Martijn

🇬🇧 R.I.P. Patricia Bredin

The first ever British Eurovision participant, Patricia Bredin, passed away last Sunday 13 August. Patricia Bredin was an English actress, born in Hull, England. She represented the United Kingdom in the 1957 Eurovision Song Contest with the song “All”. ranking seventh out of ten contestants with her song “All”, marking the debut of the English language in the Eurovision arena. Remarkably, at a duration of 1:52, “All” stood as the briefest performance in Eurovision’s annals for many years. However, this record was surpassed in 2015 by Finland’s Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät with “Aina mun pitää”, clocking in at just 1:27. Some highlights of her career: In 1957, Bredin portrayed Molly, the island damsel, in the inaugural cast of the musical, Free as Air. 1959 saw her in a starring role in the British comedic film, Left Right and Centre, alongside Ian Carmichael, earning her a position among the year’s most promising British stars, as voted by British exhibitors. She stood in the esteemed company of personalities like Peter Sellers and Hayley Mills. As the calendar rolled over to Boxing Day in 1959, she made her mark on BBC TV’s acclaimed variety series, The Good Old Days. This performance was later showcased again in 2016 on BBC4, as part of the BBC’s tribute to the show. 1960 brought with it leading roles for Bredin, one in the adventurous period film, The Treasure of Monte Cristo, and another starring alongside Sid James in Desert Mice. A pivotal moment in her career came when she stepped into Julie Andrews’ shoes, portraying Guenevere in the Broadway rendition of Camelot. She held this role from 16 April 1962, only to pass the torch to Janet Pavek three months thereafter. By 1964, she married the melodious Welsh vocalist, Ivor Emmanuel. Their union, however, remained childless and they divorced within a couple of years. Subsequently, Patricia found love again with Canadian entrepreneur, Charles MacCulloch. However, fate played a cruel twist as Charles passed away during their honeymoon. Adopting the name Patricia Bredin-McCulloch, she passionately reared a group of cows on their estate. This venture continued for a decade, but due to financial hurdles, her journey into cattle breeding concluded. She penned down memories of this chapter in her life in a book titled “My Fling on the Farm” (1989). Patricia Bredin died in Nova Scotia, Canada, on 13 August 2023 when she was 88 years old.

🇱🇺 Blast from the past: Luxembourg 1980

photo credits: Nationaal Archief, Den Haag, Netherlands We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today: two cute ladies, but unfortunately also a sad story. Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest Luxembourg has triumphed in the contest on five distinct occasions. However, the twist is that not a single winner was of Luxembourgish descent. The champions Jean-Claude Pascal (1961), France Gall (1965), Anne-Marie David (1973), and Corinne Hermes (1983) originated from France. Meanwhile, Vicky Leandros (1972), a Greek by birth, has made Germany her longtime residence. National final In 1980, Luxembourg selected their song internally. It is not exactly known how. However, there is a video in which we can see something that looks like an audition. Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger composed a song. For the French lyrics of it, they teamed up with Jean-Paul Cara and Pierre Delanoë. The twins Sophie and Magaly were chosen to sing the entry. Sophie and Magaly Sophie and Magaly, French twin sisters, formed a musical duo. They were born in Neuilly-sur-Seine at 24 august 1962. They gained significant attention when they represented Luxembourg in the 1980 Eurovision Song Contest with “Papa Pingouin”, securing the ninth position. Despite this placement, the track witnessed tremendous commercial acclaim in France, selling over a million copies. Their subsequent release, “Arlequin”, didn’t fare well, leading their German producer Ralph Siegel from Ariola to part ways with them. Another producer, Charles Talar, stepped in, but the duo’s later tracks, “Toi” and “Les nanas de Zorro”, failed to capture the audience, resulting in their disbandment. When Sophie and Magaly, still minors at the time, entered into a contract with Ralph Siegel, their parents lacked insight into the standard practices of the showbiz world. The agreement they made with Siegel ensured only a minimal percentage of the sales would go to the sisters. In April 1982, during a prime-time slot on TF1’s “Droit de réponse”, Magaly opened up about their earnings. She revealed that they each had been paid a mere 5,000 francs (equivalent to 762 € before adjusting for inflation), despite their record sales surpassing a million 45 rpm units. Further, she shared that Siegel had chosen to discontinue his professional relationship with them and was unwilling to revisit the terms of the contract, maintaining that it was already fair and binding. Years later, in 2005, French songwriter Jean-Paul Cara corroborated that Siegel’s intention was never to propel Sophie and Magaly to stardom. He had enlisted them specifically for that one song. Tragically, in the late ’80s, Magaly was diagnosed with HIV, culminating in her passing from AIDS on 2 april 1996. Sophie, grappling with severe depression, resided in southern France until her death on 27 February 2019. Papa Pingouin As said, the song was written and composed by Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger along with Pierre Delanoë and Jean-Paul Cara. The song delves into the whimsical daydreams of the main character, a restless penguin who envisions himself soaring like a seagull and journeying globally, recounting several imagined destinations. By the song’s conclusion, the penguin discerns that existence “on the ice floe” isn’t as dismal as he perceived. Symbolizing his relinquished wanderlust, he “sets his suitcase ablaze.” The song reached the 9th place in the Eurovision Song Contest in Den Haag. Additionally, Sophie & Magaly produced a German rendition of the track titled “Papa Pinguin.” A 2006 animated rendition by the penguin Pigloo propelled the song back into the limelight in France, topping the SNEP Singles Chart for a trio of weeks. With its 27-week chart presence, it ranked as the fifth most popular single in France for that year. Additionally, the tune made its mark on the Swiss Singles Chart, securing the 24th spot. Its German counterpart, “Papa Pinguin”, gained traction in German-speaking regions, climbing to fourth place in Austria and securing the sixth position in both Germany and Switzerland.

🇫🇷 Blast from the past: France 1958

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. And we immediately start off with something really old. We go back to France 1958! France in the Eurovision Song Contest No less than 5 times France won the Eurovision Song Contest. Not only André Claveau (1958), the man we will talk about today, won the contest. Two years later it was Jacqueline Boyer who won with “Tom Pillibi”. Again, two years later, in 1962, Isabelle Aubret won the contest with “Un premier amour”. Frida Boccara was one of the 4 winners in 1969 with “L’oiseau et l’enfant”. And the last one was Marie Myriam in 1977. She sang “L’oiseau et l’enfant”. But note also that in 1991 Amina had as much points as the winning Carola (Sweden). However, Sweden received more times 10 points, so Carola won. Marie Myriam National selection André Claveau was selected internally by French broadcaster ORTF. On the 7th of February, 5 singers (not Claveau himself) sang one song each. However, they knew they were not going to represent France in Eurovision, as André was already chosen. The songs were: Parigi Roma, sung by Charles Dumont (but not in the link) Héléna, sung by René Denoncin (again, the link brings you to the version of another singer) Musique magique, sung by Jocelyn Jocya Dors mon amour, sung by Hubert Giraud (this is Claveau’s version, no version of Hubert Giraud could be found) Tape dans tes mains, sung by André Richin (The song could not be found online) The full results of the contest are not known, but “Héléna” seems to be the runner up after “Dors mon amour”. Jocelyn Jocya André Claveau André Claveau, was born on 17th December 1911 in Paris. In the 1930s, he started performing in small clubs in and around Paris. By the 1940s, Claveau was already a household name in France, with a string of hits making regular appearances on French radio. The pinnacle of Claveau’s career came in 1958 when he represented France in the Eurovision Song Contest. He charmed the international juries and secured France’s first victory in the competition. Claveau was very down to earth: winning the Eurovision Song Contest didn’t mean he wanted to stay among the rich and wealthy. In stead, he was happy he could by a new cow for his farm! Parallel to his singing career, Claveau also demonstrated his talent as an actor. He starred in a number of French films in the 1950s, most notably the musical comedy Pas de vacances pour Monsieur le maire in 1951. His charm and charisma translated seamlessly to the silver screen, and his acting roles only increased his popularity. However, with the arrival of rock and roll in the 1960s, Claveau’s traditional style of music fell out of favour with the younger audience. His popularity waned, and he found it increasingly difficult to compete with the new musical wave. As a result, Claveau decided to retire from public life by the end of the decade. André Claveau, photo credits: Nationaal Archief Dors Mon Amour The title “Dors mon amour” translates to “Sleep, My Love” in English. This title reflects the tender sentiment of the song, which is essentially a lullaby sung by a lover to his beloved. The lyrics, written by Pierre Delanoë, depict the singer soothing his lover to sleep, promising that in her dreams she will find a world full of happiness and love. The composition by Hubert Giraud complements the lyrics with its gentle, melodic flow, effectively capturing the song’s warm and calming essence.

🇹🇷 Özkan Uğur passed away

Today the sad news came to us that Özkan Uğur passed away. Uğur represented Turkey in the Eurovision Song Contest twice: in 1985 and 1988, both times as a member of the group MFÖ. Özkan Uğur was 69 years old. Early years Born on February 16, 1954, in Ankara, Turkey, Özkan Uğur is a renowned Turkish musician, singer, and songwriter. His career is spanning several decades Uğur’s passion for music blossomed at a young age. Growing up in a musically inclined family, he was exposed to various genres, from traditional Turkish folk music to Western rock and pop. This diverse musical upbringing played a crucial role in shaping Uğur’s artistic identity, allowing him to effortlessly blend different styles and create a unique sound of his own. Mazhar-Fuat-Özkan In the late 1970s, Uğur’s career took off when he became the lead vocalist and bassist for the influential Turkish rock band MFÖ (Mazhar-Fuat-Özkan). Alongside his bandmates Mazhar Alanson and Fuat Güner, Uğur contributed to the band’s success with his powerful vocals and dynamic stage presence. MFÖ’s innovative approach to rock music, infused with elements of Turkish folk and pop, resonated with audiences and propelled them to national stardom. MFÖ and Eurovision Uğur’s collaboration with MFÖ resulted in numerous hit songs, including “Ele Güne Karşı Yapayalnız,” “Peki Peki Anladık,” and “Mazeretim Var Asabiyim Ben.” Their distinctive sound and energetic performances earned them a dedicated fan base, and they continue to be revered as pioneers of the Turkish rock scene. In 1985, MFÖ represented Turkey in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time. Their song “Didai didai dai (aşık oldum)” reached a 14th place. Three years later, the band was in Eurovision again with the song “Sufi”, being 15th in the ranking. Solo career Despite his success with MFÖ, Uğur embarked on a solo career in the 1980s, eager to explore his creative boundaries beyond the confines of a band. His solo albums showcased his versatility as an artist, as he experimented with various musical genres, including pop, jazz, and even classical music. Collaborations Throughout his career, Uğur has collaborated with numerous prominent musicians and songwriters, further solidifying his reputation as a versatile artist. He has worked with notable Turkish composers such as Fikret Kızılok, Timur Selçuk, and Sezen Aksu, contributing his unique vocal talents to their compositions. Uğur’s collaborations have resulted in timeless classics, including “Küçük Bir Aşk Masalı,” “Benimle Oynar Mısın,” and “Öpüşmek İstiyorum.” Film and television Aside from his musical endeavors, Uğur has also ventured into acting, showcasing his versatility as a performer. He has appeared in several films and television series, earning critical acclaim for his on-screen presence and natural acting ability. Awards Özkan Uğur’s contributions to Turkish music have been recognized with numerous awards and accolades. He has received prestigious honors, including the Golden Butterfly Award for Best Male Performer and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Kral TV Music Awards.

🇸🇪 Malmö will host Eurovision

Today, the news came: Malmö will host the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The contest will be held on 7, 9 and the Grand Final on 11 May. It is the 3rd time in Eurovision history that the contest will be held in Malmö. Also in 1992 and in 2013, the contest was hosted in this city. EBU Event supervisor Martin Österdahl responds on the decision: “The EBU is thrilled that Malmö has been selected as the Host City for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. Malmö holds a special place in the history of the Contest, having successfully hosted it firstly in 1992 and then in 2013 – following Loreen’s last win. We’re excited to be returning to this vibrant and dynamic city which has demonstrated it has the venues and infrastructure that are perfect for staging the world’s largest live music event. Malmö’s commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and innovation aligns perfectly with the spirit of the competition. Furthermore, its compact size and well-developed transport infrastructure means everyone involved in the Contest, including delegations, media, and fans will be able to navigate the city easily. Its commitment to sustainability and green initiatives also aligns perfectly with our own values, making it an ideal Host City for the 68th Eurovision Song Contest. Malmö’s bid demonstrated a huge passion for the Eurovision Song Contest, and I have full confidence in their ability to create an unforgettable experience that will bring together fans, artists, and viewers across the globe. Together with Host Broadcaster SVT, we will create an extraordinary celebration of music, unity, and diversity that will captivate the world in May next year.”

🇱🇺 Luxembourg: national finals in history

Luxembourg is back The news came out two days ago: Luxembourg will have a national final. The national final will take place on January 27. Other news is that participants must hold Luxembourgish nationality or have resided in Luxembourg for at least three consecutive years or exhibit a strong cultural involvement and proven connection with the Luxembourgish music scene. With that news, Luxembourg is breaking with a tradition. In the past, Luxembourg chose it’s participants from other countries most of the time. And very seldomly the songs were chosen through a national final. Winners for, but not from Luxembourg No less than five times Luxembourg won the contest. But never ever anyone with the Luxembourgish nationality held the trophy. Jean-Claude Pascal (1961), France Gall (1965), Anne-Marie David (1973) and Corinne Hermes (1983) were from France. Vicky Leandros (1972) was from Greece, but lived and still lives in Germany. 1976 and 1978 About national finals in the sixties, nothing is known. It is said that in 1972, Vicky Leandros offered 9 songs to the Luxembourgish broadcaster. However, nothing about a televised final is known. It was German singer Jürgen Marcus who first won a Luxembourgish final, in 1976. He defeated among others Marianne Rosenberg. Two years later, Spanish duo Baccara won the national final. However, Danish Gitte Haenning and Belgian Liliane Saint Pierre were also involved. Gitte already took part for Germany before. Liliane was the Belgian contestant in 1987. Park Café and Marion Welter That was it for Luxembourgish national finals with plural contestants. However, the American/Luxembourgish group Park Café offered the audience three songs. 66,5% of the voters chose “Monsieur” as their entry. In 1992, Luxembourgish Marion Welter was supposed to sing the song “Iwerall doheem”. However, to give the selection an extra touch, the audience was able to make a choice between two songs. And of course, not “Iwerall doheem” but the other song “Sou fräi” won. Internal selections All of the other years, Luxembourg selected their song and artist internally. However, there are two songs we want to share with you. In 1979, Penny McLean, member of Silver Convention (esc 1977) submitted a song. The English version became a hit. Enjoy “Tut-ench-Amun”: Three years later, it was Marcha (esc 1987) who almost got the job. She was the lead singer of Babe, an all girl group. Their song “Boomerang” was released in English. Do you recognize Marcha?

Loreen: I feel overwhelmed

Starters package There is the tradition of a winners press conference after the show. This started with Martin Österdahl handing over a starters package to the Swedish head of delegation: “You made history tonight. You were the first female performer to win twice.”, he added. Everythings feels surreal And after that it was time for Loreen: “Right now everything feels surreal. I am overwhelmed. I feel proud of you guys. We come with certain values, it is about love, it is about strength. You guys are the love and the strength”. Euphoria vs Tattoo She also talked about the difference between 2012, when she first won the Eurovision song contest: “In 2012 everything was new, I was so naive, I didn’t know what to expect. Now we have an 11 year old relationship, so we know eachother right now. It feels like a motherly relationship.”. Loreen also noticed a difference in the two performances: “Euphoria was a very mysterious performance. If you look at the performance now, it was very light. It’s interesting: Euphoria was the moonlight, Tattoo was the sunlight.” She was also asked if there should be a limit, like in the USA with presidential elections; no more than two times. “It’s all about creativity and about performing. It is about us creating something new. I don’t think there should be a limit on that.” Nails Loreen revealed something about her nails: “They are (although not completely) made of stone. I just wanted movement and they move a lot. So that you can see all the movement.” Being authentic Thomas G:son, one of the composers of the song, was pretty sure it was gonna win. “We filmed this while he said this”, someone from the delegation confirmed, so we have proof of that. Loreen however says something else about winning. “I think the key ingredient to any succes is being authentic. And to be a you should listen to yourself and get to know yourself.”

Sweden winner of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest

photo credits: EBU/Chloe Hashemi Sweden has won the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. Loreen managed to win the contest with “Tattoo”. The jury and the televoting audience disagreed this year: both had a clear winner. Sweden won with a landslide at the jury voting, while Finland did the same at the televoting. It is the second time that Loreen wins the Eurovision Song Contest. She first won it for Sweden in 2012 in Baku. Sweden now holds the record of most Eurovision victories alongside Ireland. “Thank you for this. This is for you!”, Loreen told the audience. Host Graham Norton reminds us that the next Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Sweden in the year of the 50 years anniversary of Abba’s victory. Here are the full results: Sweden, 583 Finland, 526 Israel, 362 Italy, 350 Norway, 268 Ukraine, 243 Belgium, 182 Estonia, 168 Australia, 151 Czechia, 129 Lithuania, 127 Cyprus, 126 Croatia, 123 Armenia, 122 Austria, 120 France, 104 Spain, 100 Moldova, 96 Poland, 93 Switzerland, 92 Slovenia, 78 Albania, 76 Portugal, 59 Serbia, 30 United Kingdom, 24 Germany, 18

Is Sweden in for the win?

Is Sweden in for the win? Your guess is as good as ours. Currently the bookmakers predict a 52% chance for Sweden to win the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. That would be their 7th victory. Currently Ireland holds the record, also with 7. But bookies are bookies, we have our own prediction. We agree with Sweden for the win, but here is our entire top-5: 1.Sweden – Loreen – Tattoo 2.Finland – Käärijä – Cha-cha-cha 3.France – La Zarra – Évidement 4.Israel – Noa Kirel – Unicorn 5.Austria – Teya and Salena – Who the hell is Edgar? But…. tonight, 01.00 CET, we know more!

Composer Wouter Hardy: not nervous tonight

Tonight the Dutchman Wouter Hardy, as composer of the Estonian entry Bridges, will participate for the 3rd time; and for the 3rd time for another country. Kofax Wouter co-wrote “Arcade” for Duncan Laurence. He was also responsible for “Tout l’univers”, the song Gjon’s Tears brought to Switzerland. But what else do we know him from? “I’ve played in bands, I’ve always been a pianist and a keyboardist. I’ve toured all over Europe, I’ve done Glastonbury. I opened for Robbie Williams. All of this was with Kofax, where I was band leader and keyboard player. And I have always played trumpet in orchestras and big bands. That’s where the classical influences come from,” explains Hardy. Arcade Back to the Eurovision Song Contest we come to “Arcade”. The composer says about this: “To win is absurd. Participation was already such that I thought: should we do this with Arcade? It had been there for quite a while. Then we were asked by Ilse Delange and yes, then you’re going to do it anyway. I thought: how can that work with such a song there? My association with the Eurovision Song Contest was circus and lots of dancing and fireworks. I think that’s exactly why it won; because it was so special. And I am very proud of that to this day, that it is something that I fully supported. Then I participated with Switzerland, which I also fully supported, and now again with Estonia. If not, I’m not going to do it.” Intimidated We can’t ignore it: on May 5th, an interview appeared in a Dutch newspaper in which Hardy explains how things went behind the scenes with Arcade at the time. Negotiations about rights didn’t go well. Hardy felt intimidated by Ilse Delange. When the votes came in, Hardy was not in the greenroom. “I do hope that it will result in people being more willing to speak out about such things. I hope that helped. I have lost my story and that is a relief.” Gjon’s Tears And then, two years later, cqme the adventure with Gjon’s Tears in Switzerland. “Gjon was supposed to participate in the Eurovision song contest in 2020. That was canceled, due to COVID19. So he had to have a new song, a new entry. Then he looked at who he could still work with. He was a big fan of “Arcade”, also thought that that was his sound. His references also really appealed to me, who passed them on, like Sam Smith, Hozier, Woodkid. When I read that I thought: okay that could be an interesting one, so I went to Zurich. That’s actually how it went. We subimtted that entry with some other songs and then we won. And in Rotterdam, that was quite special for me. In our own country but with a Swiss flag, that was a bit crazy, but that was cool”. To the toilet It was a close call for Gjon’s Tears to win. “I thought: we’re just going to do it again dude. And then Gjon said: I think we will get less points in the televoting. And he was rogjt, but I did think after the jury vote: now we’re just going to do it again. It’s very funny because we were drinking quite a lot in the greenroom, it was super fun. Then we finished at the top of the jury and then I said to Gjon: don’t drink too much because you might have to start singing if you win. Then he started drinking a lot of water. He really needed to go to the toilet, but that was not allowed. And then every time that camera came, then Gjon would sit so wide and when that camera was gone again with his legs squeezed. In the end we finished third and I am very happy with that. We also won the Marcel Besançon Award for best composition that year. Duncan sang “Arcade” and “Stars”, which I also made. That evening three songs and an award, so that’s very nice.” Estonia And then Estonia came along: “It was the same as Gjon. Alika has always wanted to do the Eurovision song contest, that was her dream. Then they put together a Spotify list of songs she likes. It had “Arcade”, and “Tout l’univers”. Then her manager texted me: “we’re going to work with you.” We worked together for two days and the second day was Bridges, there was no doubt about that after that. They didn’t go into the studio with other people after that and then we participated with Eesti Laul, the national final in Estonia. How is Wouter Hardy doing tonight, is he nervous? “No,” he says firmly. “No. I haven’t listened to any other song either. I just want to be surprised tonight. I’ve only heard Loreen, you can’t miss her. And the Netherlands of course, there is no other way. But no other songs. I’m not really nervous, I don’t have to do anything anymore. That’s great, my work is done. I can just grab a drink and listen.” Not nervous Hardy has some nice things to look forward to anyway. A new album is coming under the name HRDY. “That will be an album with instrumental songs but also featuring vocalists. I released some songs from my album. Those are songs with synthesizers, pianos, strings and so now I’m going to make songs with singers for the first time.”