Sunday, November 12, 2006

Grethe & Jörgen present the Winners & Losers....

In 1967 Danish Eurovision winners Grethe and Jörgen Ingmann recorded an LP full of Eurovision classics titled 'Winners and losers from European television song contests'

The LP features 11 coverversions (in English) of Eurovision songs plus a new recording of their own 1963 winner Dansevise (I loved you).

Even though it's never a good idea to have the word Losers in your album title, this is a lovely LP with smooth interpretations which has never been rivalled by any other coverversions project since.
Mixing Jörgen Ingmanns guitar magic with the laid back jazzy vocals of Grethe, they hardly ever stick close to the original versions of the songs.
The LP is a bit remeniscent of Julie Jondon's 'Julie Is Her Name' album, but with better songs of course.

Stand out tracks:
So near, yet so far, originally by Monica Zetterlund, which in any other universe is one of the greatest vocal jazz classics ever written.
Que bueno, que bueno in which the fiery Flamenco is exchanged for a gipsy guitar flavoured bossa rhythm.


Side 1
I love the little things
Only tears are left for me (Ce soir je t'attendais)
Without words (Brez besed)
Que Bueno, Que Bueno
Walking the streets in the rain
Absent minded (Uh, jeg ville önske jeg var dig)

Side 2
This is my prayer (Non ho l'eta)
We, who are in love (Nous les amoureux)
Merci Cherie
So near, yet so far (En gång I Stockholm)
Mallory (Le chant de Mallory)
I loved you (Dansevise)


It's not an easy to find LP and an official CD re-issue (with bonus tracks please) is long overdue.

Winners and losers from European television song contests
Grethe and Jörgen Ingmann
(Metronome MLP 15.267, Germany)

6 comments:

nick-motown said...

wow, this is cool! i knew "absent minded" and "i loved you" - but i didn't know about this album. and they did "que bueno"?!?!
although i strongly doubt they can top conchita bautista's hysteric madness i'll download it.

i also put a link to your site on my blog. i hope you don't mind i'll be doing several eurovision posting in the future. but mine will stop in 1969 as i'm not really interested in the current stuff.
so i guess there won't be too much of a competition ;-)

Torben Bille said...

Great to have this musical gem unearthed. The LP was never officially released. Jørgen Ingmann insisted that it was withdrawn before it reached the shops. He was not satisfied with the result. So it is very rare, indeed...

Eurocovers said...

Thanks for your comment!.
I didn't realise it was such a rarity. (I made a CD and gave the LP away some years ago....)
What is causing the sudden interest in this now? It's all of a sudden the most visited page at Eurocovers.

Kristensen said...

- it has just been mentioned in weekly newspaper Weekend Avisen yesterday in Denmark, and it is a very rare gem, you have got there - though i cannot open the ziparchive password can be found where?

if such and album existed it must be worth a fortune pal!!!!

Kristensen said...

If you have had such an album it must worth a fortune, i don't think manny made it, if anymore than the one you did have?

It was mentioned in this weeks newspaper weekend avisen in Denmark friday, so yes that is why, a lot of people here wants that album now!

But i need password to open this ziparchive, where to find, thanx pal!

gerolsteiner

Anonymous said...

I have this LP. How much is it worth?