Nobody's favourite but mine, part 5

While making this series it seems one country pops up more often than most and that is Austria. I would perhaps not go as far as naming them my favourite country in Eurovision but few others have done so much for the diversity of the contest and few others have been so constantly ignored or misunderstood as the Austrians.

I often find myself liking Austrian entries more than most people do - at least judging from the not always too impressive scores they gather during the voting sequences - so because of that and in honour of their magnificent Conchita Wurst, who takes to the stage tonight, this is a special edition focusing fully on Austrian entries. And I had to make them ten instead of five…



The Milestones - Falter im Wind (Austria 1972)

So let's start from the top with my all time favourite Austrian entry. The Milestones were the second pop group ever to enter the eurovision stage and added an interesting touch to a contest formerly reserved for solo singers or love duets. The song is also highly personable with a long melodic build-up - and a hook that is played on a flute rather than sung - and when the chorus finally kicks in it is short and snappy and a surprisingly fulfilling climax. Douze points at any given time.



Karel Gott - Tausend Fenster (Austria 1968)

Austria was never afraid to speak their minds or make statements in this apolitical song contest and already in early 1968 they decided to lend their spotlight to neighbour country Czechoslovakia and the slowly nascent Prague spring. Winner Udo Jürgens composed an urban lament, about the loneliness of modern man, for Czechoslovakia's own Sinatra Karel Gott. For some reason, he only scored two points and Udo Jürgens famously stormed out of the green room mid-voting.



The Rounder Girls - All For You (Austria 2000)

ORF in Vienna were never afraid to make statements about Austrian matters either. At least that must have been one of the contributing factors that they chose - at the height of the controversies surrounding Jörg Haider, giving Austria a bad name around Europe - these soul babes to represent them in Stockholm. Unfortunately they didn't quite nail the live performance in the end but this is such a lively, happy and bouncy number all the same.



Westend - Hurricane (Austria 1983)

Austrians can't just yodel, they can also dress in red and yellow and dance in a group. Most of the Westend members - with the notable exception of Gary Lux - aren't really all that impressive singers but do parts nicely and with the aid of that dancing girl they manage to work up quite a storm before the song is over. This one was always one of my big favourites from 1983. Catchy and fun.



Marianne Mendt - Musik (Austria 1971)

If the host broadcaster went through all that trouble to assemble an orchestra for the occasion you could just as well use it to the fullest. I doubt there is a single instrument that isn't put to use in this massive arrangement and Marianne can't be accused of holding back her vocal abilities either. Extra plus for singing in dialect, that always goes down well at Eurovision. Well, it doesn't but it should.



Schmetterlinge - Boom Boom Boomerang (Austria 1977)

There just is no way around this one. Deeply political and deeply engaged and still devilishly entertaining. I doubt no protest song was ever as fun as this one, virtually mocking the record industry in general and the Eurovision Song Contest in particular. The group also scared the living daylights out of the BBC producers as they had interrupted a live show on Austrian television the week before the London final and made a political statement instead of singing. Being part of both this as well as The Milestones also qualifies Beatrix Neundlinger as a Eurovision Goddess in my book.



Wilfried - Lisa Mona Lisa (Austria 1988)

People I know, good friends of mine, would argue this is the archetype of a nul-pointer, that it has every ingredient of a perfect recipe for disaster. I see what they mean but I must disagree. Perhaps this one would have been better off performed by someone else, but I find a depth and an emotion here. Something the juries apparently didn't. Blaming the defeat on politics was not a brilliant move either, but Wilfried is hardly the only zero-scorer to mess up like that.



Bettina Soriat - One Step (Austria 1997)

At first I must admit to finding this pretty hopeless and doomed but at some point I took a long hard look at the live performance and realised what a professional that Soriat woman is. The amount of punch and energy she manages to squeeze into these three minutes is truly impressive.



Blue Danube - Du bist Musik (Austria 1980)

Austrian television was never afraid to be deadly serious and send in poignant entries that actually mean something. But then they could get really tired of that and go for something like this instead: a big fluffy piece of nonsense with five people randomly namedropping famous composers and musical terminology all over the place just to make sure that somebody somewhere understands something. It is perfectly ridiculous but also really rather catchy. Group member Marty Brem would be back again already the next year with the sweet but confusingly staged Wenn Du da bist, featured already in Part 3 of this series.



Anita - Einfach weg (Austria 1984)

This could be a crash course in how to take a perfectly good song, rip it to shreds and crush every single chance it might have had of impressing anyone. If you just listen to it with your eyes closed you'll hear what a good song it is. Then you open your eyes to find that the woman who sings about being strong and independent and gone before you know it is a polite little flower in a pink dress, a sweet hairdo and not a drop of attitude anywhere. Add the dance orchestra background musicians and the stiff backing vocalists - again Gary Lux, not at his finest hour - and your song is doomed. Despite a very clear last place - 21 points behind Yugoslavia placed second last - it was a big hit on home ground and is still seen as a bit of a classic. Made for radio, so to speak.

Nobody's favourite but mine, part 4

Are you ready, folks? Here comes a fourth selection of songs I really liked through the years even though I have a nagging feeling I could be the only one. The former three episodes suggest that I am not alone at all, which leads me nicely onto the first song of the bunch.



Patricia Kraus - No estás solo (Spain 1987)

I never understood why anyone wouldn't like this one. It's original, energetic and pretty modern for it's time, and Patricia could be one of the coolest females ever. She is wearing a leather corset and enough rouge to suggest that she fell headlong onto the makeup-table only seconds before she had to enter the stage, still manage to look like that is the most natural thing ever.

It does take forever until she gets to a chorus but that's not the end of the world, is it? Clearly worth more than the ten points it had to content itself with.



Helen & Joseph - L-Imhabba (Malta 1972)

Malta had a tough start in Eurovision - for their first two entries they sang in their native tongue and ended in last place on both occasions. I can sort of see what the juries meant in 1971 but this adorable little gem would have deserved to be showered in points. The line where they sing about freaks, Hell's Angels and hippies is worth a top ten placing alone. Not to mention the more than impressive body language of the conductor during the instrumental break. And extra points for fashion, of course.



Park Café - Monsieur (Luxembourg 1989)

For the last few years that Luxembourg were in the contest they more seldom commissioned potential hit songs from French record labels - or did nobody want to provide them anymore? - and turned to local talent instead, mostly with pretty moderate success. Park Café entered something as unusual as a song inspired by a recent hit movie - "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" - and provided a far more jazz inspired sound than the audience was used to and the juries remained largely unimpressed.



Telex - Eurovision (Belgium 1980)

Belgium is clearly one of those nutty countries that you just don't know what to expect from. When you least expect it they will do something really crazy and unexpected and most of Europe will sit there with their jaws hanging between their legs, not knowing what hit them.

For some reason, synthesiser pioneers Telex - Belgium's own Kraftwerk but with a sense of humour - decide to throw themselves into competition with a song about the contest in question and a pronounced desire not to be understood and go through the voting without a single point. The stunt failed, the Belgians managed to collect a minor number of points and even avoided the last place, and the trio managed to thoroughly confuse their own fans in the process. What remains is a cute little masterpiece that is sure to make you smile. And when you're done smiling, check out their cover versions of Ça plane pour moi, Twist à Saint-Tropez or Rock Around The Clock. Genius!



Mrs Einstein - Niemand heeft nog tijd (Netherlands 1997)

When Dutch tv selected these feisty females internally they were presented like a group that were sure to rock the boat in a big way in Dublin. They sort of did. Not only were they nicknamed "Old Spice" - which I think was pretty witty - but most people wouldn't believe their ears. A full-tempo rip-off of Paul McCartney's Bond theme Live And Let Die that would leave people out of breath as well as in serious doubt of what the Dutch were thinking.

Only I really, really like it. I think it is fun and energetic and far superior to most entries the Dutch sent in during those eight long years they constantly failed to qualify. Old Spice for the win!

Nobody's favourite but mine, part 3

What fun it has been making the list of songs I thought I was the only person alive under God's divine sky to like and enjoy. Part 1 and Part 2, however, taught me many people share my odd taste so here we go with five more songs that somehow seemed to appeal to the mainstream of eurofans.



Rikki - Only The Light (United Kingdom 1987)

I was only 11 years old at the time and didn't really understand what the Swedish commentator meant when he implied the UK was in an outright downhill and no longer delivered anything really convincing to Eurovision. I thought this song was fun and catchy, and Rikki's backing group provided dance moves even I could manage. What was there not to love?

Besides, the Swedish commentator had no idea what a REAL downhill looks like, and neither did the UK until some twelve-thirteen years later. Rikki did end in a 13th place - the worst UK placing until then - but somewhere in Liverpool a real disaster called Jemini was just waiting to happen.



Marty Brem - Wenn Du da bist (Austria 1981)

This is actually a really lovely little song. Gentle, sensitive, heartfelt. It is well sung and is overall a rather catchy ballad. It just tries really hard to distract anyone from noticing. The composer was quoted as being unhappy with the confusing arrangement in the beginning of the song. Had I been him I would have worried a whole lot more about the performance as such. Where do I begin?

I would have loved to have a look inside the head of the Austrian choreographer. What can he have been thinking? Some heavy dancing would be nice. Backwards dancing would be even better. And somebody has to wear a helmet. Dancing has never been stranger.



Pas de Deux - Rendez-vous (Belgium 1983)

When the expert jury overwhelmingly voted Pas de Deux as winners of the 1983 Belgian final it would be a real understatement to call the studio audience enthusiastic. They whistled, booed and most left the hall before the winner's reprise was over. I guess Belgian audiences prefer heartfelt ballads about mothers to more experimental stuff.

And experimental it was, made to annoy rather than please, with it's distinct rhythm, it's intense brass arrangement and its constant repetition of one single line that doesn't really mean anything. It is close to what Greece is doing this year - presenting a set of rhythms and hooks rather than an old-fashioned song - but back in the early 1980's it was far too avant-garde to go down particularly well. At least the Spanish jury liked it and gave it eight points.



Baby Doll - Brazil (Yugoslavia 1991)

Just to make one thing very clear: there isn't the slightest hint of irony here, no tongue in cheek. I really think this song is fun and happening and that Baby Doll is a most spectacular performer. If you are looking for fine singing this will perhaps be slightly disappointing but it is not likely do bore you at least.

Since Yugoslavia had done well four years in a row I was convinced this one would be top ten material and was a bit shocked to see it end second last with only one point from Malta, beaten by a whole bunch of soporific ballads.



Vlado Janevski - Ne zori, zoro (FYR Macedonia 1998)

Not too surprising that a televoting audience that had lived through endless ballads with flute and violin and pretty harmonies and an Irish win-athon would go for something more cheerful and upbeat when they finally got the power in their hands, but it is a shame that they overlooked this last song on the night. Vlado is a really cool cat who wrote himself a really good song - a sort of Leonard Cohen of the Balkans - that would have deserved a lot more attention than this. At least they would have deserved a neighbourly top mark or two.

Nobody's favourite but mine, part 2

It seems you good people didn't quite agree with me being the only one to like either of the songs in the first part of this series. Well, I guess I wouldn't be myself if I didn't push my luck and tried to challenge you with five more songs that I sometimes think I'm the only one in the world to care for. Am I?



Gemini - Dai li dou (Portugal 1978)

After a couple of years with serious songs with political undertones, Portugal suddenly decided to send in a wonderfully (annoyingly, according to some) bouncy little song about a kite flying high in the sky. Simple and catchy (or possibly repetitive), performed by another one of these groups of four people, clearly modelled on Abba.

The verses may be a bit clumsy but the chorus is so happy in all its simplicity and the choreography is probably so easy not even I could make a mess of it. Cute.



Cocktail Chic - Européennes (France 1986)

Things weren't exactly running smoothly in France at this point. There had been almost ten years since their last victory and the contest changing hands from TF1 to Antenne2 had resulted in a national final nobody wanted to be part of or associated with. So the best thing they could come up with this year were a bunch of popular backing vocalists who would finally have their big chance of performing as a group.

With styling as impeccable as their vocal delivery (some of those notes are really rather wobbly), the French girls didn't stand a chance during the voting and ended in a pale 17th place while the three other countries singing in French - Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg - all made top three.



Gunvor - Lass ihn (Switzerland 1998)

Through the years I have often been better at predicting the last place than picking a winner but this was a nul-pointer I never saw coming. I thought Gunvor had written herself a nice little ditty, perhaps a bit average but still catchy and retainable enough. It even featured Egon Egemann and his white violin, that would surely make an impression?

Despite being up against real non-songs like Spain and Greece, Gunvor somehow managed to cling to her zero points all the way through the voting. Her career, already deeply affected by local scandal newspapers and their shameless publication of pictures and details of some less glamourous aspects of her life, never recovered from this and Gunvor decided to retire from the spotlight. A real shame. And her song wasn't even bad to start with.



Christina Simon - Heute in Jerusalem (Austria 1979)

Eurovision is a circus full of glitter and happiness and more or less obvious attempts at attracting points from all directions. There is nothing wrong with that and I want it to be like that, but it does make it a less suitable arena for people who are actually trying to say something.

Austria thought the final in Jerusalem would be the perfect place to tell the world they would prefer peace instead of war and employed Christina Simon to be their voice in this slow and demanding jazz number. Of course it didn't stand a chance and as Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty right before the final it even felt less relevant also lyrically. Last place was still really unfair and my question remains the same as ever: what's the point of having juries if they can't recognise quality?



Aleksandra & Konstantin - My Galileo (Belarus 2004)

At first I had no idea how to react to this. Was it really in English? Were those real words? Is it supposed to sound like this? I didn't know what to expect from Belarus in the first place but I most certainly did not expect this. Despite being reluctant at first, it started growing on me with it's odd folksy sound and before Eurovision week in Istanbul was over I had sung this song in front of a small crowd at the Belarusian party and my friend had kissed Aleksandra's feet. A regular day at the Eurovision Song Contest, you know.

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.

Songs only I like: Slovenia 1996

Some fiascos you never quite see coming, do you? You see the preview, you listen to the song, you like it, you think it will do quite well.

And then it crashes and burns right in front of you. Like Regina from Slovenia did in Oslo in 1996.

It all looked very promising in the cute preview, where it all sounded very well and looked great and was a very appealing package.



Regina - Dan najlepših sanj (Slovenia 1996 preview)

Come Oslo, it looked and sounded like this:



Regina - Dan najlepšish sanj (Slovenia 1996)

I was too deeply into it back then to notice at first, but there is quite a difference between these two clips. Everybody seems a bit tired on stage. Regina looks like she has a bit of a headache coming on. She struggles a bit with some of the higher notes.

Eurovision can be exhausting enough with being eight months pregnant, that's for sure, and to add further to the exhaustion rumours have it that the Slovenian delegation had rather a turbulent week in Oslo, which must have added further to the general state of fatigue.

Maybe they were just pretty happy to go home, regardless of the outcome?

As a piece of trivia - Slovenia was extremely well prepared this year and offered the press the first ever ESC CD-ROM presentation. In a very orange packaging came a booklet along with an interactive disc containing biographies, video clips and a few extra songs by Regina.

Too bad that not at least a bit of all that ambition made its way into the stage presentation. But you can't think of everything, can you?

A fine song it is, anyhow, unfairly forgotten both on the night as well as by a large section of the eurofans. I salute Regina, who is an excellent vocalist, and proudly shout out my love for this.


If you do too - please say so in a comment.

Songs only I like: Austria 1979

This one usually provokes a deep sigh from most eurofans. Too slow. Too long. Boring and depressing. Pathetic and pretentious. It's not that I don't see what they mean.



Christina Simon - Heute in Jerusalem (Austria 1979)

It is indeed too slow to be a hit in Eurovision. Had this been a bike, it would fall over before the first verse is over, due to the lack of speed.

And sending a song to Jerusalem, urging for peace, trying to be the voice of reason? Rather a cheap trick, isn't it?

But I can't help being very touched by the whole thing. I think Christina Simon is sincere, I think she means what she is singing. And she sings it beautifully. There is an air of honesty and dignity around the whole thing that the juries ignored completely.

To add insult to injury, it wasn't only shared last with Belgium, it was also beaten by at least one truly awful song. (If that was the best Monaco could cough up in 1979, they did us all a favour by withdrawing.)

But in many ways it is better to be last than 16th out of nineteen. You are more visible in the history books if you end in last place. And time has been kind to Christina and her song. If you like them too, please say so in a comment.

Songs only I like: Bosnia-Herzegovina 1997

In many ways, 1997 is one of my absolute favourite ESC years ever. It was the year when modern Eurovision really started, with more contemporary sounds, a more modern stage set and more innovative camera work.

It is also crammed with good songs, many of which have stood the test of time very well. And then there are a few others, as well.



Alma Čardžić - Goodbye (Bosnia-Herzegovina 1997)

Bosnia-Herzegovina had, due to the civil war, had a certain amount of sympathy and politeness surrounding them since their debut in 1993. Even when some of their songs were lacking in certain respects, the commentators stayed very friendly and emphasised that the important thing was that the Bosnians could be with us at all.

In 1997, the war was over and the sympathy gone with the wind.

The rules back then stated that Alma and her team needed something like 158 points in order to keep their country in the running for 1998. I think there was not a single commentator who did not snigger at how unlikely that was, adding how appropriate it was for Alma's song to be called "Goodbye".

Swedish commentator Jan Jingryd went as far as saying that if Bosnia collected the points needed, that would be a bigger sensation than a discovery of intelligent life on the moon.

Maybe people were tired of being polite, but I can't quite understand why everyone had to be so harsh. Dated, surely. But I never thought this song was so bad. It's pleasant and easy-going, very well delivered by Alma.

An excellent song to sing in the shower, for instance. And one that always puts me in a good mood. If you like it too (or sing it in the shower like I do), please say so in a comment.

Also note the original flag of Bosnia-Herzegovina, used for the last time at Eurovision this year.

Songs only I like: Spain 2006

This is a song I don't just like - I love it. Out of the songs of the 2006 Eurovision, this is the one that has been spinning the most in my iPod since and I never grow tired of it.



Las Ketchup - Bloody Mary (Spain 2006)

It wasn't love at first sight, though. And who are to blame but the good people at RTVE?

They decided internally to send Las Ketchup to Athens, but as a PR-stunt (and possibly to give some credibility to the choice of a has-been one-hit-wonder) they stated they were selecting between them, Azucar Moreno, David Civera and some more act.

Trouble is that the managements of Azucar Moreno and David Civera promptly denied any involvement in Eurovision - and RTVE stood there looking ridiculous. Given this media circus (and the fact that I was beyond fed up with The Ketchup Song), I didn't pay much attention to the song until the cute preview arrived.



Las Ketchup - Bloody Mary (Spain 2006 preview)

Perhaps the live vocal performance was a bit of a let-down, but I still adore this song. If you are with me on this one, please be kind and leave a comment.

Songs only I like: Slovakia 2009

Slovakia came back to Eurovision after an absence of eleven years. Maybe they forgot a bit about the ESC during this long time, since the song they offered us was very atypical.



Kamil Mikulčík & Nela Pocisková - Let' tmou (Slovakia 2009)

The person who created the term "dramatic ballad" had no idea just how much drama you can actually squeeze into a mere three minutes. It is a small wonder that not a single vocal chord goes pop during this orgy.

The last forty seconds is the musical equivalent of standing under a waterfall, I believe.

And I love it. I love the passion, the drama and the sheer madness about it. (To be honest, it took a while. The first times I heard it, I wanted to take a painkiller and lie down in a dark room for a couple of hours.)

On the night of the semi final, I even predicted it to make top ten as I thought the juries would appreciate the vocal exercises. They didn't, so Kamil and Nela had to content themselves with eight points and a second last place.

Boo for the juries, I say. What do you say? If you like this one too, please leave a comment.

Songs only I like: Belgium 1979

For me, the 1979 entry from Belgium is a real little gem, but the juries didn't agree with me. Neither did the performer of the song, who actually hated it.



Micha Marah - Hey Nanah! (Belgium 1979)

When Micha Marah was selected to perform all songs in the Belgian final, she was also given quite a lot of influence over the songs selected. A bit too much, thought members on the jury, who on purpose dressed her up with the song she liked the least.

That's not the way to play the game if you want to win, but that is what happened. Micha was furious and threatened to withdraw, then BRT in turn threatened to bring her to court for breach of contract.

So she went to Jerusalm, put on her bravest smile, belted out the song, landed in shared place with Austria and was happier with this than most people in last place. She never recorded the song and probably focused on leaving the whole matter as far behind her as she possibly could.

Which is a shame. To me, this is a very cheerful little number: upbeat, energetic, somewhat silly but in a good way. I think the last place was really undeserved and would have placed it somewhere around the middle instead. At least it should have scored better than the likes of Monaco and Ireland.

Do you agree? I'm waiting for your comments.

Songs only I like: Netherlands 1982

Dam dam doo bi doo! The girls in the backing group are almost as jolly as the song itself and yet the juries showed no mercy for the 1982 Dutch entry.



Bill van Dijk - Jij en ik (Netherlands 1982)

Bill is a bouncy lad himself, giving it his all as well in the vocal delivery as well as in taking those cleverly co-ordinated dance steps.

The song has also gone through some major facelifting since the national final in order to make it feel less old-fashioned and more of a contender.



Bill van Dijk - Jij en ik (Netherlands NF 1982)

Nothing helped, and the Dutch delegation had to travel back home with a mere eight points and a 16th place under their arm. These days, they are well used to results like those, but back in the day they had not scored so poorly since 1968.

I find it catchy, sweet and very easy to like and I am happy to note that Bill's career survived this slight miscalculation. He has had major roles in several musicals and provided vocal talent for Sesame Street as well as the Dutch overdub of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.

In short - I really, really like it (and happily dance along when nobody is around to see me do it) and if you do too, leave a comment.

Songs only I like: France 1986

France was in the midst of a free fall in Euroland during the 80's - after having completely dominated the ESC in the 60's and 70's, the decade started with an unfortunate change of broadcaster (TF1 dumped Eurovision, largely due to the new French minister of culture calling it a monument of drivel) after which notable singers decided to call it a day and go nowhere near the national final.

Of course this reflected in the French placings, that rapidly went from pale to disastrous. Worst of the worst (or so they thought) came in 1986 when Cocktail, a group composed of four backing singers, won the tickets to Bergen.

The girls had been at it before, backing more French-languaged entries than most, but despite adding some very colourful outfits as well as a Chic to their group name, they failed to impress the juries.



Cocktail Chic - Européennes (France 1986)

They recieved a grand total of 13 points, sufficient for a 17th place on the night. Not nice for the French, who had been in top ten every year but one since 1975.

That marked the end of Cocktail Chic's career as a group, but the girls went back to back others, and some of them have been visible again at Eurovision (for instance behind Céline Carzo for Luxembourg in 1990).

In its recorded version, this is quite a fun little song, and I never thought it deserved its fiasco in Bergen. If you agree with me, please leave a comment and say so.

Songs only I like: Greece 1988

Inspired by my series of songs that only I and no other sensible people alive seem to like, my dear friend Kris reminded me of this song. It hadn't even crossed my mind, but he made me remember what a fantastic and uplifting entry this is (maybe he didn't use those exact words).

After 1987, when their own high expectation resulted in a disappointing tenth place, the Greeks were left with the feeling it didn't matter what they sent, the jury would reject them anyway. And so they decided to send this to represent them in Dublin.



Afroditi Fryda - Clown (Greece 1988)

It is claimed that the jury was reluctant to select a winner out of the songs in the national final, suggesting a Greek withdrawal instead. The preview was partially made up of images from old commercials and the song was never commercially released apart from on the 1988 Eurovision sampler album released in Norway on the Continental Consult label.

In Dublin, Afroditi Fryda and her backing group met little enthusiasm and the song ended in 17th place after gathering a humble ten points.

However, it did recieve the first three points ever awarded to Greece by their neighbours in Turkey.

I always like it, however. There was something sad and enchanting about the whole thing, and I found a strange melancholy in the very same ha-ha-ha's most people would be more likely to describe as manic.

I was sorely disappointed when I first saw a translation of the lyrics and found nothing of the multi-layered, enigmatic words I had hoped for and found a rather flat and nonsense-like lyric.

But I prefer to turn a blind eye to such small things. I wish Afroditi Fryda and her dancing friends all the best. I hope they look back on their Dublin experience and remember a fun-filled week and that they cherish those ten points - seven more than Finland managed to score.

Do you like it too? I highly doubt you do, but if so - please leave a comment. Both I and Afroditi would appreciate it.

Songs only I like: Austria 1988

I could run a parallel series called "Austrian songs only I like". Just like Portugal, Austria has had certain difficulties in touching the hearts of the Eurovision mainstream. Quite a few years have seen viewers, jury and fans alike make thumbs down and reach for their remote controls.

Which I find a bit unfair, honestly. Austria have sent in so many original entries and I have learned to love quite a few of them.

Like this one. But it took a few years, to be honest.



Wilfried - Lisa Mona Lisa (Austria 1988)

Back in the day, when I was 12, I didn't care much for this one, to put it mildly. Apparently, the bookies in Ireland saw and heard something I didn't, and according to press sources the nul points came as a bit of a shock for the Austrian delegation.

Their song was doing well in the charts back home and in his general disappointment, Wilfried let a political comment slip and all hell broke loose. He said at a press conference that nobody wanted to vote for Austria due to the Waldheim scandal (google it, kids!) and that his song was a victim of this.

Not a particularly popular thing to say. The papers had a field day ripping Wilfried to shreds, labelling him a sore loser, and it took many years to wash off that label.

What about the song, then? I find it pretty touching, if slightly repetitive, but heartfelt and honest. Wilfried sings his heart out (with maybe not every single note in tune) and this could certainly have deserved a few little points from somewhere.

Those points could possibly have saved Wilfried's reputation.

If you like this song too, or at least doesn't think it should have been a nul-pointer, please leave a comment as usual.

Songs only I like: Switzerland 1998

As this song won the first national final organised by Swiss television for six years, I already doubted its winning potential. I thought it was nice, maybe a bit too plain, but saved by a pretty convincing delivery.

Come Birmingham, I had actually grown to like it quite a lot. Enough to accept the presence of Egon Egemann and his white violin. Enough to ignore the dress. Enough not to find the choreography of the backing group ridiculous.



Gunvor - Lass' ihn (Switzerland 1998)

I also thought you have to love somebody called Gunvor Guggisberg - what a fantastic name!

So you can safely say I didn't see that nul pointer coming. Last place when there were things like Greece and Turkey and Hungary on offer? Never! Mind you, I never thought France would come in second last either.

If you read Tim Moore's book "Nul points" (which I think you should) you will find that the nul points was the least humiliating thing Gunvor had to go through in connection to her ESC experience. A fate so painful I can't bear to tell the tale - check out the book and you will fully understand.

In short - this song is possibly not the ultimate epos, but it certainly did not deserve nul points. And Gunvor certainly didn't deserve the treatment she got in the Svizzerian press.

I really hope I'm not the only one to like this one. If you like it too, please leave a comment.

Songs only I like: Belgium 1972

How about a little waltz in French? About how you should fall madly in love before you know what love is at all? No? You don't feel like dancing at all?

Apparently, the jury in Edinburgh 1972 had forgotten their dancing shoes at home, since this little ditty (the word "ditty" is seldom more suitable for a song than it is in this case) had no impact at all on them and ended second last out of eighteen entries.



Serge & Christine Ghisoland - À la folie ou pas du tout (Belgium 1972)

The Ghisoland couple, both born in 1946, were fairly recently married when they entered the stage and I find them a very charming couple. They look like they really enjoy themselves and each other's company. When he starts picking petals of her hand, she gives him the kind of amused look only lovers can give their partner when he/she does something really ridiculous.

There is a certain discrete charm and catchiness about this entire package and it puts me in a very good mood. I hope the Ghisolands stayed happy ever after and kept giving each other amused looks even as their singing career failed to take off.

Again, I will believe I am the only one who likes this until your comments prove me wrong.

Songs only I like: Portugal 1987

To put one thing straight from the start - it is not like I'm not used to standing alone with my love for Portuguese entries. It seems they almost always go way over the heads of the typical eurofan, and just as often they hit the bull's eye with me.

There are so many Portuguese entries I really adore and would have wished a lot more points as well as fans.

As for this one, I could perfectly well be the only person alive thinking this is a wonderful little song as I can't remember a single person speaking up in its favour ever.



Nevada - Neste barco a vela (Portugal 1987)

At least three juries liked it as well, giving it a grand total of 15 points and an 18th place among 22 competitors.

I find this original, ethnic, melancholic and beautiful. There is something very attractive about the melody line and the whole thing being very much in minor. I also really like the deep voice of the male vocalist.

Of course this one was doomed from the word go, especially back in the 80's where you had to look and sound like the mainstream to have any chance of good scores, but maybe that is only one more factor that works in its favour in my book.

Again - if anyone out there thinks this is a good one, please leave a comment and let me know. I'm sure Nevada would appreciate it as well.

Songs only I like: Austria 1981

This kicks off another series on this blog, where I celebrate my odd favourites. In short: I put the spotlight on songs only I like.

The first one is a lovely ballad, but most people fail to notice as they get distracted by the rather odd stage performance.



Marty Brem - Wenn du da bist (Austria 1981)

Marty had already represented Austria the year before as part of Blue Danube and opened the 1981 ESC in Dublin in style by drinking the national drink of the host country in his postcard and smiling sweetly into the camera.

On stage, he is helped (if that is the word I am looking for) by four ladies of which one sings and the others... well, they interact.

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall at the meeting where the radical decisions concerning this performance were taken. Who decided the dresses? Who decided the choreography? And why didn't they listen to the song before doing so?

After three minutes, the audience is left confused and the juries only gave it a total of twenty polite points.

Too bad that nobody ever got to notice what a sweet song this really is, heartfelt and sincere, with a very fine vocal delivery by Marty, whose career never really recovered after this.

I like it anyway, and I could be the only one. If you're with me on this one, please leave a comment to let me, Marty and all the Austrians know you are around.