Showing posts with label Year of the puppet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Year of the puppet. Show all posts

Sunday, January 28, 2007

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Sanjalice (Yugoslavia)

Sanjalice are a 60's girl band from Yugoslavia and they were the perfect YeYe girls for the balkans.

Ljiljana Mandic, Slobodanka Miscevic, Ljiljana Jeftic and Snezana Veselinovic played their own instruments and had a relatively short career, but I don't know if there is a relation between these two facts.
They recorded mostly coverversions of Italian and English language hits including Those were the days (Mary Hopkin), Happy together (Turtles) and the fabulous 1965 San Remo song Io che non vivo senza te (You don't have to say you love me, the Dusty Springfield classic).
Their Puppet On A String is sung in Serbo-Croat (that's what it was called in the Yugoslavia era).

Compared to most other Sanjalice songs Lutka na koncu is a bit lame and it has a really annoying whistle but it's another treasure in the Puppet collectors chest.
It's high time for a CD with all their work, but so far only some tracks have appeared on 60's compilations. And they left some lovely picture sleeves.
Lutka na koncu a.k.a. Marioneta can be found on their 4th EP.

Sanjalice EP

Yugoslavia-Diskos Edk-3076

Tracklist :
Marioneta (Puppet on a string)
Znam da ces se vratiti (Io so gia che tornerai)
Haj lili, haj-lo (Hi lili, hi-lo)
Srecni zajedno (Happy together)


Lutka na koncu (Marioneta)

VII: The Year Of The Puppet celebrates 40 years of Puppet On A String with versions from all over the world. The following Eurocovers posts have versions 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 & more Singapore

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Funny Ha Ha

British humour, you either don't find it funny, or you don't get it.
This is a 1967 single by The Cocktail Cabinet and I haven't found any info on the artists, so here's a picture of a Cocktail Cabinet.

The single Puppet On A String on Page One records is some sort of a rarity and it even features as a collectable record in the Records Collectors Price guide at 15 pounds. (Although my copy is from 1995, I'm sure the record is worth 100's today)

The collectability of the record is because the b-side 'Breathalizer' is some sort of cult spaced out rare groove favorite and it's one of the rarer singles on the sought after Page One label. (The label that brought us the Troggs and Vanity Fare, whose Puppet will be featured later).
Breathalizer found it's way several compilations but Puppet On A String never did.


The Cocktail Cabinet
Puppet on a string b/w Breathalizer (Page One POF 046)

And as a bonus there's Reeves and Mortimer with their side splitting moment with Puppet on a string. It's from Shooting Stars, the TV show that was mainly bearable because it had Ulrika Johnson.
(listen at Youtube)

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Puffin On A String

With the Icelandic selection taking off on Saturday (see post below) , it's time to link back to the days when Iceland were too busy fighting geysers and eating puffins to be a Eurovision Nation.
Yes it's back to 1967 again with The Year Of The Puppet.

The Icelandic version of Puppet On A String was recorded by Helena Eyjólfsdóttir and is titled Þú kyssir mig.
In the alternate universe where Iceland entered Eurovision in the 60's, Helena is the dream songstress to have brought the trophy to Reykjavik. Her early work includes coverversions of jazz standards as well as international pop classics.

Not uncommon in Iceland, Helena released her first record when she was 11 years old. Most of her work was recorded in her teens. She sang in several groups and with jazzbands like the Atlantic quartett, Gunnar Ormslev, Björn R. Einarsson and Svavar Gests.
She still performs occasionally but is withdrawing slowly from the music business.

Þú kyssir mig is available on CD 'Hvítu Mávar', a compilation of Eyjólfsdóttirs early work which also includes her version of Boom bang a bang (Og þú).

She also recorded an Icelandic version of Beg, steal or borrow probably with a band or duo. (Details and recording wanted)


Monday, January 15, 2007

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Violeta Riaubiškytė

Violeta Riaubiškytė - Lėlė (Lithuanian)

The only Lithuanian version of Puppet on a string I have been able to find is a recently recorded track by the gorgeous Violeta Riaubiškytė.

Riaubiškytė is best known from her efforts in the Lithuanian preselections of 1999 (As dovanoju), 2004 (Song about you and me) and 2005 (With you).
On her latest album 'Su meile', you can find a fresh and energetic version of the Sandie Shaw classic titled Lėlė.
On the insert the songs claims to be a version of 'Marionette' written by M. Bill & J. Čekatauskaitė. Almost right, but Bill Martin & Phil Coulter deserve a little more credit.

Lélé first appeared on a VA CD 'Karusele' (Radijas Lietuvas)
'Su meile' (Monaco records M002-2) is available from http://www.balticshop.com/ and also includes Lithuanian covers of Call me (Spagna), Sin miedo a perder (David De Maria) and Can't stop loving you (Van Halen)




(photo left: Violeta Riaubiškytė shows us some pronounciation tips)

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 FranceSingapore (Mandarin-Chinese)JamaicaYugoslaviaEstonia,U.K. (Comedy)IcelandLithuaniaUSA (Musical)SpainBrasilUK punkNorway (gloom) NorwayTurkey,PortugalBasque country OrganlandTirolDenmarkCzechoSlovakia (Czech)HungaryRussiaYugoslavia (Slovenia)Chile/Argentina/MexicoSwedenNetherlandsHong KongFinlandScotlandPoland 

Sunday, January 14, 2007

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Shout!

Shout! The Mod Musical.

What is the soundtrack of your life? Forget Mamma Mia (I mean: Meryl Streep...??) here's SHOUT!.

Shout!, named after the Lulu classic, is the off Broadway musical in the form of a magazine for the modern woman. Modern in the 60's that is. All the great girl power songs from the 60's are there: To Sir with love, You don't have to say you love me, Goldfinger, Son of a preacherman, Shout!. It's a vibrant fashion show to the tunes of lovely Lulu, devine Dusty, pretty Petula and of course our sweet Sandie.

The musical originally started out in 2001 but a new version opened in New York at the Julia Miles Theatre in july 2006, and closed last december after 176 performances.
Starting Februari the musical will tour the U.S.. Find out the tourdates at the Shout! homepage

The cast recording of the musical is available on CD and includes Puppet on a string performed by Denise Summerford in her role as 'the Red Girl'. The album is available from most regular webshops.
The musical also features Boom bang a bang, but it's not on the CD.

Shout! The Mod Musical, original Cast Recording (2006 US Rhino Records 479121)

http://www.shoutthemodmusical.com/
http://www.denisesummerford.com/ (not very up to date though)

Friday, January 12, 2007

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Gloria Lasso

Here's the first version of Puppet on a string. After English, Spanish is the language the song is recorded in most, by Spanish artists but also by stars from South America. The first Spanish version in the Year Of The Puppet is by Gloria Lasso

Gloria Lasso was born Rosa Maria Coscolin Figueras in Barcelona in 1922.
She moved to France where her career took off and the press liked to portrait her as Dalida's rival, mainly because of her exotic accent. A battle which, in the end, Dalida won.
Lasso moved to Mexico and focussed on a career in South America. Her career was was at a high in the 60's when she performed for French president de Gaulle, Queen Elisabeth of Great Britain and U.S. president John F. Kennedy (source: Notimex)
Her most famous song was Etranger au paradis (Extraño en el paraíso in Spanish), Stranger in paradise written by Tony Bennett, which is said to be the first million selling record in France.

A 1985 come back didn't really bring new fame but she remained a popular performer in Mexico until her death in november 2005. (2 weeks after her last concert there)

Gloria Lasso covered several early Eurovision songs including:
Italy 1959 - Ciao Ciao Bambina (Spanish)
Luxembourg 1961 - Nous les amoureux (French)
France 1962 - Un premier amour (French)
Spain 1962 - Llamame (Spanish)
U.K. 1967 - Marionetas en la cuerda (Spanish)

Marionetas en la cuerda and Ciao Ciao Bambina can be found on the CD Sus 24 Grandes Exitos on the Mediterraneo label (2004)

I don't know on which LP, EP or single Marionetas was originally released on. If you do, please let me know.



More Spanish versions of Puppet on a string to come….
Scroll down for more info on VII: The Year Of The Puppet

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

VII - The Year Of The Puppet

This year it's 40 years ago that Sandie Shaw barefooted her way to the Eurovision stage and scored the first victory for the Royaume Uni with Puppet On A String written by Bill Martin & Phil Coulter . Sandie Shaw also celebrates a big birthday (Februari 26) this year so it's time for a party.

Like Sandie, I have been bored by the song for many years, but, again like Sandie, I changed my mind. POAS is one of the most recognizable winners of the contest and Sandie revived her career with a big international hit.

According to the 10.000 coverversions project * Puppet on a string is the Eurovision song covered in most languages and dialects (30). Over 200 versions are listed and I hope to bring you the best of those in the coming weeks. From Estonia to Jamaica and from Singapore to Iceland, and then there's the odd Barrel Organ & Acoustic folk instrumental too.
There will be artists info, music, lists, politics, record sleeves and other trivia and it will include 60's Beat versions to 80's punk and interpretations from 2006 and even 2007.

WANTED PUPPETS
From the 30 languages listed I miss a few. If anyone can help me with any of these I'd be very to happy to feature them in this project.
Hebrew - Haleytzan - Tzipi Shavit (or any other)
Italian - La danza della note by Anna Carucci (or any other)
Bayrisch (German) - Barfuss laafen - Die 2 Peterlesboum aus Nürnberg
I'm also missing any version in Japanese, Thai or Korean.

* The 10.000 covers features details on 10.000 versions of Eurovision songs.
email me if you want to know more or participate.

The Year Of The Puppet celebrates the 40 year anniversary of Sandie Shaw's Eurovision victory with Puppet On A String.
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