Bara sexton år - Gitte

With 'Lille dukke' I thought I had the oldest Eurovision cover version by Gitte Haenning, but she was already active in 1961, at the age of fifteen. This EP features four tracks, and the last one is a version of 'Allons, allons, les enfants', the entry of Monaco at the Eurovision Song Contest that year.

Gitte recorded the song with Swedish lyrics by Bo Eneby: 'Bara sexton år' ('Only sixteen years'). It's a charming piece of music, adding something that wasn't there in the original version.

My collection: 7" single no. 7435
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 9 November 2024
Tracks: 'Varje stjärna i det blå', 'Borta bra, hemma bäst' / 'Gör vad du vill', 'Bara sexton år'

Lille dukke - Gitte Haenning

Throughout her career Gitte Haenning has been associated with the Eurovision Song Contest. She appeared on the Eurovision stage once, with 'Junger Tag', but she also recorded her share of covers of Eurovision songs. One of those cover versions appeared on this blog before: 'La, la, la' from 1968. 

This single predates that cover version by three years. 'Lille dukke' is a version of 'Poupée de cire, poupée de son', with Danish lyrics by Thøger Olesen.

My collection: 7" single no. 7434
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, 9 November 2024
Tracks: 'Lille dukke' / 'Hvorfor tænke på i morgen'

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'

La, la, la -Gitte Hænning

Gitte Hænning is no stranger to the Eurovision Song Contest: she represented Germany in 1973 with the song 'Junger Tag'. She also attempted to represent her own country Denmark in 1962 with 'Jeg snakker med mig selv', but was disqualified because the composer, Sejr Volmer-Sørensen, had whistled the song in the canteen of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation.

Inbetween, she released this single. It features not one, but two cover versions: both from the 1968 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. The A-side features the winning song, 'La, la, la', while she also covers Cliff Richard's song 'Congratulations', which controversially ended up in second place. The Danish lyrics of 'Ønsk mig tillykke' were provided by Thøger Olesen.

My collection: 7" single no. 6535
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received 30 November 2021
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'La, la, la' / 'Ønsk mig tillykke'

Junger Tag - Gitte

As bad as this year's Dutch entry for the Eurovision Song Contest is, there is still hope, as history tells us there have been many dreadful songs competing. Although for the really embarrassing ones you would have to go back a decade or three. Take for instance Gitte, the pride of Germany in 1973.

Gitte Hænning was born on June 29, 1946 and quickly rose to fame as a child star in Fifties. After she moved to Sweden, she had a hit with 'Tror du jag ljuger' in 1961. A year later she tried to enter the Eurovision Song Contest for Denmark, but she was disqualified because the composer Sejr Volmer-Sørensen had whistled the song in the canteen of the DR. In 1973 she competed for Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Junger Tag'. As nondescript as the song was, it still finished eighth in a field of 17 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 4456
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received January 28, 2010
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Junger Tag' / 'Hallo, wie geht es Robert'