Volare - Bobby Rydell

Bobby Rydell was born as Robert Louis Ridarelli on 26 April 1942. After winning a talent show in 1950 he gained a spot on Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club, where he remained for several years. Near the end of the Fifties he signed a contract with Cameo Records and enjoyed a handful of hits. 

In 1960, he recorded a cover version of 'Volare', a song we know as 'Nel blu dipinto di blu', performed by Domenico Modugno at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1958.  It was a big hit in the USA, peaking at number 4, whereas it also reached number 22 in the UK singles chart. This EP is a Swedish copy, but I don't know if it was a hit in Sweden. Rydell continued to make music until well into the Seventies.

My collection: 7" single no. 6617
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 January 2022
Cost: 75 SEK
Tracks: 'Volare', 'I'd do it again' / 'Little bitty girl', 'What'd I say'

Love is blue (L'amour est bleu) - Ted Heath and his music

Received on the same day as the version by Santo & Johnny, here's another cover version of 'L'amour est bleu'. Ted Heath led what is widely considered Britain's greatest post-war big band, recording more than 100 albums, which sold over 20 million copies. They were the most successful band in Britain during the 1950s.

Their version of 'L'amour est bleu'  was released in 1968 - a year after Vicky Leandros' performance at the Eurovision Song Contest. Ted Heath died the year after that, in 1969. His band remained in existence, surviving his passing until 2000.

My collection: 7" single no. 6616
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 January 2022
Cost: 30 SEK
Tracks: 'Love is blue (L'amour est bleu)' / 'Cherokee'

Catherine - Romuald

I predicted this last month, and here it is: 'Catherine' by Romuald. I received the Spanish version exactly a month ago, and this EP features the original verion in French. 

Romuald Figuier represented Luxembourg when he performed this song on the Eurovision stage in Spain, and he finished in 11th place. His song was covered by Daniele Vidal - but regular readers of this blog already know that, of course.

My collection: 7" single no. 6607
Found: Ebay, received 18 January 2022
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Catherine', 'Seul notre amour n'a pas changé' / 'Meme un enfant', 'Les tambours du vent'

Sommar'n som aldrig säger nej - Malta

'Sommar'n som aldrig säger nej' was the winner of the Swedish national final for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973. The duo Malta, consisting of Claes af Geijerstam and Göran Fristorp, ran into a problem when they went on to the international Contest: their name was similar to a country - and although Malta did not participate in 1973, they still had to change their name. They became Nova, and their song was translated into English, and became 'You're summer'. 

This single features the original Swedish version, and to add to the excitement the sleeve has been signed by Claes and Göran. I don't have an official confirmation, but the signatures look authentic enough. The B-side 'Här kommer sol' is a Swedish version of - you guessed it - the Beatles' 'Here comes the sun'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6615
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 January 2022
Cost: 30 SEK
Tracks: 'Sommar'n som aldrig säger nej' / 'Här kommer sol'

12th House - Delegation

Buying singles online goes a little bit different than in a real shop. Often you search for songs or artist you already know. In this case, I was searching for singles that were produced by Tony Mansfield - one of my favourite producers - and I came across this interesting little disc.

I knew the song '12th house' as a track by New Musik. It was released as a B-side to their single 'All You Need Is Love'. However, the track was also recorded by a band called Delegation. It turns out their version was actually first released in 1980 - a year before the New Musik version. The track was written - and in the case of Delegation, not produced - by Tony Mansfield. I ordered this single as a matter of interest and I was not disappointed. It's a nice take on a song that I am very familiar with. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6614
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 January 2022
Cost: 29 SEK
Tracks: '12th house' / 'Singing'

La belle amour - Paule Desjardins

This EP presents four songs by Paule Desjardins, who represented France at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957 with 'La belle amour'. It's interesting how little is known about this song. It was composed by Guy Lafarge (5 May 1904 - 17 December 1990) and written by Francis Carco (3 July 1886 - 26 May 1958). 

The song finished in second place, behind Corry Brokken's 'Net als toen', the first time the Netherlands took home the prize. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6618
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 January 2022
Cost: 100 SEK
Tracks: 'La chanson de Lima', 'La belle amour' /  'Amour perdu', 'Dis-moi quelque chose de gentil'

Love is blue - Santo & Johnny

Vicky Leandros participated in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'L'amour est bleu' in 1967. Despite the fact that the song didn't win, a whole load of cover versions of the song exists, including the most famous one - an instrumental version by Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra.

This single also presents an instrumental version, but it has to be said that the sleeve of this single is a lot more attractive than the Paul Mauriat one. The designers opted for a bodypainted model, with all the lettering and design that was so popular around that time. Santo & Johnny were an American duo from Brooklyn, New York, composed of brothers Santo Farina (born on 24 October 1937) and Johnny Farina (born on 30 April 1941). They continued to release albums and singles until the end of the Seventies.

My collection: 7" single no. 6612
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 January 2022
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Love is blue' / 'Hello goodbye'

April, april - Lill-Babs

Lill-Babs represented Sweden in the 1961 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'April, april'. It had been performed by Siw Malmkvist and Gunnar Wiklund in the national final, but Lill-Babs was selected to perform the song in Cannes. The song was not particularly successful: it finished in 14th place in a field of 16 competitors. 

Lill-Babs continued her career throughout the following decades. A two-part documentary was broadcast on Swedish TV4 in 2017 called 'Lill-Bas, Leva livet' ('Lill-Babs, to live life'), which presented her life and career. She died on 3 April 2018 after suffering from cancer and heart failure.

My collection: 7" single no. 6613
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 January 2022
Cost: 100 SEK
Tracks: 'April april', 'Hem hem till lilla järvsö' / 'Gummi-boll', 'Fröken Blyg'

Gut dass es Freunde gibt - Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard recorded both of his Eurovision songs in German. A couple of years ago I already posted 'Man gratuliert mir', the German version of 'Congratulations', and now I've found a copy of the German version of 'Power to all our friends': 'Gut dass es Freunde gibt' ('Good that there are friends'). And it's not just any copy of this single: it looks like it was made just a few weeks ago. Never has a single from almost 50 years ago looked and sounded so good.

Richard recorded several songs in German in his early career. He even released two German LPs: 1969’s 'Here ist Cliff' ('Here is Cliff') and 1971’s 'Ich träume deine Träume' ('I’m dreaming your dreams'). 

My collection: 7" single no. 6611
Found: Discogs.com, received 21 January 2022
Cost: €6
Tracks: 'Gut dass es Freunde gibt' / 'Ein Spiel ohne Grenzen'

Samedi, Dimanche et fetes - Carene Cheryl

Isabelle Morizet became known in the mid-Seventies as Carene Cheryl, singing romantic songs. When the years progressed she abandoned this pseudonym, and started calling herself Karen Cheryl, recording disco-oriented material. Using her real name she started presenting programmes on the French national radio stations and on French TV. 

Back in 1976, she was quick to realize the potential of Abba's 'Mamma Mia'. She recorded a version of the song and stuck it on the B-side of this single, 'Samedi, Dimanche et fetes', which managed to chart in Belgium, peaking at number 23. Whether it was a hit in France remains unknown to me.

My collection: 7" single no. 6606
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 January 2022
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Samedi, Dimanche et fetes' / 'Oh! Mama Mia'

Volare - Gipsy Kings

Domenico Modugno's 'Nel blu dipinto di blu' (usually shortened to 'Volare') has been recorded by scores of artists, one cover version more successful than the other. Having heard quite a few versions by now, I would put this version by the Gipsy Kings in the 'more successful' category. 

The Gipsy Kings were perhaps best known for their hit 'Bamboleo' in 1987. The song got a silver award in the UK and became a hit all over Europe. In 1990 they recorded 'Volare' for the film 'Vanille fraise', a French film by Gerard Oury. This is also mentioned on the cover of this single. The single reached number 16 in the French singles chart and number 30 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 6605
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 January 2022
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Volare' / 'Come prima'

Je suis tombé du ciel - David Alexandre Winter

The lack of subtlety in David Alexandre Winter's voice is something I already remarked on when I posted the single of 'Je suis tombé du ciel' last month. As if to prove this point, the two songs on that single are included on this EP with two more songs with equally overwhelming vocals. At least the sleeve looks a lot better, because it is in colour.

I didn't exactly need to have this EP, but it appeared alongside a few singles I wanted to order and so I included it anyway. Sometimes owning different versions of a Eurovision single can be interesting, because especially in the Sixties and Seventies record companies would really push their artists' releases. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6603
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 January 2022
Cost: €3
Tracks: 'Plus jolie qu'une rose', 'Isabelle mon amour' / 'Je suis tombé du ciel', 'Maria'

Dès que le printemps revient - Hugues Aufray

Hugues Jean Marie Aufray was born on 18 August 1929. He started his career in music initially as a songwriter, but after finishing second in a singing competition he signed a record deal with Barclay records. While supporting Peter, Paul and Mary in New York in 1962, he struck up a friendship with Bob Dylan. Aufray translated a lot of his songs into French. In 1965, he released the album 'Aufray chante Dylan'. 

The year before, in 1964, Aufray represented Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Dès que le printemps revient'. At the close of voting, it had received 14 points, placing 4th in a field of 16 competitors. No video from his Eurovision performance has survived. A persistent myth, even repeated on the official Eurovision site, is that the tape was destroyed in a fire in the Seventies. More recent interviews with DR, however, state that the broadcast was never recorded in the first place, allegedly due to no tape machines being available at the studio.

My collection: 7" single no. 6608
Found: Ebay, received 19 January 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Dès que le printemps revient' / 'Allez, allez mon troupeau'

Merci Chérie (en Français) - Udo Jürgens

Udo Jürgens won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1966 with 'Merci, Chérie', a single that I bought, and featured on this blog, back in June 2009. At that time I wasn't aware that Udo had recorded the song in various different languages. 

This here is the French version of 'Merci, Chérie', and since he was recording in French, Udo also added three other songs in that language on this EP. When you look at the titles on this sleeve you can easily see that the translations were not literal: 'So wie eine Rose' became 'Je t'attends a Vienne', 'Das ist nicht gut für mich' became 'Ça ne vaut pas l'amour' and 'Siebzehn Jahr, blondes Haar' was shortened to 'Si'. It's a bit of a miracle that the title 'Merci, Chérie' survived.

My collection: 7" single no. 6602
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 January 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Merci, Chérie', 'Ça ne vaut pas l'amour' / 'Je t'attends a Vienne', 'Si'

Il doit faire beau la-bas - Noëlle Cordier

Noëlle Cordier was born on 7 April 1944 in Paris. She started her musical career around 1965, but she was still virtually unknown when she was selected to represent France in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1967. The song ´Il doit faire beau la-bas' was written by Pierre Delanoë and composed by Hubert Giraud. The song finished in third place in a field of 17 competitors. 

After the release of some singles and an album in 1970, she participated in the rock opera La Révolution Française by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil in 1973 in which she played one of the main roles with Jean-Pierre Savelli, Gérard Blanc and Alain Bashung. As a performer, she achieved enormous success by singing the song 'Tu t'en vas' in 1974 with Alain Barrière. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6601
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 January 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Il doit faire beau la-bas', 'Cheese' / 'Ce garçon', 'La petite geisha'

Lui - Gigliola Cinquetti

Gigliola Cinquetti's song 'Si' has been translated into many other languages besides the original Italian. On this blog, we've already had 'Ja' (German) and 'Go' (English); today I am adding the French version, 'Lui'. It's a pity this title breaks the two-letter rule, but then that would be hard in French anyway. 

Of all the versions, this one sounds probably the most natural. By that I mean it could easily have been an original French chanson, performed by a French lady. In other words: Gigliola does a beautiful job on this single, and I really like this version a lot. The fact that I could buy it for almost nothing makes this a great acquisition. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6599
Found: Discogs.com, received 15 January 2022
Cost: €0,99
Tracks: 'Lui' / 'Le tandem'

Un premier amour - Frida Boccara

Frida Boccara represented France at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1969, and she actually became one of the four winners that year with her moving ballad 'Un jour, un enfant'. However, as I found out, she had a link to the Contest many years before that.

In 1962, Isabelle Aubret won the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Un premier amour'. Boccara was quick to record a cover version of this song, which appears on this EP. There's three more songs on this disc, all with that unique voice of Frida, who tragically died on 1 August 1996.

My collection: 7" single no. 6598
Found: Discogs.com, received 15 January 2022
Cost: €3
Tracks: 'Cherbourg avait raison', 'Donna' / 'Un premier amour', 'Le ciel du port'

Halleluja - Jan Malmsjö

Those who love the Eurovision Song Contest would have been very pleased with this single, featuring three cover versions of the 1979 edition. Jan Malmsjö took it upon himself to perform that year's top three and stick them on this 7" single.

Jan Wilhelm Malmsjö was born on 29 May 1932 and trained at the prestigious Royal Dramatic Training Academy. He became a highly acclaimed stage actor and musical star, but also recorded many albums and singles, especially during the Sixties and Seventies. This EP features Swedish versions of 'Hallelujah', 'Su canción' and 'Mary Ann'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6595
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 January 2022
Cost: €3.50
Tracks: 'Halleluja' / 'Hela världen behöver ha en sång', 'Mary-Ann'

Unge dag - Gitte Haenning

Gitte Haenning represented Germany at the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Junger Tag'. I bought the single twelve years ago from a German online shop, and I thought that would be all. But in fact, Gitte also recorded a version in Danish, and I am glad to say that I bought this version recently - appropriately enough, from a Danish online seller!

There's still some versions to go, I discovered recently, as 'Junger Tag' was also recorded in French, Spanish and English. Unfortunately, those singles are very expensive or even not available. We wait and hope.

My collection: 7" single no. 6594
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 January 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Unge dag' / 'Hallo, hvord'n går det anker'

It's so nice to be rich - Agnetha Fältskog

'It's so nice to be rich' is a song by Swedish singer Agnetha Fältskog from the soundtrack to the 1983 Swedish movie P & B, starring Stellan Skarsgård, Allan Edwall and Lill Lindfors among others. Since the song was not included on Fältskog's 1985 album 'Eyes of a Woman', the first time the song appeared on an album was the 1996 compilation album 'My Love, My Life'. The song was only released as a single in Sweden in December 1983 and it reached number 8 on the Swedish singles chart in February 1984. 

I actually knew this song because it was played on certain radio stations in 1984. However its availability has always been limited and even now I could only order it as part of a bigger order - from Denmark. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6593
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 January 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'It's so nice to be rich' / 'P&B'