Here’s some
news about the 10th* edition of the Eurovision Collectors Guide, previously known
as the booklet that gives you all the information
on the entries of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Since 1989
nine* booklets have been issued with all the information on the songs, versions
and releases of our beloved Eurovision Song Contest. Some of you may still have
a much thumbed copy lying about.
I’m pleased
to present the 10th edition in a new DIY format Many things have changed since and another
(affordable) paper edition was just not possible. * Actually it's the 11th edition but the first one (#0) only had 10 copies made and hasn't been available to the public.
It’s 3
decades of dedicated work, of collecting data with a lot of help from many
people.
Massive
thanks go out to all of you who have contributed to the Eurovision Collectors
Guide over the past 30 years, couldn’t have done it without you.
I hope
you’ll find it useful, fun and occasionally surprising.
This new
version will hopefully provide all the information you need. You can read it
online or print it and make a lovely book / atlas out of it, it’s up to you
now.
I decided
to make this issue a free issue, but if you’re really really really happy with
what you see, I won’t stop you from sending me presents. There will be updates and corrections later in the year, that's where you come in....
For the new print it yourself edition of the Eurovision Collectors Guide please visit our facebook
Oh, and it only costs a like or two.
Or you can download the whole thing (Updated 2020 !) as a PDF file here at ESC History A more user friendly and searchable version will be released after Liverpool 2023.
Look who's
at it again! Nicki French releases a new EP Let's Play
That Song Again covering some Eurovision tunes we all know and love.
The
EP includes Go (Gigliola Cinquetti's Si from 1974), My Star (Brainstorm 2000) You Are TheOnly One by Sergey Lazarev and Tonight Again (Guy Sebastian)
One of these is one of my top 3 favorite Eurovision songs ever, so well done Nicki.
All songs feature
in two versions on the EP including mixes by Pete Ware and Matt Pop.
If you buy the CD version a new mix of Don't Play
That Song Again (Nicki's own Eurovision classic from 2000) is yours as well. We. Love. Nicki.
The 2015 Eurovision EP
CD version (still) available at Energise Recordswho also still have Nicki's first Eurovision from 2015
EP available. (more about that one here at Eurocovers)
The digital version is out on May 6. (but discontinued as of 2023)
Today it's 50 years ago that the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest happened in Madrid, Spain. There were four winners and other sources of total mayhem (like Franco).
There's a lot of talking but the show starts at approx 16 minutes.
(TVE's archive may not be available in all territories.
You can watch the original show here at TVE's archives. It's in black and white, as broadcasted in Spain back then.
Other countries saw it in colour. The colour version is here at TVE
10 years ago Eurocovers did quite a few bits about that, so why not check the old posts out. (Warning, may contain expired links)
2019: The Eurocovers post about Dana Valery is another one worth moving up. Thanks to Keurspel YouTube you can now give the songs mentioned a listen. (scroll down a bit)
The original post is from 2009.
It seems Dana Valery has all but disappeared from the WWW and there still is no compilation of her work. You can find some stuff on the digitals but none of the Eurocovers.
South-Africa release
Another international singer already lined up for a Eurocovers feature since the beginning of this blog is Dana Valery. But information on her career and recordings is very patchy I had to put the article aside several times. I thought it especially interesting because of her equally talented brother (Sergio Franchi 1926-1990) who also has a few Eurocovers to his name, so something of a Brothers and Sisters feature would have been fitting.
Dana Valery's career is all over the place and I don't know many artists who have recorded for so many record labels. Her work isn't documented anywhere and as far as I know there has never been a CD re-issue of any of her albums, let alone a compilation. I don't intend to cover all aspects of her career but the things that stood out are here. If you have any additions or suggestions please leave a comment.
Japan
Dana Valery Catalano is born in Italy but at eight she moves to South Africa with her family.
It's here that she has her first solo hits, including her first Eurovision coverversions.
But before the breakthrough she spends a short while (and one LP: Dan, Diana and the Diamonds, CBS 1962) with Rhodesian band the Diamonds.
It's hard to put her early South African releases in chronological order but it's the 1964 single This Is My Prayer that is a huge hit and becomes a top 10 best selling single of the year in South Africa. This Is My Prayer (CBS SSC 479 South Africa) is a coverversion of Gigliola Cinquetti's Eurovision winner Non Ho L'Eta (Italy 1964).
The b-side to the single is Would I Love You Again, and that's another Eurocover: t'En Va Pas, the Swiss 1963 entry by Esther Ofarim (2nd place).
The single is also released in the UK but it fails to chart. (Decca F11881),
Japan and the U.S.
Both songs can also be found on the LP Dana (CBS ALD 6747, South Africa)
After the success with This Is My Prayer Dana Valery releases an LP Dana Valery All'Italiana (CBS ALD 6694), but I don't know if there are any Eurovision songs on that, I haven't found a tracklist.
There are some more singles and albums released in South Africa up to 1965 but after that she moves to the U.S. to record what I think is her best work.
---- ----
She releases several singles on the Columbia label like You,Having You Around and especially the utterly fantastic You Don't know Where Your Interest Lies from 1967. The latter is a Simon and Garfunkel song written by Paul Simon who also provides the talking bits on the track. (originally it's the b-side to Having You Around)
The song fails to chart but has become a Northern Soul classic over the years, and rightfully so. It has appeared on many compilations and the single was re-issued on several labels. Update In 2013 the single was re-issued in the U.K. (Outta Sight label OSV 105).
In the late 60's and early 70's she is a guest on all major U.S. TV shows (Ed Sullivan, Merv Griffin, Johnny Carson, David Frost, Liberace). Put Your Hand In The Hand (1971) is a popular song for her and it gets a single release in many countries.
A recommended album is Not The Flower But The Root from 1972 (see comments). This is a pure soul album produced by Carl Davis.
This album was re-released on CD in Japan in 2013 and 2016.
In 1975 she releases the third Eurovision coverversion on the LP Dana Valery produced by Mountain guitarist Leslie West. The album includes Dana's (quite fab) take on Cliff Richards Power To All Our Friends, the U.K. entry of 1973.
Disco doesn't pass Dana by either and she releases several records combining light disco with ballads and covers of pop hits. Her disco version of Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (1976 # 95 on the US billboard) is dire, but the era gives Dana Valery her 'biggest' US top 100 hit the soulful ballad Don't Want to be Lonely (#87 in 1980)
In 1978 she releases a single in German, Du Bist Das Licht in Meiner Welt, but it doesn't spark a career in the German speaking countries
After a long and sudden run of personal tragedies in the early 1991 she stops working for a year but then is asked to host an American games show. It's at this show Dana Valery decides it's time for a career change. She ventures into healing through Reiki and hypnotherapy.
Sergio Franchi
In her U.S. career Dana Valery performed with her brother on several occasions (The Ed Sullivan show amongst them)
Dana's brother is Sergio Franchi, an operatic singer who later crosses over to lighter music like say, Eurocovers. In his career he records the Italian entries of 1958, 1959, 1961 and 1966. Sergio Franchi's death in 1990 is one of the personal tragedies that had an big impact Dana Valery's life. I hope to do a feature on Sergio Franchi in a future Eurocovers post.
Eurovision is alive and well and living in Lisbon, no news there. It was Salvador
Sobral who brought the victory to the country with his lovesong Amar Pelos Dois.
It may not
have been a worldwide super hit but it’s a winner Eurovision can be proud of.
Of course
we were all delighted with the success of Loreen’s Euphoria like it was our own song
taking over the world, but I guess that was a fluke. Eurovision and world domination don't really match.
Spotify,
who decide what's in the charts, can not be arsed to put any Eurovision tunes in their industry
sponsored playlists and radios only play them for a week but Eurovision
delivers us some pretty awesome and original music.
There seems to be no place for
it anywhere else but we have learned to live with that, even like it that way and I
wouldn’t change a thing.
And note to Salvador: for every Amar Pelos Dois or 1944 there’s a Dai Li Dou or Shady Lady.
We love them all!
Back to
Amar Pelos Dois
Salvador
Sobral and his sister Louisa have inspired several artists to record their
versions of the song and we’ll take a look at a few of them here. Relevant links are in the list at the end of this post.
First up
there’s Alfred García’s version from Operacion Triunfo. Heartthrob Alfred
performed his version of Amar Pelos Dois in the 4th Gala of this
years OT extravaganza series.
Another Eurovision 2018 hopeful, Ari Olafsson from Iceland performed APD even dragging up as Salvador, but that wasn’t
released as a single or anything. (but you can still watch the videoclip).
I quite
like the versions that were made for the Ballroom dance album Oversway. Amar Pelos Dois is a lovely floaty slow waltz.
Anarita
sings on two versions, one in Portuguese and one in English titled Both Of Us.
The same
arrangements (at a lower pitch) were also used by the two versions released by BrunoM.
Banana Pealos Dois
Berliner Donato
Plögert is no stranger to the occasional Eurovision cover. In his 20+ year career he has
recorded many Eurovision tunes in German including Rapsodia (Italy 1992), Waar
Is De Zon (Netherlands 1994) and Talking To You (Denmark 2005). I really should
do a Eurocovers special about him some day….
Anyway, he
recorded Amar Pelos Dois in German for his new album Banane (also on CD) as Mein
Herz Liebt Für Zwei.
A Swedish
version För Oss Båda was recorded by Svenska Lyxorkestern.
Several other
artists have recorded APD and since it’s not too difficult anymore to release a digital
single, they all did just that. Below is a list of all the covers I know of
that have been officially released. There’s probably more and I’m sure you’ll let me know.
A List:
Amar Pelos Dois.
Alfred García (half of the Spanish
duo for 2018)
- on CD Operación Triunfo: Alfred
García: Sus Canciones,live video)
Anarita (Both Portugese and English)
- digital singles, video’s at R&B Universal, from the album Oversway
BrunoM (Both Portugese and English)
- digital singles, video’s at R&B Universal
Svenska Lyxorkestern - För Oss Båda (Swedish)
- digital single, video,
Swedish lyrics by Anders Forsslund
Donato Plögert - Mein Herz liebt für Zwei (German)
Elaine Brackin (digital single, video)
Sam Darris (digital single, video)
Gerson Galvan (digital single. video)
Spell Choir (acapella, digital single, video)
Mercuzio Pianist (Piano instrumental, digital single)
Leon Noel (Piano instrumental, digital single)
David Matevosyan (Violin instrumental, digital single) The latest updates at the Lisbon Collection:
Like every year we’ll be bringing you all the release info on entries of this years Eurovision stars.
You'll find all official releases (physical and digital), promo info (as much as possible) and the odd coverversion, chart position and important trivia. Always more to come, the latest updated pages are at the top of this links list.
Israel - Netta Barzilai wins HaKokhav HaBa and comes a'cluckin'. single version, remixes released. Winner Eurovision 2018.
Cyprus - Eleni Foureira is on Fire!, Fuego revealed, Spanish version out now. 2nd place in Final. Austria - Cesar Sampson to Lisbon, listen to Nobody But You, updates, 3rd Place and winner of the Jury Final. Germany - Michael Schulte's Lied Für Lissabon. Dreamer album info, cdsingle on May 4. Lithuania - Ieva Zasimauskaitė winsEurovizijos Atranka, English and Lithuanian versions released, Jovani remixes out now Slovenia - Lea Sirk wins EMA 2018, Thanks, No! Yes! Final! Great! Music Please! Macedonia - Eye Cue Lost and found and Lost again, but a new remix is out now, without the reggae bits! Moldova - O melodie pentru Europa won by DoReDos, New version, Russian version. More remixes out now
Portugal. the country, won Eurovision in 2017, you all know that and it goes to show that perseverance pays off. It took them over 50 years and almost as many entries to finally get the trophy.
Portugal's Eurovision history is a rich one. Some of the country's greatest singers have entered the contest, some entries are associated with political history and some have been total duds.
It didn't seem like Portugal was on a course to glory in recent years. Only four songs reached the final since 2004 and the last time they ended in the top 10 was in 1996.
And then came Salvador Sobral and the rest is history.
To celebrate the contest being held in Lisbon five classic entries are re-released on glorious vinyl on April 21. The re-issues are a part of the Dias Do Vinil (Days of vinyl), a yearly celebration of the black gold organized by FNAC. Update: Three of the five re-issues have already been sold out in the online store, but copies are still available at the Fnac stores, so if you're heading to Lisbon....
The re-issued entries are
1974 E Depois Do Adeus - Paulo De Carvalho
1976 Uma Flor De Verde Pinho - Carlos Do Carmo
- His LP Uma Canção
Para A Europa (with all preselection songs) also gets a vinyl re-issue.
1978 Dai Li Dou - Gemini
- Their 1977 LP Pensando Em Ti also gets a vinyl make-over. This includes their version of the 1977 entry Portugal No Coração.
1982 Bem Bom - Doce
1985 Penso Em Ti, Eu Sei - Adelaide
All five have their original b-sides, so no other language versions on the b-sides. Bem Bom has the first version with drum intro, not the later recording that appeared on the other European releases.
Paulo's Duetos E Depois Do Adeus was re-recorded in 2017 for Paulo De Carvalho's CD Duetos. The album features classic Paulo tracks re-recorded with a range of Portuguese singers including Eurovision singers Rita Guerra, José Cid, Carlos Do Carmo,
Paulo performs E Depois... with Marisa Liz.
The CD and 2LP were released in May 2017, a 2CD re-issue from November also includes a duet with Dulce Pontes.
Our 2018 website, The Lisbon Collection, has everything you need to know on the releases, versions and other trivia of this years Eurovision Song Contest.
Here are a few of the just updated pages Belarus - Еўрабачанне-2018, Alekseev wins, new version out now, The Forever EP, remix United Kingdom - Eurovision you decide, songs out! SuRie Storms to Lisbon. New version released, 7th Heaven remixes out now! calm after the Storm: Acoustic version out now Let's Get Physical - Quick list of physical releases, Portuguese book and more stuff Lithuania - Ieva Zasimauskaitė winsEurovizijos Atranka, English and Lithuanian versions released, Jovani remix out now Hungary - A Dal 2CD out now, Let's get loud with AWS, Listen to the English version Finland - Finland sends Monsters. Again! WWW album info, Remixes out now Albania - The first song for Lisbon, new Eurovision version remains in Albanian, promo info update Spain - Operación Triunfo revived, Alfred & Amaia to Eurovision, Eurovision Gala CD on February 23. New version of the Cancion and even more OT CDs, cdsingle(s) out now, updates
South African singer Colé Van
Dais has been featured at Eurocovers before as she created several interesting
coverversions of Eurovision tunes.
Now there’s
a new album for all to enjoy.
Colé and Friends collects ten Eurovision tunes old and young plus two national final gems. Colé's Friends include the mighty Katrina and Great Latvian Bake Off Joran from Aarzemnieki. Among the others are some well known African artists like Marc Rantseli of 80's hitsters MarcAlex and up and coming singer Sisana Kubheka.
Next to Afrikaans you get to hear some languages not often (never) associated with Eurovision: Tsonga, Thai, Xhosa, Yoruba and Zulu.
Colé and Friends is available from iTunes, Amazon and Spotify.
Here's a track-by-track of the album.
1. Love Shine
A Light (Africa Version, in English) with Katrina Leskanich.
The 1997
Eurovision winner by Katrina and The Waves gets a sunshiny makeover and Katrina
guests on her own classic. The pair met at the 80's Rewind Festival South Africa in 2015. This track was already released as a digital single in 2016.
2. Kom Saam
Met My (Come with me) with Righardt Greyling (in Afrikaans)
The original, Dziesma Par
Laimi (Latvia 2004) gained fame for being released in nine languages
by the originals artists Fomins and Kleins.
3. Spirit
Of The Night with Sergey Sysuev (English/Russian)
San Marino 2017 by Valentina Monetta and Jimmie Wilson. Sergey is from Ukraine.
4. Op Die Dansvloer (On the dancefloor) with Lia Chabane (Afrikaans/Tsonga)
Nostalgia
by Magazin and Lydija (Croatia 1995). Organ Prawang is a classical singer from Thailand. Colé and Organ made a videoclip of this one.
6. One Gift
Of Love with Keith McFarlane (English)
Runner up U.K.
national final song by Dear John from 1995. Keith McFarlane was a member of Dear John when they entered the U.K. competition.
7.City
Lights with Wendy Oldfield and Sisana Kubheka (English/Xhosa)
Belgium 2017 by Blanche, the biggest European hit of the Kyiv contest.
8. Molayo (I have joy) with Gbenga Adenuga from Nigeria (Afrikaans/Yoruba)
Solayo (Belarus 2013 by Alyona Lanskaya) This version was already released as a digital
single in 2015. It apparently won The Voices
for Charity Award for Best International Collaboration. (but I have no clue what that is...)
9. Ek’s So
Lief Voor Jou (I'm in love with you)with actor Emmanuel Castis (Afrikaans)
U.K. 2015
Still In Love With You by Electro Velvet. This one didn’t fare too well at the
contest but it's a typical guilty pleasure tune: You think it's not very good but when you hear it makes you happy. This could well be my favorite track on the album.
And Electro Velvet had a #1 hit on the physical singles
chart in the U.K.. So there!.
10. Dinge
Dong with Joran (Afrikaans/Latvian)
Joran was
the Cake Baking singer from Aarzemnieki who represented Latvia in 2014. But the
tune is Ding A Dong, the Dutch 1975 winner by Teach In.
11. Peace
Will Come with Marc Rantseli (English/Afrikaans/Zulu/Spanish)
Georgia’s
entry by Diana Gurtskaya (2008). Colé also recorded a full Afrikaans version which can be heard here at Colé's Youtube channel.
12. Ware
Vriend (True friend) with Yolundy Amanzi (Afrikaans)
Heaven by
Contrazt, a 2015 song from the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix.
Support the artists: buy Colé and Friends from iTunes or Amazon.
Some other
Eurocovers by Colé van Dais are:
You Don't
have To Say You Love Me is a coverversion of Dusty Springfields famous
hit which is originally Io Che Non Vivo from the 1966
Sanremo contest.
Wanneer Die
Musiek Verdwyn is a cover of Azerbaijan 2012. (When The Music Dies by
Sabina Babayeva) (digital single) Dink Aan My is
a coverversion of Haegt Og Hljot (Halla Margret, Iceland 1987) (Album Daai Tipe Meisie) Glans
Prinses (Shiny Princess) is Danish 2007 entry Drama Queen. (Album Daai Tipe Meisie) Die Eiland (The island) is Aspro
Mavro (Άσπρο-μαύρο), Cyprus 1987 entry by Alexia. (Album Daai Tipe Meisie) Waar In My Wereld Is Jy (Where are you in my world) is the 2013 winner Only Teardrops by Emmelie De Forest. (Digital single)
The album Daai Tipe Meisie (That kind of girl) was released in 2013.
It's the Portugal No Coração weeks at Eurocovers. With the impending Lisbon contest we'll take a look at some Portuguese classics, coverversions and all that. Browsing through my lists, records (and cassette tapes!) I'm sure there's enough to fill some Eurocovers pages, Portugal took their time....
Here's one that is as fresh as it can get though, it was released last February.
Namorados Da Cidade are a Lisbon rock band forged in 2015. I guess they named themselves after a well known Carlos Do Carmo song which translates as 'Boyfriends of the city' and is a lovesong to Lisbon life. (but I could be wrong of course).
The band have some tunes of their own but also play coverversions including some from your beloved Eurovision Song Contest (or rather the Festival da Canção).
If you check out their youtube you'll see live performances of songs like Um grande Grande Amor (José Cid 1980), O Vento Mudou (Eduardo Nascimento 1967) and A Festa Da Vida (Carlos Mendes 1972).
But now the band have released their first album Namorados Da Cidade and three Eurocovers made it to the tracklist. Silencio A Tanta Gente is the 1984 entry by Maria Guinot (11th place). It gets a gentle rock makeover and is actually quite fantastic.
There's also A Festa Da Vida but the main attraction is Desfolhada Portuguesa, the 1969 entry by Simone De Oliveira which ended at an inexcusable 15th place. Bad bad juries.
The legendary singer herself joins the band for this great version of her signature song which of course is a treat for Eurovision fans.
You can find the NdC album at your digital stores and streamers, a CD version is available in the Portuguese shops. I've seen it online at FNAC.
They have been touring the FNAC shops and you can still catch them there on March 30 (In Albufeira and Faro, check their facebook, links below)
In the comments of the Dias Do Vinil post ERK gave us a link to a great list of coverversions of Portuguese entries he created at Discogs. Find it here. Thanks ERK!
An then there's this:
The Portuguese 2018 entry
The Lisbon Collection keeps track of the releases, versions and whathaveyou's of the 2018 contest, check it out.
These are a few of the latest updated pages: Germany - Michael Schulte's Lied Für Lissabon. Dreamer album info France - Destination Eurovision for Madame Monsieur, Mercy already a top 10 hit. Vu D'Ici album info Estonia - Eurolaul goes Classic: La Forza to Lisbon, Remixes out now! Israel - Netta Barzilai wins HaKokhav HaBa and comes a'cluckin'. single version, remixes released. Let's Get Physical - Quick list of physical releases Portugal the country - Cláudia Pascoal wins Festival da Canção. FdC CD out now Spain - Operación Triunfo revived, Alfred & Amaia to Eurovision, Eurovision Gala CD on February 23. New version of the Cancion and even more OT CDs, cdsingle on March 23 Poland - Gromee and Lukas win Krajowych Eliminacji Eurowizji 2018, CD Chapter One on March 16. promo info
It’s 3
decades of dedicated work, of collecting data with a lot of help from many
people. 
