Un tout petit pantin - Les Parisiennes

Sandie Shaw didn't just record her Eurovision hit Puppet on a string in Spanish, a French version also exists. She recorded that version as Un tout petit pantin. And that version, of course, was covered by French artists.

In this case, Les Parisiennes, a group of four singers clad in sexy minidresses. Brought together by one Claude Bolling, they sang original songs written by him and Frank Gérard, but in 1967 they tried their hand at the Eurovision winner. During the Seventies the group broke up, but two of the ladies remained active in the entertainment business. Raymonde Bronstein had a solo career as a singer and Anne Lefébure was a presenter on the French TV channel FR3.

My collection: 7" single no. 5776
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, April 16, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Un tout petit pantin', 'Ah! Vivement ce soir qu'on s'couche' / 'Y'a comme un défaut', 'Grand prix'

Listen to the song

Popcorn - Mister K

You'd almost forget, through all these Eurovision postings, that I have several other sub-collections within my record collection. And this is an addition to one of them: the many versions of 'Popcorn', the instrumental tune composed by Gershon Kingsley.

This single comes from the Czech Republic, where I ordered a few CD-singles, but this 7" single was a nice addition with almost no extra shipping costs. This version was actually released all over Europe, but this is my first 'Made in Czechoslovakia' single - and it is likely to be my last as well, because I don't know too many places to get such pressings. Mister K seems to be a certain Mathias Camison, a French guy who remains active in music to this day.

My collection: 7" single no. 5787
Found: Discogs.com, received May 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Popcorn' / 'Synthetic sister No. 1'

Listen to the song

Elle était si jolie - Alain Barriere

Alain Barrière (born Alain Bellec, 18 November 1935 in La Trinité-sur-Mer, Morbihan) is a French singer, who has been active since the Fifties and is known for participating in the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest. His song, 'Elle était si jolie', turned out to be by far the biggest seller of Barrière's career to that point.

He released his first album, 'Ma vie', a year later, and the title-track became a huge hit. In 1965 he was offered, and accepted, a leading role in a heist thriller, 'Pas de panique', alongside Pierre Brasseur. This would be his only venture into acting, but his singing career reached its peak in the latter part of the decade with a string of hits making him one of France's biggest stars and a sell-out live attraction. He remained popular until a decade later, when he got married and moved to the USA. Upon returning four years later, his popularity had waned and he had difficulty getting successful again. However, he continues to release albums to this day.

My collection: 7" single no. 5775
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, April 16, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Elle était si jolie', 'Le temps d'une valse' / 'Plus je t'entends', 'La route'

Listen to the song

'k Zen liever lui as muug - De Strangers

When Toto Cotugno won the 1990 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Insieme: 1992', the Belgian band De Strangers was quick to record a parody in their native language. Thus, ''k Zen liever lui as muug' was born.

The title roughly means 'I prefer to be lazy rather than tired', and is another stab at Eurovision songs done in a different way. And yes, it's another addition to my growing collection of Eurovision covers.

My collection: 7" single no. 5773
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, April 16, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: ''k Zen liever lui as muug' / 'Den baas hee altijd gelijk'

Listen to the song

Marionetas en la cuerda - Sandie Shaw

After winning the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Puppet on a string', Sandie Shaw recorded many of her tracks in Spanish, her record company probably smelling success in that region.

This EP features four tracks in Spanish, and is surprisingly titled 'Sandie Shaw canta en español'. The title was borrowed for a 2004 CD release, which features all of her Spanish language recordings. An astounding amount: 25 tracks.

My collection: 7" single no. 5765
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Marionetas en la cuerda', 'A los chicos les diras' / 'Otra vez sone', 'Dile a cualquiera'

Listen to the song

Waterloo - Abba

Abba have released ten albums during their career - give or take a few - and literally hundreds of compilation albums. No excuse is too weird to release yet another picking of their classic tracks. Forget the love songs compilations, jubilee albums, greatest hits, best album tracks and even the box sets though: here's the real deal: another re-release of their classic Eurovision single 'Waterloo'.

This time, it's a picture disc released exactly 40 years after they won the Eurovision Song Contest with THAT song. I was hesitant to buy it because, well, I already have the song a few times - but this really is a pretty record. It's just so damn irritating that fans of Abba have to buy the same songs over and over and over again. Fortunately, I'm not an Abba fan in that sense of the word.

My collection: 7" single no. 5781
Found: Amazon.co.uk, received April 24, 2015
Cost: £ 5
Tracks: 'Waterloo (Swedish version)' / 'Waterloo (English version)'

Listen to the song

Adam en Eva - De Strangers

The Belgian band De Strangers are best known for their covers of Eurovision songs - on this blog anyway. I have bought quite a few of them on a previous visit to Chelsea Records in Antwerp, so when I went back in April this year, I found a handful more and I got them all. Sometimes I wonder why, but it's a collection of rare cover versions that you won't easily find anywhere else I guess.

This single features two Eurovision songs from 1977 with new Antwerp dialect lyrics by the band: 'L'oiseau et l'enfant', the year's winner, and 'A million in 1 2 3', the year's Belgian entry. Quite why these songs are suddenly about Adam and Eve and expensive coffee respectively is beyond me, but there you go.

My collection: 7" single no. 5774
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, April 16, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Adam en Eva' / 'Dure koffie'

Listen to the song / Listen to the B-side

D'harmonie van Boemmerskonte - The Strangers

The Belgian band The Strangers have featured on this blog several times already, but this single was a huge surprise for me: a cover version of Marty Wilde's 'Abergavenny'. There aren't that many covers of the song, especially not in the Antwerp dialect.

Like all their other cover versions, the Strangers have written their own lyric which has nothing to do with the Welsh city of the original song. And even for someone who understands Dutch, it's hard to find out what this lyric is about because the Antwerp dialect is pretty hermetic. So I guess it will remain a mystery. Nice music, though.

My collection: 7" single no. 5771
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, April 16, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'D'harmonie van Boemmerskonte' / 'Camp'

Listen to the song

Waterloo - Gerd Michaelis-chor

Abba's legendary Eurovision song 'Waterloo' has been covered by various bands such as Bananarama and Doctor & the Medics, but this single features a cover by a East German choir - and that's a different kettle of fish.

Released on the state-owned Amiga label, the Gerd Michaelis-chor was famous for their performances of Schlagers, but they also recorded cover versions that were popular in 'Western Europe'. This was the time of the iron curtain, when people in Eastern Germany were not supposed to listen to just any old thing, after all.

My collection: 7" single no. 5770
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Waterloo' / 'I'm a train'

Listen to the song

I am the lady - Linda Williams

The Dutch entry for the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest, Het is een wonder by Linda Williams can easily be qualified as 'forgettable' and it's hard to see why anyone would think it had a chance on the Eurovision stage.

It's even harder to think of a reason why Linda Williams was made to record an English version of the song. 'I am the lady'. It is a weird piece of history, this single, and I'm happy to have found a copy - but it is a weird release in many ways.

My collection: 7" single no. 5768
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'I am the lady' / 'Don't need your flowers'

Listen to the song

Feggari kalokerino (Summer moon) - Yiannis Dimitras

Greek singer Yiannis Dimitras represented his country during the 1980 Eurovision Song Contest. His song was called 'Feggari kalokerino' ('Summer moon' in English), a ballad in which he tells the moon about how it makes him feel. During his performance on the Eurovision stage, he was accompanied on the piano by actress and pianist Sofia Houndra, who was not credited on-screen.

The song did pretty well in the Contest: it ended up on 8th place in a field of 20 competitors. The single was released in Europe by Philips. The record company chose to use a sleeve design similar to the one used for Cyprus competitors Island in the same year.

My collection: 7" single no. 5767
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Feggari kalokerino' / 'Feggari kalokerino (instrumental)'

Listen to the song

Congratulations - Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard has been in the news lately with shady accusations that involve minors and many of his colleagues have actually been indicted - but fortunately he remains innocent until proven guilty. Let's hope that he won't be guilty because it would certainly bring a cynical ring to hit singles like this one.

'Congratulations' was of course a Eurovision hit, and although Cliff Richard didn't secure the title in 1968 - the contest was won by Spain with the song called 'La la la' - it certainly became a big hit for him.'Congratulations' was actually recorded in Spanish, and this Spanish version appears on this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 5766
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Congratulations (Canta en espanol) / 'High 'n' dry'

Listen to the song

Second hand company - Peter, Sue & Marc

With Trödler & Co., Peter, Sue & Marc were hopeful to gain the number one spot at the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest. In fact, they were so optimistic that they decided to record an English version of their song, this 'Second hand company' which was even released in Sweden (as this pressing testifies). Like on the German version, they were suppported by Pfuri, Gorps & Kniri, names so insane that you couldn't make them up.

Although the sleeve design is a bit different you can spot the very same photograph at the center of it. There isn't much more I can say about this single really, you'd have to hear it to believe it. I guess I bought it for its curiosity value.

My collection: 7" single no. 5765
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Second hand company' / 'Coconut juice'

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Meine kleine Welt - Waterloo & Robinson

We're still stuck in the Eurovision Song Contest and in the Seventies on this blog. It is usually a pleasure but it becomes a bit of a hard slog when you listen to this 1976 entry from Austria by Waterloo & Robinson. Six years ago I wrote about My little world, which was the English version of this song, 'Meine kleine Welt'.

Although the song was performed in English at the Eurovision Song Contest, it was originally written and performed in German for the national finals in Austria. Until 2007 the duo remained together, but then they decided to focus entirely on solo projects. I haven't heard any of their songs except the ones on this single, and that's enough for me, to be honest.

My collection: 7" single no. 5764
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Meine kleine Welt' / 'Superstar'

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L'amore é un attimo - Massimo Ranieri

Massimo Ranieri appeared on this blog twice before: with his 1973 Eurovision entry 'Chi sara' and the French version of his 1971 entry 'L'amore é un attimo', which was entitled 'Pour un instant d'amour'. Here, finally, comes the original version, which was, like 'Chi sara', sung in Italian.And fate has been kind to me, as this is an original Italian pressing of that single.

As written before, the song finished fifth in a field of 18 competitors in Dublin, Ireland. Ranieri continues to make music: in 2013 his most recent CD 'Sogno e son desto' was released, which was a live album.

My collection: 7" single no. 5763
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'L'amore é un attimo' / 'A Lucia'

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Happy man - Cathal Dunne

A year before Johnny Logan won the Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland, the country was represented by Cathal Dunne, a singer who'd started his career in the mid-1970's. 'Happy man' was written and composed by himself, and it was a relatively successful entry, finishing fifth in a field of 19 competitors.

Apparently, this single was released on green vinyl in Ireland, but this is the rather more dull version pressed in Holland on black vinyl.

My collection: 7" single no. 5762
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Happy man' / 'Sweet woman of mine'

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Amour amour - Plastic Bertrand

In 2010, Plastic Bertrand confessed that he didn't sing his biggest hit, 'Ça plane pour moi', himself. It is quite astonishing, then, that the singer, who was born in Brussels, still managed to stay in the music business long enough to participate in the 1987 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest.

In that year, he represented Luxembourg with the song 'Amour amour'. Unfortunately, that song wasn't nearly as surprising and exciting as that famous 1977 punk single. At the close of voting, the song had received just 4 points, finishing 21st in a field of 22 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 5761
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Amour amour (Version Française)' / 'Amour amour (English version)'

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Delisin - Cici Kizlar

Turkey debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1975. Judging from the cover of this single, you might think that it was with this song, but no: the country competed with the song 'Seninle bir dakika' by Semiha Yanki.

Cici Kizlar consisted of Şebnem Aksu, Birnur Bilginoğlu and Bilgen Bengü. Their song 'Delisin' ('You're mad') charmed the audience during Turkey's national final and actually shared first place. Because Semiha Yanki apparently got more votes from the professional jury, she was sent to Stockholm. However, 'Delisin' became a big hit in Turkey. The trio produced other singles in rapid succession. By the end of 1976, the group broke up. Bilgen Bengü was the only member of the group who continued music career afterwards.

My collection: 7" single no. 5760
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Delisin' / 'Rengarenk'

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L'histoire du bonheur - Ann Christy

The 1975 Belgian entry of the Eurovision Song Contest by Ann Christy appeared on this blog four years ago, in two versions: the original version 'Gelukkig zijn' and the English version 'Could it be happiness'. At the time, I thought these versions were the only two that existed, but thanks to a lucky acquisition, I know better now.

This single features the French version, 'L'histoire du bonheur'. As you can see, this single is also housed in a sleeve similar to the other two. It turns out there's a fourth version as well: the German 'Wenn keiner mehr zu dir steht'. Let's hope that one pops up somewhere for me too.

My collection: 7" single no. 5759
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'L'histoire du bonheur' / 'On ne peut se passer l'un de l'autre'

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Aspro-mavro - Alexia

Cyprus is hardly a superpower in music: there are no real big stars from the island and in Eurovision it has never managed to win, despite receiving those 'douze points' from Greece almost every time. In 1987, Alexia Vassiliou represented the country with this very decent pop song, 'Aspro-mavro'. The title means 'black and white'. The lyric describes how a girl remembers a man she saw on a train - but she can only bring the memory back by playing the piano.

At the close of voting, the song had received 80 points, placing 7th in a field of 22 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 5758
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Aspro-mavro' / 'Please me lover'

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This is the way - Dannii Minogue

I haven't had any comments about the many Eurovision Song Contest singles on this blog recently (Come to think of it, I haven't had any comments at all over the last few months!) but truth is, I have been buying almost nothing else recently. But there is always the odd exception, and here is one of them: a 1993 single by Dannii Minogue. Kylie's little sister, indeed.

While Kylie has had a career with some downs but mostly ups, Dannii's career is almost the other way around. 'This is the way' is a good example of her usual chart performance: it reached number 27 in the UK charts and number 45 in Australia. The main selling point of this single is not the tune - which, frankly, is quite mediocre - but the limited edition poster bag.

My collection: 7" single no. 5757
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'This is the way' / 'This is the way (The cool 7")

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Puppet on a string - Flip Henderson

Flip Henderson plays the trumpet in this instrumental cover of the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest winner, 'Puppet on a string'. The song was originally performed by Sandie Shaw, representing the United Kingdom. Many covers of the song exist, including one by a barrel organ which was featured on this very blog some time ago.

This cover version isn't exactly anything special, but whenever I see any covers of Eurovision songs I am always interested. Hence the inclusion of this in my collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 5756
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Puppet on a string' / 'Penny of happiness'

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Hora - Avi Toledano

Six years ago (wow, how time flies) I wrote about 'Hora' by Avi Toledano, a single I'd bought in 1982, just months after he'd participated in the Eurovision Song Contest. WIth my modest budget it was a feast to get any Eurovision song that wasn't a winner. Little did I know that three decades later I would be buying Eurovision singles in spades.

I came across this version of the single recently. I'd seen it before, but this version is usually rather expensive because of its inclusion of a French version. This time, however, the disc was a steal at just one euro. And so, it finally arrived into my collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 5755
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Hora (Version Française)' / 'Hora (Version Hébraïque)'

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Chi sara - Massimo Ranieri

'Chi Sara' ('Who Will Be With You') was the Italian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1973, performed in Italian by Massimo Ranieri. The song was performed tenth on the night. At the close of voting, it had received 74 points, placing 13th in a field of 17 competitors.

Massimo Ranieri was no stranger to Eurovision: he participated in the 1971 edition as well, with 'L'amore E' Un Attimo'. Although I haven't featured that single on this blog yet, the French version can be found here.

My collection: 7" single no. 5754
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Chi sara' / 'Domenica Domenica'

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Nina - Stefan & Eyfi

The duo Eyjólfur Kristjánsson and Stefán Hilmarsson participated in the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Draumur um Nínu', representing Iceland. They appeared on stage as the second act of 22. At the close of voting, they ended up in 15th place.

Although the song did not fare too well in the contest it has remained one of Iceland's most popular songs of all time, still receiving regular airplay.

My collection: 7" single no. 5753
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Nina (English version)' / 'Nina (Icelandic version)'

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Halt mich fest - Wolfgang Ziegler

Wolfgang Ziegler was born in Rostock on October 8, 1943. His first solo album 'Halt mich' was released in 1988 on the East German Amiga label. It featured a cover version of Johnny Logan's 1987 Eurovision winner 'Hold me now', entitled 'Halt mich fest'.

That single was released in the Western part of Germany, and although it didn't become a hit, it is a decent version of that song. It is every bit as (over)emotional as the original track. The big success arrived a year later, when the next single 'Verdammt' was released. By the time Wolfgang's second solo album was released, Germany was no longer separated between East and West.

My collection: 7" single no. 5752
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Halt mich fest' / 'Nächte in Berlin'

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Runner in the night - Ryder

I wrote about the disappointment of the United Kingdom's 1986 Eurovision Song Contest entry 'Runner in the night' before, and how its tinny sound and unruly synthesizers ruined what could theoretically have been a good song.

So why extend the horror even more? Well, there was a maxi single release at the time, and it features an extended version that, because of its approach of the song, manages to make it slightly more enjoyable than it was. There aren't many remixes of Eurovision entries, even from the Eighties, so this makes a rather interesting release after all.

My collection: 12" single no. 656
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received August 29, 2014
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Runner in the night (extended)' / 'Runner in the night', 'Runner in the night (ballad)'

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Esta balada que te dou - Armando Gama

Armando António Capelo Diniz da Gama was born on April 1, 1954 in Luanda, Angola. He grew up in a colonial family in Angola and moved to Portugal in 1971. He studied at the Portuguese music conservatory in Luanda and managed to sell over five million records in Portugal alone during his career which now spans four decades.

In 1983 he represented Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Esta balada que te dou' ('This ballad that I give you'). Gama describes the end of a relationship, all the while dedicating "this pretty ballad" to his former lover and explaining that there is nothing wrong with being sad. At the close of voting, it had received 33 points, placing 13th in a field of 20 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 5750
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Esta balada que te dou' / 'When love has gone'

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Laisse-moi danser tout l'été - Keeley Ford

Keeley Ford was born as Mair Davies and hails from Redditch. In 1973, she represented the United Kingdom on the Japanese World Popular Song Festival with a song called 'Head over heels'. Two years later, she recorded a cover version of the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest entry for the UK by the Shadows, 'Let me be the one'.

What's more remarkable, is that she also recorded a cover version of that song in French. 'Laisse-moi danser tout l'été' was released in France, but whether it was a commercial success remains unknown. In fact, there isn't a lot of information about Keeley Ford at all, although it seems she passed away not so long ago if I am to believe certain messages on the web.

My collection: 7" single no. 5749
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Laisse-moi danser tout l'été' / 'Le jour où je t'ai rencontré'

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Waterman - Hearts of Soul

Hearts of Soul was formed by three Dutch Indo sisters from Harderwijk: Bianca, Stella and Patricia Maessen. They worked in the late 1960s as session singers for Dusty Springfield until 1968. In 1969, they recorded their debut album.

In 1970, they were chosen to represent the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Waterman'. They finished 7th out of 12 competitors. In the mid-seventies the group moved to Belgium. There they formed Dream Express in 1975 with former Pebbles musician Luc Smets (who married Bianca). They represented Belgium in the 1977 Eurovision Song Contest. During the Eurovision song contest of 1986 Patricia was the backing singer of winning entrant Sandra Kim. In 1987, she was also a backing singer for Plastic Bertrand's Luxembourg entry. Patricia Maessen died on May 15, 1996 in Mortsel near Antwerp at the age of 44, from the effects of a stroke.

My collection: 7" single no. 5748
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Waterman' / 'Kom nou'

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Was soll ich tun? - Edina Pop

I'm not really an expert on Eurovision cover versions - there are other people who know much more about that particular field of expertise - but I do know that I like a cover version now and then. Especially when they are slightly odd. This particular oddity comes from Germany, and is a German language version of the 1972 Dutch entry of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Edina Pop is the stage name of Marika Késmárky, who was born in Budapest on February 4, 1941. She came to Germany in 1969 and started her singing career in German shortly afterwards. She appeared in the German national final for Eurovision in 1972 with the song 'Meine Liebe will ich dir geben', but she didn't win. She recorded this single. Whether this was a chart success in Germany remains unknown.

My collection: 7" single no. 5747
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Was soll ich tun?' / 'Schreib es in den Wind'

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Say hello - Chocolate Menta Mastik

To find the German version of Chocolate Menta Mastik's 1976 Eurovision entry, Komm' heut zu mir, was a bit of good luck, but obviously the original Hebrew version was still missing. It appears on this single as the B-side, while the English version, 'Say hello' (which was included on the B-side of that German version), appears on the A-side.

Listening to the various versions, it has to be said that the Hebrew version sounds less polished somehow. Perhaps the girls were more familiar with the song when they recorded the international versions? Who knows....

My collection: 7" single no. 5746
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Say hello' / 'Emir shalom'

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Dann kamst du (Apres toi) - Vicky Leandros

Vicky Leandros won the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest with Après toi. Just four months ago I found the English version, Come what may, and I mentioned in passing that I still had to find the Italian, German, Spanish, Greek and Japanese versions.

Well, obviously, from the five, the German version is the easiest one to track down, since German singles are regularly offered on the internet and record fairs. 'Dann kamst du' turned up on the recent record fair in Utrecht, and in a mint picture cover too.

My collection: 7" single no. 5745
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Dann kamst du (Après toi)' / 'Alles, was ich hab'

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Piove (Ciao ciao bambina) - Willy Alberti

Dutch singer Willy Alberti was born on October 14, 1926. He began recording professionally in the early Fourties. He became increasingly popular in the 1950s, when he had a string of hits beginning with a cover version of 'Nel blu dipinto di blu' in 1958. Alberti was successful as a singer of Dutch schlagers as well as Italian repertoire.

In 1959, he recorded a cover version of 'Piove (Ciao ciao bambina)', just like 'Nel blu...' originally performed by Domenico Modugno. The song was a big success in the pre-Top 40 year 1959: it peaked at the top of Dutch charts, printed in music magazines at the time.

My collection: 7" single no. 5743
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Piove (Ciao ciao bambina)', 'Li per li' / 'Una marcia in fa', 'Tuo'

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Piove (Ciao ciao bambina) - Domenico Modugno

Domenico Modugno represented Italy in the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest for the second time, a year after he made a world hit with Nel blu dipinto di blu. This time, he wrote 'Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)' ('It's raining (Bye, bye baby)') together with Eduardo Verde. The song is a dramatic ballad, with Modugno telling his lover that he knows their relationship is about to come to a close. He asks her for one more kiss and then tells her not to turn back as she walks away from him, because he still has feelings for her.

At the Contest, the song was not too successful. At the close of voting, it had received 9 points, placing 6th in a field of 11 competitors. There are, however, several cover versions of this song, including one by the Yee Tin Tong Mandolin Band from Hong Kong which charted over there.

My collection: 7" single no. 5742
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)' / 'Ventu d'estati'

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Julie - Martin

When Milan Popović, a.k.a. Daniel performed the song Julie for Yugoslavia at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1983, it was an unlikely contender for a Europe-wide hit. But it became exactly that, hitting the charts in Norway and the Netherlands, among other countries.

In fact, the song inspired a cover version as well, as is proven by this single. A certain Martin, hailing from the Netherlands, recorded a Dutch language version of Julie, featuring a woman on the cover. Probably this Martin didn't have a pretty face. This version was not a hit, of course, even if the B-side is comical for its attempt at drama.

My collection: 7" single no. 5741
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Julie' / 'Nu heeft hij spijt'

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Uno per tutte - Tony Renis

Tony Renis was born in Milan, Italy on May 13, 1938. Paired with Adriano Celentano in the mid-Fifties, they performed covers of songs by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. In 1958, he signed to the label Combo Records as a singer and started releasing covers of Italian and American songs. In 1962, Renis gained international success with the song 'Quando, Quando, Quando', written with Alberto Testa and performed at the Sanremo Music Festival. One year later, he won the same Festival with the song 'Una per tutte'.

That song was performed by Emilio Pericoli on the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest. It finished in third place. This original version remains just as charming.

My collection: 7" single no. 5740
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Uno per tutte' / 'Le ciliege'

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Dio, come ti amo - Gigliola Cinquetti

Domenico Modugno represented Italy in the 1966 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Dio come ti amo' ('God how I love you'). The song was not a success, as it was the first and only Italian entry in Eurovision history to receive the dreaded nul points.

When Gigliola Cinquetti, who had represented Italy in the Contest in 1964, recorded the song, she had considerably more success. Her version of 'Dio come ti amo' became a worldwide hit. At the San Remo festival in 1966, she performed the song together with Domenico, which is why this single mentions that festival on the sleeve.

My collection: 7" single no. 5739
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Dio come ti amo' / 'Vuoi'

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Storm and thunder - Earth and Fire

When the Dutch band Earth and Fire first started out, there was a definite symphonic rock vibe to their work. It is perhaps most obvious on this early single, 'Storm and thunder', which sounds nothing like the pop hits they would have from 1976 onwards.

'Storm and thunder' was released in 1971 as the second single from their second album 'Song of the marching children'. It was a hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number 6 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 5737
Found: Flea market, Rijswijk, April 6, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Storm and thunder' / 'Lost forever'

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Deixar de sonhar - Nucha

Like many singles on this blog lately, this single has a few connections to the Eurovision Song Contest, as Nucha performed in the 1990 edition with Ha sempre alguem, representing Portugal. This single was a follow-up to that one, and amazingly, the song was written and composed by Maarten Peters, with a lyric translation by the brothers Fransisco and Frederico Teotónio Pereira.

Maarten Peters wrote the song as 'Het zal nooit meer zo zijn' ('It will never be the same') for the national finals of the Eurovision Song Contest in the Netherlands in 1989. It was performed by Ingrid Souren and finished in third place. It was translated into Portuguese for this version by Nucha and ended up in the top 10 in Portugal. Afterwards, the original Dutch version was recorded by Willeke Alberti, who herself appeared on the Eurovison Song Contest with the embarrassing song 'Waar is de zon' in 1994.

My collection: 7" single no. 5736
Found: Kringloop Sassenheim
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Deixar de sonhar' / 'Se o dia nascesse'

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4 Tophits - Various

This EP is a mixed bag, and gives a little impression of what people listened to back in the Sixties. It has to be said, of course, that this '4 Tophits' EP is part of a series of so-called Fonodiscs which included classical music and light entertainment, as well as marching band music and children's songs.

Of special interest is the first track on this EP: it's a cover version of 'Zwei kleine Italiener', the song that was performed by Conny Froboess as the German entry in the 1962 Eurovision Song Contest. This version is almost identical, which was the secret behind the cheap EP's of Fonodisc: cheap versions of hits could mean big profits. Although this EP never charted, of course.

My collection: 7" single no. 5735
Found: Kringloop Voorhout
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Zwei kleine Italiener' (Charlotte Marian), 'Auf wiederseh'n, Marlene' (The Music-Makers) / 'Tanze mit mir in den morgen' (Udo Spitz), 'Hawaii Tattoo' (Ernst Zeiner)

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Someone else's home - Johnny Curious

This single is an interesting one, as it was never a hit but it is still a bit of a collector's item. It's very hard to get this for any price below 15 euros, although I am proud to say that I did manage that. I was almost ready to have this flown in from Scandinavia or America, when suddenly a Dutch seller had this one. And I had to have it, although I can't exactly say why. But at least one of my Twitter followers knows....

Johnny Curious formed in Welwyn Garden City in 1976. As far as I know, the band only released two singles: 'In tune' (1978) and this one, 'Someone else's home' (1979). Band members Alan Cowley and Ian Cowley are credited on the sleeve of this single. Original band members John Philips and Bob Green had already left.

My collection: 7" single no. 5734
Found: Discogs.com, received March 12, 2015
Cost: a little too much
Tracks: 'Someone else's home' / 'Backwards in the night'

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Welche Farbe hat der Sonnenschein - Rainy Day

Rose Rengel, Paul Braukmann and Gerry Braukmann formed Rainy Day, the band that represented Switzerland at the 1984 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Welche Farbe hat der Sonnenschein'. The song asks the question: "What colour is the sunshine?". The group ask us 'how to paint it?' They say that there are many colours, the way we see the world depends on our feelings.

The song was not very successful at the Contest: at the close of voting, it had received 30 points, placing 16th in a field of 19 competitors. 

My collection: 7" single no. 5733
Found: Discogs.com, received February 25, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Welche Farbe hat der Sonnenschein' / 'Die Stadt'

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Nova - You're summer

Keywords on blogs can be misleading. Nova, for instance, exists as a Dutch duo of synthesizer wizards, but also as a Swedish duo consisting of Claes af Geijerstam and Göran Fristorp, who made a name for themselves representing their country at the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest. They were originally called Malta, but were forced to change their band name because of the possible confusion with one of the participating countries in that year's contest.

Their song was called 'You're summer', which contains the rather intriguing line 'Your breasts are like swallows in nesting', written by the well-known poet Lars Forssell. At the close of voting, it had received 94 points, placing 5th in a field of 17 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 5732
Found: Discogs.com, received February 25, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'You're summer' / 'You never tell me no'

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Huilumies - Vesa-Matti Loiri

I have bought a lot of Eurovision singles over the past year (as you can see on this blog), but so far it has been difficult to buy all the singles of one particular year. But I finally did it recently, as this single completes the year 1980 for me. Well... almost, because this copy unfortunately came without the picture sleeve. But for now, this will certainly do, because the track 'Huilumies' is one of my favourites of the year.

'Huilumies' (Finnish for 'A flute man') is sung from the perspective of the tititular 'flute man', who sings that while he may not be able to express his feelings in words, he is able to do so with his flute. At the close of voting, it had received 6 points, placing last in a field of 19 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 5730
Found: Discogs.com, received February 25, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Huilumies' / 'Vie minut valoon'

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Sans toi - Martine Clemenceau

Martine Clemenceau was born in 1949. In 1973 she represented France with the song 'Sans toi'. The song is a dramatic ballad, with Clémenceau expressing her feelings about a lover who has left her. Clémenceau also recorded the song in German, under the title 'Immer'. At the close of voting, it had received 65 points, placing 15th in a field of 17 competitors.

Her song Solitaire, written in 1981 is her most important hit in France. Laura Branigan 1983 recorded a cover of that song in 1983, which peaked at number 7 in the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 5729
Found: Discogs.com, received February 25, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Sans toi' / 'L'arlequin'

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Nocas mi se pjesma pise - Ambasadori

Ambasadori formed in 1968 when guitarist Slobodan Vujović recruited other band members. They came and went throughout the 1970s and include various musicians active on the Sarajevo music scene at the time and after, such as trumpet player Krešimir "Keco" Vlašić, singer Ismeta Dervoz, drummer Perica Stojanović, organist Vlado Pravdić bassist Ivica Vinković and saxophonist Andrej "Lale" Stefanović.

In 1976 Ambasadori represented Yugoslavia at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Ne mogu skriti svoju bol', which appears on this single as the B-side, remarkably. The song is about a woman who is suffering because her lover had gone and she wants him to remember her. At the close of voting, it had received 10 points, placing 17th in a field of 18 competitors.

My collection: 7" single no. 5728
Found: Discogs.com, received February 25, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Nocas mi se pjesma pise' / 'Ne mogu skriti svoj bol'

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Chez nous - Dominique Walter

Dominique Walter was born as Dominique Gruère on May 22, 1942. In 1966, he represented France at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Chez nous'. At the close of voting, it had received just 1 point, placing 16th in a field of 18 competitors.

The song deals with the traditions of France (and, by extension, Europe) as they are seen by the rest of the world, with Walter remarking that they appear to be overly romantic. Walter also recorded the song in German under the same title.

My collection: 7" single no. 5727
Found: Discogs.com, received February 25, 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Chez nous', 'Chaque fois que je te revois' / 'E pericoloso l'amour', 'Si tu peux rire'

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