Marcel - Margot Eskens

Although Heidi Brühl was selected internally to sing five songs for the German national final for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1963, other artists were quick to jump on that bandwagon. The winning song, 'Marcel', which Heidi went to London with, was quickly covered by Margot Eskens, in the hopes of having a hit with it as well.

While Heid Brühl recorded 'Das grosse Spiel' as the B-side, a song she didn't perform at the national final, Margot did a smarter thing and recorded 'Ein schöner Tag' on the B-side - the song that was the runner-up during the national final. In the end, both versions of 'Marcel' only reached number 36 in the German chart during a one week run.

My collection: 7" single no. 7322
Found: Discogs.com, received 17 September 2024
Tracks: 'Marcel' / 'Ein schöner Tag'

Auf der grossen Himmelsstrasse - Margot Eskens

Here's another single I didn't buy for the A-side, but for the B-side! 'Damals war alles so schön' is a great German version of Corry Brokken's winning Eurovision song 'Net als toen', and unsurprisingly this single was released in 1957, the year of this song's success.

Margot Eskens (born on 12 August 1939 in Düren) was most popular in the 1950's and 1960's. She continued to be a frequent guest on television programs into the 2000s. In 1966, she represented Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Die Zeiger der Uhr'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6503
Found: Marktplaats.nl, received 12 November 2021
Cost: €1,5
Tracks: 'Auf der grossen Himmelsstrasse' / 'Damals war alles so schön'

Die Zeiger der Uhr - Margot Eskens

This single has been on my wantlist for some time. It's one of the prettiest cover photos from the Sixties-era Eurovision singles, partly because it ties in so neatly with the title of the song. 'Die Zeiger der Uhr' ('The hands of time') was the German entry to the 1966 Eurovision Song Contest. The song is a ballad, with Eskens singing about the feelings brought on by reading old love letters and seeing photographs from an old relationship. As she explains, however, 'The hands of time only turn / forwards, forwards and never backwards'. The song ended up in tenth place in a field of 18 competitors. 

Eskens' career continued for decades, although her success was limited to German-speaking countries only. In 2005 she celebrated 50 years on stage. She has sold over 40 million records during her long and impressive career.

My collection: 7" single no. 6380
Found: Discogs.com, received 15 May 2021
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Die Zeiger der Uhr' / 'Nur deine Bilder'