Curse Of The Eurovision

[The Old Crem 3,180]

Iceland look set to withdraw in a pointless act of protest against Israel’s participation.

[En Passant 2,955]

2 hours ago, The Old Crem said:

Iceland look set to withdraw in a pointless act of protest against Israel’s participation.

 

Source? Deemed pointless by whom? Other that is than by you own good self?

 

I don't even give a shit about the Eurovision, Gah, what am I doing?

 

 

(Crem, the last one is rhetorical....)

[The Old Crem 3,180]

1 minute ago, En Passant said:

 

Source? Deemed pointless by whom? Other that is than by you own good self?

 

I don't even give a shit about the Eurovision, Gah, what am I doing?

 

 

(Crem, the last one is rhetorical....)

Because it’s virtue signalling.  The Icelandic broadcaster and music industry seems fo have been captured by the BDS movement. 

[TQR 12,180]

26 minutes ago, En Passant said:

Source? Deemed pointless by whom? Other that is than by you own good self?

[En Passant 2,955]

11 minutes ago, TQR said:

 

You know well enough its ironic/sarcastic .

 

37 minutes ago, The Old Crem said:

Because it’s virtue signalling.  The Icelandic broadcaster and music industry seems fo have been captured by the BDS movement. 

 

1. Again, says who? You?

2. Reference?

3.  Try to answer the original questions....

 

FFS stop postng your opinion without qualifying it as such. (If only there were a rule could force you on mod preview for that).

 

I'll just have to follow others and block you in a bit, continuity be damned.

Congratulations I never considered that for anyone else, Deathers and even Zorders never managed it.

[Sod's Law 219]

I'm not sure why Israel were allowed in to begin with. They are not a European country no matter how much they think they are. 

[The Old Crem 3,180]

12 minutes ago, Sod's Law said:

I'm not sure why Israel were allowed in to begin with. They are not a European country no matter how much they think they are. 

They have been in it for 51 years and are a full member of the EBU. So are countires in North Africa. Morocco competed in 1980. Lebanon was going to compete in 2005 but withdraw after being told it couldn’t ignore Israel’s entry. 

[Father Brown 90]

Here’s the 1960s list, following on from the post I did for the 1950s. Can’t be arsed to do any more.

 

1960

Harry Winter (1914-2001)

Fud Leclerc (1924-2010)

Katy Bødtger (1932-2017)

Jacqueline Boyer (b. 1941) - Jacques Pills’ daughter from first marriage

Wyn Hoop (b. 1936)

Renato Rascel (1912-1991)

Camillo Felgen (1920-2005)

François Deguelt (1932-2014)

Rudi Carrell (1934-2006)

Nora Brockstedt (1923-2015)

Siw Malmkvist (b. 1936)

Anita Traversi (1937-1991)

Bryan Johnson (1926-1995)

 

1961

Jimmy Makulis (1935-2007)

Bob Benny (1926-2011)

Dario Campeotto (1939-2023)

Laila Kinnunen (1939-2000)

Jean-Paul Mauric (1933-1971)

Lale Andersen (1905-1972)

Betty Curtis (1936-2006)

Jean-Claude Pascal (1927-1992) - first gay entrant and winner

Colette Déreal (1927-1988)

Greetje Kauffeld (b. 1939)

Nora Brockstedt (1923-2015)

Conchita Bautista (b. 1936)

Lill-Babs (1938-2018)

Franca di Rienzo (French Wiki says b. 1938)

Bob Day (1941-2013) - 1/2 of The Allisons

John Alford (b. 1939) - 1/2 of The Allisons

 

1962

Eleonore Schwarz (b. 1936)

Fud Leclerc (1924-2010)

Ellen Winther (1933-2011)

Marion Rung (b. 1945)

Isabelle Aubret (b. 1938)

Conny Froboess (b. 1943)

Claudio Villa (1926-1987)

Camillo Felgen (1920-2005)

François Deguelt (1932-2014)

Theo Rekkers (1924-2012) - 1/2 of De Spelbrekers

Huug Kok (1918-2011) - 1/2 of De Spelbrekers

Inger Jacobsen (1923-1996)

Victor Balaguer (1921-1984)

Inger Berggren (1934-2019)

Jean Philippe (1930-2022)

Ronnie Carroll (1934-2015)

Lola Novaković (1935-2016)

 

1963

Carmela Corren (1938-2022)

Jacques Raymond (b. 1938)

Grethe Ingmann (1938-1990)

Jørgen Ingmann (1925-2015)

Laila Halme (1934-2021) on Simple English Wiki

Alain Barrière (1935-2019)

Heidi Brühl (1942-1991)

Emilio Pericoli (1928-2013)

Nana Mouskouri (b. 1934) Thread

Françoise Hardy (b. 1944) Thread

Annie Palmen (1926-2000)

Anita Thallaug (1938-2023)

José Guardiola (1930-2012)

Monica Zetterlund (1937-2005)

Esther Ofarim (b. 1941)

Ronnie Carroll (1934-2015)

Vice Vukov (1936-2008)

 

1964

Udo Jürgens (1934-2014)

Robert Cogoi (1939-2022)

Bjørn Tidmand (b. 1940)

Lasse Mårtenson (1934-2016)

Rachel Ros (b. 1942)

Nora Nova (1928-2022)

Cigliola Cinquetti (b. 1947)

Hugues Aufray (b. 1929)

Romuald (b. 1938)

Anneke Grönloh (1942-2018)

Arne Bendiksen (1926-2009)

António Calvário (b. 1938)

Nelly Croatto (b. 1941) - 1/3 of Los TNT

Tony Croatto (1939-2005) - 1/3 of Los TNT

Tim Croatto (b. 1936) - 1/3 of Los TNT

Anita Traversi (1937-1991)

Matt Monro (1930-1985)

Sabahudin Kurt (1935-2018)

 

1965

Udo Jürgens (1934-2014)

Lize Marke (b. 1936)

Birgit Brüel (1927-1996)

Viktor Klimenko (b. 1942)

Guy Marcel (b. 1944)

Ulla Wiesner (b. 1940)

Butch Moore (1938-2001)

Bobby Solo (b. 1945)

France Gall (1947-2018)

Marjorie Noël (1945-2000)

Conny Vandenbos (1937-2002)

Kirsti Sparboe (b. 1946)

Simone de Oliveira (b. 1938)

Conchita Bautista (b. 1936)

Ingvar Wixell (1931-2011)

Yovanna (b. 1938)

Kathy Kirby (1938-2011)

Vice Vukov (1936-2008)

 

1966

Udo Jürgens (1934-2014)

Tonia (b. 1947)

Ulla Pia (1945-2020)

Ann-Christine (1944-2022)

Dominique Walter (1942-2013)

Margot Eskens (1936-2022)

Dickie Rock (b. 1936)

Domenico Modugno (1928-1994)

Michèle Torr (b. 1947)

Téréza (b. 1938)

Milly Scott (b. 1933) - first Black singer to take part

Åse Kleveland (b. 1949)

Madalena Iglésias (1939-2018)

Raphael (b. 1943)

Lill Lindfors (b. 1940)

Svante Thuresson (1937-2021)

Madeleine Pascal (b. 1946) French Wiki

Kenneth McKellar (1927-2010)

Berta Ambrož (1944-2003)

 

1967

Peter Horton (1941-2023)

Louis Neefs (1937-1980)

Fredi (1942-2021)

Noëlle Cordier (b. 1944)

Inge Brück (b. 1936)

Sean Dunphy (1937-2011)

Claudio Villa (1926-1987)

Vicky Leandros (b. 1949)

Minouche Barelli (1947-2004)

Thérèse Steinmetz (b. 1933)

Kirsti Sparboe (b. 1946)

Eduardo Nascimento (1943-2019)

Raphael (b. 1943)

Östen Warnerbring (1934-2006)

Géraldine (b. 1946)

Sandie Shaw (b. 1947)

Lado Leskovar (b. 1942) Croatian Wiki

 

1968

Karel Gott (1939-2019)

Claude Lombard (1945-2021)

Kristina Hautala (b. 1948)

Isabelle Aubret (b. 1938)

Wencke Myhre (b. 1947)

Pat McGeegan (1935-1987) - Barry McGuigan’s da

Sergio Endrigo (1933-2005)

Chris Baldo (1943-1995) French Wiki

Sophie Garel (b. 1942) French Wiki

Line Van Menen (?-2023) Apparently 85 at death. Paywall.

Willy (Claude Boillod) - (?-2018). French Wiki for him and Line.

Ronnie Tober (b. 1945)

Odd Børre (1939-2023)

Carlos Mendes (b. 1947)

Massiel (b. 1947)

Claes-Göran Hederström (1945-2022)

Gianni Mascolo (1940-2016)

Cliff Richard (b. 1940) Thread

Lući Kapurso - Turned 81 in 2022

Hamo Hajdarhodžić (can’t find info, apparently dead according to some guy on Reddit)

 

1969

Louis Neefs (1937-1980)

Jarkko Antikainen (b. 1950) Wiki for him and Laura

Laura Antikainen (née Ruotsalo) (b. 1949)

Frida Boccara (1940-1996)

Siw Malmkvist (b. 1936)

Muriel Day (b. 1942)

Iva Zanicchi (b. 1940)

Romuald (b. 1938)

Jean-Jacques Bortolai (b. 1956) French Wiki

Lenny Kuhr (b. 1950)

Kirsti Sparboe (b. 1946)

Simone de Oliveira (b. 1938)

Salomé (b. 1939)

Tommy Körberg (b. 1948)

Paola del Medico (b. 1950)

Lulu (b. 1948)

Ivica Krajač (b. 1938) - part of Ivan and 4M Croatian Wiki

Branko Marušić  (1937-2012) - part of Ivan and 4M

Saša Sablić (can’t find info) - part of Ivan and 4M

Željko Ružić (can’t find info)  - part of Ivan and 4M

[I.R.Baboon 206]

Humprey Campbell (66), #9 in 1992 for The Netherlands, has died. (Never heard Wijs me de weg before today, so it didn't become a Eurovision evergreen..)

 

 

[I.R.Baboon 206]

And, looking at the post above last one.. Lenny Kuhr was heckled during a concert last week because of her (alleged?) pro-Israel stance: https://www.dutchnews.nl/2024/03/activists-heckle-singer-lenny-kuhr-74-over-israel-links/ . 

[YoungWillz 19,098]

15 minutes ago, I.R.Baboon said:

Humprey Campbell (66), #9 in 1992 for The Netherlands, has died. (Never heard it before today, so it didn't become a Eurovision evergreen..)

 

 

Humphrey Campbell news report: https://nos-nl.translate.goog/artikel/2514231-songfestivaldeelnemer-humphrey-campbell-66-overleden?_x_tr_sl=nl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc&_x_tr_hist=true

 

Ireland's dominance of the 90s means a lot of these entries are largely forgotten. Thanks for letting us know @I.R.Baboon.

[I.R.Baboon 206]

1 hour ago, YoungWillz said:

Humphrey Campbell news report: https://nos-nl.translate.goog/artikel/2514231-songfestivaldeelnemer-humphrey-campbell-66-overleden?_x_tr_sl=nl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc&_x_tr_hist=true

 

Ireland's dominance of the 90s means a lot of these entries are largely forgotten. Thanks for letting us know @I.R.Baboon.

Useless trivia: I just learned that he was the ex-husband of Ruth Jacott (Vrede #6 in 1993, a little better known I think), so she was one of his background singers in 1992, and he was one of hers in 1993.

[YoungWillz 19,098]

My annual review, stressing it's just personal preference, Part 1.

 

Semi-Final 1

 

There is much to dislike.

 

Serbia, Ireland and Slovenia have gone completely nuts and are easily bottom of my list. Ukraine have a dirge and a rap combined - Jesus.

 

There's plenty of meh songs too. Australia, Iceland, Azerbaijan and Portugal - all a bit too pedestrian and predictable.

 

Cyprus hauls itself up a little bit from that pack, the message is terrible and left me confused - is she saying a liar is a good thing, or is it making her better?

 

Moldova I rather liked - bunch of dames who pull out and play violins out of nowhere, and best of the slower numbers.

 

And now to the top.

 

Certified bangers - Lithuania - absolutely fine, should pass through to the final no problem, although possibly hampered by being early on the draw. Finland have a banger and novelty and the staging will definitely help it. Well worth a listen/watch.

 

Luxembourg go last in the semi, and that's no issue because it's a great tune. I'm normally no fan of dual language songs but this absolutely works - loved it.

 

My personal fave turns out to be Poland - it's early on, but I really enjoyed it, it all makes sense. Tempo switches might hinder it a little.

 

Total sleeper: Croatia. The lyrics are not, in general the best, especially at the start. But it has a great chorus and beat. And who cannot love a song where the singer meows at a cat and asks the cat to meow back? (Remember wolf and banana?). If this doesn't breeze through, I'll be astonished.

 

I'll pop back when I've listened to the second semi.

[YoungWillz 19,098]

Semi-Final 2

 

Well, this is a hell of a semi-final. In a good way, I'd say. Practically anything could proceed, not only because of the way the songs have been drawn, but because of the variance.

 

There are three contenders for least liked imo. Georgia - It doesn't stand up to the competition here, a bit meh. Belgium really could have done with rearranging the song and bringing the orchestra in a bit earlier - meh again. But it is Norway I actively disliked. Some sort of fairytale with a load of screeching and a part where she says she has to drink her brother's blood? No thank you, never ever. (But it's Norway, you never know!).

 

Estonia, Armenia and Greece have all gone the traditional route (Estonia less so), but only Greece has a chance - after a promising start it fell to bits tbh.

 

Switzerland is certainly different, but the opposite problem - starts really badly and gets going. Probably a little too esoteric for the hoi polloi.

 

I found Denmark and Israel a little to formulaic for my liking - good singers,. strong songs - but are they different enough to stand out?

 

Latvia's entry is strong and stands out as one of the few slower numbers here - I'm not sure of it progressing though.

 

Now for the topload. 

 

Malta, Albania (yes, bloody Albania), Czechia and Austria have all gone full out on the Europop bandwagon and they are all excellent, but edging it for me is Austria as my favourite of the semi. That came as quite a shock, but it has everything Eurovision could want.

 

Couple of sleepers here. San Marino - it's a bit of a throwback musically, but it's fun and has novelty value. Netherlands - I was actively wondering what had gone on with the Dutch but it is cheesy as fuck with a huge twist at the end (it's not Brotherhood of Man by any means). It's a long way round to have you thinking I'm not liking this and then getting a gut punch at the end.

 

Big Six to follow.

[YoungWillz 19,098]

Big Six.

 

As usual in the order from last to first.

 

Last: Italy. By no means the worst song, but I have two issues. Do not put a singer who looks like a heroin addict streetwalker to front it. And they have gone all out with musical tropes designed to appeal to the Eastern European countries. Why not pick a song that represents your culture?

 

5th - Sweden. They seem like nice boys. But it is such a late 80s throwback it rankled a lot with me. Not quite enough.

 

4th - Spain. Probably too understated and definitely an early 80s throwback I could have seen myself jigging to at my school dance. However, it does have join-in-ability, and if you have your audience onside....

 

3rd - UK. It's not good enough, simply not. Olly Alexander's journey to trying to become the next Jamiroquai fails again. Why this? Some of his early stuff was great. It's mediocre at best, and that will not get the votes.

 

2nd - France. This was close to being my top of this group. It's so French I almost cracked open a bottle of Beaujolais and sat down with cheese and crackers. It has meaning, it has soul, it has, oh I don't know, that je ne sais quoi!!! In another time and another place to different beats this could have been done by anyone from Piaf to Aznavour.

 

1st - Germany. It's of it's time. In the mould of Sheeran and Capaldi with a husk to the voice, you can feel this guy's anguish littering the stage, but it's by no means a dirge. All the best to you, young fellow, you deserve a high spot in the rankings.

 

After all this, I'm struggling to pick one favourite above all for me personally. Any number of songs I really do like. I know that's a cop out, but I couldn't pick a certain top ten. Nothing made me cry, that I can tell you - bleed from the ears, certainly, but not cry.

[Arsewipe 191]

Sorry YoungWillz, but I doubt anyone under the age of 50 really gives a fuck about it nowadays. Of course the voting has always been politically biased, but it's beyond a joke now. The UK will never win again unless they get invaded and Israel will be finishing last for the next few years.

[RoverAndOut 3,478]

27 minutes ago, Arsewipe said:

Sorry YoungWillz, but I doubt anyone under the age of 50 really gives a fuck about it nowadays. Of course the voting has always been politically biased, but it's beyond a joke now. The UK will never win again unless they get invaded and Israel will be finishing last for the next few years.

 

We came second literally 2 years ago and it took a Russian madman invading his neighbour to deny us. It's a nonsense we can't win it, we just don't send good enough songs as a rule.

[YoungWillz 19,098]

3 minutes ago, RoverAndOut said:

 

We came second literally 2 years ago and it took a Russian madman invading his neighbour to deny us. It's a nonsense we can't win it, we just don't send good enough songs as a rule.

I could be wrong but I think the UK still holds the record for second place.

 

Don't know how we are doing on the last place stakes though.

 

I guess a lot of people don't give a fuck about a lot of things. Like me and thrash metal or which celebrity is having a sprog. It's a fun annual event, free to disregard or have a look at the choons and make your own mind up. It's a bit of fun in a dirty world.

[RoverAndOut 3,478]

1 minute ago, YoungWillz said:

I could be wrong but I think the UK still holds the record for second place.

 

Don't know how we are doing on the last place stakes though.

 

I guess a lot of people don't give a fuck about a lot of things. Like me and thrash metal or which celebrity is having a sprog. It's a fun annual event, free to disregard or have a look at the choons and make your own mind up. It's a bit of fun in a dirty world.

 

Definitely still hold the record for seconds, we're in double figures I think. And Jade Ewan came 5th about 15 years ago too, our only 2 top 5s since 2002 I think. I was a little underwhelmed by Olly's effort when I first heard it, but it may be a grower, haven't heard it much since.

[YoungWillz 19,098]

3 minutes ago, RoverAndOut said:

 

Definitely still hold the record for seconds, we're in double figures I think. And Jade Ewan came 5th about 15 years ago too, our only 2 top 5s since 2002 I think. I was a little underwhelmed by Olly's effort when I first heard it, but it may be a grower, haven't heard it much since.

On it's own, it may be ok. However, the UK's was the last song I listened to out of the whole lot, and in a competition it is by comparison  a bit of a flatliner.

 

Spaceman was simply epic British music built on decades of British themes. It was downright going to do well. We need a little more humour, a little more quirkiness and above all something really different. We'll know it when we see it.

[TQR 12,180]

4 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

We need a little more humour, a little more quirkiness and above all something really different. We'll know it when we see it.

 

Bill Bailey has previously offered to be our Eurovision entry. Now that's a winning idea if ever I've heard one!

 

As for this year, I haven't given any other nations a proper listen yet, just the UK. I love Olly, and Dizzy is grand but it certainly ain't his (or even Danny L Harle's) best song and it doesn't quite strike me as a winning song like Spaceman so nearly was. I'm more optimistic about it than the majority of our recent efforts, mind.

[Toast 14,847]

44 minutes ago, RoverAndOut said:

I was a little underwhelmed by Olly's effort when I first heard it, but it may be a grower

 

Not much good for Eurovision then.

[Youth in Asia 1,023]

Alcohol is free!

[gcreptile 10,234]

Going through the songs....

.... I dont see any absolute failures, but quite a lot of generic stuff. The inspirations/rip-offs are better done than usual.

After listening to roughly half of it, I like Armenia, Croatia, Estonia, Ireland (!), also . Greece is an obvious but well-done Rosalia rip-off. Czechia is Olivia Rodrigo-inspired. Austria is a bit VERY 1992 Europop.

I find our own song generically boring as usual. Might add some opinions here later on.

Cyprus - they always try but never match "Fuego".

Finland is different, but for once, I don't like that kind of "different".

Netherlands- wow, they did it, they actually submitted a trash techno song that they do so "well", but made it whimsical.

Moldova - interesting in a good way.

[Book 3,352]

Hehe, I listened to the songs for the first time today too. Previously, I had heard almost nothing about this year's ESC, e.g. who was the bookmakers' favorite.

I only knew the songs from Germany, UK and Netherlands. So I went into it with a completely open mind and listened to the songs without knowing which country they represent.

Well, I think the ESC is very average. My two best-rated songs only got 6 points, in the final voting that would of course be 12 and 10 points, which neither song is worth.

If I had to do it, this is how I would award my points today:

 

12 Lithuania
10 Belgium
08 Portugal
07 Norway
06 Azerbaijan
05 Spain
04 Slovenia
03 Austria
02 Iceland
01 Estonia (my guilty pleasure of 2024)

 

Moldova is currently in 11th place.
Germany is at number 13 for me and the UK is at number 14. Sorry, the expectations for a song by Olly Alexander were really higher.

 

The worst songs are always very interesting to know, so here are the dregs of the ESC 2024:
35. Italy
36. Greece
37. Ireland Sorry @gcreptile 

 

Despite everything: There is enough dance, beat, drama and trash to celebrate a proper ESC party! Probably the Netherlands with the winning song!