In 1983, pop/rock/ska duo Monroes hit the Norweigan pop scene in a big way and sold more than 130,000 copies of their debut album before grabbing a Spellemann Award as best act. It was a real scoop for NRK to announce that this successful act would enter the 1984 Norweigan final for Eurovision.
Maybe it spoiled the fun a bit that they only agreed to write a song, not to perform it themselves, but several hopeful young talents auditioned to sing it. As a media stunt, it was a very successful one.
As young Beate Jacobsen entered the stage her inexperience shone through, but at least she nailed the cameras and her voice grew stronger throughout the song.
Unfortunately, "Strand Hotel" didn't sound like an immortal masterpiece on night. It is a somewhat shaky construction that sounds more diffuse than it would need to, given the orchestral arrangement.
Beate Jacobsen - Strand Hotel (Norway 1984 national final)
It is much easier to get a hang of the song in its recorded version. A snappier production and clearer arrangement clarifies the chorus that suddenly gets a lot easier to grasp.
It would have needed only three points to win - chances are that it would, had it sounded like this.
Beate Jacobsen - Strand Hotel (English studio version)
Monroes continued their career successfully for many years to come, while Beate recorded one album before slipping back into anonymity again.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Song Of The Day: Portugal 1973
When Portugal made its Eurovision debut, the country was still under harsh dictatorship and its first ten entries were all products of the totalitarian regime and its cultural rules.
Since you were not allowed to speak your mind, the domestic poets tried to sneak their lyrics past the strict censorship of the national broadcaster and win a place in the national song contest.
Ary Dos Santos played this game very well, he wrote the lyrics for no less than four winning songs, some of which had critical messages between the lines. "Tourada" being a very fine example of this.
The song is not exactly your typical pop hit, but it has a very persistent chorus that is catchy in its own little way.
Fernando Tordo - Tourada (Portugal 1973)
This lyric doesn't stand out as particularly dangerous to me but apparently it contains blistering criticism of the country's leadership as well as the double standards of a society that puts up with being controlled.
And somehow you can hear how scornful it is. It sounds really cheeky, obnoxious and arrogant in a refreshing way. Hearing it today, I'm sure it would still annoy the life out of somebody. Fernando Tordo is also a very likeable performer, almost as cheeky as the song itself.
It was also given quite an amusing preview clip, I must say.
Fernando Tordo - Tourada (Portugal 1973 preview clip)
Not only did it result (surprisingly) in one of Portugal's better placings, it is also (less surprisingly) a real evergreen on home ground. When covered by another of my favourite Portuguese ESC performers of recent years, it recieved a very enthusiastic response from the audience.
Rui Drumond - Tourada
Since you were not allowed to speak your mind, the domestic poets tried to sneak their lyrics past the strict censorship of the national broadcaster and win a place in the national song contest.
Ary Dos Santos played this game very well, he wrote the lyrics for no less than four winning songs, some of which had critical messages between the lines. "Tourada" being a very fine example of this.
The song is not exactly your typical pop hit, but it has a very persistent chorus that is catchy in its own little way.
Fernando Tordo - Tourada (Portugal 1973)
This lyric doesn't stand out as particularly dangerous to me but apparently it contains blistering criticism of the country's leadership as well as the double standards of a society that puts up with being controlled.
And somehow you can hear how scornful it is. It sounds really cheeky, obnoxious and arrogant in a refreshing way. Hearing it today, I'm sure it would still annoy the life out of somebody. Fernando Tordo is also a very likeable performer, almost as cheeky as the song itself.
It was also given quite an amusing preview clip, I must say.
Fernando Tordo - Tourada (Portugal 1973 preview clip)
Not only did it result (surprisingly) in one of Portugal's better placings, it is also (less surprisingly) a real evergreen on home ground. When covered by another of my favourite Portuguese ESC performers of recent years, it recieved a very enthusiastic response from the audience.
Rui Drumond - Tourada
Melodifestivalen gem: Glenmarks 1974
Ann-Louise Hanson has the record number of songs performed at Swedish national final Melodifestivalen - nobody sang as many times as she did.
After being a tremendously successful solo singer throughout the 60's, she joined the vocal ensemble Glenmarks in the early 70's. The group was assembled by her husband Bruno Glenmark and, apart from them, included his nephews Anders and Karin.
Most of their material was pretty middle-of-the-road, clean-cut schlager for the masses, with the odd piece of fine singing in between.
Therefore, their 1974 MF entry is a bit of a shocker.
It is an experiemental piece, a slow verse that turns headlong into a soulful outburst of a chorus in a surprisingly heavy arrangement, with matching, rather abstract, lyrics. Far too demanding for the juries, who were about to select a Very Commercial Winner for the first time ever, and who could not be bothered with ambitious pieces like this one.
Of course it wouldn't have stood a chance in Brighton, but it is a very good song once you get into it.
It also shows a glimpse from a parallel universe that could have been, if Ann-Louise Hanson had decided to drift from schlager into more progressive material. Judging from this, she might have pulled it off really well.
Glenmarks - I annorlunda land (Sweden 1974 national final)
After being a tremendously successful solo singer throughout the 60's, she joined the vocal ensemble Glenmarks in the early 70's. The group was assembled by her husband Bruno Glenmark and, apart from them, included his nephews Anders and Karin.
Most of their material was pretty middle-of-the-road, clean-cut schlager for the masses, with the odd piece of fine singing in between.
Therefore, their 1974 MF entry is a bit of a shocker.
It is an experiemental piece, a slow verse that turns headlong into a soulful outburst of a chorus in a surprisingly heavy arrangement, with matching, rather abstract, lyrics. Far too demanding for the juries, who were about to select a Very Commercial Winner for the first time ever, and who could not be bothered with ambitious pieces like this one.
Of course it wouldn't have stood a chance in Brighton, but it is a very good song once you get into it.
It also shows a glimpse from a parallel universe that could have been, if Ann-Louise Hanson had decided to drift from schlager into more progressive material. Judging from this, she might have pulled it off really well.
Glenmarks - I annorlunda land (Sweden 1974 national final)
Monday, November 21, 2011
Song Of The Day: Slovenia 1995
Slovenia had flopped rather a lot at their debut as independent country in 1993. Nine points was all they got and they had to stay out for one year as punishment.
In 1995, they were determined to do a lot better and sent in one of their biggest voices equipped with a warm, breezy, impressive song.
Darja Švajger - Prisluhni mi (Slovenia 1995 preview)
Just the kind of song that would sound fantastic with an orchestra, right? Think again. The RTÉ orchestra managed to take every ounce of punch out of the arrangement, so instead of bombastic it sounded a bit flat.
Darja still sang it beautifully enough to end in seventh place, still the best showing for independent Slovenia at the ESC.
Darja Švajger - Prisluhni mi (Slovenia 1995)
This song has stood the test of time really well and aged more gracefully than most of its competitors in Dublin. This became really clear when one of the contestants of Misija Eurovizija sung it the other night. Darja can be proud, and so can all of Slovenia.
Eva Boto - Prisluhni mi
In 1995, they were determined to do a lot better and sent in one of their biggest voices equipped with a warm, breezy, impressive song.
Darja Švajger - Prisluhni mi (Slovenia 1995 preview)
Just the kind of song that would sound fantastic with an orchestra, right? Think again. The RTÉ orchestra managed to take every ounce of punch out of the arrangement, so instead of bombastic it sounded a bit flat.
Darja still sang it beautifully enough to end in seventh place, still the best showing for independent Slovenia at the ESC.
Darja Švajger - Prisluhni mi (Slovenia 1995)
This song has stood the test of time really well and aged more gracefully than most of its competitors in Dublin. This became really clear when one of the contestants of Misija Eurovizija sung it the other night. Darja can be proud, and so can all of Slovenia.
Eva Boto - Prisluhni mi
Sweden 2012: fingers crossed for Ulrik
One thing that has surprised me is that no singer has ever progressed from the Junior Eurovision Song Contest (or its Nordic equivalent MGP Nordic) to the Real Big Thing of a contest.
Quite a few of the participants have popped up in national finals, but nobody has ever been to the ESC. (If I'm wrong here please correct me, but I can't think of anyone.)
Ulrik Munther from Sweden could have the potential of being the first to do the trick. When he won the 2009 MGP Nordic (the last edition to date), I was doing Finland's commentary and was pretty sure from the word go that Ulrik was a winner.
He was cute, charming, had a strong presence and a very good voice, confidence and that certain something that is so hard to put your finger on. Many singers in that final were impressive but Ulrik stood out.
Ulrik - En vanlig dag (MGP Nordic 2009)
Sure thing, the heart-throb from Gothenburg won hands down but then he also managed to cut himself a neat little career in Sweden.
Maybe the nickname "Sweden's Justin Bieber" isn't pure flattery in the business, but at least he has assembled himself an impressive fanbase in short time. The single "Boys Don't Cry" is a success and now he will take the MF stage in February.
Win or lose, it is a brave thing to enter Melodifestivalen at this early stage of his career. On a good day he can gain several new fans, and on a bad day he can lose it all.
But I keep my fingers crossed. He is a good kid, and I hope his song will be good also this time around.
Ulrik Munther - Boys Don't Cry
Quite a few of the participants have popped up in national finals, but nobody has ever been to the ESC. (If I'm wrong here please correct me, but I can't think of anyone.)
Ulrik Munther from Sweden could have the potential of being the first to do the trick. When he won the 2009 MGP Nordic (the last edition to date), I was doing Finland's commentary and was pretty sure from the word go that Ulrik was a winner.
He was cute, charming, had a strong presence and a very good voice, confidence and that certain something that is so hard to put your finger on. Many singers in that final were impressive but Ulrik stood out.
Ulrik - En vanlig dag (MGP Nordic 2009)
Sure thing, the heart-throb from Gothenburg won hands down but then he also managed to cut himself a neat little career in Sweden.
Maybe the nickname "Sweden's Justin Bieber" isn't pure flattery in the business, but at least he has assembled himself an impressive fanbase in short time. The single "Boys Don't Cry" is a success and now he will take the MF stage in February.
Win or lose, it is a brave thing to enter Melodifestivalen at this early stage of his career. On a good day he can gain several new fans, and on a bad day he can lose it all.
But I keep my fingers crossed. He is a good kid, and I hope his song will be good also this time around.
Ulrik Munther - Boys Don't Cry
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Tobson's Wish List: Donkeyboy for Norway
They made quite a splash with their single "Ambitions", but I somehow managed to miss the whole Donkeyboy phenomenon until I went to see them in concert in Helsinki about a year ago.
And I was pretty much blown away.
Great stage presence, great songs, great songs and I had to get their really fine album as well. I found on the net that it had recieved some catty reviews, pointing out that the final album could not live up to the promise of the fantastic single, but don't be fooled. Donkeyboy are a most impressive pop act.
Of course I want most impressive pop acts to go to Eurovision, and as Norway went face first into the ground in 2011 (when "Haba Haba" only ended third last in its semi) they could be eager to make an impression in Baku.
I'm not sure this band would see themselves on a Eurovision stage, but here's hoping.
Donkeyboy - Ambitions
And I was pretty much blown away.
Great stage presence, great songs, great songs and I had to get their really fine album as well. I found on the net that it had recieved some catty reviews, pointing out that the final album could not live up to the promise of the fantastic single, but don't be fooled. Donkeyboy are a most impressive pop act.
Of course I want most impressive pop acts to go to Eurovision, and as Norway went face first into the ground in 2011 (when "Haba Haba" only ended third last in its semi) they could be eager to make an impression in Baku.
I'm not sure this band would see themselves on a Eurovision stage, but here's hoping.
Donkeyboy - Ambitions
Monday, November 14, 2011
Song Of The Day: Switzerland 1974
Maybe I have already posted this once or even twice, but for me this remains as massive a chorus as the Swiss Alpine Massive and I cannot quite grasp that it ended in shared last place with Germany, Norway and Portugal.
Piera Martell was said to be a construction worker who had decided to slip into showbiz, citing the likes of Liza Minnelli and Barbra Streisand as her biggest sources of inspiration.
Despite a spirited performance, this Swiss Streisand failed to impress the juries. Probably had she scored better with the current points system, introduced the year after in Stockholm.
Win or lose, Piera went home and cut herself a neat little career that lasted until 1981, when she decided to retire from the business altogether.
Piera Martell - Mein Ruf nach dir (Switzerland 1974)
Piera Martell was said to be a construction worker who had decided to slip into showbiz, citing the likes of Liza Minnelli and Barbra Streisand as her biggest sources of inspiration.
Despite a spirited performance, this Swiss Streisand failed to impress the juries. Probably had she scored better with the current points system, introduced the year after in Stockholm.
Win or lose, Piera went home and cut herself a neat little career that lasted until 1981, when she decided to retire from the business altogether.
Piera Martell - Mein Ruf nach dir (Switzerland 1974)
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