Pour être vraiment sincère - Ben Cramer

When Ben Cramer represented the Netherlands in 1973 with 'De oude muzikant', he must have believed that he was on to an international hit. He recorded several other versions: in English as 'The old street musician' and in German as 'Der alte Musikant'. Both these versions were relatively faithful translations of the Dutch original - which is why it's a bit puzzling that the French version is called 'Pour être vraiment sincère', a title that doesn't resemble these other versions in any way.

The French version is very rare, and as a result singles are hard to find these days. The only copy I could get my hands on for a reasonable price was this one - but unfortunately it doesn't come with the original sleeve. But pour être vraiment sincère, it is the music that I was after most of all in this case.

My collection: 7" single no. 6637
Found: Discogs.com, received 22 February 2022
Cost: €5
Tracks: 'Pour être vraiment sincère' / 'Je t'emmene a la fête'

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'

Der alte Musikant - Ben Cramer

Ben Cramer's Eurovision song 'De oude muzikant' featured on this blog before, not only in the original version but also in the English version. And it gives me great pleasure to present, not a month later, the German version of that song. 

Just like the English version, this single presents the A- and B-side in translated form. 'Der alte Musikant' is of course, 'De oude muzikant', and 'Komm Sylvia tanz mit mir' is a literal translation of the song 'Kom Sylvia dans met mij'. The pressing, of course, comes from Germany.

My collection: 7" single no. 6511
Found: Discogs.com, received 18 November 2021
Cost: €5
Tracks: 'Der alte Musikant' / 'Komm Sylvia tanz mit mir'

The old street musician - Ben Cramer

Even this week Ben Cramer was still on Dutch TV. The enduring career of this singer proves that he certainly wasn't a one hit wonder - even if his success didn't necessarily translate to other countries. His 1973 Eurovision entry 'De oude muzikant' was recorded in several other languages, but that didn't give him any hits. 

This single, a Portuguese pressing, features the English version of the song, correctly translated into 'The old street musician'. And even the B-side, 'Kom Sylvia dans met mij' was translated into 'Sylvia, come dance with me', which is also a literal translation. The A-side was written, and both sides produced, by Pierre Kartner a.k.a. Father Abraham, who made himself internationally known as the Smurfs man later on in that decade.

My collection: 7" single no. 6488
Found: Discogs.com, received 28 October 2021
Tracks: 'The old street musician' / 'Sylvia, come dance with me'

In the night - Ben Cramer

In 1969, Marty Wilde released 'Diversions', an album of original songs written by himself and several collaborators. One of the songs on the album was Abergavenny, which was a hit in several European countries, but there was also the song In the night.

That song was covered that same year by Dutch singer Ben Cramer and released on this single. It spent three weeks in the 'bubbling under' chart of the Dutch top 40, but didn't become a hit. It was included on the album 'My world of music', released on the Omega label in 1969.

My collection: 7" single no. 5801
Found: eBay.nl, received September 29, 2015
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'In the night' / 'Although you're gone'

Listen to the song

De oude muzikant - Ben Cramer

This year's Dutch entry for the Eurovision Song Contest was written and composed by Pierre Kartner, a.k.a. Father Abraham. The resulting 'Ik ben verliefd Sha-la-lie' ('I'm in love Sha-la-lee') has already been criticised for being out of time and 'not good enough' for the Contest. Some have also questioned whether Kartner was the right person to compose a Eurovision song for the Netherlands.

Still, it's not the first time he did this. Ben Cramer's 1973 entry for Eurovision was also written and composed by Kartner. 'De oude muzikant' ('The old musician') used some of the same cultural references. Back then, the song finished 14th in a field of 17 competitors. If this year's entry also reaches this position, the Netherlands will be happy: after all, the country hasn't competed in the finals since 2004.

My collection: 7" single no. 4611
Found: Vinylroy.nl, received March 3, 2010
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'De oude muzikant' / 'Kom Sylvia dans met mij'