More Volumes: Play It Again and Again Nicki! updated

not the real LP yet, image taken from Energise

What's a Eurovision season without Nicki French?.

Exactly.

It's 2023 and our Nicki is giving us her new album, or rather Celebration, the imaginatively titled Eurovision. 

Collecting several tracks we already know from her EP's and a few new ones, Eurovision will be released on CD and Yes Vinyl.

Vinyl is limited to 100 copies and expected in September (darn those vinyl production traffic jams) 

The CD is expected on May 10.

Check out Energise music for ordering. 

But if you can't wait until your hardcopy arrives, your favourite digitals already have it.

Here's the tracklist for the CD and digital release.
1. Dont Play That Song Again 2015 Matt Pop edit
2. One Step Further
3. Love Games
4. My Star
5. Too Late For Love
6. Go (Before You Break My Heart) (Ballad Mix)
7. You Are The Only One
8. Ding A Dong
9. I'm Never Giving Up
10. Shine
11. Hold Me Now
12. Tonight Again (Pete Ware Mix)
13. Don't Play That Song Again (Candlelight Mix)
14. One Step Further (Matt Pop Extended Remix)
15. Love Games (Matt Pop Extended Remix)
16. You Are The Only One (Project K's Melodrama Remix)
17. Ding A Dong - Pete Ware Simply Divine Mix 

I'm a bit busy/lazy so: Below is the Nicki French article from May 17, 2021 when her Let's Play That Song Again EP was released. I moved it up. Yay!. 

Also check out her 2019 EP here and here's the post on her 2015 EP.

Eurovision 2023: The Liverpool Collection

Volumes: Play It Again and Again Nicki!

Nicki French, you either love her or adore her. But I have a confession to make. When Don't Play That Song Again won A Song For Europe I was not immediately bowled over. Sorry Nicki. 

I was there on that 13th of May in Stockholm and saw Nicki give it her all and from that moment I began to see the light. 

And today I love it to bits. Also because it's an excellent example of clever songsmithery by John Springate and Gerry Shepherd.

Fast Foward to 2021:

Let's Play That Song Again Vol. 2 is the third Nicki French EP (or mini album as they call it now) offering a number of Eurovision Coverversions (Nicki loves Eurovision) that also includes new versions of Don't Play.. (see below)

The Tracks:

1. I’m Never Giving Up (Matt Pop Radio Edit)
2. Shine (Pete’s Shine Like a Star Mix)
3. Eurovision Mini-Medley
4. Don’t Play That Song Again (Candlelight Mix)
5. I’m Never Giving Up (Matt Pop Dream Sweet Club Mix)
6. Shine (Pete’s Shine Like the Sun Mix)
7. Don’t Play That Song Again (New Extended Version)
8. Eurovision Mega Medley

the original cdsingle

The two versions of Nicki's own Eurovision tune are new versions making the total of versions a nice round 11 (afaik). Whatever will be next, a French version?

Shine is one of the most used titles in Eurovision and Nicki opts for the Russian entry of 2014 by the Tolmachevy Sisters. A bit random maybe, since she also recorded a Russian entry on the 2019 EP.

I'm Never Giving Up is the U.K. entry of 1983, originally by Sweet Dreams.

Now if someone could only convince Nicki to record Boum Bada Boum by Minouche Barelli for her next Eurovision release.

Let's Play That Song Again Vol. 2 is available at Energise Records on CD and as digital download. Or if you're poor, it's also at your regular streamers.

Volume 0 and Volume 1

Eurocovers has featured the other Nicki French Eurovision EP's back in 2015 and 2019. 

(If you click the pictures you'll go to the original Eurocovers posts) They are still available at Energise records.

Don't Play That Song Again from the Eurovision Collectors Guide.

(click to enlarge)

Have I missed any?, please let me know.

Links and sources

Nicki French website and FB
Energise Records website and FB

Eurovision Collectors Guide FB

Dario Campeotto 1939-2023

Dario Campeotto passed away on the 1st of April at the age of 84. 

Below is the post about his romantic Eurovision classic Angelique from 2010.

Let's take a short trip back to 1961. The 6th Eurovision song contest was held in Cannes, France. A record breaking 16 countries were present and the contest was won by Luxembourg. They hired French singer Jean Claude Pascal to do the job and his Nous Les Amoureux was the first of five Luxembourg victories.
But it's another song I want to rant about a bit here, as several versions have been frequenting my playlists recently.

Angelique
Angelique, written by Aksel V. Rasmussen, was the Danish entry. Danish Italian Dario Campeotto performed it and ended 5th.
Campeotto recorded the song in Danish, Italian and French and 40 years later also in English.
Angelique is one of the Danish entries that became an evergreen at home but also inspired a few international stars to record the song.

The song was covered in at least 10 languages with an Estonian version by Kalmer Tennosaar probably being the most exotic.
1958 Eurovision winner André Claveau recorded the song in French for his EP Les Amoureux De Minuit (Pathé Marconi EG 557).
Dario Campeotto himself recorded coverversions of several Italian entries Volare (1958), Piove (1959), Romantica (1960), Al Di Là (1961) and Uno Per Tutte (1963).

Brasil
I know of two Portuguese versions recorded in Brasil which were both originally released on good old 78 RPM discs.
Brasil had 78RPMs until the mid sixties and a few more will be featured here at Eurocovers soon.

João Dias - Angélica
- on 78rpm Transformação (Odeon 14757)

Carlos Gonzaga - Angélica
- on 78rpm (RCA 802501, 1962)
- LP O Cantor Hit Parade (RCA BBL 1208)


A Dutch, or rather Flemish version was recorded by Ray Franky (1917-2002). Ray Franky was a popular singer in Belgium sincejust after WWII and all through the 50's and 60's. He was the first Belgian artist ever who received a golden disc. His most popular song (from 100s) probably was Oh Heideroosje (Oh, Little Heather-rose).
Ray Franky also recorded 'n Beetje (Netherlands 1959) and Romantica (Italy 1960).


Finland
Of the 44 versions I have listed an impressive 19 are in Finnish (and only 6 in Danish).
I think the oldest of the Finnish ones is from a 7" inch single by Olavi Virta (Nor disk ND 16) but the Fins have been singing about Angelique in most decades since that version.
Other Finnish versions are by Matti Asla, Johnny Forsell, Kari Tapio and Raimo Sirkiä. 
Olavi Virta also recorded Finnish versions of Aprite Le Finestre, (Italy 56), Volare and T'En Va Pas (Switzerland 63)
-

The last version here is by I Cinque Di Roma. I haven't been able to find much about them, but I did read they were regulars at Moçambique hotels. But they're probably from Rome. And there's five of them.
Their Angelique is a blend of English and Italian and was originally released on the LP I Cinque Di Roma (Parlophone). I just added it here because it's so utterly lovely.

Colin Day (one of the Allisons, see this Eurocovers post) recorded an English version which was released as a b-side to his single Brasil (Parlophone R 4803).

There was a version written in the U.S. with lyrics by Dick Loring and Allen Hood for Ardmore Music*, but I don't know if any American singer ever recorded it. (do you?)

* Source Billboard magazine