Skibet skal sejle i nat - Birthe Wilke & Gustav Winckler

It was 1957, and two Danish performers were selected to perform a duet called 'Skibet skal sejle i nat' ('The ship will sail tonight') at the Eurovision Song Contest. Birthe Wilke was a young, innocent singer and Gustav Winckler, 10 years her senior, the experienced crooner with a string of hits to his name. They famously finished their performance with a kiss that lasted for 11 seconds - apparently because someone forgot to say 'cut' at the end. This in turn shocked the international juries, so much so that they didn't award them as many points as predicted beforehand. They finished in third place in a field of 10 competitors.

This disc is the original 78rpm record, released at the time. I've taken some interest in these old discs because I can finally play them. And playing such old records is a real nostalgic sensation, I can tell you. 

My collection: 78rpm [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 January 2022
Cost: €8
Tracks: 'Skibet skal sejle i nat' / 'Kaerlighedens cocktail'

Nous les amoureux - Jean Claude Pascal

In 1961, Jean Claude Pascal represented Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Nous les amoureux'. The song is about a man and another (rumoured to be another man) who others want to separate. He sings, however, that 'Heaven is with us lovers', a declaration of hope in spite of the difficulties. He won the Contest with this song. 

I already bought a single of this song 12 years ago, but it was just a single without a sleeve. This EP features four tracks instead of two and comes with a glossy picture sleeve. It's a vast improvement, obviously.

My collection: 7" single no. 6591
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 January 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Toi', 'Les oubliettes' / 'Nous les amoureux', 'Le gars de n'importe où'

Nous vivrons d'amour - Chris Baldo & Sophie Garel

'Nous vivrons d'amour' was the Luxembourgish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1968, performed by Luxembourgish singer Chris Baldo & and French-Algerian Sophie Garel. The song is a love duet, with the pair promising to "live by love" instead of letting the problems of the world get to them. Baldo and Garel also recorded the song in German and English. They finished in eleventh place in a field of 17 competitors.

Chris Baldo passed away in Luxembourg on 24 January 1995. Sophie Garel never had an ambition to become a singer and became a presenter instead. She worked successfully for RTL, France2 and Europe1.

My collection: 7" single no. 6590
Found: Discogs.com, received 6 January 2022
Cost: €5
Tracks: 'Nous vivrons d'amour', 'Les violettes' / 'Ton visage', 'Je viendrais te chercher'

Looking for clues - Robert Palmer

I bought Robert Palmer's single 'Looking for clues' back in 1989 in London. Obviously this was the UK pressing, which was an ordinary 7" single. While ordering some singles online I found this version of the single, released in the Netherlands on white vinyl. I can never resist a little coloured vinyl single, and so I just chucked it in my virtual shopping cart.

Robert Palmer is perhaps best known for his later singles, but to me, 'Looking for clues' is one of his best singles.

My collection: 7" single no. 6589
Found: Discogs.com, received 5 January 2022
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Looking for clues' / 'Good care of you'

Quand tu reviendras - Claude Lombard

Claude Lombard was born in Brussels on 25 February 1945. She studied at INSAS, a college of film, theatre and television studies in Brussels. She learned to play piano and guitar, and began composing music. 

In 1968, she represented Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Quand tu reviendras'. The song finished in seventh place in a field of 17 competitors.

In the Seventies, she moved to France and enjoyed a successful career as a musical voice-over artist for films and television series. She passed away on 20 September 2021.

My collection: 7" single no. 6588
Found: Discogs.com, received 5 January 2022
Cost: €8
Tracks: 'Quand tu reviendras', 'Le temps ça s'invente' / 'Les petits couteaux' *, 'Pas moi' * (* avec Freddy Zegers)

Tubular bells - 101 strings

I found some information about 101 strings. According to Discogs: depending on the selections and arrangements, the orchestra is composed of 128 to 141 players. Of these, there are 30 first violins, 26 second violins, 20 violas, 18 cellos and 7 string basses. The rest may be woodwinds, brass or percussion. Performances include Broadway musical scores, mood music, travel impressions, standard popular songs from films scores and classics.

No doubt, 'Tubular bells' appeared on the radar of this act when the Mike Oldfield composition appeared on the soundtrack of the movie 'The Exorcist'. In fact, the sleeve of this single says so. It is an interesting version of the track, and a nice little addition to my sub-collection of 'Tubular bells' cover versions.

My collection: 7" single no. 6587
Found: Discogs.com, received 5 January 2022
Cost: €3
Tracks: 'Tubular bells' / 'Torna sunda'

Julie - Tommy Solo

The song 'Julie' by Daniel was very popular after the performance at the 1983 Eurovision Song Contest. The song became a hit all over Europe; in the Netherlands the single reached number 3. Perhaps this was what prompted Dutch singer Tommy Solo to record a cover version of the song, with new lyrics in Dutch. 

Tommy Solo's real name is Jur Eckhardt. He was born in Groningen ìn 1949. 'Julie' was the only single he released as Tommy Solo; further releases happened under other pseudonyms, like Tutti Frutti and Tommy Toeter. None of his releases were ever a hit. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6586
Found: Discogs.com, received 5 January 2022
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Julie' / 'Ik ben een rocker'