Dario Campeotto 1939-2023

Dario Campeotto passed away on the 1st of April at the age of 84. 

Below is the post about his romantic Eurovision classic Angelique from 2010.

Let's take a short trip back to 1961. The 6th Eurovision song contest was held in Cannes, France. A record breaking 16 countries were present and the contest was won by Luxembourg. They hired French singer Jean Claude Pascal to do the job and his Nous Les Amoureux was the first of five Luxembourg victories.
But it's another song I want to rant about a bit here, as several versions have been frequenting my playlists recently.

Angelique
Angelique, written by Aksel V. Rasmussen, was the Danish entry. Danish Italian Dario Campeotto performed it and ended 5th.
Campeotto recorded the song in Danish, Italian and French and 40 years later also in English.
Angelique is one of the Danish entries that became an evergreen at home but also inspired a few international stars to record the song.

The song was covered in at least 10 languages with an Estonian version by Kalmer Tennosaar probably being the most exotic.
1958 Eurovision winner André Claveau recorded the song in French for his EP Les Amoureux De Minuit (Pathé Marconi EG 557).
Dario Campeotto himself recorded coverversions of several Italian entries Volare (1958), Piove (1959), Romantica (1960), Al Di Là (1961) and Uno Per Tutte (1963).

Brasil
I know of two Portuguese versions recorded in Brasil which were both originally released on good old 78 RPM discs.
Brasil had 78RPMs until the mid sixties and a few more will be featured here at Eurocovers soon.

João Dias - Angélica
- on 78rpm Transformação (Odeon 14757)

Carlos Gonzaga - Angélica
- on 78rpm (RCA 802501, 1962)
- LP O Cantor Hit Parade (RCA BBL 1208)


A Dutch, or rather Flemish version was recorded by Ray Franky (1917-2002). Ray Franky was a popular singer in Belgium sincejust after WWII and all through the 50's and 60's. He was the first Belgian artist ever who received a golden disc. His most popular song (from 100s) probably was Oh Heideroosje (Oh, Little Heather-rose).
Ray Franky also recorded 'n Beetje (Netherlands 1959) and Romantica (Italy 1960).


Finland
Of the 44 versions I have listed an impressive 19 are in Finnish (and only 6 in Danish).
I think the oldest of the Finnish ones is from a 7" inch single by Olavi Virta (Nor disk ND 16) but the Fins have been singing about Angelique in most decades since that version.
Other Finnish versions are by Matti Asla, Johnny Forsell, Kari Tapio and Raimo Sirkiä. 
Olavi Virta also recorded Finnish versions of Aprite Le Finestre, (Italy 56), Volare and T'En Va Pas (Switzerland 63)
-

The last version here is by I Cinque Di Roma. I haven't been able to find much about them, but I did read they were regulars at Moçambique hotels. But they're probably from Rome. And there's five of them.
Their Angelique is a blend of English and Italian and was originally released on the LP I Cinque Di Roma (Parlophone). I just added it here because it's so utterly lovely.

Colin Day (one of the Allisons, see this Eurocovers post) recorded an English version which was released as a b-side to his single Brasil (Parlophone R 4803).

There was a version written in the U.S. with lyrics by Dick Loring and Allen Hood for Ardmore Music*, but I don't know if any American singer ever recorded it. (do you?)

* Source Billboard magazine

Perla Paraguaya do Brasil, A Eterna Pequenina

A 2008 Eurocovers post updated here and there with new links etc.

Brasil, Brazil, a famous one point song from the 1991 contest (Bebi Dol - Yugoslavia) but also the country with more Eurocovers recorded than any other non-Eurovision country.
I don't want to sell Football short, but music is probably the cornerstone of Brasilian life.
So it's not surprising that many Eurovision songs have found their way to Brasilian singers. From the first contest in 1956 (with at least 3 songs covered in Brasil) to well into the 70's Eurovision songs have been covered by artists from the home of Samba.
About every Italian entry, most of the songs from the U.K. and many of the winners and hits from other countries. Only Portuguese songs seem a bit underrepresented.

So here's a bit of Brasilian Pop History, mixed with a bit of Paraguay and a touch of Sweden and of course Eurovision songs.

Perla was born Ermelinda Pedroso Rodriguez d'Almeida in 1952. She was raised in a musical family in Caacupé, Paraguay but she left the family in the early 70's and headed to Rio where she started performing and was soon welcomed as an international attraction.
Appearances on popular TV shows got her a record deal soon and she released her first LP Perla* in 1972 with mainly Spanish language evergreens.

The first LP was in Spanish but her second album titled Perla was released in both a Portuguese language version and a Spanish language version, catering for the complete latin American market. It includes the first Eurovision cover, but I'll get to that later. It also includes her first hit Estrada do Sol.
Her 1976 album Palavras De Amor was also recorded in two languages and it includes what was probably her biggest hit Fernando, of ABBA fame.

Productive Perla released an album every year from 1975 to 1982 and sometimes even two, and the ABBA cover formula worked well for her. Chiquitita for example was another of her top hits as Pequenina. Later on she occasionally released an album, often sponsored by her fan club.
Most of her early songs are coverversions of popular hits and her popular ABBA covers were all re-issued on a 2002 CD 50 Perla Canta ABBA E Outros Hits (in Portuguese). Her version of S.O.S.: Paz De Um Grande Amor is as melancholy as the original and one of the best ABBA covers ever recorded (IMHO of course).

An extended version of the Canta ABBA album (also including Livre, see below) is on Spotify and other digital sources. 
Perla's more recent work is Perla, Nossas Canções from 2002 (Spanish version Perla, Nuestras Canciones was released in 2003)

PERLA EUROCOVERS
Italy 1966 - Dio Come Ti Amo
You may think Eurocovers is overdoing it a bit with this one, but it's Perla's first Eurocover recorded in 1975, so it's here. It's also the most covered Eurovision entry by Brasilian artists with almost half of the covers I know of it coming from Brasil.
Perla recorded three versions:
Deus Come Te Amo (Portuguese)
- on EP Perla (RCA 1010143, 1976) and LP Perla (RCA - 1030152, 1975)
Dios Como Te Amo (Spanish)
- on LP Perla en Espanol (RCA - 9910393, 1975)
Dio Come Ti Amo (Italian, recorded in 1999)
- on CD Especialmente Para Você (Brasidisc BRCD 1005, 1999) (also on digitalia)

Italy 1977 - Libera (Mia Martini)
A disco era Eurovision song that doesn't have many covers to its name, but Perla takes care of two.
Livre (Portuguese)
- on LP Perla (RCA 1030219, 1977) (song also on digitalia)
Libre (Spanish)
- on LP Perla, Para Los Que Han Amado (RCA 99111319)

United Kingdom 1978 - Bad Old Days (Coco)
Meu Querido Pai (Portuguese)
- On LP Perla (RCA 103.0266, 1978)
Viejo Papa (Spanish)

- on LP Perla* (RCA Victor ILP 015 (Bolivia) & RCA 1836 (Venezuela)

Israel 1979 - Hallelujah (Milk and Honey, 1979 winner)
Alegria (Portuguese)
- on LP Pequenina (RCA Victor 1030309, 1979)

* As you may have noticed, several (different) LP's are just called Perla

Links and Sources:

Perla Paraguaya official Facebook

Perla, A Eterna Pequenina is a biography from 2021 by Marinaldo Da Sila E Silva (in Portuguese)

  Perla website - This site has an extensive discography and also Perla CDs for sale. And of course pictures, lyrics and videos.
Clique Brasil and Special Thanks to João.

In previous Brasil posts you can find Puppet On A Strings and Eurocovers by My New Favorite singer Leny Eversong.

100! Forces' Sweetheart Vera Lynn - This Is My Prayer

Happy 100th Birthday Vera Lynn!

Below is a Eurocovers post from 2009 about Vera Lynn who turned 100 on March 20..
A remarkable anniversary for a remarkable singer who means more to many people than I can ever imagine.

Vera Lynn, Dame Vera Lynn to the Brits, is internationally the best known Sweetheart Of The Forces.
As promised in the Eurocovers post about another Forces' Sweetheart, Anne Shelton, here's a Eurovision coverversion by the singer most identified with the Second World War and
all commemorative ceremonies ever since.

Vera Lynn was born in the First World War and started to record in 1935. Signature song We'll Meet Again was first recorded in 1939. It became a song of hope in the dark days of the war and later a song of remembrance. The song gave its title to the popular 1942 film starring Vera Lynn herself.

Vera Lynn sang for the British and Allied forces all over the world on many occasions during the Second World War and she had her own radio show in which she sang songs requested by British soldiers serving abroad and messages from their families were broadcasted.
Other popular Vera Lynn hits of the (pre charts) war years were The White Cliffs Of Dover, Yours and You're In My Arms. In the 50's she scored hits with Forget Me Not (a U.K. #1), Auf Wiedersehn, Homing Waltz and My Son My Son. Her last U.K. hit was Travelling Home in 1957.

Vera Lynns career started way before Eurovision and unlike Anne Shelton she didn't participate in any of the early British preselections for Eurovision. But she was on the selection committee of the 1959 U.K. selection.

Eurovision 2020: The Rotterdam Collection is (still) on!

Pic from Discogs

This Is My Prayer
As far as I know Vera Lynn recorded one Eurocover and it's the 1964 winner Non Ho L'eta (Italy, Gigliola Cinquetti). Vera Lynns English version, This Is My Prayer was released on a single in 1964 (HMV POP 1287). It didn't reach the charts and now is a hard to find collectors item. It was re-released in 2007 on the 2CD The Singles Collection (EMI Gold)
Here's an audio tube

This Is My Prayer was recorded by several artists in the 60's, but original singer Gigliola Cinquetti didn't release an English version until 1974, when she included a new recording on her album Si, coinciding with her second Eurovision appearrance. Cinquetti released Non Ho L'eta in Italian, French, German, Spanish and Japanese in 1964. Contrary to popular rumours, Cinquetti never recorded an English version in 1964, so her 1974 version is actually a coverversion of a coverversion of her own song. (...)

The Veterans Sweetheart
Vera Lynn never repeated her 40's and 50's hit successes but always remained a high profile guest on war remembrance ceremonies and TV shows. Her most successful albums later have always been reworkings of 40's songs like the 1962 LP Hits Of The Blitz.

For the largest part of her 70 year career, Vera Lynn has been a remembrance singer, always representing the good old days and the bad old days.
No disrespect intended, but it seems a bit sad that her career has always been stuck in the war. Record buying audiences just couldn't accept her work as that of a contemporary artist having a recording career with new songs.
In 1979 she has a go at ABBA's Thank You For The Music (released on single PYE N 108), which perfectly illustrates the mood of always looking back.


Update 14-09-09: Congratulations are in order. In the week that 11 Beatles albums enter the top 40, Dame Vera Lynn scores this weeks #1 in the U.K. Album Charts with the compilation We'll Meet Again - The Very Best Of Vera Lynn.
The new compilation (on Decca) has 20 tracks including all the evergreens. (but not This Is My Prayer)

The album is available in the U.K. shops and at all major internet outlets, including digital.

links and sources:
We'll Meet Again RAF performance (YouTube)
Vera Lynn at 92 article in The Guardian
This is my prayer at Discogs
Vera Lynn Wiki
Anne Shelton at Eurocovers.

Check this Eurocovers post for This Is My Prayer by Dana Valery and this post for more versions of Non Ho L'Eta, # 7 in the top 10 most covered Eurovision songs.



CD Tip: Twangvision
Here's one I missed back in the days.
After (or rather before) Caramba Samba from Norway and Greek Bossavision from Brasil here's Twangvision. Twangy guitars, think Surfari's, Telstar, Apache.

Twangvision is a CD released in 2007, coinciding with the Helsinki contest.
It features instrumental guitar versions in Twang style of some popular Eurovision hits and a host of classic Finnish entries. All newly recorded by Finnish guitar bands.

I've been trying to find some audio clips on the net, but I haven't found any yet, so you'll have to make do with the tracklist.
The CD is available through many Finnish webshops including the recordcompanies own site Twangsville.


Twangvision: Instrumental guitars from Finland play Eurovision Song Contest. (Twangsville Productions TWGS 3466)
1 Te Deum (Eurovision hymn) - The Regents
2 Light In The Window (Valoa ikkunassa Finland 1961) - The Lunaters
3 Tipi-Tii (Finland 1962) - Honey B. & T-Bones
4 Sentimental Song (Muistojeni laulu Finland 1963) - The Webasto
5 Non ho l´età (Italy 1964) - The Aftons
6 Western Sunset (Aurinko laskee länteen (Finland 1965) - Pekka Tiilikainen & Beatmakers
7 Poupée De Cire, Poupée De Son (Luxembourg 1965) - Waikiki Kuks
8 Playboy (Finland 1966) - The Spectre
9 Waterloo (Sweden 1974) - Kaapo & Zetor
10 I Will Follow Starlight (Katson sineen taivaan Finland 1979) - The Webasto
11 Fantasy Dream (Fantasiaa Finland 1983) - The Regents
12 Ein bißchen Frieden / Valo yössä: Hold Me Now (Germany 1982 & Ireland 1987) - Toptones
13 Eurovision Theme - The Silver Hawks

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

Nicki French 2015: The Eurovision EP

Digital release image

Nicki French, much loved British Eurovision chanteuse, releases a new remix EP including new mixes of her 2000 entry Don't Play That Song Again and a few Eurovision covers.

Don't Play That Song Again ended 16th in the 45th Eurovision Song Contest (in Stockholm).
Hold Me Now is the winner of the Brussels contest of 1987. It was Johnny Logans 2nd victory for Ireland.
One Step Further, originally by Bardo, ended 7th in Harrogate (1982)
And then there's Ding A Dong, the winner of 40 years ago. The Dutch entry by Teach In won the contest in Stockholm en became a European hit.

Update 2019: Nicki French released another Eurovision EP, more info here.

Nicki French shot to fame with her dance coverversion of Bonnie Tylers Total Eclipse Of The Heart. 
It was already the third time Nicki released the song but the 1995 version became a worldwide hit.
It was a No. 5 in the U.K. and a No. 2 in the USA. It went to No. 1 in Canada, Japan and Brasil.

Eurovision EP Tracks:

1. Don't Play That Song Again 2015 (Andy Haldane Remix)

2. Hold Me Now (Andy Haldane Remix)

3. One Step Further (Matt Pop Mix)

4. Ding A Dong (John Springate Mix)

5. Don't Play That Song Again 2015 (Matt Pop's Golden Anniversary 12inch)

6. Hold Me Now (Matt Pop Mix)

7. Don't Play That Song Again 2015 (Andy's Karaoke Mix)

8. Hold Me Now (Andy's Karaoke Mix)
A CD single is released on May 15, still available at the Energise Records shop.
The digital release is out May 23. (but discontined now)

Earlier this year the album One Step Further was released including Matt Pop remix versions of the four Eurovision songs mentioned above.
Another recent release is the album Nicki French: The Singles 1997-2015.
Energise Records also offer a 4-disc (though CD-r) release with the albums One Step Further, The Singles 1997-2015, a Megamix CD and a 4th album Total Eclipse Of The Heart including two previously unreleased demo's.

Energise Records website
More Eurocovers Ding A Dong posts are here, and various versions of Hold Me Now are here.

Original cdsingle

Also check out 2015: The Vienna Collection
Quick links to all countries:
Albania - Armenia - Austria - Australia - Azerbaijan - Belarus - Belgium - Cyprus - CzechRepublic - Denmark - Estonia - Finland - France - FYR Macedonia -   Georgia - Germany - Greece - Hungary - Iceland - Ireland - Israel - Italy - Latvia - Lithuania - Malta - Moldova - Montenegro - The Netherlands - Norway - Poland - Portugal - Romania - Russia - San Marino - Serbia - Slovenia - Spain - Sweden - Switzerland - United Kingdom

LA LA LA - NALVA AGUIAR

Brazil singer Nalva Aguiar sings the Spanish 1968 winner, to cheer up the Spanish side.
Originally from a 1968 Carnaval LP Carnaval de Picaretagem. (Various artists)
Picture from / find out more on the LP at Sintonia Musikal

Sintonia Musikal are also showcasing some cool World Cup LP's (like LP's with WC goals on them!) and other history bits.
Also several albums with Eurocovers like
Claudia Barroso, Pop-5, Cauby Peixoto

A website that'll keep you busy until the next game.
Also check out the commentarios.

Some Eurocovers posts featuring stars from Brazil.
Bossavision, Perla, Fabulosa Leny Eversong, Year Of The Puppet: Brasil

Goodbye, Farewell, Colin 'Bob Allison' Day

Colin Day, known as Bob Allison from the Allisons has passed away aged 72.
The Allisons scored an international hit with their U.K. Eurovision entry Are You Sure (2nd place in 1961)

Golden Oldie Are You Sure is one of the songs I knew by heart (although in my own invented variation on English) long before I found out it actually was a Eurovision tune.
The Allisons Brian 'John Allison' Alford and Colin 'Bob Allison' Day were childhood friends, not really brothers contrary to popular belief. They were more or less the U.K.'s answer to the Everly Brothers. They scored a European hit with their Eurovision runner up, the third U.K. entry in a row to finish 2nd.
The song sold over a million copies in the U.K. alone.

Despite their European hit, world domination didn't really happen for the Allisons. They managed to get two more top 40 hits and called it a day in 1963.
'Goodbye, Farewell.... Are You Sure?' they asked themselves. I guess they weren't, as the Allisons reunited on several occasions and in the 70's recruited some new brothers like Mike Allison and Tony Allison.
John White, earlier member who left in 1959 is the real composer of their Eurovision Song. (it's credited to The Allisons).

Colin Day also recorded a coverversion of Angelique, the Danish 1961 entry by Dario Campeotto. It was released as a b-side to his single Brasil (Parlophone R 4803).

Source: BBC entertainment
Parts of the above have been published the 2008 Eurocovers article Team GB 1961: Are You Sure?
List of versions of Are You Sure . This has release details on the Allisons versions and info on 42 coverversions of the song. (Word document, email me if you want it)
Discography: Colin Day and the Allisons at 45Cat,com

Another post: Jody Wayne (South Africa) - Are You Sure

It's a small world after all.

Some of us are old enough to remember 1976.
Austria's Eurovision entry My Little World by Waterloo and Robinson (Hans Kreuzmayr and Sepp Krassnitzer) finished a respectable 5th in the The Hague Eurovision Song Contest, won by the mighty Brotherhood Of Man.
Prior to their Eurovision result, Waterloo and Robinson already scored a few hits with Baby Blue and Hollywood, the latter reportedly even being a #1 in Brasil.

Waterloo and / or Robinson have re-recorded their Austrian #1 hitMy Little World several times, but since both their solo re-recordings from 2008 it has been a few years, so it's time for a new one.
(see below)

Das Comebackalbum
To cut a short story even shorter Schlagerfans, Das Comebackalbum is titled Baby Blue and is by Berger, Maier and Waterloo. So Waterloo = Waterloo (leatherfaceon the left), Berger = Ricky Berger and I guess Maier = Christian Maier, producer (but he's not in the picture, and neither is Robinson, who's probably occupied elsewhere).

The Baby Blue album will be released on November 23 and it will include new versions of W and R hits including Baby Blue, Hollywood and My Little World. It will also include a coverversion of the U.K. 1972 entry Beg Steal or Borrow (New Seekers) and  favorite Clout song Substitute (although the Righteous Bro's recorded it first, I know).
Excerpts are already up up up at Amazon.de.
BMW (oh....) have their Facebook.

Here's the list of recordings of My Little World by at least one of the original singers, maybe there are more, just let me know.
h
MY LITTLE WORLD (english) - Waterloo and Robinson

- single  (International Philips 2121 286)

Meine Kleine Welt (german)

- single  (ATOM 238 075)

My Little World (german/english medley) 

- on '2 x Gold' commemorative 7" single (ATOM C-VSTP 558)

My Little World (first english version with 'rude' lyrics)

- single (Portugal: Planisom PLS 5005)*

Meine kleine Welt (re-recording german, year???)

- on single (Germany: Bellaphon 100 05185)

Meine kleine Welt - robinson (solo version 1990)

-   E details wanted

My Little World (english 2008) - Robinson    

- on CD The ballad of my life (Tonora 400.892)

Meine kleine Welt (german 2008) - Robinson

- on CD Ein Morgen mit dir  (Tonora 400.896)

My Little World (english 2008) - Waterloo

- on CD Ewigkeit (Echo 61445)

My Little World (english 2012) - Berger, Maier, Waterloo
- on CD Baby Blue, to be released November 23

  

Details from The Eurovision Collectors Guide.

* not entirely sure of this release as I have never heard it.

Flemish Schlager
And some more release news from the cheesy variety. Laat Me Nu Gaan (Let me go now or rather Just let me go) is a single by Belgian Schlager singer Jo Vally. It's a coverversion of Non Ho L'Eta (Per Amarti), the 1964 Eurovision winner by Gigliola Cinquetti for Italy.
Don't know if there's a cdsingle, but the track is available at iTunes Belgium and possibly other sources.

Addio, Addio, Addio

Eurocovers was never intended to be a memorial blog for the great and the forgotten singers who have a Eurovision link, but sometimes I feel it appropriate to take a moment for the departed and share my view on their achievements on the Eurocovers front. Call it morbid fascination, it's only meant as a little respect.

Alberto Testa (1927-2009)
Brasil born Italian wordsmith Alberto Testa is one of the most prolific lyricists of popular Italian music in the last century. He wrote the lyrics to over 1500 songs, including many Italian evergreens.
He started writing lyrics in the early 50's and when he teamed up with well known songwriters like Pino Calvi and Alberto Rossi he soon ventured into Sanremo territory.
He wrote the words to early Sanremo classics like Il Cantico Del Cielo (Tonina Torrielli), Un Sogno Di Cristallo (Carla Boni, see below) and È mezzanotte (Joe Sentieri).

Uno Per Tutte
Two Sanremo winners are from Testo's hand. Uno Per Tutte from 1963 (Written with Mogol, music by Tony Renis, sung by Tony Renis and by Emilio Pericoli) and Non Pensare A Me from 1967 (Music by Eros Sciorilli, sung at Sanremo Claudio Villa / Iva Zanicchi)
Emilio Pericoli took Uno Per Tutte to the Eurovision Song Contest and ended 3rd.
In 1967 Non Pensare A Me was the Italian Eurovision entry to be (for Claudio Villa) , but it was replaced by Non Andare Piu Lontano at the rehearsing stage. (see this Eurocovers post).
The replacement song ended 11th and was more or less forgotten. Non Pensare A Me became one of those much covered Italian classics.

The best known song internationally to come from Alberto Testo's hand is probably Quando Quando Quando 4th in the 1962 Sanremo, but again, a much covered international hit.
Uno Per Tutte was covered many times in several languages.



Also check out http://www.albertotesta.net/ where you can find details on many of his songs.


Carla Boni (1925-2009)Italy also had to say their addio's to Carla Boni this week. Carla Boni entered the Sanremo contest many times in the 50's and won in 1953 with Viale D'Autunno which was also sung by Flo Sandon's (See here at Eurocovers).

Carla Boni's first success was an Italian version of Johnny Guitar and she scored over 20 hits in the Italian charts of the 50's. Mambo Italiano and Casetta in Canada (Sanremo 1957, with frequent singing partner Gino Latilla) were her biggest hits.
In 1959 Carla Boni recorded Un Poco, an Italian coverversion of the Eurovision winner 'N Beetje (Teddy Scholten, Netherlands) and the runner up of the same year Sing Little Birdie (Canta Uccello) as a duet with Gino Latilla. Both songs were released on one single. (Cetra SP 504), Un Poco was also released on other singles and EP (pic left).


Luis Aguilé (1936-2009)
A third goodbye is for Argentinian singer and entertainer Luis Aguilé. He died two weeks ago at 73.
He was a popular singer in his home country but also made the crossover to Spain in 1963, where he was a much loved singer and TV personality. His best know songs are Juanita Banana and Cuando Sali De Cuba, a song that became an anthem to people who fled Cuba.
Luis Aguilé recorded Spanish language versions of the 1958 and 1959 Italian Eurovision entries by Domenico Modugno.

In the 70's he re-recorded both songs in Italian.
Luis Aguilé discography at Rockola Argentina



New release: Paola Turci
Also some happy news from Italy. Celebrated Sanremo singer Paola Turci has just released her new album Attraversami Il Cuore.
It includes a new coverversion of Dio Come Ti Amo, the 1966 Italian entry by Domenico Modugno.
The album (out on Universal) is produced by Francesco Barbaro and is available through most webshops, digital & physical.
-
http://www.paolaturci.it/ has more info.

Eurocovers loves Dio Come Ti Amo here, here, here, and here -


Please note: If you use the latest IE explorer, all the links on the sidebar to the right (archives, friends sites) may have moved to the bottom of the page)

E Depois Do Adeus - José Calvário (1951 - 2009)

This week Portugal and the Eurovision nation have to say a sad adeus to José Calvário.
The Portuguese composer and orchestra leader died at the age of 58.

Calvário and his Orchestra worked with many popular Portuguese artists and he produced several hitsongs and albums. He also composed and recorded scores for Portuguese cinema.
I won't be trying to present a full life story on José Calvário here, I don't know enough for that. It's just a small tribute to a milestone in Portuguese music and an opportunity to get re-acquainted with E Depois Do Adeus.

In Eurovision world he is most known as the composer of the portuguese entries of 1972, 1974 and 1988. He also conducted the orchestra for the Portuguese Eurovision entries in 1974, 1977, 1985 and 1988 and recorded and produced the entries records on several occasions.

The 1972 entry A Festa Da Vida is a well known song, the 1988 composition Voltarei came into trouble for sounding a bit too much like Save Your Kisses For Me, but the most famous of Calvário's Eurovision compositions is E Depois Do Adeus (After the goodbye).

The Revolution
E Depois Do Adeus, (lyrics José Niza) performed by Paulo De Carvalho in Eurovision gained legendary status by the role it played in the Carnation Revolution in april 1974 in Portugal.
However the role of E Depois is somewhat overplayed or at least misinterpreted at some sources. It did not start the revolution, and certainly not on Eurovision night and the song has no revolutionary lyrics, but an airing of E Depois on radio on April 24 was a starting signal for revolutionary activities.
Needless to say, E Depois Do Adeus gained immortal status in Portuguese music and has been covered by several artists, many in recent years. You'll find a few below.

José Calvário Eurocovers
As an orchestra leader Calvário recorded two albums of interest to Eurocovers fans. Especially interesting is the 1973 LP Eurovisão - 10 Canções which features 10 orchestral covers (with some chorus) of 10 songs from the 1973 contest (Orfeu STAT 015)*
Another album is recorded by Calvário with the London Philharmonic in 1993: Saudades vol. III. This includes 7 Portuguese entries from 1965 to 1982, some in medleys, others in full.
The album is currently available at CD-Go
A vocal version of E Depois Do Adeus was recorded by Calvário and his orchestra (vocals but no lyrics) but I have no release details on that.

UPDATE: The Orchestral version with chorus vocals can be found on the Mozambique EP of the original entry by Paolo. This EP (Orfeu KSAT 507, pictured left) has the Portuguese, English and said Orchestral version. (Thanks Rick!!!)

* I don´t have the LP or know the exact tracklist, but it includes the 1973 entries of entries of Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Spain, Sweden, and UK (♫ below)

The version by Sebastião Manuel (from Brasil) from the VA LP O Meu Rico Portugues, the recording is from 1975 and was used in a Brasilian TV series in the 70's. The track by Paula Oliveira & Bernardo Moreira is from 2005 album Lisboa Que Adormece and the Radio Clube Nora version is from 2006 (quite great album Ver Sons)

E Depois Do Adeus was also covered by vocal groups Divinus, Grupo Verde Vinho & Vozes Da Radio, by a trio of Eurovision collegues Carlos Mendes, Fernando Tordo with original singer Paulo De Carvalho and by David Ripado of Operacão Triunfo.
I'm still looking for the version by Ester De Abreu (1977 LP Amar Amar).
Of A Festa Da Vida (1972) I only know of an instrumental by Shegundo Galarza.
Of 1988's Voltarei I don't have any cover info.

CD tip: From Brasil To Greece - BossaVision

Bossavision is a collection of Eurocovers in Bossanova-lite style by Brasilian singers. It's a Greek project (hence the large number of Greek entries) coordinated by Easy Coutiel & Nektarios Tyrakis.
It has all your favorite winners Ding-A-Dong, Waterloo, L'oiseau et l'enfant and Diva and unevitably Volare, the oldest entry in the collection. It's great to see modern Eurovision back in Brasil (they sort of lost interest after the 70's), although I haven't found any Brasilian website mentioning this collection.

Barbara Mendes for example has released several CDs in Greece including a live collection recorded in Greece in 2001.

The laid back bossa collection is a bit monotonous at times, but it's the perfect soundtrack for a romantic night on the beach or dinner party with the neighbours. The CD is released in Greece on Mercury/Universal and is available through some Greek webshops like Yupi, Greekbooks, GreekMusicShop.

Tracklist:
1. Barbara Mendes (pic) - My Number One (Greece 2005)
2. Carol (Assad) & Zeca Rodrigues - Every Way That I Can (Turkey 2003)
3. Marcela Mangabeira - Ding A Dong (Netherlands 1975)
4. Saloa Farah - Die For You (Greece 2001)
5. Eliza Lacerda - Waterloo (Sweden 1974)
6. Barbara Mendes - Secret Combination (Greece 2008)
7. Rachelle Spring - Diva (Israel 1998)
8. Marcela Mangabeira - Shake It (Greece 2004)
9. Flavio Mendes - Save Your Kisses For Me (U.K. 1976)
10. Marion - Tell Me (I Anixi, Greece 1991)
11. Daniela Procopio - Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare) (Italy 1958)
12. Rachelle Spring - Solfege Lesson (Mathema Solfege, Greece 1977)
13. Marion - L' Oiseau Et L'Enfant (France 1977)
14. Guilherme Ge - Tornero (Romania 2006)
15. Marion - Apres Toi (Luxembourg 1972)
16. Carol (Assad) & Zeca Rodrigues (pic) - Where Are You Now (U.K. 1998)

Check out Planetworks and here is a Youtube promo

Brasil is the non Eurovision country with the most Eurocovers to its name.
From the first contest in 1956 (with at least 7 versions by Brasilian artists)* to well into the 70's Eurovision songs have been covered by artists from Brasil.
About every Italian entry, most of the songs from the U.K. and many of the winners and hits from other countries.

If you use this search link you'll get all the Eurocovers posts that have (or mention) Eurovision coverversions from Brasil.

Also check out the Janelão Eurovision blog for a Brasilian look on Eurovision.

* Winner Refrain was covered in Brasil by at least three artists: Carlos Augusto, Aracy (Araci) Costa and Arthur Murat.
Italian entry Amami Se Vuoi was covered by Zézé Gonzaga, Wilma Bentivegna, Vicente Celestino and pianist Britinho. Most have been released on good old 78rpm records.