Copacabana (At the Copa) - Barry Manilow

Many years ago, 43 to be exact, I got the album Het beste uit de Top 40 van het jaar. It was one of the first albums I owned and I played it many times. Almost every song on it is a winner, and I have bought most of them on 7" as well. Every now and again, I pick up one of the remaining singles, just like this one.

'Copacabana' was a big hit for Barry Manilow in 1978. It was inspired by a conversation between Manilow and Bruce Sussman at the Copacabana Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, when they wondered if there had ever been a song with the title 'Copacabana'. There wasn't, and so they decided to write one themselves. 

In 1985, Manilow and his collaborators Sussman and Jack Feldman expanded the song into a full–length, made-for-television musical, also called 'Copacabana', with many additional songs and expanding the plot suggested by the song. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6708
Found: Flea market, Voorburg, 18 April 2022
Cost: €0,5
Tracks: 'Copacabana (At the Copa)' / 'A Linda song'

En gång ska vi åter mötas - Thory Bernhards

Swedish singer Thory Gunhild Elisabet Bernhards was born on 12 October 1920 in Örebro. Her career started in the middle of World War II, when she recorded 78rpm shellac records with various orchestras. In 1961 she recorded 'En gång ska vi åter mötas', a Swedish cover of 'Einmal sehen wir uns wieder', the German entry for the Eurovision Song Contest that year. (The original was performed by Lale Andersen.) The song reached a second place on the industry magazine Show Business' list of best-selling records in Sweden.

This EP presents a further three cover versions: 'Hon grät vid min skuldra' was originally 'She cried on my shoulder', originally performed by Mark Dinning, 'Det var du som sa' nej!' is a cover of Ferlin Husky's 'Wings of a dove' and finally 'Flyg, du fula fluga, flyg!' was originally performed by Willy Millowitsch as 'Schnaps! Das war sein letztes Wort'.

My collection: 7" single no. 6707
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 April 2022
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'En gång ska vi åter mötas', 'Hon grät vid min skuldra' / 'Det var du som sa' nej!', 'Flyg, du fula fluga, flyg!'

Dansevise - Lars H.U.G.

If you would ask me what the most beautiful winning songs of the Eurovision Song Contest are, it is likely that my answer would include 'Dansevise'. It's quite impressive how they managed to win the Contest (in 1963) in a language nobody outside Denmark understands, and with a melody that really stands the tests of time.

In 1989, a cover version was recorded by Lars Haagensen. His stage name was Lars Hug until an impending lawsuit from a Danish entrepreneur out of the Hug family made him change it to Lars H.U.G. Not the best outcome, but there you go. His version of 'Dansevise' was a great update of that familiar song. I don't know if it was a hit in Denmark, but it should have been anyway. I got to know this version through Napster (remember those days?) and I am glad to have finally found a physical copy. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6706
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 April 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Dansevise' / 'Smuk og dejlig'

Eurovisie songfestival - Teddy Scholten

Although I already own 'n Beetje and 'n Beetje, two singles by Teddy Scholten, this EP is the one that rules them all. It features all three tracks that are found on those two singles, plus a Dutch cover of 'Oui oui oui', the song with which Jean Philippe participated in the 1959 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest - the one that was won by Teddy Scholten.

On this EP Teddy Scholten performs four songs from that Song Contest: cover versions in Dutch from the British, French and Italian entries, plus of course her own winning song. It comes in a beautiful picture sleeve, which has survived the 63 years since its release. That is an impressive feat in itself.

My collection: 7" single no. 6703
Found: Discogs.com, received 14 April 2022
Cost: €5
Tracks: ''n Beetje', 'Zing kleine vogel' / 'Oui, oui, oui', 'Li per li'

Pale shelter (You don't give me love) - Tears for fears

Owning Pale shelter, Pale shelter, Pale shelter and Pale shelter was not quite enough. While that last one is the 12" single of the re-released version of 'Pale shelter', the accompanying 7" single was still missing from my collection. But here it is, after some searching, and it was the last single I bought at the record fair in Den Bosch earlier this month - exactly at 5pm when the fair closed. 

Buying one Tears for fears single every year seems to have become a trend - see this page - although I seem to have missed out last year. Guess I will have to make up for that this year. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6702
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 9 April 2022
Cost: €5
Tracks: 'Pale shelter (You don't give me love)' / 'The prisoner'

Boum badaboum - Minouche Barelli

During the Sixties there was – not for the last time – fear for a nuclear disaster. The Cuban missile crisis in 1962 was still fresh in everyone’s memory and the Cold War would rage on for two more decades.When Monaco asked Serge Gainsbourg to write a song for their representative Minouche Barelli, he played on these fears and wrote a song that would really shock the audience. Minouche almost shouted her lines and at regular intervals an ominous countdown is heard, which counts down the seconds to the big bomb.

The song was rewarded with a fifth place during the Eurovision Song Contest of 1967, and Minouche went on to record her song in English, German and Italian, with the same title. I've been searching for this single for a long time, and was glad to find a copy during the big international record fair in Den Bosch earlier this month. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6700
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 9 April 2022
Cost: €3
Tracks: 'Boum badaboum' / 'Il faut dire'

I have a dream - Nana Mouskouri

After Nana Mouskouri covered Abba's hit single 'Chiquitita' in 1984, she probably thought she could take on another song from the Swedish band. It would have been refreshing if she had chosen an uptempo song this time, but instead she went for 'I have a dream', a song that was pretty similar to 'Chiquitita' in atmosphere and tempo. 

This cover version was released as a single after the worldwide hit 'Only Love', that had reached number one in Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands. The album, from which this single and 'Only Love' were taken, reached number 14 in the Netherlands and number 19 in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 6697
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 9 April 2022
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'I have a dream' / 'Recuerdos'

I don't wanna take this pain - Dannii Minogue

MCA Records was pretty smart when it came to selling their singles. They probably knew that the interest in Dannii Minogue was at least in part driven by her visual appeal, and so her singles usually came in limited edition poster sleeves, in order to drive sales. This 1991 single of 'I don't wanna take this pain' is a good example: it promises a poster sleeve and a 1992 calendar. 

The tactic seems to have worked out: the single entered the UK singles chart on 14 December 1991 and reached number 40 during a five week run. It wasn't a very big hit, but at least she got noticed.

My collection: 7" single no. 6696
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 9 April 2022
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'I don't wanna take this pain' / 'I don't wanna take this pain (saxstrumental)'

Baby love - Dannii Minogue

'Baby Love' is a 1986 song by American singer Regina. The song was written by Stephen Bray, Regina Richards & Mary Kessler and shouldn't be confused by the song of the same name by the Supremes. Bray had written several hits for Madonna, and "Baby Love" was actually intended for her to record. After she declined, Regina recorded the vocal herself in late 1985, though with Bray's production it sounded similar to Madonna's other recordings of the time and was sometimes mistaken for one.

The song was covered by Dannii Minogue (Kylie's little sister) for her debut album, 'Love and Kisses' (1991). The single reached number 14 in the UK singles chart - partly thanks to this limited edition booklet sleeve with a pull out poster. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6695
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 9 April 2022
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'Baby love (Smoove radio edit)' / 'Baby love (Album edit)'

Hou toch van mij - Bob Benny

Two years before Bob Benny represented Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'September gouden roos', he appeared on the Eurovision stage for the first time with 'Hou toch van mij', which is translated rather randomly as 'Love me anyway'. It is a quite desperate invitation to an unnamed someone to love the singer. 

The song was rewarded with a sixth place during the 1959 edition of the Contest, which was a lot better than 'September gouden roos' which ended in last place in 1961. Personally I prefer the 1961 song, but then I've always been a sucker for those losing Eurovision songs. Finding these two singles was a real treat: it's nearly impossible to find singles from the earliest years of Eurovision.

My collection: 7" single no. 6694
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 9 April 2022
Tracks: 'Hou toch van mij' / 'Een enkel woord'

September gouden roos - Bob Benny

‘September, Gouden Roos’ was written by Wim Brabants (pseudonym for Clem de Ridder) and Hans Flower. Belgium was in the middle of the Congo crisis: the prime minister Lumumba is murdered two months before the Eurovision Song Contest. Belgium was criticized for its meddling in the former colony.

When Bob Benny arrived in Cannes, one of the organizers told him that he wouldn’t get any points. And indeed, he only gets one point, and finishes as joint last. A Belgian newspaper writes: ‘Bob Benny is a victim of Lumumba’. Blaming failures on politics would prove to be a trick that would last through the history of the competition.

My collection: 7" single no. 6693
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 9 April 2022
Tracks: 'September gouden roos' / 'Blijf bij mij'

Tipi-tii - Marion Rung

'Tipi-tii' (best translated as 'Chirpy-chirp') was the Finnish entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1962 in Luxembourg. It was performed by Marion Rung, a Finnish pop singer who was born on 7 December 1945. The song finished in 7th place, in field of 16 competitors.

This is one of my favourite Finnish songs from Eurovision, but getting hold of the single sure wasn't easy. One copy was for sale on Discogs, put with the centre pushed out and without any sleeve as far as I could see. The copy I bought at the record fair this weekend comes with an original Philips sleeve and the disc is complete with the centre. What more could I ask for? Well, a picture sleeve perhaps, but they were never made back then for this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 6692
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 9 April 2022
Cost: €5
Tracks: 'Tipi-tii' / 'Pikku rahastaja'

Die Musik und ich - Mary Cristy

In 1976, Mary Cristy represented Monaco at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Toi, la musique et moi'. I bought the single almost exactly 12 years ago, but I didn't know that Mary also recorded her song in German, Italian and English. 

Of these three versions, the German one is the easiest to find. I almost bought it online recently, but then decided to wait for the record fair that would take place on 9 April, because these type of singles usually pop up with German dealers. As it turns out, I bought this copy from a Belgian dealer, specialized in Eurovision singles. I guess I made him happy because I bought a few 7" singles and a handful of cd-singles from him. It made me happy too, of course, as you will see on this blog.

My collection: 7" single no. 6690
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 9 April 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Die Musik und ich' / 'Er lässt mich geh'n'

Nauravat silmät muistetaan - Boulevard

One of my favourite Eurovision songs from 1988 was the Finnish entry 'Nauravat silmät muistetaan' by the band Boulevard. Unfortunately the single isn't very easy to get hold of, with one seller on Discogs asking €50 for a copy. Of course this is not the kind of money I want to spend on a 7" single. I was therefore lucky to find a copy for a lot less during last Saturday's record fair.

Boulevard was a Finnish rock band, which was founded in 1983, by Kyösti Laihi and Erkki Korhonen. The band mainly played at clubs and bars. After their start, they were joined by Matti Auranen and Tuomo Tepsa. Other members of the band included Juha Lanu, Kari Vehkaluoto and Jari Puhakka. Their song finished in 20th place in a field of 21 competitors. It helps to back up my theory that the best Eurovision songs usually end up right at the bottom of the scoreboard.

My collection: 7" single no. 6689
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 9 April 2022
Cost: €11
Tracks: 'Nauravat Silmät Muistetaan' / 'Laughing eyes'

Oj, oj, oj, så glad jeg skal bli - Kirsti Sparboe

At the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest, Norway was represented by Kirsti Sparboe with the song 'Oj, oj, oj, så glad jeg skal bli' ('Oh, oh, oh, how happy I must be'). The song was the last of three Eurovision appearances in five years for Sparboe. The lyrics of the song – in which the singer appears to tolerate her partner's philandering ways by trying to convince herself that one day he will give them up and devote himself to her – caused a considerable degree of adverse comment from some sections of Norwegian society and became the subject of a good deal of debate. The song finished in last place with just one point. 

Since the Eurovision Song Contest, she has released singles mostly in Germany, where she found moderate success. She also showed off her acting talents for a one-off BBC TV Show, Jon, Brian, Kirsti And Jon, in 1980. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6688
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 9 April 2022
Cost: €5
Tracks: 'Oj, oj, oj, så glad jeg skal bli' / 'Hvem har sagt jeg savner deg'

Topmelodierne fra San Remo Festival 1957 - Narciso Parigi, Marisa Fiordaliso, E. Amadori

"The great radio and television competition in 1957 for the best European melody will live long in the memory. No less than 10 contries competed here, all of which had mobilized their best composers and lyricists, and to the great success of the event not least contributed to the original Italian contribution. The melody that came to represent Italy, 'Corde della mia chitarra', was chosen at the great San Remo Festival in 1957, and on this record we bring you the award-winning melodies."

This is the text on the back of the sleeve of this Danish EP, which features the numbers one through four from the San Remo Festival competition from 1957. 'Corde della mia chitarra' was performed at the Eurovision Song Contest by Nunzio Gallo. The song appears here in a version by Narciso Parigi. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6687
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 9 April 2022
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Corde della mia chitarra', 'Usignolo' (Narciso Parigi) / 'Casetta in Canada' (Maria Fiordaliso & E. Amadori), 'Scusami' (Marisa Fiordaliso)

Det var en yndig tid - Grete Klitgaard

Denmark participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1960 with the song 'Det var en yndig tid', performed by Katy Bødtger. The song was also recorded, and in the same year, by Grete Klitgaard.

Grete Klitgaard (real name: Grete Vita Johansen, born on 5 December 1934) won a singing competition in 1953 at the National Scala, Copenhagen and got a record contract with the Danish record company Tono. Over a period of just over 10 years, she managed to record a very large number of tunes, many of which are considered evergreens. Among other things, she will be remembered for her clear voice and her always smiling mood. She passed away on 26 January 1964. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6686
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 9 April 2022
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Det var en yndig tid' / 'Gør Hvad Du Vil'

Sig dejlige ting til mig - Poul Bundgaard

In 1963, Ronnie Carroll participated in the Eurovision Song Contest, representing the UK, with 'Say wonderful things'. The Danish singer Poul Bundgaard was quick to try and profit from the prominence of this song (it finished in fourth place) and recorded a Danish cover of the song the same year. Entitled 'Sig dejlige ting til mig', the Danish lyrics were provided by Peter Mynte. I bought my copy from a friendly Danish dealer I hadn't seen for three years. It's good to have international record fairs again after all this Covid shenanigans.

Poul Arne Bundgaard was a Danish actor and singer. In addition to having appeared in a large number of Danish films, Bundgaard starred in a number of operettas in the late 1940s until the 1950s, and worked at the Royal Danish Theatre as a singer between 1958 and 1973; however, he focused mostly on acting later on in his career, partly due to stage fright. He died during the filming of 'Olsen-bandens sidste stik' on 3 June 1998, aged 75.

My collection: 7" single no. 6685
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 9 April 2022
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Sig dejlige ting til mig' / 'Jeg sa kun et glimt af dig'

Haleluyah - Offen

Filadelfiakyrkan is a Pentecostal church building at Rörstrandsgatan 7 in Stockholm, Sweden; it was dedicated on 2 November 1930. The building is owned by the Filadelfia Stockholm congregation, the largest congregation in the Swedish Pentecostal movement with about 5,400 members as of 2015. 

Why am I telling you this? Because in 1979 the choir from this church recorded a cover version of Milk and Honey's 'Hallelujah', the song that gave them victory at the Eurovision Song Contest that year. There are, of course, many cover versions of that song but this single is a bit of a rarity it seems, as it was the only single this choir released and since it's actually performed in Swedish. As far as I know, the song has not been performed in Swedish by other artists - but correct me if I'm wrong.

My collection: 7" single no. 6684
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 9 April 2022
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'Haleluyah' / 'Vi Är En Familj'

Ciao ciao bambina (Piove) - Dalida

Domenico Modugno's song Piove (Ciao ciao bambina) was extremely successful, despite not winning the Eurovision Song Contest with the song in 1959. It was covered by many artists, some virtually unknown, some world famous. 

Dalida would fall in the latter category. The Italian-French singer was born in Egypt and interpreted her songs in eleven languages. She recorded 'Piove' in French on this EP. Since her death, Dalida has become a cult figure to a new generation of fans. In 1988, the Encyclopædia Universalis commissioned a poll, published in the French newspaper Le Monde, that aimed to reveal the personalities who had the greatest impact on French society. Dalida polled second, behind Général de Gaulle.

My collection: 7" single no. 6683
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 April 2022
Cost: €3
Tracks: 'Ciao ciao bambina (Piove)', 'Ce serait dommage' / 'Tout l'amour', 'La fille aux pieds nus'

Va dire à l'amour - Marjorie Noël

Marjorie Noël was born as Françoise Nivot on 25 December 1945 in Paris (France). She made her first recordings in 1964, and in 1965 she was invited to represent Monaco at the Eurovision Song Contest. 'Va dire à l'amour' was written by Raymond Bernard and Jacques Mareuil. The song ended in ninth place in a field of 18 competitors. 

Marjorie would later take part in the 1965 La Rose d'Or festival in Antibes, and released in total seven EP's. She retired from showbusiness in 1967 and spent the rest of her life in anonymity. She died of a cerebral hemorrhage, aged 54, in Cavaillon, Vaucluse, on 30 April 2000.

My collection: 7" single no. 6682
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 April 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Va dire à l'amour', 'De trop mentir' / 'Non docteur', 'Bonjour mon amour'

Μόνο Εσύ (Apres Toi) - Βίκυ (Vicky Leandros)

'Après toi' was the song that gave Vicky Leandros victory at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1972. She represented Luxembourg, but she was actually from Greece. No wonder, then, that she also recorded her song in Greek. A copy of that single, made in Greece, finally arrived on my doorstep. Μόνο Εσύ actually means 'Only you', which is an indication that the Greek lyrics differ from the original French version.

Other versions of the song are 'Come what may', 'Dann kamst du', 'Dopo te', as well as Spanish and Japanese versions, which may one day be mine as well. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6681
Found: Discogs.com, received 8 April 2022
Cost: €8
Tracks: 'Μόνο Εσύ (Apres Toi)' / 'Αναμνήσεις (Wenn Die Sehnsucht Nicht War)'

The pros and cons of hitch-hiking - Roger Waters

Roger Waters is of course best known for his work, and subsequent legal issues, with Pink Floyd. After working on 'The Wall' and 'The final cut', the band fell apart and Waters recorded a solo album, entitled 'The pros and cons of hitch-hiking'. One of the tracks, with the same title, was released as a single. 

Remarkably, the single was not a big hit: it only reached number 76 in the UK singles chart and number 30 in Australia. However, in the Dutch Top 40 the single reached number 16, and this is why I still remember the song - back in 1984 I followed that chart every week. Waters is still making music, and still "having issues" with his old Pink Floyd band mates. Sometimes you wish that adults would grow up.

My collection: 7" single no. 6680
Found: Velvet, Leiden, 2 April 2022
Cost: €3
Tracks: 'The pros and cons of hitch-hiking' / 'Apparently they were travelling abroad'

La! La! La! / Congratulations - Caravelli

Caravelli appeared on this blog before, with his instrumental versions of 'Chez nous' and 'Dio come ti amo', two songs from the 1966 Eurovision Song Contest. In 1968 he was at it again, this time to record his versions of the two songs that landed at first and second place: 'La La La' by Massiel and 'Congratulations' by Cliff Richard. 

It didn't end there either: besides recording instrumental versions of big hits of the Sixties and Seventies, he would also record a handful of covers of Eurovision songs in subsequent years. Some of them ended up on singles - so he might appear on this blog a few times more.

My collection: 7" single no. 6679
Found: Velvet, Leiden, 2 April 2022
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'La! La! La!' / 'Congratulations'

Hi, Hi, Hi / C Moon - Wings

It's been a while since I had the opportunity to go to a real record shop and browse through racks of singles. It's always more interesting than buying singles online, because you tend to come across discs that you would never order from an online dealer. This is such a single: Wings' double A side of 'Hi, Hi, Hi' and 'C Moon'. 

In the UK, 'Hi, Hi, Hi' was banned by the BBC for its sexually suggestive lyrical content. The BBC also assumed that the title phrase, "We're gonna get hi, hi, hi" was a drug reference.The specific lyrics objected to is the apparent phrase "get you ready for my body gun"; McCartney has said that the correct lyrics are "get you ready for my polygon", an abstract image, and later said, "The BBC got some of the words wrong. But I suppose it is a bit of a dirty song if sex is dirty and naughty. I was in a sensuous mood in Spain when I wrote it."

As for 'C Moon', that title was inspired by lyrics in the song 'Wooly Bully' by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. McCartney said, "There's a line in [Wooly Bully] that says, 'Let's not be L7.' Well, L7, it was explained at the time, means a square—put L and 7 together and you get a square... So I thought of the idea of putting a C and a moon together (a half-moon) to get the opposite of a square. So 'C Moon' means cool, in other words."

My collection: 7" single no. 6678
Found: Plato, Leiden, 2 April 2022
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Hi, Hi, Hi' / 'C Moon'

I'm not in love - 10CC

Although I own an 'Old Gold' version of 10CC's 'I'm not in love', I came across this single and just couldn't resist buying it. Part of the appeal was the fact that it was a UK pressing, another part of the appeal was that it was a beautiful, untouched copy. It's hard to believe that this single survived since its release at the end of the Seventies. 

This single was released in order to promote the band's compilation album 'Greatest hits 1972-1978', which featured all their hits until then. 'I'm not in love' was one of their biggest hits, reaching number 1 in Canada, Ireland and the UK, and reaching the top 10 almost everywhere else.

My collection: 7" single no. 6677
Found: Plato, Leiden, 2 April 2022
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'I'm not in love' / 'For you and I'

Muistathan - Päivi Paunu & Kim Floor

Finnish entries to the Eurovision Song Contest are always worth listening to. The language is intriguing and the Finnish have a habit of coming up with great melodies. At the same time, getting a hold of Finnish singles is incredibly difficult, so they usually have to be ordered from that country which is a rather expensive hobby. 

'Muistathan' ('I hope you remember') was Finland's 1972 entry to the Eurovision Song Contest and was performed by Päivi Paunu and Kim Floor. You would be forgiven for thinking that Kim was a woman, but in fact, it's Päivi who is female and Kim is male. Their song finished in 12th place in a field of 18 competitors. Päivi passed away on 14 December 2016, aged 70, of cancer. Kim is still alive and hosted the Finnish version of 'Wheel of fortune' during the Nineties.

My collection: 7" single no. 6675
Found: Discogs.com, received 2 April 2022
Cost: €9
Tracks: 'Muistathan' / 'Yhteinen tie'

Wenn du da bist - Marty Brem

Austria's pop culture has never really taken off. They are mostly remembered for Udo Jürgens and Opus; the latter produced the awful 'Life is life', the song that sounds every bit as naff as its title. 

In 1981, they tried their luck at the Eurovision Song Contest with Marty Brem, a singer who had been part of the band Blue Danube, who competed the year before with 'Du bist Musik'. His song was a ballad, a schmaltzy little thing that didn't make much of an impression. He finished in 17th place in a field of 20 competitors. 

I have been searching for this single for some time, but it was always a bit too expensive. In the end, I ordered it from Spain and got a mint copy for all my troubles!

My collection: 7" single no. 6673
Found: Discogs.com, received 2 April 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Wenn du da bist' / 'Wozu noch ein Stern'

The Big Four, no. 11 - Frankie Vaughan, Kaye Sisters, Shirley Bassey, Marty Wilde

This EP was released in May 1959, and featured four hits from 1958 and 1959. My reason for buying this EP is obviously the appearance of Marty Wilde with his hit 'Donna', but there are a few more gems on this: a young Shirley Bassey who sings 'Kiss me, honey honey, kiss me' and Frankie Vaughan with 'Venus' (not the Shocking Blue song). The Kaye Sisters deliver a dreamy version of 'Goodbye, Jimmy, goodbye'.

There have been 20 of these 'big four' EP's between 1956 and 1960, and Marty appears on number 9, 11, 14, 17 and 20. That should make an interesting subcollection, don't you think? Watch this space...

My collection: 7" single no. 6671
Found: Discogs.com, received 30 March 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Venus' (Frankie Vaughan), 'Goodbye, Jimmy, goodbye' (The Kaye Sisters) / 'Kiss me, honey honey, kiss me' (Shirley Bassey), 'Donna' (Marty Wilde)

Uno per tutte - Willy en Willeke Alberti

Recent entries in this blog have shown that Dutch singer Willy Alberti recorded quite a few Eurovision songs during the first years of the event. In 1963, he was at it again, and this time he took along his daughter Willeke Alberti as well. 

Willeke was born on 3 February 1945 and was eighteen when she recorded this duet with her father. 'Uno per tutte' and 'Non costa niente' were both performed at the Italian San Remo festival in 1963, with the former going on to the Eurovision stage in a version by Emilio Pericoli. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6672
Found: Discogs.com, received 30 March 2022
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Uno per tutte' / 'Non costa niente'

Weit, so weit der Regenbogen reicht - Ilanit

Ilanit was Israel's first representative at the Eurovision Song Contest ever. This happened in 1973, with the song 'Ey Sham'. Although I didn't yet get a copy of the original version of the song, I bought the English version, 'All make believe', back in 2014, and recently I acquired this German version. Somehow I think 'Ey Sham' will one day be in my collection as well.

Ilanit said in interviews that she had rather mixed feelings about singing in German, because of Germany's troubled history in World War II, but she came to know Germans who were friendly people and this changed her point of view towards them.

My collection: 7" single no. 6670
Found: Discogs.com, received 30 March 2022
Cost: €3
Tracks: 'Weit, so weit der Regenbogen reicht' / 'Noch sind Wiesen grün'

Danser contre toi - Sergio Dalma

Sergio Dalma represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1991 with the song 'Bailar pegados'. It was a decent effort, and expectations were high. In the end, the song finished in fourth place, which was still quite respectable.

The singer didn't waste any time to try and conquer the whole of Europe. He recorded an Italian version entitled 'Bailare stretti', which I managed to buy last year, and this new addition to my collection, the French version 'Danser contre toi'. A promotional 12" single, released in Spain, brought all three versions together, but it's nicer to have the three singles individually, of course. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6669
Found: Ebay, received 29 March 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Danser contre toi (version eurovision)' / 'Danser contre toi'

Blau wie das Meer (L'amour est bleu) - Vicky

Vicky Leandros represented Luxembourg in 1967 with 'L'amour est bleu'. The song became a worldwide hit, also thanks to the version by Paul Mauriat, 'Love is blue'. However, Vicky herself also recorded an English version of her song, which was entitled 'Colours of love'. 

This single presents yet another version of the same song: 'Blau wie das Meer' is a German translation of 'L'amour est bleu', released to cater to the Central European market. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6668
Found: Discogs.com, received 26 March 2022
Cost: €3
Tracks: 'Blau wie das Meer (L'amour est bleu)' / 'Nie mehr scheint mir die Sonne so hell (Le soleil a quitté ma maison)'

Retour - Henri Dès

Henri Dès was born on 14 December 1940 in Renens, Vaud (Switzerland) as Henri Destraz. In 1969, he won the Sopot International Song Festival. He represented Switzerland in the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Retour'. The song finished in fourth place. Later that same year, he released his first album, also titled 'Retour'. Dès also founded his own record label, Disques Mary-Josée, which he named after his wife.

During his career, Henri became known for songs aimed at children. On 15 March 2019 he joined striking school children in Lausanne protesting against climate change. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6667
Found: Discogs.com, received 26 March 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Retour' / 'Sylvie'

Du Hör En Sång - Inger Öst & Torsten Wallin

Although some parties in Sweden were very critical of the Eurovision Song Contest, it was still a very popular event in Scandinavia, and many of the Eurovision songs were covered by local artists. This single features a Swedish version of the Dutch entry of the 1974 edition, 'I see a star' ('Ik zie een ster'). 

The song was translated by Bosse Carlgren and performed by Inger Öst and Torsten Wallin. Lilian Inger Elisabeth Öst Hellström was originally part of the singing group Family Four, before she went solo in the late 1960's and had several hits in Sweden, including 'Touch me'. Torsten Wallin, who appears on the A-side of this single only, is a Swedish singer, musician and comedian. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6666
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 March 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Du Hör En Sång' / 'En grön dröm om mej'

Sjunger Eurovisionsschlager - Gunnar Wiklund

In 1966, Gunnar Wiklund took part in the Swedish national final for the Eurovision Song Contest with two songs: 'Vinterrosor' and 'Vad har jag kvar?'. The songs ended up in fifth and tenth place respectively. 

Undeterred, he released this EP, featuring the two songs plus two cover versions of songs that did end up in the international competition: 'Nygammal vals', the Swedish entry originally performed by Lill Lindfors and Svante Thuresson, and 'Merci Cherie', the winning song by Udo Jürgens from Austria. Gunnar recorded 'Nygammal vals' together with Marianne Kock.

My collection: 7" single no. 6665
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 March 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Vinterrosor', 'Vad har jag kvar?' / 'Merci Chérie', 'Nygammal vals'

Ele e ela - Madalena Iglesias

Madalena Lucília Iglésias do Vale de Oliveira (born as Madalena Lucília Iglésias Doval; 24 October 1939, Santa Catarina, Lisbon) was a Portuguese actress and singer. She represented Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest 1966, with the song 'Ele e ela'. 

The song was written by Carlos Canelhas, a Portuguese composer who was born in Cucujães, Oliveira de Azeméis on September 10, 1927. Besides songwriting, he was also part of the staff of the Ministry of Health.

This EP presents four songs performed by Madalena, the first three of which were performed at the Festival da Canção, winning first, third and sixth prize respectively. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6663
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 March 2022
Cost: €5
Tracks: 'Ele e ela', 'Rebeldia' / 'Caminhos perdidos', 'Dançar, dançar'

Halo, halo - Aska

The trio Aska came to prominence when they were chosen to represent Yugoslavia at the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest. The members of the group were Snežana Mišković, Izolda Barudžija and Snežana Stamenković. Their song "Halo, halo" only managed to achieve 14th place in a field of 18 competitors, although having received the top mark of 12 points from the Swedish jury.

Shortly upon the return from Harrogate, Snežana Stamenković retired and was replaced by Suzana Perović. The girls went on to record several albums before disbanding in order to pursue solo careers. Snežana Mišković remained in pop and went on to have an established career with her band Viktorija. Izolda Barudžija's career faded away after two additional attempts at the Eurovision Song Contest (in 1983 and 1984). Suzana Perović switched to more commercial folk music and released a few semi-successful albums before she vanished from the music scene. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6664
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 March 2022
Cost: €5
Tracks: 'Halo, halo' / 'Hallo, hallo'

 

Merci Chérie - Ronnie Tober

In 1966, Udo Jürgens won the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Merci Chérie'. Given the fact that Eurovision was very much a popular TV phenomenon, other artists were eager to release cover versions of the winning songs, and this is exactly what happened. 

In this case, it was Dutch singer Ronnie Tober who had a go at the song, and he had it translated into Dutch by René Pedde. The B-side was also a Eurovision song: the UK entry 'A man without love' by Kenneth McKellar became 'Een hart is geen hart' ('A heart is not a heart') after Gerrit den Braber had his way with the song. 

The orchestra on this single was led by Jack Bulterman, who, like Gerrit den Braber, was heavily involved with the jazz orchestra The Ramblers, one of the world's longest running orchestras ever. However, in 1966 the Ramblers were on hiatus, so it's not them who are playing on this disc.

My collection: 7" single no. 6657
Found: Discogs.com, received 19 March 2022
Cost: €3
Tracks: 'Merci Chérie (Dutch version)' / 'Een hart is geen hart (A man without love)'

Luna nel blu (Non ho l'eta) - Gigliola Cinquetti

Imagine being sixteen years old and winning with 'Non ho l'eta' at the Italian San Remo festival, and then going on to the Eurovision Song Contest and winning that too. Gigliola Cinquetti, who was born into a wealthy family, must have been a bit overwhelmed by this success. Yet she continued gracefully, recording her song in Spanish as 'No tiene edad' and in Japanese as '夢見る想い (Yumemiru omoi)'.

The German version was called 'Luna nel blu', and is perhaps the most impressive of all these versions, because Gigliola pronounces the language in a rather convincing way (even if the title of the song is still in Italian). This pressing comes from one of the Benelux countries, but why 'Luna nel blu' is relegated to the B-side, I don't know.

My collection: 7" single no. 6656
Found: Discogs.com, received 19 March 2022
Cost: €6
Tracks: 'Con amore' / 'Luna nel blu (Non ho l'eta)'

Les 4 meilleures chansons du Grand Prix Eurovision 65 - Sonia Christie, Marie-Chantal, Eric Richard

This EP is an obvious attempt to profit from the popularity of the Eurovision Song Contest during the mid-Sixties. Released on the Week-end label (never heard of this one!), three different artists perform the songs of Luxembourg, UK, France and Monaco. Remarkably, the UK entry is also performed in French and translated from 'I Belong' to 'Te Voila'. 

This single is the Belgian pressing of an EP that was released in France as 'Premiers prix de l'Eurovision', with the same tracks on it. Although Sonia Christie and Marie-Chantal never released any other tracks, Eric Richard actually had an interesting career, performing on a handful of singles between 1961 and 1965.

My collection: 7" single no. 6638
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 February 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Poupée de cire, poupée de son' (Sonia Christie), 'Te voilà (I belong)' (Marie-Chantal) / 'N'avoue jamais' (Eric Richard), 'Va dire à l'amour' (Sonia Christie)

Nous les amoureux - José Guardiola

Although 'Exodus' is undoubtedly the lead track on this EP by José Guardiola, I bought it for one of the other tracks: his version of 'Nous les amoureux'. Although the title is shown in French on the sleeve of this EP, José performs it in Spanish. The subtitle on the back is 'Sol de nuestro amor'. The same applies to 'Rockin' little angel', which is subtitled 'Rock entre nubes'. The EP is pressed on blue vinyl, which gives it an obvious appeal.

Guardiola was an obvious Eurovision fan: he also recorded a version of 'Dio come ti amo' in 1966 and he represented his country in 1963 with the song 'Algo prodigioso'. I'm still after that single...

My collection: 7" single no. 6652
Found: Discogs.com, received 12 March 2022
Cost: €3
Tracks: 'Exodus', 'Rockin' little angel' / 'Nous les amoureux', 'Oro negro'

Si - Gigliola Cinquetti

Ten years after she won the Eurovision Song Contest, Gigliola Cinquetti competed again in 1974 with the song 'Si'. I bought the single in 1999. I found the German version, entitled 'Ja' at a record fair in 2011. I ordered the English version 'Go (Before you break my heart)' in the UK via Discogs.com in 2014. The French version, 'Lui', came to me from France, also via Discogs.com, just two months ago, and here is the Spanish version, which, like the original Italian version is called 'Si'. 

This completes all the versions Cinquetti recorded. A Finnish version, entitled 'Niin', was recorded by Lea Laven. Who knows, that single might appear on this blog someday too.

My collection: 7" single no. 6653
Found: Discogs.com, received 12 March 2022
Cost: €4
Tracks: 'Si' / 'El Papagayo'

Jennifer Jennings - Louis Neefs

I was reading an article about Louis Neefs a little while ago, and I found out that he recorded his song 'Jennifer Jennings' in several languages, including Spanish. I remembered that I had bought a Spanish pressing of this song last year, but I never gave it a second thought. As it turns out, that single actually contains the Spanish version of 'Jennifer Jennings'!

Perhaps I should have known, because the B-side is called 'Te quiero (I love you)', whereas the B-side of the original single of 'Jennifer Jennings' is called 'Vanessa (I love you)'. Anyway, finding out that I owned something I didn't know about was a pleasant surprise.

My collection: 7" single no. 6430
Found: Discogs.com, received 11 August 2021
Cost: £3.99
Tracks: 'Jennifer Jennings' / 'Te quiero (I love you)'

Waiting for that day - George Michael

When I wrote an entry about the UK release of 'Waiting for that day' in 2009 (!), it said that the single was not released in Europe. As this entry will prove, that was an embarrassing mistake. 

'Waiting for that day' actually had a worldwide release, but it was a few months later than the original UK release. In the UK, it was released in October 1990, whereas in the USA it was released in February 1991. The European release was even later: in June 1990. What's more: the B-side was different too. The UK release featured the non-album track 'Fantasy', whereas this single, which was made in the Netherlands, features the album track 'Mothers pride'. This difference - plus the fact that this single is in absolutely pristine state - was a good reason to buy it.

My collection: 7" single no. 6650
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 5 March 2022
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'Waiting for that day' / 'Mothers pride'

Tanga - Popcorn Makers

Now that physical record buying is an option again, it is interesting to buy singles out of curiosity. Obviously the Popcorn Makers were wellknown for their hit version of 'Popcorn', but the rest of their output remains unknown - at least to me. 

So when I came across this single of 'Tanga', I decided to try it out. As expected it is a (largely) instrumental track, and although it misses the charm and substance of the Gershon Kingsley composition it is still an enjoyable little ditty. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6649
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 5 March 2022
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'Tanga' / 'Sun dance'

Auntie - Hildegard Knef, Enrico Macias, Sandra & Andres, Alice Babs, Demis Roussos, Vicky Leandros

'Auntie' is a song released by Philips Records in 1972 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the BBC. It is named after the affectionate nickname for the corporation, and featured artists from six countries. The singers are Hildegard Knef, Enrico Macias, Sandra & Andres, Alice Babs, Demis Roussos and Vicky Leandros. The composer is Dutch musician Hans van Hemert. 

Though the single peaked at number four in the Netherlands and number five in Greece, it failed to chart in the United Kingdom. Critics observed similarities between Van Hemert's 'Auntie' composition and 'Those were the days', a 1968 hit by Mary Hopkin. In turn, the Belgian entry to the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest - 'Hey nana' by Micha Marah - was accused of plagiarising the song 'Auntie'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6648
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 5 March 2022
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'Auntie' / 'Auntie (instrumental version)'

Happy Hawaii (Why did it have to be me) - Manuela

German singer Manuela recorded a generous amount of cover versions during her career, and two of them already made their way to this blog: 'Der schwarze Mann auf dem Dach' and 'Alles und noch viel mehr'. Both these songs were cover versions of Eurovision songs, but that's not the only place where Manuela fetched her songs from. 

'Happy Hawaii' is a cover version of an Abba song. It was released in 1980 on a 7" single that was sponsored by Hapag-Lloyd Flug, an airline that operated between 1973 and 2007. It operated scheduled and charter passenger flights mainly to holiday resorts in Europe. Its successor is today's TUI fly Deutschland. 

This single actually features two songs about exotic islands: the B-side is called 'Gran Canaria', which was released as a single in 1978. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6650
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 5 March 2022
Cost: €1
Tracks: 'Happy Hawaii (Why did it have to be me)' / 'Gran Canaria'

You only live twice - Nancy Sinatra

'You Only Live Twice' is the theme song to the 1967 James Bond film of the same name. The music was by veteran Bond film composer John Barry, with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. It was performed by Nancy Sinatra, daughter of Frank and Nancy Sinatra. The song is widely recognized for its striking opening bars, featuring a simple 2-bar theme in the high octaves of the violins and lush harmonies from French horns. It is considered by some to be among the best James Bond theme songs, and has become one of Nancy Sinatra's best known hits. 

The song has been covered by many artists including Coldplay, Soft Cell and Shirley Bassey. In 1998, Robbie Williams re-recorded portions of the song (including the opening strings) for use in his UK number one single 'Millennium'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6651
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 5 March 2022
Cost: €2
Tracks: 'You only live twice' / 'Jackson' (with Lee Hazlewood)