More never than often I get the question: 'Dear Eurocovers, What's the best Norwegian entry ever?'Well, there's an easy answer, but it's not very nice to name a song that is decades old while the Norwegians have done their utmost best ever since with some amazing winners and fantastic plonkers. But for me it must be the 1966 song Intet Er Nytt Under Solen (Nothing is new under the sun) by Åse Kleveland. (YouTube)
It's a jazz-folky repetitive tune in the vein of Danish 1963 winner Dansevise and it clocks in at 1 minute 41 which of course adds to the fabulousness of the song. It has a chirpy sadness with gives it the Je Ne Sais Quoi (to coin a popular Icelandic phrase) that makes it the intriguing classic it still is.
Åse Kleveland ended 3rd at the contest, a result Norway didn't come close to anymore for almost 20 years.
She went on to host the 1986 Eurovision Song Contest in Bergen and was the Minister of Culture in the Norwegian government from 1990 to 1996.
Åse Kleveland recorded the song in Norwegian, Swedish and German and I know of just a handfull of coverversions (see the full list below)
She also recorded the 1967 smash L'Amour Est Bleu, Love Is Blue on single
Blå, Blå, Min Kjærlighed ♫ (Polydor NH 66 814, 1968)
Intet Er Nytt Under Solen
Originals and Eurocovers Discography
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Intet Er Nytt Under Solen (norwegian) - Åse Kleveland
- on 7" (Polydor NH 66774)
Alles War Schon Einmal Da (german) - Åse Kleveland
- on 7" (Germany: Polydor 59 040)
Intet Är Nytt Under Solen (swedish) - Åse Kleveland
on 7" (Sweden: Polydor NH 59713)
Inter Er Nytt Under Solen - Grynet Molvig
- on 7" (Triola 434) Grynets version is only 1 minute, 32 seconds long!
- coverversions -
Janh Teigen Experience (norwegian)
- on cdsingle Are you Teigened? (AMI 866038)
The Janh Teigen Experience does not involve any real Jahn Teigen involvement. Their Are You Teigened? cdsingle includes three other Eurocovers A Ba Ni Bi (Israel 1968), Vi Gratulerer (U.K. 1968) and Jengis Khan (Germany 1979). Their Intet… is a fantastic bit of hypno-rock, what ever happened to them?
Pitsj (Acapella femtet, norwegian)
- on CD Pitsj from 2006 (Grappa 2006)
---Pitsj Website & MySpace. (MySpace has their Voi Voi)
The Vineyards (norwegian)
- new digital release, see below Norwegian digi 2010, on album later
Oscillate? (norwegian)
- on cd EP Sønbreak (2002)
Jette Ziegler (danish)
- Intet Nyt Under Solen on 7" (Life NP 1533)
I like to think there are more coverversions, do you know any that's not mentioned here?
Intet Er Nytt Under Solen also happens to be the new single of noisy Norwegian Guitar wielding alternative rock band The Vineyards and the digital release is this week.
Their version with bluesy space twang guitars and some staple groovy 60s organs is very 2010 and recommended listening to any music adept.
Go on, have a listen to the song at the Vineyards website or MySpace. You won't be disappointed.
Wot! No Sha La Lie?
The Puma Hardchorus European Song Contest.
There's always some smug grumpies inventing an alternative contest in the Eurovision weeks because they think Eurovision is crap but this years Puma Hardchorus European Song Contest is something different.
Golden voiced friendly football supporters from four countries give the Eurovision songs of their country the Wiener Sängerknaben makeover. Two even have a go at their 2010 entry.
Eurovision relic Terry Wogan introduces the competition of which you can find the clips at the Puma Youtube channel and you can vote until May 29.
1982 Germany - Ein Bisschen Frieden
1997 Italy - Fiumi Di Parole
2010 France - Allez Ola Olé. The best one of the lot!
2010 U.K. - That Sounds Good To Me
There's another one, but it doesn't seem to be in the competition.
2008 Ukraine - Shady Lady has an appearance by the original singer Ani Lorak.
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