Hüpiknukk: Heli Lääts 1932 - 2018

This week, on February 16, Estonian singer Heli Lääts passed away.

Avid Eurocovers readers may have noticed I'm a bit of a fan since I discovered her impressive list of Eurocovers.

Most of this article is from Januari 2007 from the Year Of The Puppet series (About coverversions of Sandie Shaws Puppet On A String).
 I changed a few things and moved it up as a little tribute to the legendary Estonian singer.
Heli Lääts was 85.

from the 2007 post: 
Hüpiknukk
Puppet On A String comes with a variety of titles in different languages. There's Sprellemann and Sprattelgumma, Paprikajancsi and Sätkynukke, and they will all be featured here in the Year Of The Puppet.

My favorite title for Puppet On A String is Hüpiknukk. Try saying it 10 times in a row, and fast.

Hüpiknukk is the Estonian version of Puppet On A String and this one is by Heli Lääts, one of the most popular Estonian singers from the 60's and 70's.

Heli Lääts has recorded many coverversions of international hits since the late 50's and most of her work has been released on cd in the past years. Another singer that would have graced the Eurovision stage very well if only…..

So it's not a surprise some Eurovision songs found their way to Heli Lääts' repertoire. So far I have located 19:
Sweden 1962 - Keväd ja paike (Sol och vår)
United Kingdom 1967 - Hüpiknukk (Puppet On A String)
France 1968 - Allikas (La Source) - update: Thanks Frank
Germany 1969 - Kaunid Balleriinid (Primaballerina) *
Monaco 1971 - Tänav, pink ja puu (Un banc, un arbre, une rue)
Netherlands 1975 - Ding-dinge dong (Ding a dong)*
France 1977 - Lind ja laps (L'oiseau et l'enfant) *

These sevens song can be found on 3CD Heli Lääts - Eesti Kullafond (Hitivabrik, rel 2004), still available from Apollo.ee
Kaunid Ballerinid and Tänav Pink Ja Puu can be also found on the 1979 LP Поет Хели Ляэтс (Poet Heli Lääts) on the USSR state owned Melodia label (Мелодия label). I nicked the picture from discogs.
Allikas was released on a mixed artists 4-track EP (also on the Melodia label)

In addition to the ones mentioned above there are a few that have been released digitally in recent years.

Netherlands 1969 - Trubaduur (De Troubadour)
Luxembourg 1972 - Pärast sind (Après Toi)
UK 1974 - Maailm on suur  (Long Live Love)
Luxembourg 1974 -Head Teed!  (Bye, Bye, I Love You)

And these have been recorded but I haven't found many details yet
France 1958 - Valss kaunil kevadpäeval [kevad on käes] (Dors Mon Amour) (excerpt here)
Netherlands 1967 - Mu ümber on kevad (Ring Dinge Ding)
Germany 1971 - See maailm (Diese Welt)
Ireland 1971 - Ühe päeva armastus (One Day Love)
Finland 1973 - Päikese Trummid (Tom Tom Tom)
Spain 1978 -Tule, tantsime koos (Bailemos Un Vals)
Germany 1980 - Teater (Theater)
Germany 1982 - Et oleks rahu (Ein Bisschen Frieden)

Tracks marked * can also be found on the CD Unustamatu Eurovisoon, a compilation CD from 2002. It features 22 Eurovision songs covered in Estonian, dug up from the vaults to celebrate the Contest being held in Tallinn. (Hitivabrik, 2002)

Kaunid Balleriinid was also released in a remixed version by DJX on a 12"inch vinyl and DJX CD Tähesadu DJX Episood 1. He mixed the song with Spillers Groovejet minus Sophie Ellis Bextor

Links and sources
ERR/ETV news
Heldur Karmo net - A website which lists all songs translated by Estonian lyricist Heldur Karmo
Unfortunately no Heli Lääts at Spotify, but you can find some Audio's at Youtube.

50 years: Revisit The Year Of The Puppet

C'mon sandie, give us a smile

Congratulations Sandie Shaw!
It's 50 years ago that Sandie Shaws Puppet On A String started popping up in various charts, ahead of the Eurovision victory in Vienna on April 8.
Puppet On A String was written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter who also gave us Cliff Richard's Congratulations a year later. (and Luxembourg 1975).
It also means that it's 10 years ago Eurocovers featured coverversions from all corners of the world in The Year Of The Puppet series.

Sandie Shaw didn't always have much love for the Puppet, understandable, as I can imagine she didn't want to be associated with just that one blody song all the time.
Plus it was Sandie's least favorite of her five "A Song For Europe" songs.
Before Eurovision Sandie had a good run of hits, including several Number 1's like (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me (1964) and Long Live Love (1965). And then there's her work from the 80's with The Smiths* and the acclaimed Hello Angel album.

Street Organs LOVE Puppet on a string

But Sandie got over it and she even recorded a new version of Puppet On A String to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the song.

*Actually, "with The Smiths" is a bit of a stretch, Sandie's Hand In Glove features the original Smiths backing track re-invented in the studio without the band's knowledge. Morrissey loved Sandie but hated what became of Hand In Glove. (I disagree, it's brilliant).
Later on Morrissey wrote Please Help The Cause Against Loneliness for her (with Stephen Street).

The Year Of The Puppet articles are still here, go here you'll get them all.

The Year Of The Puppet celebrated the 40 year anniversary of Sandie Shaw's Eurovision victory with Puppet On A String. Introduction to the series in this Eurocovers post.
Other versions featured are from France, Singapore (Mandarin-Chinese), Jamaica.Yugoslavia, Estonia, U.K. (Comedy), Iceland, Lithuania,USA (Musical), Spain, Brasil, UK punk, Norway (gloom),  Norway, Turkey, Portugal, Basque country Organland,Tirol, Denmark, CzechoSlovakia (Czech), Hungary,Russia, Yugoslavia (Slovenia), Chile/Argentina/Mexico,Sweden, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Finland, Scotland,Poland, Czechoslowakia (Slovak), Trinidad*, More Jamaica and more Singapore

女 Yan Kee - Puppet On A String

Bought A 4th Chinese version of 1967 Eurovision winner Puppet On A String by Sandie Shaw.
I'm a bit clueless here.  The girl is called Rose (something) (玫瑰 = Rose) and the song seems to be titled 女 Yan Kee (Nu Yan Kee). I haven't been able to find any info on the net searching by record label and all that and off course I'm rubbish at Chinese characters. And is it Mandarin, Cantonese or another Chinese language?.

Po-Lo records MEP 3070. Please E-mail me for ♫ or if you can help.

Post with the other Chinese puppets:
Lara Tan's Emotional man.

Betty Chung - Is that a big string in your hand or....

Sakura Teng and the Quests

Find us on facebook

Anggun - Puppet on A String - En Route Pour L'Eurovision

Here's Anggun performing Puppet On A String in the 2011 Eurovision presentation show where the 2011 French entry Sognu by Amaury Vassili was introduced.
It was just announced that the same Anggun will represent France in the 2012 contest in Baku. Find out more about next years French bid here at the Baku Collection.

Some Indonesian Eurocovers at the following pages: Lilis Suryani, Hamidah Ahmad, Sandra Reemer

Elaine Baker, where are you now?

Here's a sweet 'n' lovely version of Sandie Shaw's Puppet On A String. I bought this curiosity via the bay on a whim because it had some strange appeal with hardly anything being known about it.
In my imagination it could have been an undiscovered recording of a mega famous superstar, but I'm not recognizing any pre-fame voice here.

Elaine Baker, who is she? The name is common enough to hit 25.000 at google, and that didn't lead to anything conclusive. There's an opera singer, an actress or radio DJ with the same name here and there, who knows....
The single has no recordcompany label on it. All the label reads is monaural (= mono), the artists name, the composers and some numbers.

So dating the record is up to us. It must be later than 1967, the original puppet year, as the other track My Love, My Love's The Same has a distinctive early disco feel about it. 1972?
The version of Puppet On A String is a bit of an odd blend of romantic Jamaican rhythms and horns with the singer taking a few detours in the original melody and lyrics. Puppet could easily be one of the many versions recorded in Jamaica, but the other track is so un-Jamaican that it makes it a bit doubtful.
Another fact that could point to Jamaica is the misspelling of songwriter Coulter as Coulteer. That occurs on a few other Jamaican coverversions.
The fact that there's no record label is also a point towards Jamaica.
I discarded the possibilty of the record being a cheap pop-tops style copy as the other song is composed by the singer herself and Puppet is far from a plain copy.

A romantic idea that appeals to me is that Elaine Baker just wanted to make a record, spent a few pennies / cents on it and 23 copies were pressed for friends and family. Elvis did it, so why can't Elaine?

All in all, I know nothing, which is great really. So, Elaine Baker, wherever you are, if you read this, just drop us a comment. (anyone else that knows something more is very welcome too)


Puppet On A String was already featured a zillion times at Eurocovers in 2007. If you use this link you get the posts which feature versions from all over the world.

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Sakura Teng !!!

In the Eurocovers posts celebrating Sandie Shaws anniversary year I have featured fabulous Mandarin Chinese versions of Puppet On A String by Lara and the Trailers ( 櫻櫻) and by Betty Chung ( 鍾玲玲) and I asked for the third known Chinese version by Sakura Teng (櫻花) & The Quests*.

Well, no need to look any further, there is a great bit of Sakura Teng audiobilia to be found at WFMU's Beware Of The Blog. You can find Puppet On A String along with classics like My Boy Lollipop, Stupid Cupid and the Beatles' Michele. Go there!
The same blog has more Eurocovers related stuff here with another Puppet and Congratulations by some Dutch postal workers. English with A Dutch accent at its best.
You can also find Esperanto singer Alberta Casey there, including her version of Domenico Modugno's Volare + a very interesting Maltese LP by Joe Cutajar, Once the Joseph of Helen & Joseph, Malta's first ever Eurovision stars from 1971. And many many many weird and amazing audiogems.
Many other versions of Puppet On A String from all over the globe can be found here (links)
The Quests* also recorded 1967 Luxemburg classics 'L'amour est bleu'.

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Bulgarian & Catalan

Pic from Nabore.bg

Маргарита Радинска - Кукла на конци
It's still Year Of The Puppet at Eurocovers and here's a 'new' language version of Puppet On A String to be added to the list.
It's a Bulgarian version by Margarita Radinska titled Kukla Na Koncu.
(Balkaton BTK 2840-1) (Listen here, Youtube Audio)

Pic from discogs

Un ninot penjat d'un fil
Another version I promised to share is the one sung in Catalan. I finally got a reasonably listenable audio so here it is.
It is Un ninot penjat d'un fil by Els De La Torre, (Los De La Torre in Spanish) who have recorded songs in Spanish and Catalan. (Listen here)
They have been Los 4 de la Torre but have also operated as a trio.

I have also updated the Year Of The Puppet post about Florbela Queiros with some release details and a gorgeous picture sleeve.



The Year Of The Puppet celebrates the 40 year anniversary of Sandie Shaw's Eurovision victory with Puppet On A String. Introduction to the series in this Eurocovers post.Other versions already featured are from France, Singapore (Mandarin-Chinese), Jamaica. Yugoslavia, Estonia, U.K. (Comedy), Iceland, Lithuania, USA (Musical), Spain, Brasil, UK punk, Norway (gloom) Norway, Turkey, Portugal, Basque country Organland, Tirol, Denmark, CzechoSlovakia (Czech), Hungary, Russia, Yugoslavia (Slovenia), Chile/Argentina/Mexico, Sweden, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Finland, Scotland, Poland, Czechoslowakia (Slovak), Trinidad*, More Jamaica and more Singapore

10.000: # 6 - Puppet On A String - Sandie Shaw (1967)

# 6 in the top 10 most covered Eurovision songs is Puppet On A String. Some of you may have noticed I have been running VII: The Year Of The Puppet series here at Eurocovers, featuring worldwide coverversions of the Bill Martin / Phil Coulter song made famous by Sandie Shaw. Introduction to the series in this Eurocovers post.


# 6
- Puppet On A String
- Sandie Shaw
- 252 versions listed



Check these Eurocovers posts for all the Puppets. France, Singapore (Mandarin-Chinese), Jamaica. Yugoslavia, Estonia, U.K. (Comedy), Iceland, Lithuania, USA (Musical), Spain, Brasil, UK punk, Norway (gloom) Norway, Turkey, Portugal, Basque country Organland, Tirol, Denmark, CzechoSlovakia (Czech), Hungary, Russia, Yugoslavia (Slovenia), Chile/Argentina/Mexico, Sweden, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Finland, Scotland, Poland, Czechoslowakia (Slovak), Trinidad*, More Jamaica & more Singapore
* = includes external link to track.

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Sakura Teng (UPDATED)

In the Year Of The Puppet I have featured two fabulous versions of the Sandie Shaw Eurovision winner Puppet On A String sung in Mandarin (Chinese). One by Betty Chung and one by Lara and the Trailers.
A third version in Mandarin I know of is by Sakura Teng and the Quests.
I lost the bidding for the record (again) but I cleverly robbed the picture sleeve, so here it is.
If anyone wants to share the song you'd make me a happy man.
Puppet On A String in Mandarin - discography
鍾玲玲 - 在你手中把線牽 Betty Chung (Hong Kong)
- Zai ni shou zhong ba xian qian - on EP Bell a go go (EMI 7 EPA 197)

櫻櫻 - 多棈郎 Lara & the trailers (Singapore)
- Duo qian lang on EP (CEP 3004)

Sakura Teng & Quests (Singapore) on EP (EMI ECHK 579)

Meanwhile check these posts for the Betty Chung and Lara versions with picturesleeves and music or other Chinese Eurovision covers by Shirley Kwan and Annabelle Lui
And a recommended blog for Asian pop currently featuring another Sakura Teng EP is Mod-ified Music. Worth checking out now! UPDATE Also check this post at Mod-Ified, it has one of the most absolutely poptastic coverversions of Love Is Blue (Luxembourg 1967) from Singapore.

VII: The Year Of The Puppet - More from Jamaica

I haven't forgotten it's still The Year Of The Puppet at Eurocovers, so here's a quicky.
In the Eurocovers post on Ken Boothe you can read more about reggae versions of Sandie Shaw's Eurovision winner made in Jamaica, with a list and versions by Boothe.

Here's a few of the lesser known coverversions of Puppet On A String from the 70's.

Tyrone Taylor
- on 7"inch (Micron MIC 2407, 1975)
Paul Sinclair- on 7"inch - b-side to Flabba Holt's I'm not a king (On Top records, 1975)
Enos McCloud a.k.a McLeod or McLoud
- on LP By the look in your eyes (Stewmac SB 003, probably 1979)

More Eurovision reggae in: Jamaica, can I have your votes please? part 1 / part 2

My e-bay stuff (ends today!)

- More Puppet On A String / Year Of The Puppet

Life goes on, some updates and blog tips... (UPDATED again)

Serbia won the 2007 Eurovision song contest. Congratulations to Marija Šerifović and her girls!
You can download all versions of the 2007 winning song on the official Serbian Eurovision site. It features the song Molitva in Serbian, English, Russian and Finnish plus a host of remixes.

While Serbia is celebrating the victory it's time for Eurocovers to get back to all year round business as usual: Coverversions of Eurovision songs from 1956 to 2007.
First there some updates on previous posts sent to me by e-mail or added in the comments. Thanks to all for your contributions.


CHINESE VERSIONSI have updated the Chinese versions document with some more information and have re-uploaded it here. (word.doc, updated januari 2009)

A great addition is a lovely Chinese version of Johnny Blue, the 1981 entry from Germany originally by Lena Valaitis. (Thanks to Anonymous, not the Andorran band)
雷安娜 - 別了憂鬱
Annabelle Lui -
Bie liao you yu Johnny Blue
on LP 舊夢不需記 (No Need To Remember Old Dreams) 1981 & best of CD 真經典 Zhen Jin Dian.



UPDATE: The CD re-issue of the 1981 Annabelle Lui LP can be ordered at YesAsia.com (Global) - -
PUPPETS ON A STRINGIn the comments on the Tatjana Hubinská article with the Slovak version of Puppet On A String, Lou Kash from Funky Czech-In posted a nice biography of the singer which I have added to the article. (Thanks Lou!)

The Year Of The Puppet, featuring coverversions of Sandie Shaws 1967 Eurovision winner isn't over yet. I will be featuring more versions all through 2007.
Meanwhile you can hear an exotic version of the song at the I'm Learning To Share blog.
It's by the Old Oak Casablanca Steel Orchestra from Trinidad and you can find backgrounds and songs of one of Trinidad's longest running steel bands in this article.

Check out this blog for some amazing 78's, advertisments and loads of interesting odds and ends. The Gerty Molzen post is a must see/hear! (Thanks Jim!)

The Year Of The Puppet celebrates the 40 year anniversary of Sandie Shaw's Eurovision victory with Puppet On A String. Introduction to the series in this Eurocovers post.
Other versions of Puppet On A String already featured are from France, Singapore (Mandarin-Chinese), Jamaica. Yugoslavia, Estonia, U.K. (Comedy), Iceland, Lithuania, USA (Musical), Spain, Brasil, UK punk, Norway (gloom) Norway, Turkey, Portugal, Basque country Organland, Tirol, Denmark, CzechoSlovakia (Czech), Hungary, Russia, Yugoslavia (Slovenia), Chile/Argentina/Mexico, Sweden, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Finland, Scotland, Poland, Czechoslowakia (Slovak)

Another blog tip:I found an interesting LP featured at 7 Black Notes, a blog about the Strange Side Of Movie Music.
In the december article Smile On Your Brother a soundtrack LP of the movie Come Together from 1971 is featured. The Eurovision connection here is that the LP features no less than 4 versions of the 1967 Eurovision song Love Is Blue (Originally L'amour est bleu by Vicky).
quote: "with enough versions of "Love Is Blue" (both instrumental and vocal) to put you off that tune for life". Check it out and click the pic for the LP.
Paul Mauriats disco version of Love Is Blue was featured in the very first Eurocovers Post ever.

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Tatjana Hubinská

I'm off for a long weekend at the coast, but I have just enough time to present another promised puppet.
In Puppet History this was the week that Sandie Shaw reached the #1 spot in many European charts. Ireland was the first (22-04) with the U.K. following 5 days later. It took Sandie six weeks to get to the top spot.
Anyway, today's Puppet is from Czechoslovakia, but this time it's a version in Slovak. (read your history books).

Eurovision 2007 has a record number of countries participating this year. 42 to be precise, more countries than there even were in Europe 20 years ago.
Some countries haven't been tempted to re-join the Eurovision battlefield, even with the recent surge of new and returning countries. Italy and Luxembourg of course, but also Slovakia. Slovakia entered a few times in the 90's but never with a great result, 4 attempts, 3 times in the final and an measly 18th place in 1998 as the best result.
But now neighbour and friend, the Czech Republic, makes it's Eurovision debut, Slovakia TV may re-consider and join again for 2008.

The Slovak version of Puppet On A String is titled Ako malý psík. It's one of three Eurovision songs covered by singer and actress Tatjana Hubinská. It's my poor knowledge of Slovak and Czech that prevents me from telling you more about her.
There's a website about her here, where I got most of the details below. Unfortunately it's not in English, but it has an excellent discography.

UPDATE : Biography (Thanks to Lou Kash of Funky Czech-In)
As for Hubinská's web site:
She was born 1944 in Paris and returned to Slovakia with her parents in 1946. She studied piano at the Bratislava Conservatory. 1963-1967 she was singing with the Gustáv Offermann Combo. In the late 60s she often participated on the Czechoslovak song contest Bratislavská Lyra. 1968-1969 she sang with the famous Gustav Brom Orchestra with whom she recorded her only album. In the early 70 she began to fade into (C&W) obscurity, by the end of that decade she gave up singing completely. She passed away in 1999.

Tatjana Hubinská's Eurovision Covers
Puppet on a string - UK 1967 - Sandie Shaw
- Ako malý psík (Supraphon 130166)
Boom Bang A Bang - UK 1969 - Lulu
- Hľadám si cieľ (Supraphon 0430795)
Wunder gibt es immer wieder - Germany 1970 - Katja Ebstein
- Zázraky sa dejú stále (Supraphon 0431056)

Ako malý psík was also recorded by Jana Procházková
Many thanks to Rick!

The Year Of The Puppet celebrates the 40 year anniversary of Sandie Shaw's Eurovision victory with Puppet On A String. Introduction to the series in this Eurocovers post.
Other versions already featured are from France, Singapore (Mandarin-Chinese), Jamaica. Yugoslavia, Estonia, U.K. (Comedy), Iceland, Lithuania, USA (Musical), Spain, Brasil, UK punk, Norway (gloom) Norway, Turkey, Portugal, Basque country Organland, Tirol, Denmark, CzechoSlovakia (Czech), Hungary, Russia, Yugoslavia (Slovenia), Chile/Argentina/Mexico, Sweden, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Finland, Scotland, Poland
A list of all coverversions of Puppet On A String is in this word document.
Tip: Here you can watch a Y-tube performance of Lele by Violeta Riaubiskyte from the Lithuanian Puppet On A String post

Spring Cleaning Part 2 + Year Of The Puppet - Marionetka

There was a bit of a delay (mainly caused by all the premature sunshine we're having), but I have now put some more stuff on e-bay, 7"inch vinyls, mostly Eurovision but also a few other things, including some cdsingles.
Please check my e-bay list here (username buzzja). Again, not the utterly rare and spectacular, but maybe some records to fill the gaps in your collection at a decent starting price. And you'll help me make some room for new clutter.

And when browsing and bidding, what better song to listen to than Halina Kunicka's version of Puppet On A String. It'll make your day!
Many moons ago found this Polish version 'Marionetka' on a square flexi disc - Pocztówka Dźwiękowa M 289 - , not a fancy one with a lovely picture like they used to have in Poland, but a plain drab brown affair.
I didn't really know the song that was on it (although the composers mentioned should have been a giveaway), so I was surprised to find a Polish version of Puppet On A String ruining my record needle.
I couldn't play it without the song jumping back all the time, but it was a delight in any way.
Another Polish flexi has the live version sung by Sandie Shaw herself at the contest (Pocztówka Dźwiękowa 020) with the German entry Anoushka in it's live version (by Inge Brück) as a second track.
The original studio version by Sandie Shaw is Pocztówka Dźwiękowa 14.
Polish flexi's, especially the fancy ones, are a joy to collect, but they should be played on an prehistoric recordplayer with a stylus the size of a ballpoint.

Halina Kunicka is a popular Polish singer and actress who recorded many albums from 1966 to 1984 and most of her work has been re-issued on CD format.
Marionetka can be found on the CDs Platinowa Kolekcija (Platinum Collection) and Złota kolekcja - Od nocy do nocy.



Another version in The Year Of The Puppet. Puppet on a string is 40. Check this Eurocovers post for all info and many more versions.

VII: 40 Years - Puppet On A String - today UPDATED 12-04

April 8, 1967 - 2007

Today we're flying the flag for Sandie Shaw and the 40th anniversary of the victory of Puppet On A String at the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna.
For the past months Eurocovers has presented a colourful collection of worldwide coverversions of the song, penned by Phil Coulter and Bill Martin.
A few more will follow in the coming weeks.
Over the past 18 years I have been keeping track of all Eurovision covers I could find in the 10.000 coverversions project and I have uploaded the list of all versions of Puppet On A String in this word document.
It also has a Sandie Shaw - Puppet Discography. Here you can find all Sandie's versions I know of. I hope some of you can add some more, or just fill in some of the blanks on the list. All info is welcome.
PICTURE LEFT:

Marionetas en la cuerda, a Spanish comic book from 1967. A story about a marionette winning a singing competition, tied in nicely with Sandie Shaws success. She's pictured on the front (click for larger image).

Todays celebrations call for some bagpipes and here is one of the coolest / rarest / fantasticest version of the 1967 Eurovision winner.

ALASDAIR GILLIES - GILLE MIREIN
Strap up yer gillies, here's a rarity which will please the Eurovision fans. The U.K. has never attempted an entry in another national language than English. And I only have been able to find details on two Eurovision covers in non English British languages. One is Mary Hopkins' Welsh version of Morgen (Netherlands 1968), the other is this: Gille-mirein (Puppet) by Alasdair Gillies, sung in Gaelic.
"Voice of the Highlands" Gillies is a singer of Scottish songs and according to Daily Express "The music of the mountains and lochs lies deep in his soul". He featured regularly on 1960s TV programmes like ‘Se Ur Beatha’ which brought Gaelic into Scottish homes and with it increasing popularity and interest in the songs of the Gaels and their singers.

UPDATE The only picture I could find is from the sleeve of the CD 'The best of Alasdair Gillies' This CD features 4 songs in Gaelic and 16 in English but no Gille Mirein.

Really big thanks to Klaus for the song.

ALASDAIR GILLIES - GILLE-MIREIN (Scotia records SMD 8)

Word.doc with all versions of Puppet On A String

Singer Alasdair Gillies should not be confused with the late Scottish bagpipe virtuoso/legend of the same name.

Does anyone know of any other Eurovision coverversions in Gaelic, Welsh or any other British language that isn't English? drop me a comment or e-mail

The Year Of The Puppet celebrates the 40 year anniversary of Sandie Shaw's Eurovision victory with Puppet On A String. Introduction to the series in this Eurocovers post.

Other versions already featured are from France, Singapore (Mandarin-Chinese), Jamaica. Yugoslavia, Estonia, U.K. (Comedy), Iceland, Lithuania, USA (Musical), Spain, Brasil, UK punk, Norway (gloom) Norway, Turkey, Portugal, Basque country Organland, Tirol, Denmark, CzechoSlovakia (Czech), Hungary, Russia, Yugoslavia (Slovenia), Chile/Argentina/Mexico, Sweden, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Finland

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Sätkynukke from Finland

Another day, another Puppet. One day before the Big 40 here's a Finnish version of Sandie's song by Maarja-Leena (Hentunen). I couldn't find any info on the singer and I don't have a picture either.

Sätkynukke was released on a single (Philips PF 340 791) and can also be found on the fantastic Finnish compilation CD Eri Esittäjiä Käännetyt viisuhelmet.
This is a must have 2CD with 50 Eurovision songs covered by Finnish artists, all sung in Finnish.
Finnish artists have always been very active in covering worldwide hits and Eurovision songs are no exception. It features the big hits and winners but also some unexpected choices. See the tracklist of the CD below.

The Finnish Eurocovers 2CD is available from BeaRecords, (Kaannetyt Viisuhelmet) and at most Finnish CD stores

Eri Esittäjiä Käännetyt viisuhelmet - tracklist
CD1
01: TAIVAAN SINESSÄ - Nel blu dipinto di blu - (Volare) Olavi Virta
02: CIAO CIAO BAMBINA - Leif Wager
03: TANSSILAULU - Dansevise - Laila Kinnunen
04: LIIAN NUORI RAKKAUTEEN - Non ho l’eta per amarti - Anneli Sari
05: VAHANUKKE, LAULAVA NUKKE - Poupée de cire, - Ritva Palukka
06: SÄTKYNUKKE - Puppet On A String - Maarja Leena
07: LA LA LA - She Gives me Love - Carola
08: MUA ONNITELKAA - Congratulations - Robin
09: RAKKAUDELTA NÄYTTÄÄ, HITTO VIE - Det börjar verka - Eero Raittinen
10: PENKKI, PUU JA PUISTOTIE - Un banc, un arbre, une rue - Carola
11: VARKAIN VIEN TAIKKA LAINAAN - Beg, Steel Or Borrow - Tapani Kansa
12: RAKASTAN - SAAVUTHAN - Après toi - Carola
13: NUORUUS ON SEIKKAILU - Tu te reconnaitras - Katri Helena
14: SAIN MUISTON - Ey sham - Marion Rung
15: WATERLOO Ami Aspelund
16: NIIN - Si - Lea Laven
17: SAANHAN OLLA HÄN - Let Me Be The One - Kai Hyttinen
18: DING-A-DONG Hanne
19: JENNIE, JENNIE Matti Esko
20: SILLOIN - Era - Marion ja Kirka
21: SÄÄSTÄ SUUKKOSI VAIN - Save Your Kisses For Me - Tapani Kansa
22: NIIN SE KÄY - 1 - 2 - 3 - Lea Laven
23: LINTU JA LAPSI - L´oiseau et l´enfant - Katri Helena
24: PÄIN SEINÄÄ - Rock Bottom - Armi ja Danny
25: VAPAANA - Libera - Seija Simola

CD2
01: SOITTOTUNNIT - Mathima solfege - Silhuetit
02: PALAA - Feuer - Päivi
03: HALLELUJA - Hallelujah - Anna, Muska ja Kirka
04: TSINGIS KHAN - Dschingis Khan - Frederik
05: DISCO TANGO Marion Rung
06: VUODET OHI KÄY - What’s Another Year - Kisu
07: AMSTERDAM Katri Helena
08: KUIN TEATTERISSA - Theater - Ami Aspelund
09: ISÄ-PAPPA PINGVIINI - Le Papa Pinqouin - Armi Aavikko
10: ON MERI TÄNÄÄN RAUHATON - Feggari Kalokerino - Danny
11: LIIAN PIAN ILTA PÄÄTTYY - Layla - Eini
12: HUMANAHUM Kari Tapio
13: JOHNNY BLUE Katri Helena
14: TAHDON ELÄÄ - Hora - Markku Aro
15: RAKKAUS VOITTAA - Mono i agapi - Berit
16: VAIN HIEMAN RAUHAA - Ein bisschen Frieden - Katri Helena
17: MUUKALAINEN - Främling - Meiju Suvas
18: LAHJAN SAIN - Si la vie est cadeau - Taiska
19: JULIE - Dzuli - Ilkka Salo
20: DIGGI LOO - DIGGI LEY Meiju Suvas
21: JUNA TURKUUN - Tredi di tozeur i - Seija Simola
22: MIKSI RAKKAUDELLA LEIKIT - Love Games - Vicky Rosti
23: PÄÄTTYNEET JUHLAT - La fiesta termino - Anneli Saaristo
24: ENNEN SUA - Neka mi ne svane - Laura Voutilainen
25: RAKKAUS ON SININEN - L’amour est bleu – Yölintu