A-ba-ni-bi - Izhar Cohen & the "Alpha-Beta"

After the German pressing of 'A-ba-ni-bi', featured recently on this blog, I found myself confronted with the French one, which features another picture sleeve, featuring a photograph of Izhar Cohen. It has to be said: the design of this sleeve is even better. 

The back of the sleeve (not shown here) contains a photograph of the complete group, taken during the national final in Israel in 1978, shortly before they won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1978. It was a sensational win for the country, making Izhar Cohen a national hero right then and there.

My collection: 7" single no. 8364
Found: Discogs.com, received 25 July 2026
Tracks: 'A-ba-ni-bi' / 'Illusions' 

San Remo 59 - Bruno Martino

In december 2021 I bought a single by Bruno Martino featuring a cover version of 'Piove'. Of course, while I was ordering some singles this month I had forgotten all about it and when I saw this great EP I ordered it instantly. Well, at least this one has a picture sleeve and two extra tracks.

His first recording, 'Mocambo Bongo' was released on a 78rpm shellac record. He continued to release music until the early Nineties, and passed away on 12 June 2000. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8356
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 July 2026 
Tracks: 'Piove', 'Li per li' / 'Sempre con te', 'Un bacio sulla bocca'

Piove - Los Españoles

The five members of Los Españoles were Manuel Perez ("Lito") on saxophone, clarinet, guitar and violin; José Luis Muñoz on guitar and bass; Marcelino López ("Candelas") on drums, trumpet, and violin, all from La Coruña; Miguel Laiz on piano and accordion, from León; and Antonio Moldes, on trumpet, guitar, violin, and bass, from Pontevedra.

Together they released a handful of albums during the Sixties and Seventies, as well as 50 singles and EP's. This EP was released in 1959, shortly after Domenico Modugno participated in the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Piove'. That song appears as the final track on this EP, but obviously this was the reason why I bought it.

My collection: 7" single no. 8355
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 July 2026
Tracks: 'Sevilla mambo', 'S'agapó (Ti ein avtó pou to lene agápi)' / 'La paloma', 'Piove (Ciao ciao bambina)' 

Merci Cherie - Ray Anthony

Ray Anthony (born Raymond Antonini on 20 January 1922) is an American retired bandleader, trumpeter, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his tenure as a member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, from 1940 to 1941, and later for successfully leading his own big band. Anthony continued to tour around the United States in big bands before retiring in 1998. At the age of 104, he is the last living member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra.

Back in 1966 he recorded this instrumental cover version of 'Merci Cherie', the famous song by Udo Jurgens. And that is, of course, a great way to end up in my record collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 8354
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 July 2026
Tracks: 'Merci Chérie' / 'Goodbye my love (Il silenzio)' 

Die schönsten Blumen blühen auf dem Land - Michèle Torr

Michèle Torr certainly knew her languages. When she represented Monaco at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1977 with 'Une petite Française', she wasted no time in recording different versions of the song with completely different lyrics. The English title became 'I'm just (a simple country girl from France)', and for the German market she recorded 'Die schönsten Blumen blühen auf dem Land'. 

The German lyrics were provided by Werner Schüler-Steger, a German bassist, songwriter, producer and founder of Daxhill Studio in Munich, Germany. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8350
Found: Discogs.com, received 20 July 2026
Tracks: 'Die schönsten Blumen blühen auf dem Land' / 'Le mal de mal'

Save your kisses for me - Brotherhood of man

The United Kingdom won the Eurovision Song Contest a few times, but the best known song is probably Brotherhood of Man's 'Save your kisses for me', which provided the country's victory in 1975. The UK pressing of the single can be found in thrift shops all over Europe, but this Japanese single is pretty rare.

In an interview the band explained: 'We wanted something cheerful, it had to be catchy, and thematically, of course, it had to be something everyone could identify with. Lee came up with the melody quite quickly, but what should the lyrics be about? We could sing about animals; everyone loves animals, right? But then we decided to make it about a child, and that decision was probably the right one.’ 

My collection: 7" single no. 8344
Found: Discogs.com, received 16 July 2026
Tracks: 'Save your kisses for me' / 'Let's love together' 

What do I do - Sandra & Andres

I got 'What do I do' in 2000 as a present from Puck, and since I had all the other versions of 'Als het om de liefde gaat' I wrote that I probably wouldn't post any other Sandra & Andres singles on this blog anymore because I had all the versions after I bought 'C'est pour demain' in 2021.

But of course, I didn't know then that 'What do I do' had already been released in Japan. And Japanese singles, as we all know, are in a league of their own. Of course, I had to order this copy.

My collection: 7" single no. 8343
Found: Discogs.com, received 16 July 2026
Tracks: 'What do I do' / 'Gypsy man' 

愛のおとずれ - Katja Ebstein

Katja Ebstein represented Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1970 with 'Wunder gibt es immer wieder'. While I was searching for some Japanese singles online, I found this Japanese copy on red vinyl. It was beautiful, if slightly on the expensive side. I had it on my wish list for a year or so, and recently I found a French seller who had a copy. Well, the shipping costs are certainly lower than if I'd ordered it from Japan.

I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that this single contains the Japanese version of the song. (This is actually shown on the sleeve, in the green banner - but unfortunately my Japanese isn't good enough that I could read 'Japanese versions' in those characters.) Katja certainly made an effort: she also recorded the song in English, French, Italian and Spanish. The first three will probably appear on this blog at some point.

My collection: 7" single no. 8342
Found: Discogs.com, received 16 July 2026
Tracks: '愛のおとずれ' / 'Der draht in der Sonne (Wichita Lineman)'

Rock me - Riva

'Rock Me’ was composed by Rajko Dujmić, with lyrics by Stevo Cvikić. Dujmić performed with his own band Novi Fosili in 1987 and composed both the Yugoslav entries ‘Ja zam sa ples’ in 1987 and ‘Mangup’ in 1988. His entry from 1989 would turn out to be a winner. Dujmić recalled: ‘Back then, the songs were sung in the language of the country you represented. There was no option to choose the English language, so I suggested to Cvikić to put two or three words in the lyrics in English.’ 

Emilija Kokić was only 21 years old. With Dalibor Musap (keyboards and vocals), Nenad Nakic (bass and vocals), Zvonimir Zrilic (guitar and vocals), and Boško Colic (drums), she formed Riva, the act that would win the Eurovision Song Contest this year. They were young and inexperienced, and certainly nervous during rehearsals. But after the rehearsals in the days leading up to the broadcast, those nerves slowly disappeared. Just like ‘La det swinge’ four years earlier, the juries were likely captivated by the song's retro feel. Riva was, despite being the winners of the competition, quite unpopular in Europe. ‘Rock Me’ did not sell in many countries and was not even released in some. Terry Wogan, the commentator for the United Kingdom, called it ‘the death knell’ for the competition.

My collection: 7" single no. 8340
Found: Gaga Music, Goch (Germany), 15 July 2026
Tracks: 'Rock me (English version)' / 'Rock me (Original version)' 

A-ba-ni-bi - Izhar Cohen & the "Alpha-Beta"

It's not difficult to find a copy of 'A-ba-ni-bi' in the Netherlands. It seems that thousands of copies have been left in record shops and thrift shops all over the country, in that simple sleeve containing just the title and artist. 

The version that was made in Germany is a lot harder to find. I think I've only seen it a couple of times through the years - but never for the 1 euro that I paid for it this week. This version is, of course, attractive because of the picture sleeve, on which you can actually see Izhar Cohen's face. The song remains the same: I don't think a Hebrew version was ever released on record.

My collection: 7" single no. 8333
Found: Gaga Music, Goch (Germany), 15 July 2026
Tracks: 'A-ba-ni-bi' / 'Illusions' 

Cross your heart - Tina

I bought Tina's 'Cross your heart' in 2014, in a downright ugly sleeve. I was glad to have the opportunity to buy a better version this week; the German pressing of the single with a colour picture sleeve.

Tina was born Philomena Quinn and won a talent contest in Butlins Skegness. She then sang with the Mexican showband between 1966 and 1968. Ireland was a poor country with bad roads, and Tina was involved in two serious traffic accidents that nearly meant the end of her career. In 1972, Tina made her first attempt to participate in the Irish national selection by singing 'Don't Need Your Sympathy', but she finished in a tie for third place behind Sandie Jones. The winner of the 1974 national final, in which Tina sang all the songs, was 'Cross Your Heart', written by Paul Lyttle. 'Cross Your Heart' was a big hit in Ireland. Expectations were high when she arrived in Brighton. In the end, she ended up in seventh place.

My collection: 7" single no. 8331
Found: Gaga Music, Goch (Germany), 15 July 2026
Tracks: 'Cross your heart' / 'What would I be' 

Sing Conny Sing - Conny Froboess

Conny Froboess represented Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Zwei kleine Italiener' in 1962. Her career went on until 1967, when she married theatre director Hellmuth Matiasek. Instead, she focused on a career as an actress. Between 2013 and 2021 she appeared in the Ostwind series of movies.

Meanwhile, 1992 saw the released of 'Sing Conny Sing', a curious Nineties-style remix/medley of her biggest hits. Among them was, of course, 'Zwei kleine Italiener', and so this single ended up in my collection - even if this remix is a slightly embarrassing piece.

My collection: 7" single no. 8329
Found: Gaga Music, Goch (Germany), 15 July 2026
Tracks: 'Sing Conny Sing' / 'My dear Conny (instrumental)' 

Love enough for two - Prima Donna

The sleeve of this German version of the single 'Love enough for two' is a vast improvement over the Dutch version, which I bought in 2009. It's full colour! How wonderful! 

The group was formed around former New Seekers member Danny Finn. Sisters Kate Robbins and Jane Robbins (nieces of Paul McCartney), Sally Ann Triplett, Alan Coates, and Lance Aston (brother of Jay Aston, who performed with Bucks Fizz, the winners of the contest the following year) completed the lineup. Two days before the Eurovision Song Contest 1980 in The Hague, Kate Robbins lost her voice due to a bout of flu. She was ordered to rest her voice until the performance on Saturday evening. The song ended up in third place in the competition.

Triplett returned to the Eurovision Song Contest in 1982 as half of the group Bardo. Danny Finn passed away after a short illness on February 22, 2016, at the age of 71. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8326
Found: Gaga Music, Goch (Germany), 15 July 2026
Tracks: 'Love enough for two' / 'Missing out on love' 

Let me be the one - The Shadows

Originally, the BBC asked then-superstar Gary Glitter to represent the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. He was willing to comply on the condition that he would write his own song. This went against the wishes of the BBC, which wanted to rely on experienced songwriters. Apparently, requests were also made to David Essex and the band Slade, who refused. And so they turned to The Shadows. The band had broken up in 1968 but reunited shortly thereafter. For their Eurovision performance, original members Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch, and Brian Bennett were joined by John Farrar, who took the place of John Rostill, who had died on November 26, 1973.

It wasn't the first time the British entry finished in second place – and it certainly wouldn't be the last. I bought the French pressing of 'Let me be the one' in December 2009. This week I added the German one!

My collection: 7" single no. 8325
Found: Gaga Music, Goch (Germany), 15 July 2026
Tracks: 'Let me be the one' / 'Stand up like a man' 

 

Touch the wind - Wheeler St James

The Spanish group Mocedades had great success with their 1973 Eurovision song 'Eres tu'. So much so, that they recorded several versions of the song and there were many cover versions by other artists of this song!

The English version of 'Eres tu' was called 'Touch the wind', and this version was covered by Wheeler St. James, an English pop group consisting of Shirley Bagnall, Johnny Wheeler and Shirley's husband Mel James. It was released in 1974, but this single didn't chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 8316
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 June 2026
Tracks: 'Touch the wind' / 'Listen to me' 

 

Vivo cantando / El trovador - Luis Alberto del Parana y Los Paraguayos

Three years ago I found this colourful single by Luis Alberto del Parana y Los Paraguayos, with a cover version of 'La, la, la'. A year later, the group was at it again, with not one, but two cover versions of Eurovision songs: 'Vivo cantando' (the Spanish entry) and 'El trovador' (the Dutch entry!). 

I was actually aware that the group  had covered 'De troubadour', so I was very happy to find a copy of this single!

My collection: 7" single no. 8306
Found: Plato, Leiden, 27 May 2026
Tracks: 'Vivo cantando' / 'El trovador'

Please speak to me of love - Raphael

After the recent acquisition of 'Dis-moi lequel' I felt I had to finally get my hands on 'Please speak to me of love', the English version of 'Hablemos del amor'; one of my alltime favourite Eurovision songs. Raphael recorded his song in English and French, but it was easier to get the English version, as it has been for sale on Discogs for a long time now.

This time I was able to combine this purchase with a few other singles, and so I was a happy man when I received this package a few days ago. Raphael does a decent version of his song, even if his pronunciation of '[what does it] matter' is a bit curious.

My collection: 7" single no. 8298
Found: Discogs.com, received 20 May 2026
Tracks: 'Please speak to me of love' / 'While I live' 

Fremder - Carola

You're probably familiar with Carola's 1983 Eurovision entry, 'Främling' or the English version 'Love isn't love'. If you're from the Netherlands, you will know 'Je ogen hebben geen geheimen'. But the least known version, I think, is the German one: 'Fremder'. It was released in Germany, obviously, and perhaps in Austria and Switzerland too. 

I don't have any info on chart placings, but my guess would be that this wasn't a big hit. These days copies change hands for steep prices and that's usually a sign that only a small amount of discs was pressed. A nice addition to my collection. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8297
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 May 2026
Tracks: 'Fremder' / 'Ich bin noch lange nicht frei' 

Hard rock Hallelujah - Lordi

Last week's Record Store Day has come and gone, and as usual I didn't participate. The whole idea of waiting in line for a record store to open and then to find out that the item I want is either already sold or has not even arrived in that shop doesn't appeal to me at all. Fortunately I have the kind of taste that most people don't even have to fight for. And so I waited patiently for Sunday, when the special Record Store Day releases became available online. 

I only really wanted one item: this 12" single of Lordi's 'Hard rock Hallelujah', released twenty years after the Finnish monster band won the Eurovision Song Contest. It's a beautiful release: a white disc with a UV print on one side and three tracks on the other side. The designers didn't really think this through: I would have placed the sticker at the bottom, not at the top.  

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Velvet Music, received 21 April 2026
Tracks:  'Hard rock Hallelujah (Eurovicious radio edit)', 'Hard rock Hallelujah', 'Mr. Killjoy'

Dis-moi lequel - Raphael

The Spanish singer Raphael is a living legend. Outside of Spanish speaking countries his existence goes mainly unnoticed, except back in 1966 and 1967, when he represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest. And how! Both songs are very impressive.

'Yo soy aquel' was his 1966 entry, and he also recorded the song in French. 'Dis-moi lequel' was given French lyrics by Don Diego, who translated more Spanish songs into French during the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies.

My collection: 7" single no. 8283
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 11 April 2026
Tracks: 'Dis-moi lequel', 'Oui c'est vrai' / 'La cancion del tamborilero', 'Pour toi'