The Eurovision Collectors Guide 1956 - 2018

Here’s some news about the 10th* edition of the Eurovision Collectors Guide, previously known as the booklet that gives you all the information on the entries of the Eurovision Song Contest.

(Here's the old info page)

Since 1989 nine* booklets have been issued with all the information on the songs, versions and releases of our beloved Eurovision Song Contest. Some of you may still have a much thumbed copy lying about.

I’m pleased to present the 10th edition in a new DIY format  Many things have changed since and another (affordable) paper edition was just not possible.

* Actually it's the 11th edition but the first one (#0) only had 10 copies made and hasn't been available to the public.

It’s 3 decades of dedicated work, of collecting data with a lot of help from many people.

Massive thanks go out to all of you who have contributed to the Eurovision Collectors Guide over the past 30 years, couldn’t have done it without you.

I hope you’ll find it useful, fun and occasionally surprising.

This new version will hopefully provide all the information you need. You can read it online or print it and make a lovely book / atlas out of it, it’s up to you now.

I decided to make this issue a free issue, but if you’re really really really happy with what you see, I won’t stop you from sending me presents.
There will be updates and corrections later in the year, that's where you come in....

For the new print it yourself edition of the Eurovision Collectors Guide please visit our facebook
Oh, and it only costs a like or two.
Or you can download the whole thing (Updated 2020 !) as a PDF file here at ESC History A more user friendly and searchable version will be released after Liverpool 2023.

Here are the yearly Collections

2009 Moscow

2010 Oslo

2011 Düsseldorf

2012 Baku

2013 Malmö

2014 Copenhagen

2015 Vienna

2016 Stockholm

2017 Kyiv

2018 Lisbon

2019 Tel Aviv

2020 Rotterdam (cancelled)

2021 Rotterdam 2.1

2022 Torino / Turin

2023 Liverpool

Eurocovers - 10.000 Eurovision Coverversions !

Today I found details on the 10.000th Eurovision coverversion.
10.000 coverversions is a side project of the Eurovision Collectors Guide which started with just keeping the information of all covers I received and came across while researching for the Collectors Guide (The must have Collectors booklet with all versions and releases by original Eurovision artists).

Since the early 90's I have been keeping track of any (officially released) version I could find either in sound or just picture sleeves or release info and today number 10.000 was added to the list.

I love lists, I'm mad I know, but that's me. I have featured many discographies & coverversions lists in this Eurocovers blog which were all taken from the 10.000 project list.
Browse the archives and find out more.

This work wouldn't have been possible without the help of many fellow collectors who have contributed over the past 18 years. To you: BIG BIG THANKS!
Some facts and trivia
- Italy alone takes care of almost 25% of the coverversions listed.
- Over 600 versions are in Finnish
- I have found versions in 39 languages and a number of dialects
- 20 Eurovision entries have over 100 versions listed.
- Domenico Modugno (co) wrote 3 of the top 10 most covered Eurovision songs.
- Runner up Love is blue / L'amour est bleu has 60% instrumental versions
- Puppet On A String scored the most language recordings

here's the top 10 most covered songs from the list.
994 - Nel blu dipinto di blu (Volare) (Italy 1958)
Unfortunately The Man ordered the Volare post to be removed.530 - L'Amour est bleu (Love is blue) (Luxembourg 1967)351 - Piove (Ciao Ciao Bambina) (Italy 1959)328 - Waterloo (Sweden 1974)268 - Al di la (Italy 1961)252 - Puppet on a string (U.K. 1967)187 - Non ho l'eta per amarti (Italy 1964)184 - Eres tu (Spain 1973)168 - Dio come ti amo (Italy 1966)
155 - Poupée de cire , poupée de son (Luxembourg 1965)

Each link above is to a Eurocovers post about the song with backgrounds, lists, some interesting artists and music.

If you'd like to know more about the project, participate or if you are just curious, please drop me a line.

These files (word.doc) taken from the 10.000 Coverversions project are still available for download.
- Puppet On A String coverversions in the Year Of The Puppet
- Chinese versions
- Ding A Dong coverversions

VII: Ven A Bailar Mi Vida - 2007 covers

The 52nd Eurovision Song Contest in Helsinki is still a month away, but already there is some activity on the Coverversions front.

SPAIN - I Love you mi vida
d'NASH boys have been chosen to sing I Love You Mi Vida, but it took a 7 week extravaganza with about a 100 artists showing their skills before it was a done deal.

One of the composers, Rebeca, had big plans to sing the song herself, but she didn't make it to the final show, where 5 artists all sang 5 songs including I Love You Mi Vida.
Rebeca has recorded the song herself and if you go to her homepage you can hear the song.
She has also recorded a full Spanish version 'Seduce mi vida'. (picture: An older Rebeca compilation CD)

You can find a feature about Rebeca's mom, Franciska in this Eurocovers post.



NORWAY - Ven a bailar conmigo
I Love You Mi Vida was co-written by Thomas G. Son from Sweden, which brings us to the 2nd even more controversial coverversion of 2007. Ven A Bailar Conmigo.
A Spanish title for another G. Son song that is the Norwegian entry by Guri Schanke, which is performed in English.
This one is also recorded by Swedish preselection contestant Anna Book. Her version of the song is in Swedish and is on her CD Samba Sambero. It was released before any release by Guri Schanke and it caused some bad press for Thomas G. Son. The song is also said to be rejected for the Swedish Melodifestivalen, allegedly...

Anna Books Samba Sambero CD is available at BeaRecords (Anna Book page) and at any CD shop in Sweden.

The Eurovision Collectors Guide

Some of you will probably know this already, but here's a plug of my core activity: the Eurovision Collectors Guide.

2019 update
For the new edition, please visit our Facebook or check out this Eurocovers post

back to the old post....
The Eurovision Collectors Guide is a small booklet featuring all information on Eurovision records that were released from 1956 up to 2005.
Last year March the most recent version was issued, spanning 50 years of Eurovision recording history.
The booklet has been a usefull source of information on records and recordings for Eurovision collectors, professionals and fans for 18 years.

50 years of Eurovision records
This 9th edition is, like always, a handy A5 booklet, 80 pages full of information for the Eurovision record collector.
It's in Black & White, has listings by country and some picture sleeves for your entertainment, but most of all it is a book so stuffed with information for the Eurovision collectors and fans it almost bursts out of its staples.

Features:
- All points and places of all entries 1956 - 2005.
- Titles, original artists and all recorded versions (languages, remixes etc.)
- Record company label info + 7", 12", EP, 78rpm, cds, LP & CD details
- Entries that didn't make to the Eurovision stage
- Chart details in the homecountries of many entries

New in the 9th edition:
- Symbols for demo versions & instrumental/karaoke versions
- A special Missing Versions section
- Multiple entries EP's and singles

Many newly discovered versions and re-recordings and have been added since the successful edition from 2002. Plus of course all new entries from 2003, 2004 and 2005, including all the new countries and all semi-finalists.

The 9th edition '50 years of Eurovision records' is still avaliable at 10,- euro + postage, if you want more info feel free to ask  Sold Out!