Amanda Tenfjord - Arcade (Duncan Laurence Cover)

Amanda Georgiadis Tenfjord, the singer of this year's Greek entry releases her acoustic version of the Dutch 2019 winner Arcade by Duncan Laurence.

Available now on all platforms and digitessen

Read all about Amanda's own song Die Together here at La Collezione Torino.

And the Tel Aviv collection has the remarkable history of Arcade here.

Happy Eurovision 2022!

La Collezione Torino
The Turin Collection

The History Book Of My Soul with The Kik.

Rotterdam band The Kik released their Eurovision album The Kik Hertaalt Eurovisie. And it has that wonderful vintage Eurovision logo we all know and love and miss.

I don't know how to translate "Hertaalt", something like re-translates, but it's not really translating. The songs get a new set of lyrics, in Dutch, and the band's lyricist Dave von Raven proves he's a master at that. Some are funny, some are moving but all are clever. Dave has a way with words not often heard in current Dutch popular music.

Of course the album is more interesting for people who have a grasp of the Dutch language but the music is not to be underrated either. Some Rock'n'Roll, some Surf, with a smidge of violin or accordeon here and there. The romantic Latin gipsy flavours of Diva fit the song beautifully.

The 12 track CD/LP features 10 Eurovision classics and two instrumentals. It's out now on CD, LP and digital in all Dutch shops that sell good music. 
Their record company Excelsior records  and Northend appear to sell internationally.

1.   Eurovisie Twist '22 - instrumental

- Our Eurovision hymn in a Telstar  instrumental style.
2. Waterloo

- ABBA's 1974 winner was the first track released last year in Rotterdam Eurovision week. I remember being stunned by the lyric-smithery of this straight away.
3. Rotterdam 

- Originally Amsterdam by Maggie MacNeal (Netherlands 1980). They mention the war!

4. Stilte Na De Storm

- The Common Linnets Calm After The Storm has my favorite teary line roughly translating as "No-one sits besides me (in the car) but I say something to them anyway." (sorry, doesn't have the punch (or The Kik) translating it)
5. Binnenkort (Soon)

- Making Your Mind Up (Bucks Fizz,  UK1981) has some self censoring bleeps and that may not stay funny. 

The uncensored version was released on the single in 2021 (digital) but is not on the CD.
6. Een Avond Met Jou (A night with you)

- All Kinds Of Everything (Ireland 1970 by Dana) is sort of funny painful. All today's miseries from global warming and famine to Corona lockdowns and traffic jams are all more fun than...... And even a popular (personal pet hate) band gets a read.
7. Poupée De Cire, Poupée De Son - instrumental

- I know it's one of their favourite Eurovision tunes, maybe that's why they didn't dare to give the song a new set of lyrics.

8. 't Is Toch Vreemd (Yet, it is strange)

- Dansevise, originally by Grethe & Jörgen Ingmann (Denmark 1963). It is such a romantic melody and the new Dutch words fit perfectly.
9. Tring Tring

- ABBA's 1973 pre-song didn't make it to Eurovision but has a firm place in the History Book On The Shelf. The Kik know that. Highlight.
10. Een Beetje (A little bit)

- The second Dutch winner from 1959 by Teddy Scholten is about booze.
11. Diva

- Wonderful lyrics again, might as well be about the journey of the original singer Dana International (Israel 1998). Highlight
12. Waar Blijft De Tijd? (Where does time go)

- Non Ho L'Eta by Gigliola Cinquetti, Italy's 1964 winner. It's about time and where it goes when we're done with it.

 

Jody Wayne - Are You Sure

2022: Today I heard of the passing of South African music legend Jody Wayne. 

So for the last time his post, the most visited ever on Eurocovers, is moved to the top. Rest In Peace.

2019: This 2011 post about Jody Wayne is by far the most visited at your Eurocovers blog. Now a kind YouTuber has uploaded the song, so you can enjoy it again. (scroll down a bit)

This coverversion of the 1961 U.K. entry Are You Sure is in the list of coverversions from South Africa. But that’s just because it was recorded when the singer, Jody Wayne lived there.

He’s a bit of a global person, our Jody. He was born in Bangalore, India from Canadian parents. He moved to England at three and to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) at 5, Back to England at 10 and back to Rhodesia where he formed the Diamonds with Mike Shannon.
He starred in theatre productions in London as a child actor (Cinderella) and a member of The Grashoppers.

A move to South Africa was followed by TV jobs as an actor and behind the scenes.
It sounds a bit like a Motown story, but it was while singing while he was working, Jody was discovered by his TV boss. Little Joe and the Travellers were born and they had their own TV show for two years.

After winning the Durban Song Festival with A Voice In The Dark (his first single) he scored his first hit with Tell Laura I Love Her.

Are You Sure was Jody’s third single in 1966 (PYE records PY 67) and many would follow, including # 1 hits like Patches, Sixteen Candles and The Wedding.
Are You Sure can also be found on the LP Jody (South Africa PYE PL 2074) and the LP  It's Me Again from 1988.
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“This song is off the compilation album "Record Express Dance Party", released in 1966. It's a cover of a song by The Allisons from 1961. Record Express was a monthly teenage magazine published in South Africa in the 1960s.” - Quote from YouTube entry

Jody Wayne released nine studio albums and about 20 singles. He also played Joseph in a 1975 production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

From the 70’s on he focussed more on songwriting and producing other artists' records.

Jody Wayne’s most recent project is the Smokie Jo tour and album. It’s a tribute to 70’s band Smokie, known from international hits like Living Next Door To Alice, Lay Back In The Arms Of Someone and Oh Carol.

Jody Wayne’s Smokie Jo album features hits of Smokie and some of his own platinum selling hits (Regala records 2009 on CD and DVD)

Two CDs have been issued featuring many of Jody Wayne’s older recordings. The Heart And Soul Of Jody Wayne and Send Me Some Loving. But neither has Are You Sure.

You can find more about 1961 U.K.  Eurovision entry and world wide hit Are You Sure in the Eurocovers post Team GB.
Update: Colin Day (a.k.a. Bob Allison) has passed away, read more here at Eurovers

Any corrections, additions and comments are of course very welcome.

Links and sources:
Keurspel YouTube
Jody Wayne Facebook 

Rock Co Za - The South African Rock Encyclopedia 

LOLA DUTRONIC "Get Us To The Eurovision" (Official Lyric Video)

I love Lola Dutronic. Lola Dutronic Love Eurovision. (But Uzbekistan?)

The new single "Get Us To The Eurovision" is available now at Lola Dutronic's Bandcamp. Go get it now.

https://loladutronic.bandcamp.com/music

You may remember we did a bit about Lola Dutronic and their Love Is Blue some time ago. You can still find that here.

La Collezione Torino

(Eurovision 2022)

is here now!