'n Beetje - Sonja Oosterman

A single that is credited to 'Sonja Oosterman, Cees Vanos, vocals with the Festival Five, under direction of Dick Schallies' demands some further explanation. All four tracks appear to feature the Festival Five under direction of Dick Schallies - they provide the music. The vocals are provided by Sonja Oosterman on three of the four tracks, whereas 'Who knows why' is sung by Cees Vanos. 

''n Beetje' was chosen to represent the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest when this single was created, hence the "Nr. 1 Dutch finale Eurovision Song Contest 1959" which you can read on this sleeve. The song would, of course, go on to win the Contest. The one and only mystery remains: why was  this single, aimed at the Dutch market and even part of a "Dutch Fono Club" made in Germany? Answers on a postcard please... (or below)

My collection: 7" single no. 6549
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received 30 November 2021
Cost: €1
Tracks: ''n Beetje', 'Ied're dag met jou' / 'Ja of nee', 'Who knows why'

Le chant de Mallory - Les compagnons de la chanson

Les Compagnons de la chanson were a French vocal group from Lyon, France, founded during World War II. Before 1946, they were part of a larger choir, the Compagnons de la musique. In 1946, they recorded a French language song, 'Les trois cloches' along with Edith Piaf. Rewritten in English as 'The three bells', they managed to reach the UK singles chart in October 1959, peaking at number 21. 

This EP features a cover of the French entry to the 1964 Eurovision Song Contest, 'Le chant de mallory', originally performed by Rachel. Through the years I've seen this single numerous times, but I never saw it this cheap. It was part of an online order of singles which were only €1 each - a price you can't beat.

My collection: 7" single no. 6548
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received 30 November 2021
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'Le chant de Mallory', 'Le refuge de tes bras' / 'Belle petite ville', 'En d'autres mots'

Volare - Frank Valentino

Everyone and their mother has recorded a version of 'Nel blu dipinto di blu', better known as 'Volare'. Originally performed by Domenico Modugno at the 1958 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, the song never won the Contest but is arguably the best known - and most covered - song to ever come forth from this event.

Frank Valentino tried his hand at the song in 1991. The Belgian singer was born on 3 September 1957. His biggest success has been in the early 1990s, doing vocals on a dance remake of the song 'Stand by me'. His take on 'Volare' isn't even that bad; it has been given a 'modern' twist (or whatever went for 'modern' back in 1991 anyway!) The single actually entered the Belgian chart on 3 August 1991 and peaked at number 31 during a 6 week chart run. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6547
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received 30 November 2021
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'Volare' / 'Afscheid'

Notre amour de vacances (Dansevise) - Patricia Robert

I consider 'Dansevise' to be one of the most beautiful songs to ever win the Eurovision Song Contest, so every cover version of that song is bound to be almost equally beautiful. This version by Patricia Robert is performed in French, and also features a cover version of 'T'en va pas', the song performed by Esther Ofarim during the same edition in 1963.

Alas, Patricia Robert herself remains unknown. She only released two singles: this one, and a song called 'Souvenir de ma jeunesse' in 1962. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6546
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received 30 November 2021
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'Notre amour de vacances (Dansevise)' / 'T'en va pas'

Küsse von dir - Rex Gildo

The Brotherhood of Man's 'Save your kisses for me' was covered by various artists, Peter Silver's version appeared on this blog just recently. Together with that single I bought this one: a version by German singer Rex Gildo.

He was born in Straubing (Germany) on 2 July 1936 and started a career in television and film in his twenties, as well as performing as a singer, most famously duetting with Danish singer Gitte Haenning as Gitte & Rex. During the Eighties and Nineties, Gildo's popularity decreased.[4] His appearances were mainly at folk festivals, shopping centres and other similar venues; he was also reported to have problems with alcoholism. His final performance, on the day of his suicide attempt, was in front of more than 3000 people at a furniture shop outside Frankfurt. Gildo died on 26 October 1999, aged 63, having spent three days in an artificially-induced coma after attempting suicide by jumping from the window of his apartment building. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6545
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received 30 November 2021
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'Küsse von dir' / 'Hab' ich dich nur geträumt?'

Boom bang-a-bang - Heidi Brühl

After covering the song 'La la la' in 1968, Heidi Brühl continued the next year with another winning Eurovision song: her version of 'Boom bang-a-bang'. The song was given a German lyric by Elisabeth Bertram née Merkels, also known as Lilibert.Heidi Brühl, of course, appeared in Eurovision herself in 1963 with the song 'Marcel'. 

In 1970, Brühl moved to the United States where she appeared in Las Vegas and in episodes of such television series as Columbo. She returned to Germany to play in two further Immenhof sequels in 1973–1974, The Twins from Immenhof and Spring in Immenhof. Brühl and Halsey divorced in 1976, and she returned to live in Germany the following year. She did dubbing work on films such as 'The NeverEnding Story' and 'Look Who's Talking Too', and her last roles were in television serials such as Ein Fall für zwei and Praxis Bülowbogen. She died of breast cancer in Starnberg on 8 June 1991, aged 49.

My collection: 7" single no. 6544
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received 30 November 2021
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'Boom bang-a-bang' / 'Der Himmel weint Freudentranen'

Veronica vrij - Ben Cramer

This single is an interesting one. I think I saw it many times without realizing that the B-side, 'Aan het mooie Noordzeestrand', is actually a version of 'De oude muzikant', the song with which Ben Cramer represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973.

Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that this single was released in the same year. The single actually appeared in the Dutch Top 40 while 'De oude muzikant' was still descending the same chart. The song was based on the 'Song of Olympia', written by Hans Blum, who incidentally took part as a songwriter and conductor in the Eurovision Song Contest on four occasions between 1965 and 1986.

Veronica, of course, was a pirate radio station, broadcasting from the North Sea and being rather successful with it among young listeners. The station was led by Rob Out and Bull Verweij, who appear on this sleeve alongside Ben Cramer. 'Veronica vrij' was released in time for a rally in The Hague, which was due to take place on 18 April 1973. The Dutch government was drawing up anti-pirate legislation, which would make Radio Veronica illegal and would force them off air. Cramer was perfect for the single: his emotion-laden, slightly bombastic performance, perfectly appealed to the sentiments of young people that Veronica should always exist. The benefit of hindsight tells us that the broadcast of 31 August 1974 should perhaps really have been the last, but the broadcaster re-emerged before the end of 1975 and made great programmes for about 15 years or so. After this, the name was used and misused by various owners. These days, Veronica still exists in name but it can't compare to the free-spirited broadcaster it once was.

My collection: 7" single no. 6543
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received 30 November 2021
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'Veronica vrij' / 'Aan het mooie Noordzeestrand'