Af álfum - Frostrósir, Christmas is coming

Today I am in the mood for getting this post up to the top. (links may not all work)

Not a Eurocover and way early of course, but how many famous Icelandic Eurovision people do you recognise in this clip? (see below) What a wonderful christmas song. (and I don't do christmas songs very much thank you)
RÚV (Icelandic TV people) should consider sending this to Eurovision. I mean, it's wonderful, it's already finished, no hassle and costs of a multi-round preselection and even if some get the flu, there's enough singers here to do it. It would be the first Christmas song at Eurovision which would be in itself Eurovision History-Book-On-The-Shelf worthy. Consider it....

The Fróstrosir project celebrates 10 years of Christmas music this year.
Here's the Fróstrosir homepage where you can find out if you spotted all the stars. (under Flytjendur)

In the past Fróstrosir have Christmafied two Swedish Eurovision entries.
The 1996 entry Den Vilda (One More Time, 3rd place) became Dansaðu Vindur and was released on the CD Fróstrósir (2002) and compilation Fróstrósir - Best lögin' (2006).
1995's Se på mig (Jan Johansen, 3rd place) became Stjärnan Min and was released on the CD Heyr Himna Smiður (2008)
Update: Fróstrósir and Eurobandið singer Friðrik Ómar also gave a Swedish Eurovision track the Christmas Once Over: Tommy Körbergs majestic Stad I Ljus (Sweden 1988 by Tommy Körberg) became Vetrarnótt for the 2010 holiday season.
Another Update: Af Álfum, Vetrarnótt, Stjärnan Min and Dansaðu Vindur can all be found on the new album / 2CD Fróstrosir Fagna. (thanks Dominique!)

More Fróstrosir in this Eurocovers post.

Fróstrosir 2011 features the following Eurovisiony people:
Eiríkur Hauksson - Three time Eurovision star (1986 with trio Icy, 1991 with quartet Just4Fun for Norway and his own fantastic Valentine Lost in 2007.
Hera Björk - Je Ne Sais Quoi was her Eurovision eruption in 2010, and she also had the fabulous entry Someday ending 2nd in the Danish 2009 final. She also recorded an Icelandic coverversion of Christine Guldbrandsens Alvedansen (Norway 2006)
Friðrik Ómar - Member of Eurocovers fabulous favorites Eurobandið, well know for This Is My Life (2008) also had some great solo tunes in the Icelandic preselections (Það Sem Verður 2006 and Eldur 2007)
Regína Ósk - Member of Eurocovers favorites Eurobandið, also had a great solo tune in the Icelandic preselection (Þér Við Hlið in 2007)
Guðrún Árný - Pre-selection singer in 2003 with Með Þér.
Eivør Pállsottir - Faroese singer participated in the Icelandic selection with I Nótt in 2003. She's the main singer on Dansaðu Vindur.
Heiða Ólafs - In 2009 pre-selection with Dagur Nýr.
Matti Matt - My favorite Sjonni Boy. Coming Home 2011. In 2010 he had a solo song in the selection: Out Of Sight.
Stefán Hilmarsson - Two time Eurovision singer Stefan out of Beathoven (1988) and Stefan and Eyfi.
Also appeared as backing singer and musician on various Icelandic entries.
Ína Valgerður - Eurocovers star recorded the Italian 1964 winner Non Ho L'eta in Icelandic. Entered the Icelandic selection in 2008 with Lullaby To Peace.
Jógvan Hansen - Preselection 2010 (One More Day) and 2011 (Ég Lofa)
Ragnar Bjarnason - Legendary Icelandic singer, recorded Eurocovers of Volare and Non Ho L'eta(Italy's 1958 and 1964 entries)
Sissel Kyrkjebø - Internationally acclaimed classical singer from Norway, was in the 1986 contest interval performance.
Ragga Gröndal - Two times national semi finalist (2003 with Ferrari and 2008: Wake Me Up), member of the Fancy Toys and a bestselling singer in Iceland.
Guðrún Gunnars - Judge on the Paul Oscars Eurovision previewTV show Alla Leið
The other singers without any Eurovision relation that I know of are: Ágúst Ólafsson, Björg Þórhallsdóttir, Erna Hrönn, Garðar Thór Cortes, Gissur Páll, Guðrún Gunnars, Hulda Björk Garðarsdóttir, Jóhann Friðgeir, Kolbeinn Ketilsson, Margrét Eir, Óskar Pétursson, Vala Guðna and Védís Hervör. Producers / arrangers Karl Olgeir Olgeirsson and Árni Harðarson  also appear in the video.  

Till Hamingju Hera!

I haven't done any Road To Oslo style features this year as all Eurocovering favorites who had their discographies featured at Eurocovers seemed to fail miserably (see Eurocovers, A Jinx?)

But now I'm very happy to congratulate Hera Björk with her victory in Iceland. Her song Je Ne Sais Quoi is the Icelandic entry for Oslo 2010.
Hera Björk was featured in this Eurocovers post in 2007 and a bit in this one in 2009.

Je Ne Sais Quoi is not dissimilar to the mighty Eurobandiđ's This Is My Life but it's probably because both songs share songwriter Örlygur Smári (Öggi).

Hera Björk Þórhallsdóttir entered the Icelandic preselection in 2007 (with Mig Dreymdi) and in 2009 she ended 2nd (behind Believe Again) in the Danish final with Someday.
She also was a backing singer for the Icelandic entries of 2008 (Eurobandið) and 2009 (Yohanna).

Composer Öggi previously co-wrote the Icelandic entries of 2000 (Tell me - Einar & Telma) and 2008.

Hera Björk released two albums: Christmas album Ilmur Af Jólum in 2000 and Hera Björk in 2006. The 2006 album features an Icelandic coverversion of Alvedansen, the Norwegian 2006 entry.
In 2008 and 2009 Hera Björk was a part of Frostrósir.
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Hera Björk MySpace
Hera Björk Website
Örlygur Smári MySpace
Hera Björk at 2010 The Oslo Collection
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For all your Eurovision 2010 needs like release info, details on recorded versions and charts you can check out The Oslo Collection.

Yep, Eurobandið time again, This Is My Life, album out now!!

Eurocovers favorite Eurobandið* have released their debut album and it's a real treat for Eurocovers fans. The Second Best Band In The World (after BWO of course) release their CD This Is My Life with 11 tracks including the Eurovision 2008 entry with the same title.

The album also has a remix of the Icelandic contender, some great Eurocovers and other songs of interest.

Don't leave without me now = Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi, Celine Dion's winner from 1988 (for Switzerland).
A ba ni bi - Israels 1978 winner.
Hold me Now - Johnny Logan's second victory for Ireland in 1987
By Your Side = the english version of Regína Ósks Þér við hlið, preselection song from 2006
Fire = Eldur, Fridrik Omárs solo pre-song from 2007
Thinking of you = Fridriks solo song from 2006 Það Sem Verður
Við sigrum að ári! - Making your mind up, Tha' Fizz's winner (U.K. 1981).
In My Dreams is the most interesting cover of all . The Norwegian rockers' Glam hit (9th in the 2005 contest) now is a smoochy love ballad.

Unfortunately, the Icelandic version of This Is My Life is not on the tracklist. So no perfect 10 then.

Excerpts and full tracklist of the album here at Tónlist. And you haven't seen the official video yet, there's a YouTube here, and it's fab.

Eurobandið featured in this and this and this and this Eurocovers post (a lot I know, maybe they'll send some competition giveaway CDs by now), for some sounds go to their MySpace.
* I keep calling them Eurobandið, Euroband sounds so tacky.

Eurovision 2008 - Till Hamingju Eurobandið

Congratulations to Eurobandið for winning last night Icelandic final with This Is My Life. The song, originally Fullkomið líf in Icelandic, can be hear at the bands MySpace. Or download the song Official & Free at Tonlist

The band, with Friðrik Ómar and Regína Ósk has already been featured in these Eurocovers posts.

Eight countries chose their entry last night. You can find out more at the official Eurovision site and many others. Ireland has chosen a turkey named Dustin. No comment, watch here (Youtube).

Eurovision 2008 - Eurocovers from Icelands preselection stars

Iceland are still at it. After 12 weeks of pre- pre- semi semi's there's 12 songs left which will compete in a new series of heats to create a final final. You can hear all songs still in the competition at the RÚV website.

Last year there were some interesting Eurocovers by the Icelandic hopefuls (see this Eurocovers post), this year only two of the artists have recorded Eurovision songs.

This Saturday (19-1) is the first round and the third song, Lullaby To Peace, is performed by Ína Valgerður Pétursdóttir, Seth Sharp og Berglind Ósk Guðgeirsdóttir. Ína Valgerður who has recorded a Eurovision winner. It's Non Ho L'Eta, originally by Gigliola Cinquetti.
Valgerður's version however is a straightforward coverversion of the coverversion by Elly Vilhjálms, Heyr Mína Bæn, who recorded the Icelandic version in 1964. You can find Elly Vilhjálms' version in the Eurocovers post 10.000 coverversions: Non Ho L'Eta. (updated with gorgeous picture sleeve!)

Valgerður's version is from Icelandic Idols but her solo album hasn't substantiated yet. More details here.

The second Eurocovering Icelandic singers are Eurobandið (Friðrik Ómar and Regína Ósk). They have been featured recently at Eurocovers (here). Their song Fullkomið líf is in the third semi heat (02-02).
Their Myspace features a live Eurovision medley and they have recorded an Icelandic version of 1981 winner Making Your Mind Up (Bucks Fizz) titled Við Sigrum Að Ári. (also available for dowload at their MySpace)
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No CD is released yet, but I'm hoping this year will the Eurobandið year! (starting with a few new promo pics??)

And Eurocovers readers may have noticed my personal campaign to promote Dr. Gunni. Well, it worked, and he has one song in the third round. Hvar ertu nú? by Dr. Spock. It won the wildcard round and it's loud!


UPDATE 19-1: - Lullaby To Peace by Ína Valgerður Pétursdóttir, Seth Sharp and Berglind Ósk Guðgeirsdóttir is eliminated.

Eurobandið in the Laugardagslögin 2008

Laugardagslögin being the name for the lenghty selection procedure to select Icelands next Eurovision entry (Belgrade 2008).

They have been featured here before (last August), the Eurobandið, and now they will feature in the 8th preselection round in Iceland.
The Icelanding multi week selection has started early, and they're already in the 8th 3-song preselection round, coming Saturday (21.15 CET)

Eurobandiðs song Fullkomið líf is written by Örlygur Smári (Oggi) who also wrote the 2000 Icelandic entry Tell me (Youtube) and the utterly brilliant Segðu mér from the selection that same year.
It promises to be an interesting round though, as the Eurobandið has to take it up against the Hara Sisters, an Icelandic X-factor act describing themselves as Pussy Punk.
The show can be seen on the net, but it's only three songs in a tedious long show.
Better watch the re-run here (the day after) and skip the bla bla bla. And fingers crossed that Eurobandið will do better than Dr. Gunni who's song Ísinn (sung by Heiða) was kicked out of the competition.
http://ruv.is/Laugardagslogin/ features the songs that have been in the competition so far
Eurobandið MySpace features their Icelandic cover of Making Your Mind Up.

UPDATE
Eurobandið made it! Congratulations! Their song Fullkomið Líf (Perfect life) will now be in the Icelandic national final on February 16th 2008. You can hear the song (and all the others that have been in the selection) here.

There will be many Eurocovers stars in the 2008 Eurovision selection season, even some I can't disclose yet, and they will all be featured here at Eurocovers with their coverversion(s) of Eurovision songs.

Older Eurocovers posts featuring Icelandic artists:
The original Eurobandið article, Elly Vilhjálms, Helena Eyjólfsdóttir, Friðrik Ómar, Hera Björk & Bríet Sunna Valdemarsdóttir, Gunnar Olason,

Eurobandið: Icelandic Party People Make Up Mind

Eurobandið (The Euroband..., sounds more exotic in Icelandic really) are Icelandic popstars Friðrik Ómar and Regína Ósk who got together in 2006 to create a live show with coverversions of Eurovision songs. They played several festivals in Iceland including last weeks Gay Pride and basically guarantee a great party.
The keyboard player in the band is Grétar Örvarsson, who entered Eurovision with Stjórnin in 1990 (Eitt lag enn, 4th) and with Heart 2 Heart in 1992 (Nei Eða Já, 7th), the two best results for Iceland until Selma ended 2nd with All Out Of Luck in 1999. (or: until the free language rule was introduced)

Eurobandið haven't released any CDs yet but at their MySpace you can download a live Eurovision medley and an Icelandic studio version of Bucks Fizz' Making Your Mind Up (Við Sigrum Að Ári). (Use the download function in the MySpace player, it works!)

Friðrik Ómar appeared in the Icelandic national final (Söngvakeppni) of 2006 with Það Sem Verður (3rd) and in 2007 with Eldur (2nd). Regina Ósk sang Þér Við Hlið in the 2006 selection ending 2nd.

In this Eurocovers post you can find Friðrik Ómar's version of the 1994 Eurovision winner Rock 'n' Roll kids. (Ef pú piggur pad)