A ave e a infancia - Grupo Música

Grupo Música is another one of those anonymous acts who were busy recording covers of Eurovision songs. This single is their first release, I think, featuring the winning song of the 1977 edition, 'L'oiseau et l'enfant'. In Portuguese that becomes 'A ave e a infancia'. The B-side is a cover of 'Mathema Solfege', the Greek song which ended up in fifth place that year. 

According to Discogs, António Sala is the only identified member of Grupo Música. It's always a bit of a mystery who else was involved in this recording, although producer Correia Martins at least gets a mention on the back sleeve.

My collection: 7" single no. 6919
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 March 2023
Tracks: 'A ave e a infancia' / 'Licao de Solfejo'

Guarda os teus beijos para mim - Acetato

There's some more Portuguese covers of Eurovision songs in the batch of singles I received recently. This one was released in 1976 and features the number 1 and 2 of that year's competition: 'Save your kisses for me' (UK) and '1, 2, 3' (France). In Portuguese, that would be 'Guarda os teus beijos para mim' and 'Um dois tres'. 

The tracks were recorded by Acetato, an anonymous act who released nothing else, just this one single. As a result, the names of the four members of Acetato, pictured on the back sleeve, remain unknown.

My collection: 7" single no. 6918
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 March 2023
Tracks: 'Guarda os teus beijos para mim' / 'Um dois tres'

Eurovisão 1966 - Isabel Fontes

I do love covers of Eurovision songs, for some reason, and sometimes there's a particular twist that really interests me. This EP features not one, but four Eurovision covers, all from the year 1966, in Portuguese. It includes the winning song from that year, 'Merci Chérie' (Austria), 'Dio, come ti amo' (Italy), 'Ne vois-tu pas?' (Switzerland) and 'Yo soy aquel' (Spain).

The EP was recorded by Isabel Fontes, a Portuguese singer who has gone missing in the mists of time. A listing on Discogs reveals that she released three EP's between 1966 and 1977, but Wikipedia has no information about her at all. These days, Isabelle Fontes is a Brazilian model who lives in the USA.

My collection: 7" single no. 6917
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 March 2023
Tracks: 'Deus, como te amo', 'Mas, tu nao ves?' / 'Merci Cheri', 'Eu sou aquela'

Um grande, grande amor - José Cid

Although I already own 'Un grand, grand amour' 13 years already, somehow I never got my hands on the original Portuguese version of this Portuguese entry of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980. Fortunately I was finally able to correct this omission recently by way of an order from a Portuguese dealer on Discogs.

'Um grande, grande amor' finished seventh in a field of 19 competitors, which was Portugal's best result up until then. It's easy to see why: with its catchy refrain of  'Addio, adieu, auf Wiederseh'n, goodbye / Amore, amour, meine Liebe, love of my life' it was accessible to all those who couldn't understand Portuguese and the disco tempo also did its thing.

My collection: 7" single no. 6916
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 March 2023
Tracks: 'Um grande, grande amor' / 'Barbara'

Ka' du se hvad jeg sa'? - Kirsten & Søren

Kirsten & Søren represented Denmark three times during the Eighties, and always with schlager-informed ditties that were either infectious or irritating depending on your own preferences. I already owned the original version and the English and French versions of their last attempt, but I didn't know until recently that there was also a 12" single featuring four versions of 'Ka' du se hvad jeg sa'?'. 

This 12" single, housed in a beautiful picture sleeve by the way, adds a German version and it completes the set for me. 

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 7 March 2023
Tracks: 'Ka' du se hvad jeg sa'?', 'Who is wrong and who's right?' / 'Hab ichs dir nicht gesagt?', 'Ecoute moi mon amie?'

Efter stormen - Marie Fredriksson

I discovered Marie Fredriksson's solo material after she joined Per Gessle and started the Roxette phenomenon. During the Nineties they were always on the radio with their pop songs, sometimes great, sometimes inane. But what Marie did as a solo artist was much more interesting. Certainly her albums 'Den standiga resan' and 'I En Tid Som Vår' are among my alltime favourite albums by any artist.

'Efter stormen' was taken from an earlier album of the same name, released just after Roxette had started, in 1987. The title track is a decent pop track although the rest of the album never really grabbed me. 'Efter stormen' was Marie's first top 10 hit in Sweden, peaking at number 7. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6915
Found: Discogs.com, received 15 March 2023
Tracks: 'Efter stormen' / 'Varmt och djupt'

Djingis Khan - Vikingarna

The song 'Dschinghis Khan' by the band of the same name was a big success in 1979. So much so, that several acts recorded cover versions of the song. This blog already featured versions by 5 Carat and Marco Polo, and here's another one: by the Swedish act Vikingarna.

Vikingarna were formed in 1958 in Arvika as Ji-Coo and the Vikings, a rock-and-roll and skiffle group. By the 1973, the band had changed both line-up and style several times, and settled on the new Swedish sound: dansband. The band released their first album that same year and their second the year after, before securing a record deal with Mariann Records in 1975. In 1975 they released "Kramgoa Låtar 1", the first album in a series of more than twenty records. After that, the band released a new album on a yearly basis, whilst touring between recording sessions. In 1992, after the release of "Kramgoa Låtar 20", the band went on hiatus, but returned in 1995 for new albums. In December 2003, they announced their retirement, and played their final concert on July 7, 2004 in Arvika to a record audience. By then, the band had sold more than 11 million records. 

Their version of 'Dschinghis Khan' is very much comparable to the original version even if it is sung in a lower key, but the real surprise is the B-side: a beautiful orchestral version of John Denver's classic 'Annie's song'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6913
Found: Discogs.com, received 15 March 2023
Tracks: 'Djingis Khan' / 'Annie's song (instrumental)'

Hullu yö - Kaija Kärkinen

Although Finland only ever won the Eurovision Song Contest once with Lordi's 'Hard Rock Hallelujah', there's another hard-edged song that I find a lot more interesting. Kaija Kärkinen represented Finland in 1991 with 'Hullu yö' ('Crazy night'), a title that had presenter Toto Cotugno stuttering his way through (like he did throughout the broadcast). 

Finding a copy of this single wasn't easy for sure, and impossible in those internetless days. Even with internet the single commanded such high prices that I had to wait until recently to get a good copy for a decent price. 'Hullu yö' is finally mine.

My collection: 7" single no. 6912
Found: Discogs.com, received 15 March 2023
Tracks: 'Hullu yö' / 'Ammu selkään'

Ghosts again - Depeche Mode

The new Depeche Mode album is called 'Memento mori' and it promises to be a dark affair. The lead single 'Ghosts again' certainly seems to point towards that, with a gloomy sound and serious lyrics. Undoubtedly the untimely death of Andy Fletcher has contributed to this. And so there's only two members now. I would think this album will also be Depeche Mode's last.

This single, featuring the new track and an etching of the DM logo on the other side, was offered free with the German magazine Musikexpress. I found out about this just recently, while the magazine was already sold out on the official website. I turned to other German sites to find a copy. I tried meine-Zeitschrift.de first, but they only offered postage within Germany. When I asked politely if they could send me a copy for increased postage costs, all I got was a reply that they didn't offer postage outside of Germany. Very well... so I found mein-Presseshop.de instead, and they sent me the magazine within a couple of days. You see, some German sites are useless, whereas other German sites are consumer-friendly. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6911
Found: mein-Presseshop.de, received 14 March 2023
Tracks: 'Ghosts again'

Près de ma rivière - Robert Cogoi

The Dutch 'favorieten expres' version of 'Près de ma rivière' appeared on this blog almost a decade ago, but recently I acquired the French 4 track EP, which is worth featuring here because it contains four tracks instead of just two, and it comes in a beautiful cover. Also, three of the four tracks don't appear on that other single. 

Robert appeared on the Eurovision stage in 1964. As a result, his performance has been lost in time, because along with the very first edition in 1956 the Eurovision Song Contest of 1964 was not properly stored in a video archive. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6910
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 10 March 2023
Tracks: 'Près de ma rivière', 'Present'moi' / 'Fille du soleil', 'Toute une vie'

Wir glauben an Morgen - Karina

I bought the 7" single 'En un mundo nuevo' 13 years ago, the Spanish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 1971. The song was quite successful, ending up in second place.

I didn't know back then that Karina also recorded her song in English, French, German and Italian. It's not easy to find all these versions, but the German version is now mine. I didn't notice this before, but the song seems oddly inspired by Marty Wilde's 'Abergavenny' - just listen to the last part of this song. And that doesn't seem far-fetched; Karina actually recorded a version of that song as 'La fiesta' in 1968.

My collection: 7" single no. 6907
Found: Discogs.com, received 9 March 2023
Tracks: 'Wir glauben an Morgen' / 'En un mundo nuevo'

Vielleicht geschieht ein Wunder - Carmela Corren

Carmela Corren (née Bizman, 13 February 1938 – 15 January 2022) was an Israeli singer and actress. She dreamed of being a dancer, but switched to singing in the wake of an injury. American television producer Ed Sullivan discovered her in 1956 during a work venture in Jerusalem. Corren, just out of military service, was persuaded to come to New York to appear on his show. She later toured South Africa with Cliff Richard and sang in English clubs. Later, she starred in several films and television productions. 

With the beginning of the 1960s, Corren became well-known in Germany, as well as in Switzerland and Austria. In 1963, she represented Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest with her song 'Vielleicht geschieht ein Wunder', finishing in seventh place.

My collection: 7" single no. 6905
Found: Discogs.com, received 9 March 2023
Tracks: 'Vielleicht geschieht ein Wunder' / 'Always you'

Fantasy dream - Ami Aspelund

Ami Aspelund represented Finland in 1983 with the song 'Fantasiaa'. It was written Kaisu Liuhala and composed by Kari Kuusamo. According to some, Kuusamo had listened well to Kim Wilde's hit 'Cambodia' and based the melody of the chorus on the verses of Kim's song. If you listen to 'Fantasiaa' (or the English version, 'Fantasy dream', which is on the A-side of this single) you can certainly hear a certain reminiscence, but no claim has ever been made and the song went on to become reasonably successful. 

'Fantasiaa' ended up on 11th place in the Eurovision Song Contest, in a field of 20 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 6904
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 March 2023
Tracks: 'Fantasy dream' / 'Fantasiaa'

Arrivederci Franz - Birthe Kjaer

Although Danish singer Birthe Kjaer didn't get to represent her country at the Eurovision Song Contest until 1989 with the classic 'Vi maler byen rød', her interest in the competition started a lot earlier. It is evidenced on this single from 1968. 

Although 'Arrivederci Franz' is an original song, the B-side is actually a cover version of the Eurovision song 'Ein Hoch der Liebe', performed for Germany by Wencke Myhre. Thøger Olesen provided the Danish lyrics for Birthe's version.

My collection: 7" single no. 6902
Found: Discogs.com, received 7 March 2023
Tracks: 'Arrivederci Franz' / 'Sig ja til kaerlighed'

Everything's coming up roses (remix) - Black

Generally speaking, Australians aren't exactly good in preserving old records. There are several cd-singles and singles from Australia in my collection that look quite battered and worn, and in the case of this single by Black, the sleeve actually looks quite nice but the music is barely audible from the noise in the grooves on this disc. I wonder why.

I got this single from a dealer in Australia because it is quite rare and through the years I hadn't been able to find a copy. I had to have it, mostly because of the sleeve which is a variation on sleeves from that period. The remix, of course, appears on this promotional single from the USA.

My collection: 7" single no. 6899
Found: Discogs.com, received 7 March 2023
Tracks: 'Everything's coming up roses (remix)' / 'Ravel in the rain'

Ime anthropos ki ego - Evridiki

The big mystery of Eurovision Song Contest is why sometimes crap songs win while really beautiful songs are less successful. Case in point: 'Ime anthropos ki ego' ('I'm human too') by Evridiki. It's a beautifully composed song, performed with lots of emotion by Evridiki. A plea for worldwide peace, it was performed fourth on the night, following Ireland and preceding Iceland. At the close of voting, it finished in 11th place in a field of 25 competitors.

The winning song that year wasn't exactly awful, but certainly not the best song of the night: 'Rock 'n' Roll kids' by Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan. It was the third consecutive time that Ireland won the competition, during a decade in which jurors were unduly biased towards Irish entries. Of all the songs that were performed during the 1994 edition, 'Ime anthropos ki ego' has aged the best of them all. Finding this 12" single was a great catch.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 7 March 2023
Tracks: 'Ime anthropos ki ego' / 'Fenetre sur cour'

Why do you always haunt me - Radio Java

There's a record-breaking 38 years between me buying the two Radio Java singles that exist. I bought 'Fool' back in 1985, one of my total favourites from that year, and now, just recently, I found the other single online. 

'Why do you always haunt me' was released on blue vinyl and with a colourful picture sleeve that features the band. They only ever released two singles and one album, and none of them charted. On the basis of these two singles I have become rather curious about that album, but it would be great if that got a CD release one day. I keep dreaming for now.

My collection: 7" single no. 6898
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 March 2023
Tracks: 'Why do you always haunt me?' / 'Radio Java'

White wedding - Billy Idol

'White wedding' was originally released as the second single from Billy Idol's self-titled studio album in 1982. Although not Idol's highest-charting hit, it is often considered one of his most recognizable songs. In the US, it reached number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 after it was re-issued in 1983. 

This clear vinyl edition was released in 1985, when the Vital Idol remix album had to be promoted. This is also why a 'Mega-Idol mix' appears on the B-side. It was a successful re-release: it peaked at number 6 in the UK singles chart. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6897
Found: Discogs.com, received 4 March 2023
Tracks: 'White wedding' / 'Mega-Idol mix'

Sweet memory - Belle Stars

After the Belle Stars had a big hit with 'Sign of the times', they released this single: Sweet memory. They put 'Sign of the times' on the B-side for some reason, but it's just the regular version of that track.

The single reached number 22 in the UK singles chart and number 30 in Ireland, but didn't achieve any chart success in Europe. In fact, only the 1989 re-release of 'Iko Iko' would bring them success outside of the UK again.

My collection: 7" single no. 6896
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 4 March 2023
Tracks: 'Sweet memory' / 'Sign of the times'

So long - Abba

Do I really need more Abba singles? Well, no, not really, but some covers are just too beautiful to resist. This copy of 'So long' was made in France and they gave it a colourful sleeve that was much more stylish than the boring German one.

I remember that, as a child, I thought this song was pure hardrock. Not much later I got into the 'disco-rock' of Kiss, and a few years later again I discovered that hardrock was actually quite a bit harder. And louder. But 'So long' is, to me at least, still Abba's big hardrock moment.

My collection: 7" single no. 6892
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 4 March 2023
Tracks: 'So long' / 'I've been waiting for you'