Release news: Monica Z. - The film and the music

This week, September 13,  sees the premiere of the Swedish film Monica Z., a biopic about the life of Monica Zetterlund, Swedens legendary queen of jazz. 
Eurovision fans know Monica Zetterlund best from her wonderful 1963 Eurovision song En Gång I Stockholm (Once upon a time in Stockholm).

The film focusses on the early career of Zetterlund, when she was a critically acclaimed jazz singer, working with some of the jazz greats like Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Louis Armstrong and Arne Domérius.

Edda Magnason takes up the challenge of portraying Monica Z. Not only does she play her in the film, but she also sings all the tracks in the movie and on the soundtrack herself.

The soundtrack  is released on CD and is out now. The musical score is arranged and produced by pianist Peter Nordahl. It includes En Gång I Stockholm and several other Zetterlund classics. (Universal 0602537-35291, tracklist below).   

You can watch another clip, Sakta Vi Gå Genom Stan,  here at Aftonbladtet tv.

Monica's Melodifestival

Monica Zetterlund’s first entered the Swedish national final in 1962 with the song När Min Vän (When my friend, also performed by Carli Tornehave) which ended 2nd behind the winner Sol Och Vår (performed by both Inger Berggren who took it to Eurovision and by Lily Berglund)

In 1963 En Gång I Stockholm was one of 12 songs in the national competition. It was performed with orchestra by Zetterlund and with a small combo by Carli Tornehave.

The music is by Bobbie Ericsson, who also wrote the 1961 Swedish entry April April for Siw Malmkvist. The lyrics were written by Beppe Wolgers, a.k.a as Efraim Långstrump (Longstocking), Pipi's Papa. 

In Eurovision the song ended last with 0 poing, possibly because the songs style, a very slow jazz ballad, didn’t fit the Eurovision mold.

Ending last didn’t hurt Zetterlunds career and En Gång I Stockholm became an evergreen that is still performed and recorded today. 

In 1972 Monica’s last Eurovision attempt, Krama Mig Och Dansa (Hold me and dance with me) ended 6th in the Swedish Melodifestival.

Monica Zetterlund died in 2005 in a tragic fire accident in her Stockholm home.

En Gång I Stockholm Discography

Monica Zetterlund

- on 7” Philips 350 224 1F, no picture sleeve

Lily Berglund

- Also perfomed in the Swedish NF, no studio recording was released.

Alice Babs

- on LP Alice Babs 67 (from 1966)' and VA EP Hjälp lions hjälpa (HMV 7EGS 344)

Margareta Bengtson

- on CD Margareta Bengtson (2009)

Monica Borrfors

- on CD Monica sjunger Monica

Helena Eriksson

- on CD Sjunger Monica Zetterlund (2007, CDA LBMZ 07)

Caroline Henderson

- on CD Don't explain (2003, Stunt records)

Margareta Jonth (Opera singer) with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra

- on LP (1978, EMI 06235612)

Edda Magnason

- on CD Monica Z., OST (2013, Universal 0602537-35291)

Anna Norrby

- on CD Stockholmsbilder (1998, CDA-CAP - 21589)

The Real Group (acapella group)

- on CD Röster (1991)

Anne-Lie Rydé

- on CD Stulna kyssar  (1992, EMI 4750252)

Testbild!

- on CD Splendid Isolation (VA, Friendly noise FYN 68)

Svante Thuresson

- on LP Jag är hip baby (1995)

Grethe and Jørgen Ingmannn 
---- - So near, yet so far (English)

- on LP Winners and losers from European Television Song Contests (Metronome MLP 15267)

Sone Banger (Accordion)

- on LP Ett glatt humör (1976, Ljud-banger: lb 1004)

Arne Domnérus Orkester (Instrumental)     

- on EP (HMV. 7 EGS 270)

Bengt Hallberg (Instrumental)

 - on CD Improvisation (1989, Musik på Drottningholm MPD CD 1)

Georg Riedel, Arne Domnérus and Rune Gustafsson (Instrumental)

- on LP Vårat gäng (1979, Sonet SLP 2647)

These are the versions I know of, if you know more or have any corrections, please let me know.


Tracklist Monica Z. - Musiken från filmen

1. Sakta Vi Gå Genom Stan

2. Hit The Road Jack

3. Monicas Vals

4. O Vad En Liten Gumma Kan Gno

5. En Gång I Stockholm

6. It Could Happen To You

7. Gröna Små Äpplen

8. Trubbel

9. Du

10. Bedårande Sommarvals

11. I Can't Give You Anything But Love

12. I New York

13. Monica Z - Svit Ur Filmen - by Peter Nordahl

links and sources
Monica Zetterlund sällskapet website
Edda Magnason website
Stellanova film website
Eurovision Collectors Guide: 10000 coverversions project
Melodifestivalen Genom Tiderna - book by Leif Thorsson

2009: Believe Again Again Again and Again. (& Pippi)

There have been some interesting developments regarding the Afrikaans coverversion of Believe Again, this years Danish Eurovision entry sung by (Niels) Brinck (13th in the final).
It turns out four South African singers have recorded the song, but it's Heinz Winckler (picture) who gets the clearance to release it.
Wincklers version, Ek Kan Weer In Liefde Glo (I can believe in love again), is released on his new album which is out on Selekt Musiek in September.
You can already see the video in the post below. The clip is also at Heinz Winckler MySpace where you can also listen to some earlier songs (in English).
Believe Again was written by Lars Jensen, Martin Larsson and Ronan Keating.

Heinz Winckler was the winner of the first Idols (Pop Idol) in South Africa in 2002. You probably have seen him on the (one off) international show World Idol in 2003, where he finished 4th performing Aerosmiths I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing. (The winner was Kurt Nilsen from Norway).
Winckler released three albums, all sung in English and the new one is the first with songs in Afrikaans (although five songs will be in English).
The first Afrikaans coverversion of Believe Again was recorded by Henri Alant. The track is called Ek Glo (I believe) and was planned to be on Alant's forthcoming CD (which seems unsure now).
Ek Glo is already issued on a 6-track advance promo CD Sal Jy by Artists Warehouse. (Some info in Afrikaans and pic sleeve is here)
Two other artists in the battle for Believe Again are Kobus Muller and Francois Marais.
Special Thanks to Roy.

2009: Moscows Eurocovers
You can read more on coverversions of 2009 Eurovision songs at The Moscow Collection, where you can find all details on the Moscow Eurovision versions, releases, charts and covers. Official Eurocovers so far are of the entries from Norway, Iceland*, U.K., Denmark, Germany, Spain, Ireland* and the Netherlands. A few less official covers are thrown in for good measure.
* = these are (co) composers demo versions.
Vacation in the Netherlands
Rein Mercha currently has a chart hit in the Netherlands with the summer track Vakantie (Vacation or Holidays). It's a coverversion of Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu) which needs no further explanation.
He recorded it with the Gitano Kings, so it's no surprise the song is inspired by the famous Gipsy Kings version of the 1958 Eurovision song which was a worldwide hit in 1989.
Vakantie so far reached #66 in the Dutch sales top 100. You can watch the video here at YouTube.
The cdsingle is released by the NRGY label and is available at the TV Oranje website (sorry, NL only, limited payment options) and in the handful of Dutch shops that still sell singles.


RE: Jazzbox
The Jazzbox version of Dansevise (clip in this post) will be released on an EP (Also on Ituuns) including an extended version.
Source: A reply to the Jazzbox post by the artist himself at 3Minutes.me, recommended Eurovision blog.

MySpace YourSpace OuttaSpace, Pippi's Pappa
Speaking of Jazz, let's pay another visit to a MySpace page. This time it's Helena Eriksson, Swedish Jazz singer. And when you say Swedish Jazz, you think En Gång I Stockholm; The Swedish 1963 Eurovision song by Monica Zetterlund gets a relaxed makeover by Helena and her wonderful harmonica man Luciano Mosetti .
The track is from the album Helena Eriksson sjunger Zetterlund from 2007.
Check out Stockholm and some other great tracks at Helena's Myspace here.

I Didn't Know That...
I knew that the lyrics to En Gång I Stockholm were written by Beppe Wolgers (Bertil John Wolgers, 1928-1986) but I didn't know that he is the daddy of the most famous redhead ever to walk the globe, Pippi Långstrump, Pippi Longstocking, Pipi Duga Čarapa, پی‌پی جوراب‌بلنده (for more, see wiki).

That is to say, Beppe Wolgers, is Ephraim Långstrump, Pippi's Papa and Captain of the Hoppetossa in the 1969/70's TV series that made the Astrid Lindgren character and her adventures world famous. (or even more famouserer than they already were).
Ephraim is superstrong and megacool and all that, but of course he is no match for Pippi (played by Inger Nilsson). Everyone wanted to be Pippi, but I guess most of us were just Tommy or Annika.
Beppe Wolgers wrote many songs and Swedish lyrics to international (jazz) standards. He also wrote childrens books and became a kids favorite as a storyteller in Beppes Godnattstund (Beppe's Goodnighthour).
There's a MySpace dedicated to Beppe Wolgers here, where you can also listen to another version of En Gång I Stockholm. (by The Real Group, acapella stars).