Massimo Ranieri appeared on this blog twice before: with his 1973 Eurovision entry 'Chi sara' and the French version of his 1971 entry 'L'amore é un attimo', which was entitled 'Pour un instant d'amour'. Here, finally, comes the original version, which was, like 'Chi sara', sung in Italian.And fate has been kind to me, as this is an original Italian pressing of that single.
As written before, the song finished fifth in a field of 18 competitors in Dublin, Ireland. Ranieri continues to make music: in 2013 his most recent CD 'Sogno e son desto' was released, which was a live album.
My collection: 7" single no. 5763 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'L'amore é un attimo' / 'A Lucia'
A year before Johnny Logan won the Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland, the country was represented by Cathal Dunne, a singer who'd started his career in the mid-1970's. 'Happy man' was written and composed by himself, and it was a relatively successful entry, finishing fifth in a field of 19 competitors.
Apparently, this single was released on green vinyl in Ireland, but this is the rather more dull version pressed in Holland on black vinyl.
My collection: 7" single no. 5762 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Happy man' / 'Sweet woman of mine'
Turkey debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1975. Judging from the cover of this single, you might think that it was with this song, but no: the country competed with the song 'Seninle bir dakika' by Semiha Yanki.
Cici Kizlar consisted of Şebnem Aksu, Birnur Bilginoğlu and Bilgen Bengü. Their song 'Delisin' ('You're mad') charmed the audience during Turkey's national final and actually shared first place. Because Semiha Yanki apparently got more votes from the professional jury, she was sent to Stockholm. However, 'Delisin' became a big hit in Turkey. The trio produced other singles
in rapid succession. By the end of 1976, the group broke up. Bilgen Bengü was the only member of the group who continued music career afterwards.
My collection: 7" single no. 5760 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Delisin' / 'Rengarenk'
The 1975 Belgian entry of the Eurovision Song Contest by Ann Christy appeared on this blog four years ago, in two versions: the original version 'Gelukkig zijn' and the English version 'Could it be happiness'. At the time, I thought these versions were the only two that existed, but thanks to a lucky acquisition, I know better now.
This single features the French version, 'L'histoire du bonheur'. As you can see, this single is also housed in a sleeve similar to the other two. It turns out there's a fourth version as well: the German 'Wenn keiner mehr zu dir steht'. Let's hope that one pops up somewhere for me too.
My collection: 7" single no. 5759 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'L'histoire du bonheur' / 'On ne peut se passer l'un de l'autre'
'Chi Sara' ('Who Will Be With You') was the Italian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1973, performed in Italian by Massimo Ranieri. The song was performed tenth on the night. At the close of voting, it had received 74 points, placing 13th in a field of 17 competitors.
Massimo Ranieri was no stranger to Eurovision: he participated in the 1971 edition as well, with 'L'amore E' Un Attimo'. Although I haven't featured that single on this blog yet, the French version can be found here.
My collection: 7" single no. 5754 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Chi sara' / 'Domenica Domenica'
Keeley Ford was born as Mair Davies and hails from Redditch. In 1973, she represented the United Kingdom on the Japanese World Popular Song Festival with a song called 'Head over heels'. Two years later, she recorded a cover version of the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest entry for the UK by the Shadows, 'Let me be the one'.
What's more remarkable, is that she also recorded a cover version of that song in French. 'Laisse-moi danser tout l'été' was released in France, but whether it was a commercial success remains unknown. In fact, there isn't a lot of information about Keeley Ford at all, although it seems she passed away not so long ago if I am to believe certain messages on the web.
My collection: 7" single no. 5749 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Laisse-moi danser tout l'été' / 'Le jour où je t'ai rencontré'
Hearts of Soul was formed by three Dutch Indo sisters from Harderwijk: Bianca, Stella and Patricia Maessen. They worked in the late 1960s as session singers for Dusty Springfield until 1968. In 1969, they recorded their debut album.
In 1970, they were chosen to represent the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Waterman'. They finished 7th out of 12 competitors. In the mid-seventies the group moved to Belgium. There they formed Dream Express in 1975 with former Pebbles musician Luc Smets (who married Bianca). They represented Belgium in the 1977 Eurovision Song Contest. During the Eurovision song contest of 1986 Patricia was the backing singer of winning entrant Sandra Kim. In 1987, she was also a backing singer for Plastic Bertrand's Luxembourg entry.
Patricia Maessen died on May 15, 1996 in Mortsel near Antwerp at the age of 44, from the effects of a stroke.
My collection: 7" single no. 5748 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Waterman' / 'Kom nou'
I'm not really an expert on Eurovision cover versions - there are other people who know much more about that particular field of expertise - but I do know that I like a cover version now and then. Especially when they are slightly odd. This particular oddity comes from Germany, and is a German language version of the 1972 Dutch entry of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Edina Pop is the stage name of Marika Késmárky, who was born in Budapest on February 4, 1941. She came to Germany in 1969 and started her singing career in German shortly afterwards. She appeared in the German national final for Eurovision in 1972 with the song 'Meine Liebe will ich dir geben', but she didn't win. She recorded this single. Whether this was a chart success in Germany remains unknown.
My collection: 7" single no. 5747 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Was soll ich tun?' / 'Schreib es in den Wind'
To find the German version of Chocolate Menta Mastik's 1976 Eurovision entry, Komm' heut zu mir, was a bit of good luck, but obviously the original Hebrew version was still missing. It appears on this single as the B-side, while the English version, 'Say hello' (which was included on the B-side of that German version), appears on the A-side.
Listening to the various versions, it has to be said that the Hebrew version sounds less polished somehow. Perhaps the girls were more familiar with the song when they recorded the international versions? Who knows....
My collection: 7" single no. 5746 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Say hello' / 'Emir shalom'
Vicky Leandros won the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest with Après toi. Just four months ago I found the English version, Come what may, and I mentioned in passing that I still had to find the Italian, German, Spanish, Greek and Japanese versions.
Well, obviously, from the five, the German version is the easiest one to track down, since German singles are regularly offered on the internet and record fairs. 'Dann kamst du' turned up on the recent record fair in Utrecht, and in a mint picture cover too.
My collection: 7" single no. 5745 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Dann kamst du (Après toi)' / 'Alles, was ich hab'
When the Dutch band Earth and Fire first started out, there was a definite symphonic rock vibe to their work. It is perhaps most obvious on this early single, 'Storm and thunder', which sounds nothing like the pop hits they would have from 1976 onwards.
'Storm and thunder' was released in 1971 as the second single from their second album 'Song of the marching children'. It was a hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number 6 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 5737 Found: Flea market, Rijswijk, April 6, 2015 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Storm and thunder' / 'Lost forever'
This single is an interesting one, as it was never a hit but it is still a bit of a collector's item. It's very hard to get this for any price below 15 euros, although I am proud to say that I did manage that. I was almost ready to have this flown in from Scandinavia or America, when suddenly a Dutch seller had this one. And I had to have it, although I can't exactly say why. But at least one of my Twitter followers knows....
Johnny Curious formed in Welwyn Garden City in 1976. As far as I know, the band only released two singles: 'In tune' (1978) and this one, 'Someone else's home' (1979). Band members Alan Cowley and Ian Cowley are credited on the sleeve of this single. Original band members John Philips and Bob Green had already left.
My collection: 7" single no. 5734 Found: Discogs.com, received March 12, 2015 Cost: a little too much Tracks: 'Someone else's home' / 'Backwards in the night'
Keywords on blogs can be misleading. Nova, for instance, exists as a Dutch duo of synthesizer wizards, but also as a Swedish duo consisting of Claes af Geijerstam and Göran Fristorp, who made a name for themselves representing their country at the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest. They were originally called Malta, but were forced to change their band name because of the possible confusion with one of the participating countries in that year's contest.
Their song was called 'You're summer', which contains the rather intriguing line 'Your breasts are like swallows in nesting', written by the well-known poet Lars Forssell. At the close of voting, it had received 94 points, placing 5th in a field of 17 competitors.
My collection: 7" single no. 5732 Found: Discogs.com, received February 25, 2015 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'You're summer' / 'You never tell me no'
Martine Clemenceau was born in 1949. In 1973 she represented France with the song 'Sans toi'. The song is a dramatic ballad, with Clémenceau expressing her feelings
about a lover who has left her. Clémenceau also recorded the song in
German, under the title 'Immer'. At the close of voting, it had received 65 points, placing 15th in a field of 17 competitors.
Her song Solitaire, written in 1981 is her most important hit in France. Laura Branigan 1983 recorded a cover of that song in 1983, which peaked at number 7 in the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 5729 Found: Discogs.com, received February 25, 2015 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Sans toi' / 'L'arlequin'
Ambasadori formed in 1968 when guitarist Slobodan Vujović recruited other band members. They came and went throughout the 1970s and include various musicians active
on the Sarajevo music scene at the time and after, such as trumpet
player Krešimir "Keco" Vlašić, singer Ismeta Dervoz, drummer Perica Stojanović, organist Vlado Pravdić bassist Ivica Vinković and saxophonist Andrej "Lale" Stefanović.
In 1976 Ambasadori represented Yugoslavia at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Ne mogu skriti svoju bol', which appears on this single as the B-side, remarkably. The song is about a woman who is suffering because her lover had gone and she wants him to remember her. At the close of voting, it had received 10 points, placing 17th in a field of 18 competitors.
My collection: 7" single no. 5728 Found: Discogs.com, received February 25, 2015 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Nocas mi se pjesma pise' / 'Ne mogu skriti svoj bol'
The Austrian band Mess consisted of Michael Scheikl and Elisabeth 'Lizzy' Engstler. They represented their country on the Eurovision Song Contest in 1982. Their song 'Sonntag' was composed by Michael Mell and written by Rudolf Leve. The song is in praise of lying around on a Sunday, which is described as being one of the best things to do.
At the close of voting, it had received 57 points, placing 9th in a field of 18 competitors.
My collection: 7" single no. 5726 Found: Discogs.com, received February 25, 2015 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Sonntag' / 'Honey Bee'
Katja Ebstein was just 25 years old when she represented Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time. She was born in Girlachsdorf (now Gniewków, Poland) and would go on to represent her country two more times: in 1971 and in 1980.
Her first attempt took place in 1970, with 'Wunder gibt es immer wieder'. Written by Christian Bruhn and Günter Loose, the song has a positive message: there is no point in complaining because miracles happen all the time, so one will inevitably happen for you too. At the close of voting, it had received 12 points, placing 3rd in a field of 12 competitors.
My collection: 7" single no. 5725 Found: Discogs.com, received February 25, 2015 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Wunder gibt es immer wieder' / 'Ich will ihn'
Serge Lama was born on February 11, 1943 in Bordeaux, France. His career as a songwriter took off with the song 'Je suis malade', made famous by Dalida and Lara Fabian.
In 1971 he represented his country in the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Un jardin sur la terre'. The song deals with the chaos of daily life, with Lama expressing his
desire for a place where he can find solitude amid everything else. At the close of voting, it had received 82 points, placing 10th in a field of 18 competitors.
My collection: 7" single no. 5724 Found: Discogs.com, received February 25, 2015 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Un jardin sur la terre' / 'Bungalow 73'
Jacques Hustin (15 March 1940 – 6 April 2009) was a Belgian singer-songwriter and artist who was successful in his homeland in both fields, and is best known internationally for his participation in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest.
He participated with his self-penned song 'Fleur de liberté' in Brighton. In a very competitive contest (featuring Abba, Olivia Newton-John and Gigliola Cinquetti among others) he ended up in ninth place out of 17 competitors.
My collection: 7" single no. 5723 Found: Discogs.com, received February 25, 2015 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Fleur de liberté' / 'On dit de toi, on dit de moi'
Please note: Divshare has been defunct for over a month now, and it looks like it won't be resolved any time soon. I haven't found a good alternative for streaming music in a player, so I guess I won't be able to let you hear these singles. If you have any suggestions, please let me know in the comments and I'll do my best to oblige.
'Frère Jacques' was the Luxembourgish entry in the 1977 Eurovision Song Contest, performed by French singer Anne-Marie Besse. As the title suggests, the disco-influenced song contains several references to the nursery rhyme of the same name; 'Frère Jacques, dormez-vous?' ('Brother John, are you sleeping?') 'J'entends les cloches qui sonnent' ('I can hear the bells ringing') and 'Tu aurais bien mieux à faire que de jouer au grand frère...' ('There are so much better things for you to do than pretending to be my big brother....'). The singer compares the childish rhyme to her current adulthood, singing about how she longs to have a relationship with some of Jacques/John's friends; 'I'm not a child anymore, you know'. The song ends with the line 'Frère Jacques, réveille-toi et viens dormir avec moi...' ('Brother John, wake up and come sleep with me...'). At the close of voting, the song had received 17 points, placing 16th in a field of 18 competitors.
My collection: 7" single no. 5616 Found: eBay.com, received February 12, 2015 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'Frère Jacques' / 'Bébé chat'