What's another year - Johnny Logan

After almost thirty years, I think it's time to concede that 'What's another year' is actually a briliant, if someone melodramatic, pop song. I listened to it today and couldn't help but feel impressed by the melody and even the lyric. It was of course the song that launched Johnny Logan's career as Eurovision celebrity - even if in 1980 it wasn't yet obvious that he would win the Contest twice again: in 1987 with 'Hold me now' and in 1992 as a songwriter with 'Why me', performed by Linda Martin.

'What's another year' was written by Shay Healy about watching his father coming to terms with the death of his wife and companion, Mairin. After winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980, the single reached number 3 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 1 in the UK singles chart.

I bought the Irish pressing of 'What's another year', which amazingly is a few seconds longer than the Dutch pressing which I've had for a couple of years. You can hear that the song fades out slightly earlier on the Dutch pressing.

My collection: 7" single no. 3487 / no. 4364
Found: Geest, Den Haag, 2003 / Record mania, Amsterdam, December 30, 2009
Cost: 1 euro / 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'What's another year' / 'One night stand'