Thomas Leer is a British artist, who experimented a bit with techno-ish music in the late 70s, releasing stuff (under this name) between 1978 and 1985. His early stuff is rather smooth and arty new wave-ish synthpop, with guitars and helluva lot of drum machines, and sometimes his vocals could be lifted from some smooth British 60s pop (that's what I think, at least). 'Heartbeat', one of his last releases from 1985, is much further into the synthpop world than his other stuff, but his career evolved a lot. I like when he manages to blend somewhat experimental oddness with the smooth melodies and vocals, and the songs I'm posting are a perfect example of what I mean.

They are both from his 12" 'All About You', released in 1982.

The A-side is the vocal version:

Thomas Leer - All About You
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And the B-side is the instrumental:

Thomas Leer - Saving Grace
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While the instrumental has of course some extra production (it's not just an instrumental), it's amazing how the somewhat subtle changes give the songs a different feel altogether.

Thank Jeebus for 52 years of Eurovision. It means around 1000 songs that are dying for my eternal love.

Germany 1975

Marianne Rosenberg - How Can I Go Now
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This song was not in the actual 1975 Eurovision competition, but was performed for the German pre-selection by the prolific and very successful Marianne Rosenberg, hugely popular in Germany in the 70s and 80s, and, not surprisingly, a gay icon.

The German version is more honest (sorry for the corniness) but this one is easier for sing-a-long in the sun.

Belgium 1982: 4th place out of 18 entries

Stella - Tut Mir Leid Das Ich Weine
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This song is not very typical of the Eurovision songs I'm posting, as it's one of the few that people actually liked. It got lots of points and got far in the competition. After all, it translates as "If you do like my music". Yes, yes I do.

It was sung in French, but this is the German version. It starts pretty basic and soft. Then *kaplow*, bass in your (and my) face, and Moroder vs. Abba vs. Bobby O vs. Sylvia ('Automatic Lover') vs. good times in our hearts and a floating femme delivering luscious vocals.

And I love that extra snare hit.

Morocco 1980: 18th place out of 19 entries

Samira Ben Said - Les Enfants de l'amitié
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We're back to incredibly good songs that no one liked. This one ended in 18th place, second to last. People are idiots.

Maybe they didn't like cute sounding cuddly Moroccan girls, singing about 'Love Message'? Or, even better, maybe they didn't like anything good at all, because do you know what song was in the 17th place? 'Euro-Vision' by Telex.

This is actually a good and a bad thing. Good, because these songs never end up being overplayed on the radio or something worse. Bad, because too many of these songs fall into total obscurity (for some of these artists it's almost impossible to find a picture), and finding copies on vinyl becomes super-hard (simply because no one bought it when it came out).

P.s. check out the singers' eyes: open, closed, half-closed. We got the whole spectrum here!

Okay. I've been computerless and 99,999% musicless for the last weeks, so don't think I didn't want to post stuff -- it's just that I couldn't.

The Eurovision Song Contest is upon our powerless bodies, Eliminiation Round #1 was yesterday, and tomorrow is Round #2, where I'm hoping--and sorry for commiting treason--that the miserably sorry ass Icelandic entry will die a horrible death, with smoke, sparkles, and glitter flying all over the place.

See, I kinda like Eurovision (a lot, actually) as it has given me lots and lots of happy times. But the soulless creatures who are planning to "perform" in the name of my country are completely clueless.

So, in order to keep my sanity, here are more great songs from Eurovision past.

Belgium 1987: 11th place out of 22 entries

Liliane Saint-Pierre - Soldiers Of Love
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Liliane Saint-Pierre is a Flemish megastar. She released a bunch of albums, and during her career she performed with Roy Orbison, Jimi Hendrix, and The Bee Gees. Hot mama indeed. This song was her second attempt at the Eurovision, uu, statue? Crown? Gold plated mic? (I have no idea...that's weird).

But what's not weird? This song. Keywords: Nice. Powerful. Dramatic. Durudduddu synth stabs. And Soldiers of Love.

Denmark 1981: 11th place out of 20 entries

Tommy Seebach & Debbie Cameron - Krøller Eller Ej
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In case you don't have your Danish down (I mean the language, not the crusty deliciousness) I wanted to tell you 'Krøller Eller Ej' means 'Curly Hair Or Not' (but the internet told me that the song was performed as 'Straight or Curly Hair'. Whatever).

Debbie Cameron is American-Danish, and hopefully hopefully she speaks English with a thick Danish accent, because that is the funniest thing in the world. She is most famous for singing this song. Which is a lot.

Tommy Seebach is pure Danish. He competed a total of 8 times, winning three times, almost beating Johnny Logan as the Eurovision Hot Boy.

I love the lyrics:

Straight or curly hair,
We love our children so.
May there eyes be brown or blue,
Love your children too.

"Simple plea for racial harmony", according to the 1981 announcer. Word, my Danish brother.

Okay, now for the drama: I think this song shows how getting too worried about the format of Eurovision can sometimes push songwriters into poking the song the wrong way. In other (much simpler) words: apart from the chorus, this song has so many juicy elements, but totally looses it the moment the chorus kicks in, dontcha think? Starts like a disco powerhouse, building up to the chorus...which is total crap. I almost did not post this, but like I said, there's a lesson to be learned.

The video makes it a lil' better.

p.s. Debbie dear, next time, try not spreading your thighs all the way, mmkay?

Belgium 1983: 18th place out of 19 entries

Pas De Deux - Rendez-Vous
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This is one of my favorite Eurovision songs, ever.

Weird and so good so good! Could be something from Alexander Robotnick's Fuzz Dance label, or Ze Records, but no, it's Belgian Eurovision oddness that everyone hated. See my comment above about the clueless Icelandic contestants? They'd have given this 0 points. Remember: clueless.

But we are not clueless, which is why we love Pas De Deux. I give them The Golden Merkat of Eurovision.

The band released a few 7" and a LP, and have had songs on various compilations released over the years, but they are mostly famous for this Eurovision disaster, a precious favorite of mine.

Just like this song, their performance was amazing, too!

If only the today's competition was full of this kind of greatness.