Lisa Mona Lisa - Wilfried

I got to know Austrian singer Wilfried pretty early on, because of a holiday in Austria in 1980. The sleeve of his album hung prominently in a shop window in the centre of Vienna, and since my brother was also named Wilfried at the time, 9-year-old me suddenly had this vision of a pop star sibling. It wasn't to be.

In 1988 Wilfried appeared in my life once again, this time representing Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Lisa Mona Lisa'. He ended up in last place with zero points. None of the other countries wanted to award points to a country that had recently elected Kurt Waldheim - a man with a shady past during World War II - as its president. Although one could argue that Wilfried's voice problems could also have been cause of this bad result.

My collection: 7" single no. 5909
Found: Discogs.com, received July 18, 2018
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Lisa Mona Lisa' / 'Lisa Mona Lisa (French version)'

Like a wind - Edin-Ådahl

Edin-Ådahl's 'Like a wind' was released as a single all over Europe in a time when Eurovision entries would be released as a single even if they didn't win. (These days you can't even buy the winning song anymore on a vinyl- or cd-single).

I already owned 'Som en vind', the Swedish single of this 1990 Eurovision entry for Sweden, but this European counterpart ditches the Swedish version for an instrumental version that is unavailable anywhere else. According to some, this version is the best because it doesn't contain any lyrics.

My collection: 7" single no. 5910
Found: Discogs.com, received July 18, 2018
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Like a wind' / 'Like a wind (instrumental)'

Ooh aah... Just a little bit - Gina G

Last year I bought a copy of Ooh aah... Just a little bit on vinyl. It was the jukebox copy presumably from the UK. When I found out about that version, I also found out about this American pressing. Normally I wouldn't collect just any old artist's different pressings of the same single, but this single actually contains a different track. The 'Eurovision Song Contest version' appears on the B-side instead of the 'Motiv8 extended vocal mix'.

Of course, this is also a Eurovision single and Eurovision singles have a special place in my collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 5907
Found: Discogs.com, received July 4, 2018
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Ooh aah… Just a little bit (Motiv8 radio edit)' / 'Ooh aah… Just a little bit (Eurovision Song Contest version)'

Boom bang-a-bang (spanish version) - Lulu

In 1969, four artists won the Eurovision Song Contest. This was due to there being not enough rules in case of a draw. Since then, the rules - and the voting system! - have changed so this is not likely to ever happen again.

One of the winners that year was Lulu with her song 'Boom bang-a-bang'. Such was the success, that she recorded the song in German, Italian, French and Spanish. Wikipedia casts some doubts about the existance of a Spanish version sung by Lulu, but I think the listener has to decide whether this is Lulu or not. She certainly pronounces her Spanish very bueno!

My collection: 7" single no. 5901
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 14, 2018
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Boom bang-a-bang (cantado en espanol)' / 'Morning dew'

Portugal no coração - Os Amigos

Now that I own pretty much all of the 'obvious' Eurovision 7" singles, I am heading towards the more obscure - and usually more expensive - releases. It is an art to spend as little as possible while also getting more and more Eurovision entries on 7" vinyl.

Who remembers the Portuguese entry from the 1977 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest? I would guess not many people do, but the sleeve of this single is a joy to watch - especially when it is in such good shape. I bought it from a Portuguese dealer at the record fair in Utrecht last Saturday, who promised more when he comes to the next edition in November. Here's hoping he'll help me find more great rarities.

'Portugal no coração' reached 14th place in the contest. The song is a ballad in praise of Portugal itself. The song is about freedom, brotherhood and hope. Many of the verses of the lyrics are acclamations of the end of the dictatorship that lasted for 48 years, and the end of the wars that the Portuguese people had been forced to fight on the African colonies by that dictatorship. It's also a love hymn from Portuguese people to their ex-colonies people, whom they had fought.

My collection: 7" single no. 5896
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 14, 2018
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Portugal no coração' / 'Cantiga de Namorar'

Conquistador - Da Vinci

Portugal won the Eurovision Song Contest last year with a beautiful ballad. Perhaps they should have tried this earlier, because the country rarely even got into the top 10 with their efforts. This 1989 effort by Da Vinci is an example: although it is typical Eighties fare, the song only reached number 16 during the night.The song reminisces about the former Portuguese colonial possessions worldwide, and how the singer has been to Brazil, Praia, Bissau, Angola, Mozambique, Goa, Macau and Timor.

Personally, I know the English version (featured on the B-side here) best, because it appeared on a Eurovision 1989 compilation CD. I am still trying to get all the entries on single, but some of them are selling online for upwards of 50 euro - which is a bit too rich for my blood.

My collection: 7" single no. 5989
Found: Discogs.com, received March 5, 2018
Cost: 7,5 euro
Tracks: 'Conquistador' / 'Love conquistador'

Questo amore - Ricchi e Poveri

'Questo amore' ('This love') was the Italian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978, performed by Ricchi e Poveri, at the time a quartet consisting of Franco Gatti, Angela Brambati, Angelo Sotgiu and Marina Occhiena. At the close of voting, the song received 53 points, placing 12th in a field of 20 competitors.

I bought this single in one of the strangest record shops I've had the pleasure to visit in Vienna this week. All of the singles cost more than 3 euros (most of them more than 5 euros) and the owners of the shop seemed more interested in their dog than they were in selling. I waited some time before I could pay, then left quickly. I'm not so fond of dogs.

My collection: 7" single no. 5864
Found: Sing Sing Records, Vienna, September 27, 2017
Cost: 3,5 euro
Tracks: 'Questo amore' / 'Anima'

Dis rien - François Deguelt

I bought François Deguelt's first Eurovision title, Ce soir-là, three years ago, and here's the second one. In 1962 he returned to the Eurovision Song Contest, representing Monaco for the second time with the song 'Dis rien'. While he finished in third place in 1960, this performance improved on that, because he finished second with this song.This EP presents four songs by Deguelt.

He continued to perform on the nostalgia circuit in French speaking countries, until his death at the age of 81 on January 22, 2014.

My collection: 7" single no. 5840
Found: Discogs.com, received May 2017
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Dis rien', 'Don Juan' / 'Capuccina', 'L'animal blessé'

Say it again - Precious

The girl band Precious was formed at the end of 1998 by Sophie McDonnell and Jenny Frost. A set of auditions saw the remaining members join, these were: Anya Lahiri, Kalli Clark-Sternberg and Louise Rose. In 1999 they were chosen to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel. While the single went to number 6 in the UK singles chart, their success at Eurovision was more limited, as they ended up in 12th place.

After three more singles (two of which were hit sigles) and a debut album which failed to chart, the group were dropped by their label and it was decided that the individual members should pursue separate careers. Sophie McDonnell started presenting for BBC TV and Radio including their CBBC brand, Jenny Frost replacing Kerry Katona in the band Atomic Kitten, and Anya Lahiri returning to her modelling activities. Lead singer Louise Rose also become an actress, her credits include the 2008 mini-series "Diamonds". Kalli Clark-Sternberg has since become a session singer.

My collection: 7" single no. 5841
Found: Discogs.com, received May 24, 2017
Cost: £ 3
Tracks: 'Say it again (Cutfather & Joe mix)' / 'Essential love'

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Où sont-elles passées - Romuald

'Où sont-elles passées' ('Where have they gone') was the Monegasque entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1964, performed in French by French singer Romuald. The song was composed by noted French orchestra leader Francis Lai, best known for his film scores. Romuald laments the departure of the girls of his youth, explaining that as he grows older he loses the enjoyment and mystery of his early romances. It was a successful song for Monaco that year, ending up in third place.

Romuald ended up participating in the Eurovision Song Contest two more times: in 1969 for Luxembourg with 'Catherine' and in 1974 for Monaco once more with 'Celui qui reste et celui qui s'en va'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 5840
Found: Discogs.com, received May 18, 2016
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Ou sont-elles passées', 'Demain' / 'A jamais', 'Toi ma blonde'

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Ooh aah... Just a little bit - Gina G

One of the most successful Eurovision entries for the United Kingdom in recent decades was Gina G's 'Ooh aah... Just a little bit'. It was a top 10 hit in the UK even before she took to the stage at the Oslo Spektrum in Norway on 18 May 1996. Dressed in a short thigh-skimming glittery metal dress, her vocals turned out to be too weak to carry the song in a live situation, causing her to only make it to eighth place in a field of 23 competitors.

I wasn't aware that this song had even been pressed onto 7" vinyl, until I found this jukebox copy online. No picture sleeve unfortunately, because jukebox singles usually don't come with those, but the song remains one of the best efforts from the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 5839
Found: Discogs.com, received May 18, 2017
Cost: $4
Tracks: 'Ooh aah... Just a little bit (Motiv8 radio edit)' / 'Ooh aah... Just a little bit (Motiv8 extended vocal mix)'

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Occidentali's karma - Francesco Gabbani

Well, this year's Eurovision Song Contest happened, with a landslide victory for Portugal - and rightfully so. It was the first time in a very long time that I agreed 100% with the song winning. Musically the song vaguely resembles the 1963 winner Dansevise, with its timeless melody and, yes it has to be said, lyrics almost no-one can understand.All the same, this was the only song this year that was actually moving and beautiful.

It doesn't seem likely that we'll get a vinyl single of 'Amar pelos dois', but in the mean time another former (!) favourite for the Eurovision trophy has made it to 7" vinyl, and that's Italy's Francesco Gabbani. Lyrically, 'Occidentali's karma' is quite interesting, stating that despite all our technology, Westerners are still naked apes dancing in the rain. The fact that the performance underlined this by presenting the audience with a person in a gorilla suit once more outlined the 'gimmicky' nature of the Eurovision Song Contest. And so I'm happy that the song didn't win. This 7" single, pressed on blue translucent vinyl, is a keeper though.

My collection: 7" single no. 5828
Found: Amazon.it, received May 13, 2017
Cost: 8 euro
Tracks: 'Occidentali's Karma' / 'Occidentali's Karma (instrumental)'

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Heel de wereld - Corry Brokken

Tomorrow night is Eurovision night for the 62nd time, so it is appropriate to post something Eurovision before the fun starts. The Netherlands won't win this year - again - so I might as well post something from the old days when we still had winning artists.

Corry Brokken won the Contest in 1957 with 'Net als toen'. I can't post about that one because I already have. However, she also competed in 1958. That single has proved elusive during the past five or so years. Believe me, I was looking everywhere: Ebay, Discogs, record fairs... the lot. And suddenly, earlier this week, I thought I might as well type in 'Corry Brokken Heel de wereld kopen' (kopen being Dutch for 'buy') in Google and see what happened. And there it was... a link to a Dutch web store, selling a copy of this single for a ridiculously low price. I ordered it right away and received the single today, just in time for a little Eurovision celebration.

My collection: 7" single no. 5827
Found: Klaver vijf webstore, received May 12, 2017
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Heel de wereld' / 'Weet je'

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De mono-kini - De Strangers

There have been a few earlier entries about the Belgian band De Strangers, as they have a repertoire partly consisting of covers of Eurovision songs. These covers are interesting because they are so different from the original.

'De mono-kini' is a version of '9 to 5', originally performed by Dolly Parton. But I really bought this single for the B-side.'Mor ni me den deze' - recorded in their local Antwerp dialect as usual - is a version of Bucks Fizz's 'Making your mind up'. I wish I could tell you what the lyric is about, but there is no way of knowing for someone who cannot understand that dialect. The fact that I found this single at a local flea market makes it interesting: how does a Belgian single like this end up near The Hague?

My collection: 7" single no. 5812
Found: Flea market, Voorburg, April 16, 2017
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'De mono-kini (9 to 5)' / 'Mor ni me den deze (Making your mind up)'

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We'll live it all again - Al Bano & Romina Power

Those Spanish singles can be treacherous sometimes. When you buy a single like this, with the title 'Viviremos todo de nuevo' prominently on the front sleeve and on the label, you'd think there was a Spanish version of this 1976 Eurovision song. Even Wikipedia fell for it. But nothing could be further from the truth: this single simply features the English/Italian version as sung during the festival, as you can hear below.

Al Bano and Romina Power reached 7th place in a field of 18 competitors in 1976, making it a quite successful entry for Italy. They would actually return in 1985 with Magic oh Magic.

My collection: 7" single no. 5817
Found: Discogs.com, received April 25, 2017
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'We'll live it all again' / 'Na na na'

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Love gives - Hoffmann & Hoffmann

Hoffmann & Hoffmann represented Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1983 with Rücksicht. The duo also recorded their song in English, as you can see here. The single appeared in record fairs and online for handsome prices, so I was suitably amused when I found this copy for half a euro at a local flea market.

While his brother committed suicide in 1984, Michael Hoffmann continued in music and worked as a producer and composer for other artists, including Eurovision veterans Gitte Haenning, Wencke Myhre and Nicole throughout the Eighties. Afterwards he focused mainly on making spiritual and meditative music.

My collection: 7" single no. 5811
Found: Flea market, Voorburg, April 16, 2017
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Love gives' / 'I need you now'

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Tu volveras - Sergio & Estibaliz

'Tú volverás' ('You'll return') was the Spanish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1975, performed in Spanish by the duo Sergio y Estíbaliz. Sergio Blanco Rivas and Estíbaliz Uranga Améraza were both former members of Mocedades, the group which represented Spain at the 1973 Contest with Eres tú. Estíbaliz is in fact the sister of lead singer Amaya Uranga, and both 'Eres tú' and 'Tu volverás' were written by Juan Carlos Calderón. I guess the Spanish thought they had a winner on their hands at the time...

The song was performed seventeenth on the night. At the close of voting, it had received 53 points, placing 10th in a field of 19 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 5803
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 8, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Tú volverás' / 'Cuando habla la noche'

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Festival San Remo 65 - Bobby Solo

Bobby Solo was born as Roberto Satti in Rome on March 18, 1945. At 19 he participated in the San Remo music festival, but he was disqualified for using playback, which was contrary to the festival's regulations.

The next year, 1965, he participated again... and won with the song 'Se piangi, se ridi'. As was tradition, the song went on to represent Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest that year. Bobby ended up in fifth place. This EP features four songs, but of course 'Se piangi, se ridi' is the first track on it.

My collection: 7" single no. 5806
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 8, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Se piangi, se ridi', 'Saro' un illuso' / 'Cristina', 'Meglio non parlar'

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Volare - Larry Page Orchestra

Domenico Modugno's Nel blu dipinto di blu became better known simply as 'Volare', a track that was covered by many other artists including Al Martino and John Raver. When I bought a few singles from a Spanish record dealer, I decided to order this single as well: an instrumental cover version by the Larry Page Orchestra.

Larry Page started his recording career in the mid-Sixties, continuing until the end of the Seventies. His albums contained instrumental versions of contemporary hits. This particular cover version, released years after the original, was an attempt at discofying this classic song. I'll let you decide whether that was a fortunate choice.

My collection: 7" single no. 5804
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 8, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Volare' / 'I'm hooked on you'

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Oui, oui, oui, oui - Jean Philippe

France has been in the spotlights over the past few days due to their elections, but it's good to know that the French seem to have decided they will choose light over darkness, progress instead of isolation. That is, if Marine Le Pen actually does lose in the end, which seems so likely but it hasn't happened yet. Let's hope the French will be wiser than the English this time.

In that light, it's nice to listen to a French song from almost sixty years ago. The title is very positive indeed: 'Oui oui oui oui' competed in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1959. He became third during the edition that was hosted in Cannes after France's win the previous year with André Clavau's Dors mon amour.

My copy unfortunately comes without a picture sleeve, but it is still a historic piece.

My collection: 7" single no. 5796
Found: Catawiki, received February 25, 2017
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Oui oui oui oui' / 'Ce serait dommage'

Listen to the song