Udo Jürgens 1934 - 2014

Rest In Peace.

Some moody Finnish music for the winter.

Lovely new version of the first ever Finnish entry, still a classic at home.
And a new classic in the making: a Finnish version of Dutch 2014 entry Calm After The Storm

R.I.P John Holt

Jamaican singer John Holt passed away October 19, aged 67.
Here's an audio of his coverversion of Warum Nur Warum by Udo Jürgens (Austria's entry of 1964), maybe better known as Walk Away made famous by Matt Monro.

Holt also recorded Sandie's Puppet On A String.

John Holt had several hits with coverversions of other peoples songs, but his biggest claim to fame probably is The Tide Is High which Holt wrote and recorded with his band The Paragons. The song was covered by Blondie and by Atomic Kitten who both took it to the Number 1 spot of the U.K. charts.

Polle & Myrthe - Calm after the storm

The Kids Are Alright!. Here's Polle and Myrthe doing a younger version of the Common Linnets' Eurovision hit Calm After The Storm.

Junior fans may know Polle from his 2011 participation in the Dutch preselection for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. His Music In My Heart stranded in the first semi.

It was an unexpected pleasure to see the Netherlands end the runner up at the Copenhagen contest, but the commercial success of Calm After The Storm is even more surprising. The song went top 10 in many countries' charts and is still in the top 10 in Germany and Austria (August 2014).
It was also the first ever #1 hit for a Dutch entry in the Belgian (Flemish) charts.

Find out more about Calm After The Storm, the chart history, the cdsingles, versions and the acclaimed hit album The Common Linnets here at the Copenhagen Collection

More Calm After The Storm coverversions

Zuwer Scheerwol - Pien In Mien Haart (Pain In My Heart, sung in Gronings,Dutch regional language)

- on CD Doalders (2015, Amlow records 0150028)

Lisa del Bo and Eli  - Stilte na de storm (Flemish)

- on CD Voor Een Moeder, Door Een Moeder (APR Works 217)

Howard Carpendale (English, live)
- on CD Das ist unsere Zeit - Live aus Berlin

Sonja Maria (English)
- on CD Last Chance Texaco 
Uwe Müller (English)
- on CD Ein Weihnachtstraum von Uwe Müller 2017 Live!

Josh Oudendijk (English)

- on CD Nylon

Peter Simon Company (English)
- on CD Harvest
Urban Beach (English)

- on CD Urban Vibes-Live in Hamburg

Gab Veläzques (English)

- on CD The Remixes (Ethernal works)

Asher Quinn (English)

- on CD Sun, Sorrow, Flowers, Moon

Ben Ransom (English)
- on digital album Ben Ransom Live
Erica from Drifters and Andreas from Sannex  - Lugn Efter En Storm (Swedish)

- on CD Blå blå Känslor (Drifters)   (Neptun Records)

Tommi Soidinmäki ja Saija Tuupanen - Myrskyn Jälkeen Kirkastuu (Finnish)

- digital release (Magnum music)
Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir (Sylvia Night) & Magni Ásgeirs - Þegar storminn hefur lægt (Icelandic)

- digital release (Magnaðir ehf, 2018)
Frankie Zhyrnov a Lenka Ambrožová (Violin + Saxophone instrumental)

- on CD Memory

Cheap xerox versions under different names like The Campfires, Mix factor, MC Flipside, New Tribute Kings, Clara Oaks, Cream Cuts etc. also exist but are crap.

Polle FB, at KidsTop20 and Youtube channel.

Eisenhauer - One For Me

cdsingle

Above video is a coverversion of the Hungarian 2013 entry Kedvesem by ByeAlex

It's sung in English by Eisenhauer and is titled One For Me.

The track wass released in May 2014 in Germany. The cdsingle includes four versions of the song.

One For Me - single version

One For Me - Thomas Lizzara mix

One For Me - "One Love" remix

One For Me - Karaoke

Out on Rhingtön (Universal Music), also available at your usual digital outlets.

Kedvesem ended 10th in the final in Malmö.
Read all about the original song and its versions here at the Malmö Collection.
For a coverversion by Swedish Eurovision singer Jan Johansen go here at Eurocovers.

Special thanks to Ivor Lyttle.

2014 My Słowianie - Metal And Muscles

Polish 2014 Eurovision stars Donatan Cleo and their Slavic Girls brought you Boobs, and the viewing rates for the contest went up by 15.000.000. But what do real men love even more than Boobs? Yes, Metal, Full Growl Metal to be more specific.

My Słowianie, this years 'The Song That Keeps On Giving' is covered in this amazing version by Sławek Wyłup and Mateusz Trojak in the clip above. 
And if the growling vocals are too much for you, you can also listen to the Metal version mixed with Cleo's vocals. (Here at Youtube)

There's more Slavic fun to be had, V-Unit, Polish hip-hop rappers, have recorded a 'parody' (Youtube here also has a free download link). It deals with a whole other set of prejudices than the Donatan Cleo version, involving testosteron and stealing wallets. And instead of boobs there's muscles, very big muscles.

The V-Unit track was also remixed as My Słowianie (Odpowiedź mężczyzn) and that one is released on their CD Bękarty Internetuon (also on Spotify).

V-Unit facebook

A rock'n'roll version of My Słowianie was recorded by Late Again. I don't know if it has been released officially, but here's a Youtube of the studioversion. Nice.

Late Again facebook

There are many more parodies of My Słowianie. Here's one with some Polish firefighters already clocking over 2.000.000 views.

Donatan (and) Cleo have recorded quite a few fab versions and remixes in Polish and English themselves. You can find out all about these here at the Copenhagen Collection.

And if anyone has a copy of the Donatan Cleo cd single to spare / sell, think of me, My life is not complete without it.

LA LA LA - NALVA AGUIAR

Brazil singer Nalva Aguiar sings the Spanish 1968 winner, to cheer up the Spanish side.
Originally from a 1968 Carnaval LP Carnaval de Picaretagem. (Various artists)
Picture from / find out more on the LP at Sintonia Musikal

Sintonia Musikal are also showcasing some cool World Cup LP's (like LP's with WC goals on them!) and other history bits.
Also several albums with Eurocovers like
Claudia Barroso, Pop-5, Cauby Peixoto

A website that'll keep you busy until the next game.
Also check out the commentarios.

Some Eurocovers posts featuring stars from Brazil.
Bossavision, Perla, Fabulosa Leny Eversong, Year Of The Puppet: Brasil

Releases: Eurovisjonen EP, Aldri I Livet and Country Is The New Eurovision

Eurovisjonen EP is an EP with three coverversions of Norwegian Eurovision entries and a song from an ancient Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix.
It's chirpy fun rock, but not really loud.

Tracks:
1. Aldri I Livet
- Finn Kalviks 1981 entry that got zero poing. Agnetha and Frida sing on the original studio version you know, and Benny tinkles the ivories.
2. Voi Voi 
- Noways first ever Eurovision entry / classic from 1960. Originally by Nora Brockstedt.
3. Du Ber Meg Om Evighet
- 5th in the 1983 Norwegian national selection for Nyssa Nyberget.
4. Do Re Mi
- Norwegians Prince Of Eurovision Jahn Teigen managed to make it to #9 with third and last Eurovision entry.

The Eurovisjonen EP is part of a project involving students of the Nordic Institute of Stage and Sound and EP's. I can pretend I know all about it, but I don't.
Norwegians (and others??) can buy the digital EP at Klicktrack
The EP is on also Spotify, so you can have a listen for yourself.
You can find Nora Brocksteds full Eurovision and Eurocovers Discography here at Eurocovers

Aldri I Livet Again
Another new version of the ill fated Finn Kalvik song was recorded by Kjell Inge Torgersen.
It's the first single of a various artist project  Kom Ut Kom Fram, covering Finn Kalvik songs.
The digital single is out now through DaWorks.

Kjell Inge Torgersen website



Haba Haba
Here's one that's a little bit older, but worth mentioning. Another Norwegian entry that enjoys an interesting cover is Stella Mwangi's Haba Haba. It crashed in Eurovision but that didn't stop South Africa's Country boys Die Campbells recording the song.
Haba Haba found its way to their Greatest Hits double CD Grootste Platinum Treffers (Biggest Platinum Hits) as one of four new tracks. The album was released in 2011. Listen here to Haba Haba.
Oh, and Country is the new Eurovision, with hats'n'all.

The album is available through iTunes, as are most of their 15 or so albums. The CD's are available at Kalahari.
Die Campbells Website

I Didn't Know That: Please Speak To Me Of Love

Pic nicked from the Bay

Please Speak To Me Of Love is the English version of Hablemos Del Amor, the 1967 Eurovision entry for Spain by Raphael.
The lyrics to the English version were written by Tony Hiller (I didn't know that), the man who gave us Save Your Kisses For Me (U.K. 1976) and a couple of hundred other Brotherhood Of Man songs.

The clip above is an audio of the coverversion by Earl Wilson Jr., there's also Raphaels own English version on Tony Hillers Youtube.
Earl Wilson Jr.'s version was released in 1968 on the LP This Is. Earl Wilson Jr. (Mercury SR 61147)

Another version of Please Speak To Me Of Love was recorded by the Dutch band Sparklings fronted by 1973's Dutch Eurovision singer Ben Cramer. (on LP ...... And The Sparklings (Kritos 130046, 1967) See discogs entry here)

Tony Hiller Website
New Yorker Earl Wilson Jr. from works as a composer / lyricist of musicals.
There's a good bio here at Don Cornell (it's a PDF file).
Earl Wilson Jr. Website
Raphael Website

Austria wins Eurovision 2014! Conchita Wurst Rises.

But I guess you already know that. Congratulations to Austria for their second Eurovision victory (after almost 50 years). And Congratulations to Unstoppable Conchita Wurst.

Will There Be A CDsingle of Rise Like A Phoenix?
What about the Common Linnets Album?
Beard Yes, Moustache No? Why?

The fully updated pages on the 2014 artists and songs can be found at the Copenhagen Collection.
We'll keep on following new releases, charts success, upcoming albums and more on all the satrs that made Copenhagen Eurovision.

Mona Ersare - Blundar Nu

Here's a new Swedish coverversion of Kedvesem, last years Hungarian entry by ByeAlex.

The singer is Mona Ersare. The track will be out on your digital stores and streamers soon.



Hungary in Copenhagen

CPH 2014: Another coverversion of that fab Danish Ditty

I posted this 5 years ago (here), but since it's Copenhagen week it won't hurt to give this wonderful coverversion some webtime again. Something special about it, the spaced out tribal rhythms, the eery vocals, I don't know, just love it. Jazzbox is Per Ebdrup and he named this track Dancing Ditty.

The Jazzbox EP, Pigeon At The Disco, with two versions of Dancing Ditty, is still available at here iTunes.
He also has his Face on the book.

The Dutch Meet The Danish - Dansevise by Streetorgan De Turk

Dansevise is the Danish Eurovision winner from 1963 that became an evergreen even outside the Danish borders.
The song by Grethe and Jörgen Ingmann has survived over 40 years and I hope there will be a place for it in the 2014 Copenhagen contest. Here's Dutch organ De Turk playing the song in the streets.

List of Dansevises
Listfans: The Dansevise Document is here. It includes details on the versions of the song recorded by the Ingmanns and also a list of 85 coverversions of the song with release details. It's a word doc and uploaded with 4shared. If you can't use 4shared, just send an e-mail.

Big thanks to the filmer / YT uploader of the wonderful 'draaiorgel' clip.
More Dansevise at Eurocovers
Check out The Copenhagen Collection for all the releases, CDs, versions, charts and other goings on of the 2014 Eurovision hopefuls. ---

Happy ABBA Day!

Waterloo picture sleeve from Austria

It was 40 years ago today, ABBA won the Brighton Eurovision with Waterloo.
Four decades on ABBA's music is as relevant as ever.

1983 picture disc
 with French and German versions

ABBA - Waterloo 40 - releases.

We all have the songs, bought them several times on singles, LP's and CDs, but still the host of festive releases celebrating the 40 years of Waterloo are making me greedy.

Sadly there is no unreleased material included and of course the ABBAs have enough money, but I might just buy one or two items to celebrate.

Here's a few that might tickle your fancy.

Picture Disc

- A 7" inch picture disc with Waterloo in Swedish and English will be released on April 6 in Sweden. A similar issue will be released in other countries to celebrate Record Store Day (April 19)

Update: My Shiny Waterloo Picture Disc has arrived # 0701/7000

Netherlands sleeve

Waterloo: The Album
- April 6 is also the release date of the special edition of the Waterloo album. It will include 8 bonus tracks including all the versions of Waterloo that were ever released. Also the US and UK remixes of Ring Ring are included.

The set comes with a DVD featuring several TV performances including the two Eurovision versions, two MF versions, the preview version and two TOTP performances of Waterloo.

The infamous Finnish caviar sleeve

40 singles box
- If you really want to splash out there is a box with 40 vinyl 7 inch singles out on the 5th of May.

Next to the 31 singles that were originally released in Sweden there are 9 international singles including the German and French Waterloo’s, Spanish language Chiquitita and I Have A Dream, When All Is Said And Done (as released in Australia) and Lay All Your Love On Me, originally released on 12 inch maxi.

Yugoslavia

The sleeve and label of each single in the box set are exact replicas of the original issues. 
Only the 9 singles not originally released by Polar Music have been given new Polar labels, corresponding to the design used by Polar during the era when each single was released.

It's a severely limited edition, although no numbers are specified.

Retails at a mere € 220,- to 300, -. 
See full track list below.

ABBA Gold Superdeluxe
- April 6 also sees a 3 disc edition of ABBA Gold, featuring the original ABBA Gold and More Gold CDs plus a third disc with tracks that have appeared as b-sides to the various single releases. 59 tracks in all, but maybe the least interesting release of the bunch.

ABBA 40/40 Japan

ABBA's career in Japan, like many western popstars' was at least patchy. Some of the big international hits didn't do very well, while some others, some Japan only singles were more successful.
Björn and Benny also has some success in Japan before the girls were ven mentioned. She's My Kind Of Girl and Love Has It's Ways were hits in various Japanese charts in 1972. It resulted in the release of some very early ABBA singles like I Am Just A Girl and Another Town Another Train.
In Japan the Anniversary Of The Year is celebrated with a 2CD ABBA 40/40 with 40 songs selected by Japanese fans in a survey held last year. Out since March 26. Some surprising choices there, Tiger, Our Last Summer, Hey Hey Helen, Move On, but the pre-Ring Ring oldies are not included.

25th anniversary CD-EP

The 40 Singles Box includes

1. People Need Love / Merry-Go-Round

2. He Is Your Brother / Santa Rosa

3. Ring Ring Swedish Version / Åh, vilka tider

4. Ring Ring English Version / She's My Kind of Girl

5. Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Isn't Hard Enough) / I Am Just A Girl

6. Ring Ring German Version / Wer Im Wartesaal der Liebe steht

7. Waterloo Swedish Version / Honey, Honey Swedish Version

8. Waterloo English Version / Watch Out

9. Waterloo German Version / Watch Out

10. Waterloo French Version / Gonna Sing You My Lovesong

Australia EP

11. Honey, Honey / King Kong Song

12. Honey, Honey German Version / Ring Ring (remix)

13. So Long / I've Been Waiting For You

14. I Do, I Do, I Do / Rock me

15. S.O.S / Man In The Middle

16. Mamma Mia / Intermezzo No.1

17. Fernando / Hey, hey Helen

18. Dancing Queen / That's Me

19. Money, Money, Money / Crazy World

20. Knowing Me, Knowing You / Happy Hawaii

21. The Name Of The Game / I Wonder (Departure)

U.K. promo EP

22. Take A Chance On Me / I'm A Marionette

23. Eagle / Thank You For The Music

24. Summer Night City / Medley: Pick A Bale of Cotton-On Top of.

25. Chiquitita / Lovelight

26. Chiquitita Spanish Version / Lovelight

27. Does Your Mother Know / Kisses of Fire

28. Voulez-Vous / Angel eyes

29. Estoy Sonando / Does Your Mother Know

30. Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight) / The King Has Lost His Crown

South Africa

31. I Have A Dream / Take A Chance On Me (live)

32. The Winner Takes It All / Elaine

33. Super Trouper / The Piper

34. Happy New Year / Andante, Andante

35. Lay All Your Love On Me / On And On And On

36. One Of Us / Should I Laugh Or Cry

37. Head Over Heels / The Visitors

38. When All Is Said And Done / Soldiers

39. The Day Before You Came / Cassandra

40. Under Attack / You Owe Me One

Thanks to Jean-François and to Fernando. 
Parts of this article have been featured previously on our facebook page

Japan Anniversary 2CD

Freaky Fortune Ft.Riskykidd - Eurovision Medley

CPH 2014, Freaky Fortune and Riskykidd are ready to go and up for it. They're in Eurovision mood with this well produced medley of (most) Eurovision winners of the modern era, from 2004 and on.
That's the spirit!

The guys represent Greece this year with their upbeat dance tune Rise Up!, one of my faves.
Find out all about that one here at The Copenhagen Collection.

Kiken Kuntojumppa: Finnish Fitness with Kike Elomaa

Picture from Discogs

Eurocovers don't come much stranger than this. Kike Elomaa is a world champion bodybuilder who won many body building contests in the early 80's. For 20 years she was the only non American woman to win MS. Olympia, so there!

On this 1984 cassette Kiken Kuntojumppa (Kike's Fitness Gym) Kike instructs us to get fit in Finnish to the tune of Diggi Loo Diggi Ley (clip below) and Lady Lady, the Swedish and Spanish Eurovision entries of the same year.

The recordings of the songs are the anonymous coverversions that were released on Eurovision cover albums. under several names like Honolulu Dance Band and Eddy Starr Orchestra.

Later on Kike went on to sing instead of instruct and in 1995 she recorded a Finnish coverversion of Un Banc, Un Arbre, Une Rue (Penkki, Puu Ja Puistotie in Finnish) on her CD Kike Elomaa.

She released a few albums and singles, but she never came close to the success she had as a bodybuilder.

In 2012 her 1985 album Hymykuopat was re-issued on CD with the recordings from above work-out cassette as bonus tracks. (Rocket Records)Currently she's in the Finnish parliament for some tradional values right wing political party, the less said the better, funny how things can turn from fab to drab.

I nicked some details about Kike Elomaa at her Wiki page and her Discogs. 

Even Horses Love ABBA

ABBA cover albums come in all tastes and flavors. Until now the daftest one was Babies Go ABBA, music to make your little one sleep. But now we have ABBA re-recorded for your equestrian friends. 

Championed by Isabell Werth (who is someone very important in the dressage world), an album full of ABBA covers (instrumentals) was released in Januari to use for horse ballet. You've seen it at the Olympics.

The performing artist is Richard Rossbach who has released many dressage albums.

There are some clips at Amazon

Recently André Rieu and his orchestra released an album full of hits by the Swedish foursome. More ABBA related Eurocovers posts are here.

Eurosong 2014: Petra - All Kinds Of Everything (Dana)

Lovely Petra has a go at All Kinds Of Everything, Dana's 1970 winner for Ireland. This clip is a longer version than the one in the Eurosong castings, which Petra sailed through.

Now go get her a perfect song and all is in the bag.

2014 Eurovision
Meanwhile, the 2014 Eurovision releases will be followed rigorously at the Copenhagen Collection.
Every year since 2009, all releases, versions, chart successes and other important trivia is presented to you by yours truly and all the people who have contributed via the medium of blog.
So you just need one stop to find out if your favorite entry was also recorded in Russian or French, was a #1 hit in Sweden or got some fierce remix makeovers.
And of course you'll find details on the odd coverversion too.
Here are the links to your unmissable archives:
2014 The Copenhagen Collection
2013 The Malmö Collection
2012 The Baku Collection
2011 The Düsseldorf Collection
2010 The Oslo Collection
2009 The Moscow Collection