The last coverversion for the Rotterdam Weeks can't be anything other than a coverversion of Ding A Dong, the 1975 Dutch winner by Teach In.
Much ridiculed then and now, it still is one of the most recognisable Eurovision tunes ever.
Thát opening riff is up there with the best hits in popmusic. So now you know.
The coverversion (below) is from South-Korea.
The singers are twin sisters The Bunny Girls
(바니걸즈), Ko Jeong-suk and Ko
Jae-suk.
They were active and popular from 1970 to 1990. They recorded about close to 20 albums, most with original Korean compositions but in the mid 70's they recorded coverversions from worldwide hits.
Their 1975 LP 팝송 하이라이트 - 라무는 나의 친구 is an album with international songs and it includes both Waterloo (워터루) and Ding A Dong (딩딩동) sung in Korean. Plus songs like ABBA's Honey Honey, Gigliola Cinquetti's La Rosa Nero, Tony Orlando's Yellow Ribbon and the Carpenters' Top Of The World. The title track Lamu Is My Friend is a coverversion of a Bollywood song.
So far I have only found the two mid 70's Eurovision winners (as Eurocovers) but the duo have released many LP's plus many single tracks on Various Artists albums, so there may be more.
* = Google translate says "Pop Song Highlights - Lamu is my friend".
If you want to listen to the whole Bunny Girls album it's here at Youtube (playable track by track).
The Rotterdam weeks at Eurocovers aren't complete with a coverversion of Duncan Laurence's Arcade, the song that held the Eurovision Trophy longer than any other. (which of course is not a really good thing, given the circumstances).
The Dutch had to wait 44 years for a victory and there have been dark years, as The Netherlands also holds the record for longest run of non qualifying entries in a row (8 years!).
But they stepped up their game and now we're in Rotterdam.
So, never give up, keep on dreaming, chin up, etcetera.
But this is Eurocovers so here's a a wonderful coverversion. In Italian!
Assaf Kacholi is an Israeli classical singer and he recorded Arcade already in English back in 2019. But he's a tenor and tenors have to sing in Italian. It's the law.
I couldn't find a (digital) release of this Italian version so we'll have to make do with the Youtube video or Assaf Kacholi's Facebook video's.
Kacholi's English version was released as a digital single and can also be found on his CD Symphony, available through his Bandcamp or his website shop.
He also recorded a coverversion of La Forza, the Estonian entry of 2018 by Elina Nechayeva. This was released on his CD Amore from 2018. (digital at Bandcamp and other sources)
Kacholi was (is?) a member of classical vocal quintet / quartet Adoro who covered Merci Cherie (Austria 1966 winner) many moons ago on their CD Adoro from 2008.
Last year Eurocovers started a series of Rotterdam Week coverversions to celebrate Eurovision being in The Netherlands and all that.
One version I couldn't find back then was this one, Penghibor Di Rantau by Rahimah Rahim from Singapore. But some kind person uploaded the album with the same name to the tube so you can have a listen to this lovely coverversion of Colorado, originally by Xandra (Sandra Reemer and band)
It was the Dutch entry in 1979 and Rahimah Rahim released her album in the same year.
In 1977 she already recorded Tepat Pada Waktunya which is a coverversion of the 1974 German entry Die Sommermelodie (Cindy und Bert) (LP Rahimah Rahim)
Eurovision
Rotterdam is happening, pandemic or not. We all can use a bit of cheering up, I
know I do. You
probably already know our Rotterdam 2.1 pages with all the things you need to
know about the music and stars of Eurovision 2021, but here’s the link anyway.
A nice album
release to coincide with this year’s spectacular is Songfestival: Nederlands
trots in een nieuw jasje (Dutch pride in a new jacket) with nine
coverversion of Dutch Eurovision hits. (Well, one is Belgian, (see below). The album
is out on CD on May 12 but also (already) available through you favorite
digital music providers. And Spotify.
Released by Cloud 9, they also posted a Youtube playlist. Most tracks
are quite different from the original (which is good) by current artists even
today’s youngsters can relate too (i.e: not old)
If I had to
give one 12 Poing it would be for Deborah Parlor’s soft country version of Ik
Hou Van Jou / In Love With You. It shows a new side of the 1984 classic which
as far as I know has only been covered as a (big) ballad. 1. Paul
Sinha & Fleur – De Eerste Keer - 1996, original by Maxine & Franklin Brown 2. Samantha Steenwijk – Vrede - 1993, Ruth Jacott 3. Lisa
Lois – Hemel en Aarde - 1998, Edsilia Rombley, one of this year's hosts. 4. Pommelien Thijs – Door De Wind - The Belgian entry of 1989 written by Dutch singer Stef Bos.
5. BENR – Je Vecht Nooit Alleen - 2011, 3JS, performed it in English as Never Alone at Eurovision. 6. Deborah Parlor – In Love With You - 1984, Maribelle as Ik Hou Van Jou 7. Danique
– Arcade - 2019,
Duncan Laurence 8. René Karst – Ik Zie Een Ster - 1974,
Mouth & McNeal 9. Unity – Ding-A-Dong - 1975, Teach In
Last year, before Rotterdam 2020 was cancelled, I posted a few bits and pieces about Dutch classics in The Rotterdam Weeks. Still worth a listen and a read.
Shay Healy, Irish songwriter and broadcaster passed away. Eurovision fans know him best from Johnny Logan's What's Another Year, the Irish winner from 1980.
This video is from a CD/DVD release Stardust: The Stable Sessions recorded in 2016.
I could reprint all kinds of wiki's about his achievements or his ordeal with Parkinson's but I'll just leave you with this video.
What's Another Year is a heartbreaking song by itself but you won't hear a more moving version of the Eurovision classic that is here on earth forevermore.
The CD/DVD is available from Tradnua where you can find a bit more about the recording sessions. Also via other stores (incl Amazon, Essential Irish, Bol). You can also listen to the album on your favorite streamers.
Updated in 2021 to give Jean-Paul Vignon a little more credit, the original post was from April 2012.
Here's one piece of Eurocovers treasure I didn't know about.
It's iconic American actress and Charlie's Angel Farrah Fawcett-Majors (1947-2009) doing a coverversion of the Italian 1974 Eurovision entry Si with French singer/actor Jean-Paul Vignon.
Vignon does all the singing but Farrah makes it all amazing by sexy-rapping all over the song like's she's French or something.
This single was already released in 1977 and Farrah Fawcett-Majors was a superstar and still no-one at Eurocovers knew of this gem. (in 2012, ed)
As far as I know this is the only time Farrah Fawcett-Majors ventured in the world of music.
The single was released in the U.S. (Nelson Barry NBR 7900, various promo's exist) and in Mexico (Columbia k.30010) in a gorgeous picture sleeve that makes no secret of who is supposed to sell this record.
Picture from Discogs
Jean-Paul Vignon
Besides releasing many singles in France, most from 1957 to 1967 Jean-Paul Vignon later focused more on his acting. This single with Farrah Fawcett was a bit of a one off.
As an actor you may have seen him in Star Trek The Next Generaton as a holographic waiter (Ep: We'll Always Have Paris) or heard him in Shrek as the Merry Man. Other credits are soaps like Days Of Our Lives, Gilmore Girls and Dallas (as a waiter again). In fact he played a waiter or similar roles in many shows. Add Hotel, L.A. Law, Falcon Crest (croupier), Murder She Wrote, Columbo and more.
He's still around and performs live shows (pandemics permitting).
In his bio it says that Farrah and him covered a winning Eurovision song but that can be forgiven. It's not like anyone remembers the actual winner.
His memoirs, published in French (De L'Ethiopie A L'Utopie) and English (From Ethiopia To Utopia) were released in 2018 / 2019. (More about that here at Vignon's website)
Si by Gigliola Cinquetti ended second behind ABBA's Waterloo in the Brighton Eurovision Song Contest of 1974.
But credit where credit is due, I nicked the picture from the Cranched For Now blogspot, who wrote about this in 2009. So you go there now, read more about it, see the disc but don't forget to come back though.....
Danny, legendary Finnish singer born as Ilkka Johannes Lipsanen (in 1942), will enter the Finnish preselection for the
2021 Eurovision song contest Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (New Music
Contest) with the Janne Rintala penned song Sinä Päivänä Kun Kaikki Rakastaa Mua (the day that everyone loves me).
Now the Uuden (new) part of that is a bit misplaced as Danny’s first
singles were released in 1964.
Over the
years Danny has had many hits in his home country and he is credited for
putting touring live shows on the map for Finland. His live shows, often supported by other now well known Finnish singers (Kirka, Katri Helena, Vicky Rosti), were among the first to
start live music pop culture in the country, with hysterical screaming and all that.
There’s a
movie and a musical about his life and they’re both called Danny. So he must have done something right.
The new Rotterdam 2021 Collection is open!
This year
it’s the 8th time (and 9th song) Danny tries to get to
the Eurovision Song Contest. Here's the Finnish 2021 page at the new Rotterdam Collection.
The song premiered at 11 PM CET on Januari 17th and is now available from all your local digitessen.
Post Premiere Update: Now I didn't expect that! My Finnish is a bit rusty but the English translation is in the video below. Absolutely wonderful lyrics, sort of sad in a tongue in cheek way, resigning in the inevitable.
Now you just keep that day away for a while longer Mr. Danny!
Here’s a
list of his earlier Euroviisut efforts. 1966 Pieni
Saana (Little Saana, 8th) - single
(Scandia KS 628) has the winning song Playboy by Ann Christine on the b-side! 1967 Sua
Kutsun, Maarit (I call you, Maarit, 2nd) 1967
Keskiyöllä (At midnight, 4th) - both 1967
songs on single (Scandia KS 682), 2nd placed song also on VA EP 4 Iskelmää (Scandia SEP 215). 1973 Galileo
Galilei (5th) (video below) - single
(Scandia KS 891) 1974 Jos
Maailmassa Vain Ois Kahva (If there was only a handle on the world, 7th) - single
(Delta DES 5) 1975
Seikkailija (Adventurer, 2nd) - single
(Delta DES 10) 1986 Ninja
(8th) - single
(M&T Productions MTP 1097) 2004 Seven Times Seven (in English) - Danny & D’Voices (10th) - CD
Minulta Sinulle (Poptori 1134-2), also on
promo cds (MUFA records) Seven Times
Seven is a nod to his 1968 hit Seitsemän Kertaa Seitsemän which means
Seven Times Seven 2021 Sinä
Päivänä Kun Kaikki Rakastaa Mua (the day that everyone loves me) - digital single
----
Eurovisio Special 1978
Danny's Eurovision covers
But this is
Eurocovers so we’ll take a look at Danny’s coverversions of Eurovision songs.
All are translated into Finnish. Many come from Various Artists LP’s from the
70’s and 80’s where most Eurovision tunes from one year were translated and
recorded by Finnish artists. Two times
he paired up with Armi Aaviko who you’ll probably remember as Miss Finland 1977. Sadly Armi died in 2002, just 42 years old.
The YT links are all audio's on Youtube.
Here’s the list of Danny’s Eurocovers.
Säästä Suukkosi Vain (Save your kisses for me, U.K. 1976) (YT) Judy Judy (Judy et Cie, Belgium 1976) (YT) - Both on Eurovision 1976 covers VA LP Huipulla 10 Eurovisio
Special (Scandia SLP 632) - Judy Judy also on LP Elämän Maku (Scandia SLP 631)
Päin Seinää - Armi ja Danni (Rock Bottom, U.K. 1977) (YT) Beatles (Sweden 1977) (YT) - VA Eurovision covers LP Eurovisio Special 1977 (Scandia
SLP 648) - LP Tahdon Olla Sulle Hellä (Scandia SLP 647)
Beatles 1977
Beatles
also b-side to Armi & Danni single Tahdon Olla Sulle Hellä(7"Scandia KS 979) Jäi Taakse Päivät Nuo - Armi ja Danny (Bad Old Days, U.K.
1978) (YT) - VA Eurovision covers LP Eurovisio Special 1978 Disco Tango (Denmark 1979) - VA Eurovision covers LP
Eurovisio 79 (Scandia SLP 911) Vain Rakkaus Jää (Tænker Altid På Dig, Denmark 1980) - VA Eurovision covers LP Eurovisio Special 1980 (Scandia
SLP 917) On Meri Tänään Tauhatan (Feggari Kalokerino, Greece 1981) (YT) - 7” single, b-side to Vain Kaksi Nauhaa (Scandia KS 1058) - VA Eurovision covers LP Eurovisio Special 1981 (Finnlevy
FL 5095) Maybe
there’s more, if you know any, just drop a comment.
The strangest Christmas I've ever experienced (I mean: No shopping!) needs its own soundtrack. Eurovision singer Senhit (2011, 2020 and 2021) has been giving us some amazing videos monthly covering Eurovision classics.
The December instalment is this one, Amar Pelos Dois, the 2017 winner for Portugal by Salvador Sobral. Classical singer Jordi Galàn sings along too.
(spoilers) It doesn't get better than the moment Mary hands over the black Baby Jesus for adoption to a same sex couple in their tighty whities. Madonna would be proud (if it was still 1989).
I hope Senhit will release the covers as an album (A CD/DVD set would be nice), but for now they're only on Youtube.
Big Kudo's to the director Luca Tommassini, who surpassed himself again on this amazing video.
Here'sthe playlist with all the coverversions Senhit made in her #FreakyTripToRotterdam project.
Amar Pelos Dois, Rise Like A Phoenix, Congratulations, Ding A Dong, Everyway That I Can and Cheesecake.
And in May she did a heartwarming version of Insieme 1992 (Toto Cutugno's winner of 1990)
Her 2020 entry Freaky! is still available through all your favorite digital stores and on the Official 2020 CD.
I really hope she get's a stunning song for the 2021 contest (and don't let Azerbaijan snap it up!).
