I've always loved the Eurovision Song Contest. Or, well, I guess it's all nostalgic, because over the last years (since late 80s) I've done as little as possible to see it, hear about it, see the pre-selection contest...or even listen to the winning entries...but when I was younger I ate bowlfulls of popcorn, kept track of the score, and screamed when Norway always cheated us out of our well deserved 12-points.
While Iceland's first entry in 1986 has been punched into my brain's memory cells so often that it's hard not to think about it, it was never a personal favorite (and is actually only a "funny" 80s fiasco (like most people consider most 80s music to be, anyways. Silly bunch). My Eurovision favorite has always been the 1987 competition: Grand Prix 87. That was the year with Plastic Bertrand's 'Amour Amour', 'Laß' Die Sonne In Dein Herz', 'Soldiers of Love' and the ultra-smooth 'Gente di Mare' featuring RAF, the genius who earlier sang the Italo Disco megahit 'Self Control'. I loved it.
That being said, I never really did much research or tried listening to any of the older songs, or the non-winning entries. The reason is probably that while I liked some songs a lot, the competition and everything around it has always been considered kind of lame and for some reason I really let that get to me. I smirked at the Eurovision know-it-alls who appeared on tv and seemed to know everything about every performer from 1964. I admired their knowledge and passion for the whole thing, but I was stupid enough to think that this was nothing for me.
The problem was that over the years, so many (too many, perhaps?) of the winning entries either got extensive radio play or were too popular for me not to be aware of them, so I knew I'd have to shake it off and start with a clean slate, and a few years ago I did exactly that: I did some hunting and listened to as much as I could get my hands on. And I fell in love all over again.
Of course a lot of the songs are pure crap, and most of the good ones stick to the aesthetics of the contest, but what's important is that they do represent the current trends each year and have in some cases jumpstarted many artists' careers. In between all the smelly stuff are some wonderful songs of all styles, and stuff I'd probably never had heard or liked if I hadn't dug deep into the pile.
I'm not even gonna try and say this is my guilty pleasure, because I feel no guilt at all. I simply love this stuff.
I'm gonna start posting some of the ones I've listened to a lot. (I'll try to write something about each artist if I know something or if I'm able to find something on the almighty internjiet.)
Israel 1986: 19th place out of 20 entries
Moti Giladi & Sarai Tzuriel - Yavoh Yom
Listen / Buy: GEMM / eBay / Amazon.com
I love love love the rocked guitar-bassline. Like an intro to a Scorpions song, but then we get this warm and cozy disco-couple, accompanied with horns, harmonizing and the works. As I don't speak hebrew I've never had any idea what they're singing about, so I decided to find a translation:
"I want to live with the feeling that it will come
Out of the faith that it will materialise
Out of the love that has no name
Everybody wants to live with the feeling that it will come
Out of that prayer that has a name, that has a name
A day will come, will come upon us
A day will come, all of our children
When the day comes, will sing a song to the world
That it will come"
I still don't know what they're singing about.
According to the internet, the Israelis weren't that fond of this song, and another performer in their pre-selection later became one of their brightest stars. But, in my heart, you know what disco-couple shines the brightest.
Luxembourg 1987: 21st place out of 22 entries
Plastic Bertrand - Amour Amour
Listen / Buy: GEMM / eBay / Amazon.com
Everyone and their great-great-great grandmother hated Plastic Bertrand for this appearance - especially after the disastrous results. But, you know, most of'em soon forgot all about it and shifted their focus to the discussion whether Mr. Plastic really sang 'Ca Plane Pour Moi' or not.
I love this song and I always have. It's a total blasphemy that this song didn't get more votes, but, you know, the people wanted different kinda love. Also, the video is extra lovely with Mr. Plastic bouncing around in all his wobbly glory. He's a legend - it takes a hero to perform in a shimmering pink jacket and pull it off.
Luxembourg 1984: 10th place out of 19 entries
Sophie Carle - 100% d'Amour
Listen / Buy: GEMM / eBay / Amazon.com
Translate, please:
"There are sighs on the telephone
Which prevent us from sleeping
On my radio there are too many songs
Which make my heart like a ragged doll
Above towns there are airplanes
And stars which turn around
Where are the horses of the merry-go-round?
Where are the gods who protect us?
Give me hundred percent of love
To share it every day
With the sky, with the people
Give me hundred percent of love"
Enough said, Sophie.
This is so delicately tough, like a 13 year old girl with braces who's been grounded for drinking too much juice (or whatever 13 year old girls do to get into trouble) and grabs her brush and miniature pony and plans to kick ass. I bet that if this hadn't been an Eurovision entry they would've skipped the background singers in the chorus, which I think would've made the song a teeeeny weeeny bit better. But it's still lovely.
(And btw: just saw on YouTube that the guy behind the song also produced Rose Laurens' Italo hit 'Africa'. Ain't that somethin'.)
