Showing posts with label Robert Williams Group. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robert Williams Group. Show all posts

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Greece is the word: Bessy Argyraki

A compilation CD by Bessy Argyraki was released in Greece including several 70's Eurocovers.
Bessy Argyraki represented Greece on their 3rd entry in 1977: Mathema Solfege (A music lesson) by Pascalis, Marianna, Robert & Bessy.
The song was the most succesful Greek entry until Antique / Helena Paparizou came along in 2001 and it was a hit in several countries.It's also one of the most covered Greek entries.
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As the Robert Williams Group (minus Marianna Toli but with with Rena Pagkrati & Takis Antoniadis), they recorded several Eurovision entries from 1975 and 1976, all sung in Greek.
On the new Bessy Argyraki 2CD San ena oneiro you can find five of them.
The 40 track 2CD also includes Mathema Solfege and coverversions like ABBA's S.O.S., Dolly Partons Jolene & 9 to 5, three hits from Grease (no pun intended) & A far l'amore comincia tu by Rafaella Carra.

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ΜΠEΣΣΥ ΑΡΓΥΡΑΚΗ - ΣΑΝ ΕΝΑ ΟΝΕΙΡΟ
ΤΑ ΩΡΑΙΟΤΕΡΑ ΜΟΥ ΤΡΑΓΟΥΔΙΑ 1973-1987
(Universal 3746329)
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includes:
Italy 1975 - Era (Wess & Dori Ghezzi)
- ΜΟΝΟ - by Bessy Argyraki & Robert Williams
Netherlands 1975 - Ding A Dong (Teach In)
- ΝΤΙΝΓΚ ΝΤΑΝΓΚ ΝΤΟΝΓΚ - Ding Dang Dong - Bessy Argyraki
Germany 1976 - Sing Sang Song (Les Humphries Singers)
- Σ' ΑΓΑΠΩ - S'Agapo - Robert, Bessy, Takis & Rena
Israel 1976 - Emor Shalom (Chocolat, Menta, Mastik)
- ΠΩΣ ΝΑ ΣΤΟ ΠΩ - Pos na stop po - Bessy Argyraki
Italy 1976 - We'll live it all again (Al Bano & Romina Power)
- ΦΤΙΑΞΕ ΤΟ ΑΥΡΙΟ - Ftiakse to avrio - Bessy Argyraki & Robert Williams

The CD is available from several Greek music shops and at http://www.123play.gr/ as download.
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Another interesting CD with a handfull of the Robert Williams Group covers is Ta Oreotera by Robert Williams.
ΤΑ ΩΡΑΙΟΤΕΡΑ ΜΟΥ ΤΡΑΓΟΥΔΙΑ - (Polydor 1995, re-issued on Universal 2901422)
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This one includes:
Italy 1975 - Era (Wess & Dori Ghezzi)
- ΜΟΝΟ - by Bessy Argyraki & Robert Williams
Sweden 1975 - Jennie Jennie (Lars Berghagen)
- ΤΖΕΝΗ-ΤΖΕΝΗ - Robert Williams
Germany 1976 - Sing Sang Song (Les Humphries Singers)
- Σ' ΑΓΑΠΩ - S'agapo - Robert, Bessy, Takis & Rena
Finland 1976 - Pump Pump (Fredi & Friends)
- Η ΚΑΡΔΙΆ ΧΤΥΠΆ ' ΈΝΑ ΜΠΑΜΠ-ΜΠΑΜΠ -
---------------------I kardia ktypa 'ena pamp pamp - by Robert & Takis
UK 1976 - Save your kisses for me (Brotherhood of man)
- ΠΕΣ ΓΕΙΑ ΧΑΡΑ - Pes gia hara - Robert, Bessy , Takis & Rena
This CD also includes Mathema Solfege.
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And there's some more related Eurocovers that haven't been released yet on CD as far as I know:
UK 1973 - Power to all our friends by Pascalis (Arbanitides) - LP Fili ke adelphi (1973)
Spain 1973 - Eres tu - Marianna Toli
Netherlands 1974 - I see a star by Takis & Christina
UK 1975 - Let me be the one by Robert Williams
France 1976 - 1,2,3 by Rena Pagkrati
Netherlands 1976 - The party's over by Rena Pagkrati
Netherlands 1977 - De mallemolen by Rena Pagkrati
Norway 1977 - Casanova by Rena Pagkrati
Israel 1979 - Hallelujah by Bessy Argyraki - LP
Switzerland 1980 - Cinema by Bessy Argyraki
(All songs sung in Greek)





ΜΑΘΗΜΑ ΣΟΛΦΕΖ BONUS - An unreleased studio version of Mathema Solfege by Belorussian talentshow stars Corianna & Aleksey Khlestov titled Urok Solfedgio (Урок сольфеджио) sung in Russian.Emor Shalom - We'll live it all again - Cinema - Urok Solfedgio - and from an earlier Eurocovers post : Pump Pump
Help Wanted: I would like to find out about the original releases of all above mentioned Greek coverversions (incl. those from the CDs) I know some were released on single and LP, but if you have any specific details (title, label) they would be very welcome.

Related Eurocovers Posts:
You can find a Lithuanian version of Die For You (Antique's 2001 hit entry for Greece) in this Eurocovers post about Mino.
My Number One (Greece 2005 winner) by Icelandic preselection singer Bríet Sunna Valdemarsdóttir is in this Eurocovers post

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

FINWEEKS: Finnish songs that crossed the borders

Most coverversions of Finnish Eurovision entries are in Finnish, but a few travelled across Europe and got a makeover in another language. Here's a few of them.

1962 - Tipi Tii - original by Marion Rung
- Tipi tii has been covered in all Scandinavian languages, several by Eurovision (pre) singers like Katy Bødtger (Danish) and Jan Hølland (Norwegian). Finnish 1966 Eurovision singer Ann Christine recorded a German version.
1965 - Aurinko läskee länteen - original by Viktor Klimenko
- This was covered by Kalmer Tennosaar from Estonia as Päike loojub läänes. Tennosaar also covered the 1969 entry Kuin silloin ennen (Just nii kui enne) and the UK entry of 1964 I love the little things (Kõik on kui laul). All can be found on the on the compilation CD Laulus Sulle..
1966 - Playboy - Ann Christine
The Dorthe Kollo material is removed
1967 - Varjoon Suojaan - Fredi
- A Spanish version was recorded by Adriangela as the b-side of another Spanish cover, that of the French 1967 entry.
(7" Tan Lejos / Para Que - Zafiro 00X 882). Both songs can also be found on the CD Adriangela!! (HAMM 0442)
1976 - Pump Pump - Fredi & Friends
- Another song that got a handful of makeovers in Scandinavia. Plus one in Greece, by Robert, Bessy, Takis & Rena.
They were members of the Robert Williams group who covered many Eurovision songs in Greek in the 70's.
Robert & Bessy entered the Eurovision stage themselves in 1977 when Greece entered with Mathema solfege.
2002 - Addicted to you - Laura Voutilainen
- Originally in English at the contest, Valeriya covered the fans favorite in Russian for her CD Nezhnost moya (2006) as Polyot.
- Валерия - Полёт - CD Нежность моя





Other FINWEEKS posts:
Hard Rock Hallelujah in a variety of styles
The Ancient Winners covered in Finnish
Laila Kinnunen, Finnish legend covers Eurovision

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LOOKING FOR / HELP WANTED
There are a few versions I'm looking for especially.
1973 - Tom Tom Tom - original by Marion Rung
A Serbian version of Tom Tom Tom (Finland 1973) that was recorded in Yugoslavia by Daliborka Stojšic (7" Jugoton SY-22536)
1981 - Reggae OK - original by Riki Sorsa
An Estonian version Otse resgy by Widholmi Piduripael. This is from an LP Mäletan veel which was released in Sweden in 1982 (Estonian voice: SLP 1017)
The Estonian Voice label released several Estonian LP's including some with Eurocovers. I'd love to find out more about these releases for a future Eurocovers post but I haven't been able to find out anything else than their existance and tracks. Can anyone shed some light on these albums and their history? please let me know….