ayhan & The SOS - Yorgunum anla (Turkey 2000)

I must admit that Sweden's victory in 1999 didn't enthuse me - it was something old-fashioned at a time when eurovision needed modern and forward.

But Sweden gave us forward and modern in 2000, when playing host, offering the real start of the ESC the way we see it today. Modern, fast-moving, progressive. And, as a lucky break, most countries played ball and sent in great entries.

Russia, Estonia and Latvia all fulfilled the youthful pop vibe, Denmark the more mature pop vibe and most of the others provided entertainment value aplenty.

But the quirky tune from Turkey is my song. A song to belt out in the shower or dance along to on the tram as it plays in your headphones. A song to love.

In a world that was fair, Pinar Ayhan would be a super star. But Turkey still had some way to go before they would conquer the ESC.

Real winner:
Olsen Brother - Fly On The Wings Of Love

Tobson's Winners: 1986 - 1990

For me, personally, these five years are the most important in Eurovision history. Possibly not the best. I can't tell. I know them by heart, the songs and the performances, I grew up with these songs.

Even the bad ones feel like old friends. I can understand them, explain their weaknesses. Like them a little bit anyway. Forgive them for not being masterpieces.

It also makes picking out favourites even harder. It is like selecting one favourite among your children. Almost.

What I am trying to say is that for every favourite picked in this chapter, there are several other candidates close behind in the running. One day I will dissect these years in detail here on the blog.

But now for my personal winners.

1986 - Germany



Ingrid Peters - Über die Brücke geh'n (Germany 1986)

1986 offers one of my favourite selection of entries ever. Here is a wide range of styles and moods, many really good choruses and a heap of really good performances.

Switzerland and Luxembourg offer very strong songs, Turkey is a real gem, Portugal has a great pop number, France and Norway are fun, Yugoslavia is tender and the list goes on.

But this German song is like a wonder of elegance and craftmanship. It has a large and breezy sound, it has a very strong handle of a chorus and it is brilliantly sung by Ingrid Peters.

In retrospect, the lyrics are also touching, as a love song between the "two Germanys" to build a bridge, to understand each other and to have a peek over the wall.

Less than four years later the wall would crack down, and you could see right through it.

Real winner:
Sandra Kim - J'aime la vie (Belgium)


1987 - Turkey



Seyyal Taner & Lokomotif - Sarkim sevgi üstüne (Turkey 1987)

Another year bursting full of personal favourites. Belgium, Italy, Yugoslavia, Finland, Cyprus, Spain, Norway... the list is neverending.

But the Turks knock the socks off everyone. Mainly because they were really doing what I have already pinpointed as my favourite asset: they do their thing without trying to be loved by everyone.

They were loved in Brussels throughout the week, seen as a possible surprise act, appearing on stage like a musical thunderstorm, breaking every rule concerning how you should sound, look and act on the eurovision stage.

That earned them a big fat zero in the end. Not one of the twenty-one juries considered this entry worthy of a single point. Even the famously neutral SVT commentator made a remark how strange he found that verdict.

If you were different during the late 80's, the juries would punish you. These days, standing out from the rest is an asset. I like the new world order better.

Real winner:
Johnny Logan - Hold Me Now (Ireland)


1988 - Luxembourg



Lara Fabian - Croire (Luxembourg 1988)

Out of these five years, I find 1988 to be a somewhat weaker edition compared to the others. Anyhow, there are a few songs that are absolute top class. Like Israel. Like Turkey.

And like Luxembourg, introducing Lara Fabian, in a few years time set to be a huge household name in the entire French-speaking world.

This is an attempt at the classical French ballad again, the kind that would just walk in and floor all competition. But despite being powerful and lyrical, it didn't quite make it all the way.

She was beaten by another icon to be of French song, Céline Dion. Her career needed the victory more, as it apparently opened doors for her American career. But Lara's song is stronger. My winner.

Real winner:
Céline Dion - Ne partez pas sans moi (Switzerland)


1989 - Italy



Anna Oxa & Fausto Leali - Avrei voluto (Italy 1989)

I almost had to call this a tie in the end. How can I judge which one is better, this one or Finland? And then we have Turkey a very close third. And Spain a very close fourth.

But there is a raw, untamed energy and wrath in this song that I find overwhelming. Also this one breaks out from the eurovision formula in a nice way that proved a bit too much for the juries.

But the juries have possibly never been less up to the task than in 1989. They hardly do a single thing right, the entire voting is a mess. The final result is a farce.

Yugoslavia won with a happy song, but hardly their most convincing effort ever. More commercial songs, like Sweden, Austria and Germany, were left behind. When the winning team is welcomed on stage, the audience gives them a glacial reception with no cheers and no applause.

Rather a revealing image of where the ESC was heading for the next couple of years.

Real winner:
Riva - Rock Me (Yugoslavia)


1990 - Israel



Rita - Shara barechovot (Israel 1990)

Late 1989 had shaken Europe and by 1990, the landscape looked different. New times with no possibilities, and maybe this made the juries a bit braver again.

They did favour more classical songs like Ireland and Iceland, sure, but also gave high points to daring choices like France and Spain.

However, the demanding and experimental pop lament from Israel prooved too much and Rita landed the second worst result of the Jewish state until then. It does take a few listenings, admittedly, and maybe the juries simply didn't have the time to break into it fully.

But this is a lovingly crafted little masterpiece of a song, belted out with gusto and conviction. Maybe not the song you whistle in the shower the next day, but a very fine piece of pop art.

Real winner:
Toto Cutugno - Insieme: 1992

Tobson's Winners 1976 - 1980

The new voting system, designed by Heikki Seppälä of Yle and introduced in Stockholm 1975, was deemed a success and is still in use - but an important improvement was implemented during these five years.

Until 1979, the points were read out in the order of appearance, which made it hard for the scrutineers to follow the action and on several occasions it lead to mistakes on the final result.

The first of song mentioned in this post was a victim of that.

1976 - Yugoslavia



Ambasadori - Ne mogu skriti svoju bol (Yugoslavia 1976)

When all points were counted in 1976, Ambasadori from Sarajevo were left in last place since the French jury forgot to read out their four points aimed at Yugoslavia. This was not corrected until later, and by that time Yugoslav television had already withdrawn - not to return until five years later in Dublin.

"I Cannot Hide My Pain" was a fitting title - minutes before going on stage, lead singer Ismeta had accidentally been hit on the face by a photographer's camera. All makeup was wiped off her face to make sure she wasn't badly hurt, explaining her pale look as there was no time to put it on again.

Ismeta would come back many times as a head of delegation for Bosnia, but never with a song as strong as this one. Melodic, melancholic and very well performed.

In my book, this is the best entry Former Yugoslavia ever sent in. And I am pretty fond of most of their entries.

Real winner:
Brotherhood of Man - Save Your Kisses For Me (United Kingdom)


1977 - France



Marie Myriam - L'oiseau et l'enfant (France 1977)

1977 is another of this crushingly fantastic years in Eurovision. Almost all songs are great little pearls in their own right, and quite a few of them are real masterpieces.

However, this is yet another winner you can't argue with. She is Marie Myriam. The song is L'oiseau et l'enfant. That is very hard to beat.

Pure class from beginning to end. Wonderful in every aspect of the word.

Real winner:
Marie Myriam - L'oiseau et l'enfant (France)


1978 - Germany



Ireen Sheer - Feuer (Germany 1978)

If 1977 is an extraordinarily strong year, then 1978 is the sharp opposite with far too many lean song that are perhaps not bad but unimpressive.

Anyhow, I have three songs that fight it out for my personal top title. The other two are Ricchi e Poveri from Italy and Baccara for Luxembourg, but Ireen Sheer is the one that runs away with the crown.

She is putting on a brave face as the French orchestra completely slaughters what in its studio version is a bang-up-to-date disco song, and she also gives us the first dress trick in eurovision history (if I haven't forgetten something vital).

How this song was beaten by completely insignificant songs from France, Monaco and Ireland is beyond me. But it probably says quite a lot about the juries in use this year.

Real winner:
Izhar Cohen & Alpha Beta - A Ba Ni Bi (Israel)


1979 - France



Anne-Marie David - Je suis l'enfant soleil (France 1979)

Yet another very strong edition song-wise. The last 70's was a good era and what went wrong in 1978, we will never know. Here are real gems from Portugal, Greece, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland... as well as many others.

(There are also some really horrid bottom-of-the-league stuff as well, but let's not even mention Monaco.)

And again that stage beast that is Anne-Marie David just walks in and wipes the floor with all competition. She nails the camera with those eyes and sings her heart out in a fantastically classy ballad.

A trained eye will note that she uses the same backing group as Ireen Sheer did in Paris. Another trained eye will recognise Yardena Arazi dancing in the postcard (it is Yardena, right?).

Real winner:
Milk & Honey - Hallelujah (Israel)


1980 - Turkey



Ajda Pekkan - Pet'r Oil (Turkey 1980)

If you are looking for the best exotic-flavoured eurosong of all time this is a very hot contender for the title. Catchy, fun and danceable and very well sung, there is no possibility this entry would have placed lower than, say, third these days.

Back in the day, the Turkish entries were still far too different for the juries to digest and despite scoring one top mark, Ajda didn't place better than fifteenth.

At least she did better than the other exotic pearl taking part - Samira from Morocco scored only seven points and ended second last.

Eurovision just wasn't your ideal vehicle if you wanted to be different. Some things do get better with time.

Real winner:
Johnny Logan - What's Another Year