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)

2008: Anno Domenico - The Platters

I noticed that the Platters entered the U.K. album top 10 this week with a Best Of compilation. And as I had prepared a bit on their Volare anyway, what better time to post it than now.
I don't know what triggered this new interest in the U.S. vocal group, but it's remarkable for a group that was founded 55 years ago that people still go to the shop and buy their records.
Their most known hits Only You, The Great Pretender, My Prayer and Smoke Gets In Your Eyes were all recorded in the 50's but their version of Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare) is recorded in 1964. It was released in Januari 1965 on the LP The 10th Anniversary Album.

The Platters had numerous line up changes and by 1964 they had run out of hits. The 10th Anniversary Album didn't change their fortune.

Volare doesn't feature all members from the early golden era; Buck Ram, female singer Zola Taylor and lead singer Tony Williams had left by then and each formed their own Platters.
Later even more ex-members toured with groups under the Platters banner
It was the Buck Ram Platters with a new line up that had a short run of hits with their 1966 & 1967 revival.

The line-up on Volare and The 10th Anniversary Album includes Sonny Turner, David Lynch, Paul Robi, Herb Reed and Barbara Randolph. Herb Reed, the only original member still tours as Herb Reed and the Platters. Herb Reed is the only member who features on all official Platters recordings. The LP includes The Great Pretender and covers of hits like Love Me Tender, Don't Be Cruel, Rock Around The Clock and Song From Moulin Rouge.
The Platters' Volare is a light cha cha exercise with a little parlando intro treasure.

The new compilation The Very Best of Platters is out on Universal Music TV (UMTV 7944) in the U.K. and features 20 tracks. Other albums have been released in the past with the same title.

Sources: A lot more on Platters line ups, Platters groups and discography is at the Platters Info Site or check out the Herb Reed & The Platters homepage.



2008: Anno Domenico is a tribute to Domenico Modugno's Eurovision classic Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare) which conquered the world 50 years ago. Eurocovers highlights half a century of remarkable coverversions of the Italian evergreen. Other American Volares already featured are by gay basher Anita Bryant, James Dean love interest Pier Angeli, Box Tops hero Alex Chilton, Disco Crooner Al Martino, soul singer Jesse Belvin and from last year Jazz Legend Ella Fitzgerald.
And with this search link you'll get all the Volare posts.

Johnny Logan: What's Another 30 Years.

Johnny Logan, you either love him or adore him, King of Eurovision, Three times Eurovision winner, you will probably know all the accolades.

30 Years ago he won the contest for Ireland with What's Another Year, Irelands second victory of many, 10 years after Dana.

What's Another Year became a huge European hit, Going # 1 in U.K., Sweden and Ireland and top 10 in most European countries.

Johnny Logan recorded the song in English, German and Spanish (see below) and also released a few re-recordings, including a spanking new 2010 version.

I don't know if it's rough being percieved as a one trick pony, always being associated with Eurovision, but it surely keeps Johnny Logan in a job.

It still results in many guest appearances as singer and jury in the Eurovision pre-season and also resulted in a fantastic tour with the Eurovision In Concert show with the Dutch Airforce orchestra.

Nature Of Love

Of course Johnny Logan has released many other records, and his latest albums The Irish Connection and Irishman In America (2008) was quite successful chartwise in Scandinavia.

He has now recorded a new album titled Nature Of Love. The album is a bit country rock tinged and for the Eurovision fans: There's new versions of his three Eurovision winners What's Another Year, Hold Me Now and Why Me?.

The first single from Nature Of Love is Last Days Of Beautiful. You can listen to the song at Tajmer, Johnny Logans management.

The album is out in Germany May 7 (Indalo/DA Music). Excepts from all tracks can be heard at Rebeat.
Nature Of Love is now available at Bearecords, as well as many other Johnny Logan releases.
update In Scandinavia the album is out on the Black Pelican label (SME-8869771-2602). It charts in the Swedish Danish and Norwegian album charts. 

Eurocovers

Most What's Another Year coverversions are from the Nordic countries and many are recorded in English but it was also a popular tune for orchestra's, Hammond players and other instrumental music magicians.

Eurovision stars that have recorded the song are Brotherhood Of Man, Geraldine Branagan, Noelle Cordier, Lars Berghagen, Ivo Linna and Jørgen Ingmann.

The most famous artists to record What's Another Year are Shane McGowan & The Popes (ex Pogues) and US country singer Charley Pride .

A personal favorite is by Australian singer Karen Knowles, one time (later) Seekers member. She recorded Logan's winner for her 2nd album Loves Us All in 1982. 

Que Es Un Año Mas
Now here's a glimpse in the weird & wonderful world that is Eurovision collecting.

Recording your Eurovision tune in a host of languages is a time honoured Eurovision tradition and Johhny Logan is no exception. His german version Was Ist Schon Ein Jahr is well known and was released on a single in Germany in 1980. But there has always been this elusive Spanish version Por Un Año Mas that seemed impossible to find. Many collectors came home from holidays in Spain to find out that the mega rare 7"inch single found in a grubby backstreet thrift shop contained the English version of the song.

For a few years it was known that the Spanish version had to be released on a Mexican compilation LP, but no one had ever heard the song. Johnny Logans discography makes no mention of it either.
Discussions about its existence were the order of the month and some even dared to doubt the Eurovision Collectors Guide, oh ye faithless. But no more!

Now it has finally surfaced, in fact, someone YouTubed it already a year ago, but I, and many collectors with me, just failed to notice.
The title turns out to be Que Es Un Año Mas and the LP in question is Europa Canta En Español, a collection of European hits performed in Spanish by the original artists like Rafaella Carra, Umberto Tozzi, Joe Dassin and Vicky Leandros. (Released on Epic, Mexico)

We, the anoraks, are without purpose now. But people in Mexico, does any of you have the Katja Ebstein promo single Teatro (Spanish version of course) lying about. Just drop me a line.
Special thanks to André Vermeulen

Andrew Carrington

Andrew Carrington, not the son of Blake, has recorded a coverversion of Was Ist Schon Ein Jahr, the German version of What's Another Year.

It can be found on his new album Ich Leb Für Dich.

Australian born Carrington was a lead singer in the Ten Tenors.

His German language CD also includes coverversions of Rücksicht (German entry 1983) and Wer Liebe Lebt (Germany 2001)
Ich Leb Für Dich is out May 7 on Warner Music Germany.

Sources: Muziekfreaks weblog, thanks to Marion Minten
http://www.johnnylogan.net/

2010: The Oslo Collection
The place to go for all the latest release news of the 2010 Eurovision stars.

Denmark: cdsingle, album info *** Azerbaijan: Safura advance release info *** Israel: Harel Skaat Versions update ***  Moldova: Lounge, Pop Rock versions*** France: Jessy matador new release info *** Estonia: Siren cdsingle*** Slovenia: CD info *** Spain: Daniel Diges CD out now, Swing Jazz version *** Bosnia-Hercegovina: cdsingle out now *** Georgia: Sofia Nizharadze new website, promo update *** Iceland: Hera Björk in French *** Eurosong News Handbook out now

10.000: # 2 - L'Amour Est Bleu - Vicky (1967)

# 2 in the top 10 most covered Eurovision songs is another non-winner (i.e. loser) that became one of the most recognisable melodies of all time. Vicky (Leandros) sang L'Amour Est Bleu, written by Pierre Cour & André Popp to a 4th place for Luxembourg in 1967 Eurovision in Vienna. Vicky recorded the song in French, German, Italian, English (2 versions), Dutch and the jury is still out on her Japanese version which is supposed to be released on a megarare flexi.

# 2
- L'Amour Est Bleu
- Vicky
- 530 versions listed

The song was covered in many languages back in 1967 and some did even do well but it wasn't a vocal version that made the song immortal. In 1968 Paul Mauriat and his orchestra scored a worldwide hit with an instrumental version of the song titled Love Is Blue.
5 million singles were sold and the record stayed 7 weeks at #1 in the US. It must have broken Lyricist Pierre Cours heart (& bank?) that the wordless version became the big hit and the blueprint for so many versions.

You can find Paul Mauriats 1976 disco re-invention of Love Is Blue in the very first Eurocovers post.

The famous people doing L'Amour Est Bleu / Love Is Blue: Bing Crosby, Sacha Distel, Eydie Gormé, Byron Lee, Al Martino, Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams, Jeff Beck (U.K. #23 hit) and piano virtuoso extraordinaire Liberace.

Eurovision Stars: Rachel, Michele Torr, Bob Benny, Jimmy Makulis, Severine, Karina, Raphael, Åse Kleveland, Siw Malkvist, Raquel Rastenni and Charlotte Nilsson.

So far I have found details on versions in 18 languages. Next to the Eurovision languages there are versions listed in Japanese (15), Mandarin, Vietnamese and Korean.

Over 60% of the coverversions listed are instrumental versions, Some odd, quirky and fab, many just plain copies of the Mauriat version. Here are a few of my favorites.


AFRO HARPING
It's thank to my hunt for Love Is Blue's that I discovered the totally fantastic music of Dorothy Ashby. She's a jazz harpist playing groovy (never has the word groovy been more suitable) versions of many international standards (and also originals). It's the best feel good music you'll ever hear and I recommend anyone to get a CD or LP by this genius musician. Love Is Blue is on the LP Dorothy's Harp from 1969 but I think Afro Harping (1968) is her best work. Dorothy Ashby's CDs are available through most web-shops or visit your local record dealer.

LIBERACE
Extravaganza is Liberace's middle name but his version of Love Is Blue is quite a straightforward romantic piano version of the song. Just a few frills here and there. It's from a 10 inch LP titled Liberace but can also be found on the compilation CD The artistry of Liberace. (Picture: A rare meeting of the two greatest pianists in the history of music)
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LOS GUITARSAnother style Love Is Blue is perfect for is the twangy soft rock'n'roll Shadows-like guitar pop.
Versions by the Dixie Aces, The Quests, Santo & Johnny, The Ventures, The Jordans, The Diamonds, Nano Figueroa, Los Barrocks and the Downbeats all have that characteric twangy guitar sound that spawned so many great instrumental hits in the 60's.
I chose the version by Los Belkings from Peru because any band with Los in front of the name is cool by definition. And they have a wailing lady which is always good. Renamed El Amor Es Triste it was their 4th single and it also appeared on the 1968 LP Lo mejor de Los Belkings.

Mortier Teugels' version is one for the organ fans. Street & dance organs were already featured in this Eurocovers post (Puppet On A String) and now there's a version of the other 1967 winner for your entertainment.
And for the Ukelele lovers there's a version by Ohta San (Herb Ohta).
Love Is Blue composer André Popp was a big fan of the Ukelele virtuoso and wrote A Song For Anna especially for him. It became a million selling international hit. Love is blue was a b-side to One Day Of Love and can also be found on the LP Ohta San meets André Popp (Japan BRS)

Last instrumental is a personal space-favorite. Chris Waxman handles the Hammond on his LP Organized from 1969 (Decca).

SING A RAINBOWPaul Mauriats version had hardly left the charts when a third incarnation of the song hit the airwaves worldwide: The Dells 1969 'power-soul version in which they mixed the song with Sing A Rainbow, a childrens song that was written/claimed by Arthur Hamilton.
The Dells story goes that they were so pissed off when their 1968 single There Is was knocked out the US top 20 by Paul Mauriats Love Is Blue that they cut their own version of the song to avenge themselves. (… according to Dells member Charles Barksdale)
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The Sing A Rainbow / Love Is Blue combination was covered many times too, including some great soul versions and a few sung in Italian like the somewhat tormented one by Maurizio from the 1970 LP Maurizio (Polydor). (featured below and see a video here)

THE BEACH BOYS
No, not really, but Hugo Montenegro and his singers sure try very hard to sound like them.
From the LP Good Vibrations (RCA Victor 1969), which is a sort of Beach Boys sound tribute LP. CD is available from Amazon and other online music stores.

Word.doc featuring release details on all versions of the song by Vicky and the list of 567 coverversions of the ever blue evergreen. Also includes some picture sleeves.

Shop for Vicky Leandros CDs, DVDs and vinyl at BeaRecords


LOVE IS BLUE - BLOG TIPS
For an ultimate version of Love Is Blue in Mandarin by Patrina and The Melodians you must check this post at the highly recommended Mod-ified Music blog if you haven't done so already.
7 Black notes, the blog about the strange side of movie music has a soundtrack LP featured of the movie Come Together. The LP features 4 versions of Love Is Blue including the one by the Dells.
Loronix features an LP of Os Velhinhos Transviadios with Love Is Blue.
Jeff Becks LP Truth gets an indepth review at ChrisGoesRock

2008: Anno Domenico - Jane Morgan

Selecting coverversions for Anno Domenico, the Volare year, isn't an easy task. Hearing the same song over and over again should come with a health warning. There's some hundreds lined up for re-listening and then I always like to find out some more about the artist and before I know it another few hours of my life have been whiled away on the world wide web trying to read languages I don't speak and decypher scripts I can't read . But I often end up concluding that most of the great and interesting Volares are made in America. Crooners, Moviestars and Blonde Bombshells with gorgeous picture sleeves do it for me all the time and so here's another one from that category.
And it's by an American singer who has some more Eurocovers to her name, so that's a bonus for all to be enjoyed.

Jane Morgan
Jane Morgan is an American singer born in 1924 whose first big hit was Fascination in 1957. The song, originally a French toujour-vert from 1932, featured in the Billy Wilder movie Love In The Afternoon (with Audrey Hepburn, Gary Cooper, Maurice Chevalier) and became a top 10 hit for Jane Morgan in the U.S.. The follow up hit The Day The Rains Came (Gilbert Becauds Le Jour Où La Pluie Viendra) ended just outside the top 20 in the States but was a #1 hit in the U.K.
Her fondness for reworking French classics is no surprise as her career started out in France where she toured and worked for four years prior to her American breakthrough.

The 1958 LP The Day The Rains Came (KAPP records KL - 1105) includes Jane Morgans version of Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare). A adequate version laced with sugary violins, sung in Italian and English.

The 2nd Eurocover Jane Morgan recorded was an English version of Romantica, the Italian entry from 1960 (6th place, originally by Renato Rascel). A much better effort than Volare with a wonderful orchestral arrangement. She even took the song to the UK charts (39/5) (UK single: London HLR 9120). It has also appeared on various Jane Morgan LP's.



Udo Jürgens' Walk Away (Warum Nur Warum, Austria 1964, 6th) (Extensively featured in this Eurocovers post) was the third Euro-classic on Morgans repertoire. The song was released on her 1969 LP Traces Of Love (RCA 4171).

But it's a less known song which is my top favourite from the Jane Morgan Eurocovers collection.


My Poor Heart Feels Like Breaking
The opening line of the debut entry for Ireland in 1965, Walking The Streets In The Rain by Butch Moore (what's in a name). It describes the sentiment of the indeed heartbreaking tale about rain and tears and streets very well. The Streets became a blueprint for many Irish entries to follow and it's one of the saddest songs in anyones Eurovision collection.
The song ended 6th in Eurovision and was an Irish #1 for the original singer, but it has only been covered a few times.
Jane Morgans version with the appropriate rain-droppy violin intro was released in 1965 on the EP Maybe (Epic 9008, Portuguese edition pictured above) and on her LP Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (Epic LN 24247). In the UK it was a b-side to the Maybe single (Columbia).

There have been several compilation CDs with Jane Morgans hits, but I haven't found a CD with any of the Eurovision covers.

Source: An extensive Jane Morgan biography is here at E-notes.



2008: Anno Domenico is a tribute to Domenico Modugno's Eurovision classic Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare) which conquered the world 50 years ago. Eurocovers highlights half a century of remarkable coverversions of the Italian evergreen. Other American Volares already featured are by Doo-wop stars The Platters, gay basher Anita Bryant, James Dean love interest Pier Angeli, Box Tops hero Alex Chilton, Disco Crooner Al Martino, soul singer Jesse Belvin and from last year Jazz Legend Ella Fitzgerald.
And with this search link you'll get all the Volare posts.

Swedish Queen Of Groovy Hammond - Merit Hemmingson

Instrumental covers can be a bore and often I don't really understand what actually is the purpose of releasing them on record. But of course the exceptions make the rule and the following instrumental versions of 60's Eurovision entries are just plain groovy. Groovy, for those younsters not familiar with the word, it's dated slang for Cool, Neat, Interesting. To me it means 'swinging your ass off'.

The Hammond organ is a popular keyboard instrument with endless possibilities, but often the Eurocovers on the organ (and there are hundreds) are of the cheesy variety.
But not so Merit Hemmingson, Swedish key-magicienne. Her Hammond antics are the most swinging you'll ever hear.

Debut LP Merit Hemmingson and the Meritones at the Esquire Club (Sonet T 7656, 1967) features an odd collection of popular songs putting a pop song like Sandie's Shaw's Always Something There To Remind Me against a funky jazz Watermelon Man.
And then there's New Fashioned Waltz. It's a version of the jazzy Swedish Eurovision entry of 1966, Nygammal Vals, written by Bengt-Arne Wallin. Even though Merit Hemminsons interpretation is instrumental it's worth mentioning that the lyrics (by Björn Lindroth) are some of the weirdest ever written in Eurovision history. There's a hip pig breeder, a prudish princess and some saucepan banging. You can check them (and translation in English) out at the site for Eurovision lyrics The Diggiloo Thrush.

There's some more serious toetapping and finger snapping to be done with Hemminsons second LP, Merit Hemminson Plays (RCA Camden YSJL-1-547, 1968). It's another collection of hits like Lady Madonna, Mighty Quinn and A Banda. And it has two Eurocovers.
Massiels 1968 winner La La La opens gentle and slowly but you just can't sit still once the beats kick in. Cliff Richards runner up of the same year, Congratulations, gets the groovy hammond treatment laced with some funky sax.
You can find more details about this second LP and its personel here at the Sabu Martinez website.

Today Merit Hemmingson mainly focusses on folk music and she has issued several CDs in recent years (check her MySpace).

In a 40 year career she has released 20 albums (so far), the most recent being Touch of 2006.
In 2005 a compilation of 70's tracks was released at the initiative of Merit fans/Eurovision stars The Ark: Merit - Queen Of Swedish Hammond Folk Groove (Bonnier-Amigo AMSCD 111).Both Merit Hemmingson CDs are available from CD-ON and other sources. The early LP's have not been issued on CD (yet).

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Merit Hemmingson Homepage and MySpace and a Youtube video for 2006 song Halcyon Days.

Corry Brokken 1932 - 2016

Sad news from the Netherlands, Corry Brokken, legendary singer and Eurovision star has died at the age of 83.

Corry Brokken won the 2nd ever Eurovision Song Contest with her song Net Als Toen (Just like old times). She  participated in 1956 with Voorgoed Voorbij (Over forever) and in 1958 with Heel De Wereld (The whole wide world).
In 1976 she was the host of the contest in The Hague. I remember she congratulated the winners as Happy England, and nobody complained...

Corry Brokkens career started in the early 50’s, when she performed on many Dutch radio shows. Eurovision followed three times but it was in the early sixties she scored her biggest hits, Milord (The Edith Piaf song), Mijn Ideaal (Tu Te Laisses Aller) and La Mamma (both Charles Azanavour songs).
She also recorded many songs in German and frequented many German TV shows in the 60's.

Corry Brokken continued recording critically acclaimed albums up to the mid 70’s.
After she was finished with music Brokken started a career in law at the age of 42, resulting in becoming a judge in 1991.
But music remained a part of her life, and following the success of the 1994 compilation a new album Nooit Gedacht (Never thought) was released in 1996.
Brokken disappeared from public life in 2008 after serious health issues.

Corry Brokken Eurovision discography.

1956 Voorgoed Voorbij

Each country had two songs in the first Eurovision song contest. The second song for the Netherlands was Voorgoed Voorbij by Corry Brokken. The song was never released.
Update 2017: A new 3CD titled Milord has been released featuring 75 tracks. It includes Voorgoed Voorbij for the first time on any record. The recording sounds like it's the Eurovision recording (it has the same arrangement and vocals) but it's remastered/patched up very well, sounding like a studio recording. 

Corry’s National Final songs from the same year, Ik Zei Ja (I said yes), De Telefoon (The telephone) and ‘t Is Lente (It’s Springtime) were never released either.

She also performed (and maybe even recorded?) Dutch and French versions of Refrain, Lys Assia’s winning song.

1957 Net als toen

Corry Brokkens second Eurovision appearance resulted in victory, she gathered 31 points, leaving France in second place with 17.

In the National Final Corry also ended second with Iwan, (a.k.a. De Messenwerper, The knife thrower). This was released as a b-side to Fascination (Philips 317 799 PF)

 

Net Als Toen, Ronnex single

Net Als Toen 1982 re-issue

Net als toen (Dutch version)

- single Ronnex 1957x45,  EP: Ronnex 008x45, 78RPM Ronnex 5076, all made in Belgium, but released in the Netherlands.

- there’s also a rare Dutch Philips issue, but I don’t have details.
- The Ronnex single was re-issued in 1982

Damals war alles so schön (German)          

- single: Philips 317 797 PF (Netherlands), also on 78rpm from Germany. (Philips P 17797 H)
- the German version is only 1:47 mins long, a long German version is supposed to exist, but I’ve never seen or heard it.

Tout comme avant (French)             

- on 1958 EP, see below

Net als toen (live in 1999)

- on AIDS charity concert CD Amsterdaverend (TMD Records BMG 731972).

Dutch Edition Dors Mon Amour EP

1958 Heel De Wereld

The third and last Eurovision adventure didn’t fare too well for Corry. Her Heel De Wereld finished (shared) last.

In the National Final she again finished first and second, the second song Weet Je (Do you know) was released on the b-side of Heel De Wereld.

She also recorded a coverversion of Goedenacht Marjolein, the song that ended 4^th in the Dutch final (sung by Bruce Low). Brokkens version ended up as the b-side to her 1966 single Zo Gaat Het Met Meisjes Altijd (That’s how it goes with girls) (Philips JF 327 979)

French edition Dors Mon Amour EP

Heel De Wereld (Dutch)     

- single Philips 318 078 PF

Toi, mon coeur tu sais (French)

- EP Philips 422.257 PE     

The 1957 and 1958 French versions can be found on the Corry Brokken EP Dors Mon Amour (A cover of the 1958 French winner). 

Both French and Dutch editions have the same label number but different picture sleeves.

1959

In 1959 Corry Brokken entered the Dutch National Final again. Duet Mijn hart En Ik (My Heart And I, with Bruce Low) finished third, Iedere Dag Met Jou (Every day with you) finished 4^th . 
Neither were released by Corry Brokken.

Eurocovers

1958 Dors Mon Amour - André Claveau (France, 1^st place)

Brokken recorded it in French, see 1958 above

Danswijsje / Ga Niet Weg single

1963 Dansevise - Grethe and Jörgen Ingmann 

(Denmark, 1^st place)

1963 T’En Va Pas - Esther Ofarim 

(Switzerland, 2^nd place)

- Danswijsje / Ga niet weg (both Dutch)

- both on single (Philips 327 528)

Here's a live performance clip of Danswijsje (Youtube)

1965 N’Avoue Jamais - Guy Mardel 

(France, 3^rd place)

- Als je maar nooit bekent (Dutch) - single (Philips 327 868 1.F)

- So ist die liebe , mon ami (German) - single (Philips 318 955 PF, Germany)

Here's a wonderful videoclip of the German version

1967 Il Doit faire Beau La Bas - Noëlle Cordier

 (France, 3rd place)

- Ik Weet Hoe Mooi Het Is (Dutch) - on LP Kleine Cantates (Polydor 184 119, 1967)

Corry Brokken Compilations

In 1994 a 2CD Net Als Toen (top picture) was released with the best songs of her career. 

It is still available at BeaRecords.

Two CDs with her German recordings were issued in 1995 by the specialist label Bear Family (Milord and La Mamma). 

A third Bear Family release, Die Ronnex Aufnamen, feature songs up to 1957 in German, English and Dutch and includes some previously unreleased tracks.
In 2000 a DVD Een Avond Uit Met Corry Brokken - Gouden Jaren was released featuring TV performances including Eurovision footage.
Other compilations are Corry Brokken: De Keuze van Annie De Reuver (Nostalgisch Nederland, 2009) and Milord (Dutch songs) (Rotation, 2003)

France 1965 cover in German

Coverversions Net Als Toen (Updated 2020)

Ted de Braak (Dutch, in medley)

- LP Ted de Braak zingt van toen (Ariola 206 366)

Dolf Brouwers (a.k.a Sjef van Oekel, Dutch, in medley)

- LP Specialiteiten van de Sjef  (Ariola 202 757)

André van Duin (Dutch, in medley)

- LP An'dre André

NL Pop koor Vocal Society  (medley with Weet je  + De warmte van je hart (pre-songs))

- CD  (VCD 199225)

Zangeres zonder naam (in Medley)

- LP  30 juweeltjes uit 45 jaar (1979) (EMI Bovema 058-26361, 1979)

Margot Eskens  - Damals war alles so schön (German)

- 7" b-side to Auf der grossen Himmelstrasse (Polydor 23460)

Barbara Kist -  Damals war alles so schön (German)
- CD  50 grosse Erfolge, recording from 50’s or 60’s, details wanted
Cristina Jorio - Come una volta (Italian)

- 78rpm b-side  (La voce del padrone HN 3822)

Licia Morosini - Come una volta (Italian)

- 78rpm (Fonit 15735)

Van Wood Quartet - Net als toen (Come una volta)  (italian or instrumental?)

- 78rpm b-side  (Fonit 82507)

Peter Van Wood (1927-2010) was a Dutchman living and working in Italy in the 50s, his nickname is L’Olandese Volante (The flying Dutchman)

Gunnar Thim - Säg att jag drömt (Swedish)

- EP (Odeon GEOS 71)

Birthe Wilke - Vær som du var (Danish)

- EP (Philips EP 421197 PE)

Kalevi Tauru - Oispa unta se vain (Finnish)

- 7"  / 78rpm    (Triola ts 356 and 78" RPM Triola t 4356 rel in 1958)

Benny Behr & Sem Nijveen (violin) - in medley (Instrumental)

- LP 40 jaar Stemra (Various artists) (Conamus COS 009)

- Sem Nijveen is the original violinist on Brokkens own version of Net Als Toen

Jan Corduwener (Instrumental in medley)

- EP (Philips 317765 PF)

De Fellowfoons (Instrumental)

- 7" (Fellowfoon FF 104)

Benoît Kaufman (Instrumental)

- CD   

Stef Meeder (Organ instrumental in medley)

- CD 100 Hollandse Hits (1994) (Arcade CD 01.9350.6, 1994)

Jan Menu & Jasper Soffers (Jazz instrumental)

CD      Dutch Songbook (Dig Diz Music, 2010)

Joris Verlinde (Accordion instrumental

- LP Accordion Festival (Interdisc 10022)

Coverversions Heel De Wereld

Joke Bruis, Dick Doorn & Dick Rienstra (Dutch in medley)

- LP

Enny Denita (Belgium)

- EP (BRT 117)

Additions are always welcome!

Links and sources

Eurovision Collectors Guide 1956-1995
The 10.000 Coverversions project
Corry Brokken at Discogs
Corry Brokken at Muziekweb

Summertime bits and pieces part 1.

Eurocovers has not fully collapsed yet under the heat, but lazyness prevents indepth analysis of the high standards you are used to from yours truly. I didn't even tie in with the footie and the vuvuzela madness, for which you probably are thankful
But here's some found food and bits and pieces people have been sending.

Perla
Remember Perla? In this Eurocovers post (UPDATED in 2021) you can read all about the beautiful Brasilian pop singer and her covers of your favorite Eurovision songs. There was one version missing which now can be found in this YouTube. It's the Spanish language version of Mia Martini's 1977 entry Libera.
It's one of 90 Perla songs you can listen to on the Perla Radio Youtube channel. Thank you Perla Radio!

Leon Calvert
Easy listening blog Detour features an LP Captivation by Noel Trevlac including an instrumental version of Puppet On A String. Not only is this a must hear track because it is exceptionally good, it's also interesting because Mr. Trevlac is actually Leon Calvert, acclaimed British jazz trumpeteer who probably didn't want to have his name attached to some cheap covers LP. But the quality of the arrangement and the trumpetering betrays him. Thank You Detour Blog!

South Africa
Music news from South Africa is a bit slow at the moment. Several Eurocovers are on the brink of release (or not, as postponing is the word of the day). You can find one little teaser for a forthcoming release at the Jasmyn website.
You can hear a part of Iemand Soos Jy, a coverversion of the ill fated Barbara Dex song that ended last in 1993. Jasmyn will also have two other Eurocovers on her album, but there's not much info on her website yet.
Another anticipated but overdue album is Die Enigste Manier (The only way) by Lee Scott (of Hi-5). It includes Wonderland, an Afrikaans version of Fairytale, last years winner and Wens Ek Kon (2009 runner up Is It True? from Iceland). You can listen to excerpts from the album tracks including the Eurocovers at the Lee Scott website. update: There's also a cover of Chiara's Malta 2009 song titled Vandag.
Moniqe Foxx tackles the forgotten Malta entry Believe 'n' Peace by Times 3 (1999) as Ek Glo for her new album.(very short clip at the Moniqe Foxx website). The album will also include a version of Secret Combination (Greece 2008). The album will be out on Markon records.
Lea Le Roux covers the luscious Andorran 2009 entry La Teva Decisio (Susanna Georgi) as Ek Es Gereed on her album due in november. (small clip at Rea Le Roux website).

A lot of small excerpts which are of course useless to the Eurovers fan, so I'm pleased to end this shortlist of Afrikaans covers with two full versions:

It's Henk Grimsell with his interpretation of Soraya's La Noche Es Para Mi (Spain 2009). The song is titled Vanaand Is Net Vir My from his new album Dis Tyd (Southern Buzz records). And the girls love him!

South African Bachelor Of The Year Stefan Ludik also has an album out. Burn This Town is out on CD in South Africa and also digitally available at Play.com, We7 and MusicMe. It has one Eurocover, Lose Control, last years clubby Finnish entry by Waldo's People. It's in English and a bit louder than the original.
At MusicMe you can listen to the full tracks of the album.

Totally Off Topic Extra Bit Of Afrikaans Info 
Cooler As Ekke by Jack Sparow is heading for a massive hit in the Netherlands. It's a soft hippy hoppy track of which I don't understand a word (maybe just as well) but it can be considered quite cool in a Borat kind of way. It's the first Afrikaans language hit in the Netherlands since Thembi took a medley of discofied Afrikaans folksongs to the top 10 in 1976. (Take Me Back To The Old Transvaal)

2010 coverversions
Currently at #4 in the German charts is Schland O Schland by Uwu Lena. The football hymne to the tune of Lena's 2010 Eurovision winner Satellite was released on cdsingle after some initial hesitation. The number 4 is a lucky number for the Germans. #1 next week?. (update: erm, no , #5)
There's also a Finnish version of Satellite, it's called Kiertokuu by Charlotte Kero.
Read more about all the Satellite Eurocovers at Lena's page at the Oslo Collection. More news on the Keistad Street Organ CD (with a cover of the Dutch entry) can be found at the Oslo Collection Sieneke page.

More Mostly Off Topic Great News
Samantha 'Touch Me' Fox and Sabrina 'Boys Boys Boys' Salerno have teamed up for an ace coverversion of Blondie's Call Me (Youtube). Welcome back girls, the world just wasn't the same without you.
The cdsingle is only released in Italy so far, but the digital release is widely available. I bought my cdsingle at favorite shop Juno, who also stock a picture disc 12" inch.
Sam Fox's old band Sox once tried to go to Eurovision with Go For The Heart, but they ended 4th and Love City Groove went on to the contest somewhere in Ireland.

O Vento Mudou - UHF
After all that schlager and pop it's time for a bit of Rawk. Portuguese rockers UHF have recorded the Portuguese 1967 entry O Vento Mudou (Eduardo Nascimento) for their new album. And it's great!
You can listen to the song at the UHF MySpace . Thanks Ed!

Perdon Cariño Mio
Two versions of the Italian 1971 entry L'Amore è Un Attimo can be found at the website of Pino Lucciano. One in Spanish (Perdon...) and one in Italian. Eurocovers loves that song, so that's why it's here. There's also a version of Volare if you scroll down a bit on the site.
Another Tex Mex version of the song by Los Reyes Del Camino can be found in this Eurocovers post from 2007.

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Petit Pantin De Paris

With the French presenting their rather amazing selection for the Helsinki Eurovision (I so loooove Jean Luc Picard band) time for a couple of French versions of Puppet On A String.





Les Parisiennes are a quartet of danseuses brought together by Jazz Musician / Producer Claude Bolling.



Don't be fooled by the 'I'm a Patsy double at an Absolutely Fabulous Flashback scene' look, Raymonde Bronstein (Beretta), Anne Lefébure, Hélène Longuet et Anne-Marie Royer were very able to sing and their song and dance show enjoyed some popularity in France and Canada during the 60's . They mostly recorded songs by Franck Gérald & Claude Bolling but tackled a few coverversions too.

Les Parisiennes recorded two Eurovision coverversions in French
U.K. 1967 - Un tout petit pantin (EP: Philips 437.305)
U.K. 1969 - Boom bang a bang (EP: Philips 437.457)

Un tout petit pantin can be found or the best of CD 'Il fait trop beau pour travailler' (Mercury 2004) which also includes their song that became famous because of it's title, which is longer than the song itself: C'est tout de même malheureux … qu'on ne puisse pas se promener tranquillement dans les rues après neuf heures du soir.
There are several French versions of Sandie Shaws winner, including one by Sandie Shaw herself. Another I really love is the one by Marianne Mille (pictured right). Don't know anything about her, but the song is below anyway.

Here's a list of P'tit Pantins I know, any additional detail, version or song is welcome at the usual address, I'm especially looking for the Canadian versions.


Sandie Shaw - Un tout petit pantin
- 7" Pye 45 PV 15261, France

Arlette - EP
Mr Blot - ?
Marianne Mille - Comme un tout petit pantin
Les Parisiennes - EP Philips 437.305
Sophie Renaud (Canada) - EP
Tonia (Belgian ESC singer) - 7" also has a cover of France 67
Karolyn Vallée (Canada) - 7" Match 6104



The Year Of The Puppet is a journey through space and time with Sandie Shaw and her classic Eurovision winner as our only guideline. So far versions of the song from France, Singapore, Jamaica. Yugoslavia, Estonia, U.K. (Comedy), Iceland, Lithuania, USA (Musical) and Spain have been featured and listened to. Still to come, More Singapore, Brasil, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Netherlands, Spain, Catalonia, Basque Country, Russia, more Jamaica, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Portugal, Tirol, Japan, Turkey, Czech republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and any other destination that we visit on our travels.

Lita Roza (1926 - 2008) (UPDATED)

How Much Is That Doggie In The Window? In the U.S. it was Patti Page windowshopping for a domestic animal but in the U.K. the song was a # 1 hit for Lita Roza in 1953.
She wasn't too pleased that she was remembered mostly for the cheesy doggie novelty song, as she was an acclaimed jazz and pop singer.

Lita Roza, born in 1926 in Liverpool, was the first female singer to top the U.K. charts (with doggie) and she scored two more hits with Hey There and Jimmy Unknown in the mid-50's.
In 1957 she entered the U.K. Eurovision pre-selection with the song The Way It Goes. (unreleased). She ended third in the final that was won by Patricia Bredin and her operatic song All (still holding the record for shortest ESC entry ever).
In 1959 she tried again with the song This Is My Town (Pye 7N15190) and ended 2nd. Sing Little Birdie by Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson won the U.K. selection and became the runners up in the 4th Eurovision Song Contest.
Lita Roza tried again in 1960, but her song (see update below) stranded in the first of two semi-finals.
Like any singer with an ear for a tune she recorded a version of Volare in 1958 and released it on single (PYE 7N15155) and 78rpm.

Lita Roza died two days ago aged 82. You can find out more about the singer and her life at the Lita Roza official website. You can watch a tribute here at Youtube.



UPDATE: Lita Roza preselections
Thanks to Thomas here's an update on Lita Roza's preselection songs. Different variations of the listing of early U.K. selections can be found on the web but Thomas has been digging in the BBC written archives and the results concerning Lita Roza's songs are here.
1957 The Way It Goes
Lita Roza won the first of three heats with this song written by Ronnie Booth. In the final she ended third with 18 points behind All by by the Malcolm Lockyer Quartet and by Patricia Bredin (it was performed twice) and Once sung by Pauline Shepherd. All was subsequently performed at Eurovision by Patricia Bredin and finished 7th.
1959 This Is My Town
Written by John S. Rossiter. Won the second preselection heat but was beaten by Sing Little Birdie as mentioned above.
1960 Unexpectedly
Written by Susan Morrel(l) (& possibly David Greer?). With this song Lita Roza won the first heat but the final was won by Looking High, High, High by Bryan Johnson & the George Mitchell Singers. The points or finishing order of the other songs is unknown. Bryan Johnson took his song to a 2nd place in the contest.
In other sources Unexpectedly is credited to Marion Keene but her song was Love, Kisses and Heartaches which stranded in the 2nd heat.

Géo Voumard 1920 - 2008

This week the Eurovision community says goodbye to Swiss composer, pianist and radio maker Géo Voumard, composer of 5 Eurovision songs including the first ever winner, Refrain from 1956.
With lyricist Emile Gardaz (1931 - 2007) Voumard is responsible for half of the first 10 songs that entered Eurovision for Switzerland. Three of them finished in the top three.
In 1967 Voumard co-founded* the world renowned Montreux Jazz Festival of which the 42nd edition took place last july.

Géo Voumard / Emile Gardaz Eurovision songs:1956 - Refrain - Lys Assia (winner)
1957 - L'Enfant Que J'Etais - Lys Assia (8th)
1961 - Nous Aurons Demain - Franca Di Rienzo (3rd)
1962 - Le Retour - Jean Philippe (10th)
1963 - T'En Va Pas - Esther Ofarim (2nd)

EurocoversRefrain, one of two songs** that entered for Switzerland in 1956 is the most covered of the Voumard/Gardaz songs, followed by Esther Ofarims runner up that almost won *** T'En Va Pas from 1963.
Of the other three songs I only know about an accordion cover of Nous Aurons Demain by André Verchuren. L'Enfant Que J'Etais and Le Retour still have a big 0 in the 10.000 coverversions list. The original artists records are (also) among the rarest Eurovision singles.

Refrain was recorded by Lys Assia in French, German and English (pictured). An Italian coverversion was recorded by Flo Sandon's (her Refrain is in this Eurocovers post). I know of three versions in Portuguese recorded in Brasil (Carlos Augusto, Araci Costa, Arthur Murat) (all wanted) and La Esterella recorded a Flemish version.
We're deep into 78rpm territory here and the covers of Refrain are not the easiest to find. About half of them are instrumental and of course quite a few in French.

Two 1956 Eurovision singers that have recorded Refrain in French are Corry Brokken (who went on to win in 1957) and Mathé Altery (France). Both recorded the winning song but neither released their own entry of that year.
My favorite coverversion is by Jula De Palma ♫, who slows the song down even further than the original.

T'En Va Pas
Esther Ofraim recorded her Eurovision entry in French, German and Italian (pictured). A lovely English version is recorded by Dana Valery ♫. She's an Italian born singer from South Africa.
Her version Would I Love You Again is the b-side to This Is My Prayer, an English version of the 1964 wonner Non Ho L'Eta (Gigliola Cinquetti). (Decca F 11881).
Other coverversions were rcorded in Finnish (by Olavi Virta), Dutch (Corry Brokken), Flemish (Jo Leemans), Swedish (Majbritt Persson) and Danish (Ellen Winther).
T'En Va Pas also found its way to Brasil, but so far I've only found details on instrumental versions (The Jordans ♫, The Bells, Os Carbonos)



* with Claude Nobs and René Langel
** Each country entered two songs in the first contest, 7 countries, 14 songs. The contest, held in Lugano, Switserland, was only aired on radio and only the winner was announced.
*** Esther Ofarim was pipped to the post only after Norway re-casted their votes which differed from their initial ones. It gave Dansevise by Danish Grethe & Jørgen Ingmann the final victory.

2008: ANNO DOMENICO - Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, it's 2008 and I wish all Eurocovers readers a fantastic year. May some of your wishes come true and may there always be something to wish for.

Anno Domenico ©
2008 at Eurocovers will be Anno Domenico ©. After last years celebration of the 40 year anniversary of Sandie Shaw's Puppet On A String in The Year Of The Puppet we go back 50 years this time to pay hommage to the best selling Eurovision song Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare) written and performed by Domenico Modugno. By now you know many details about the history of the song already but there's more in 2008, and of course a host of interesting, cool, rare and odd coverversions of the Italian evergreen.
And there will be info on Volare celebrations held in Italy this year: There will be a Volare stamp, TV shows, concerts and releases spread all over 2008.

2008 will also see a new Eurovision, in Belgrade, Serbia and a record 43 countries will participate in this edition. National selections will see hundreds of artists trying to get a ticket to the Balkan and several of them have recorded coverversions of Eurovision songs. They will all be here.

I have prepared several Anno Domenico © posts already but I had a hard time to start somewhere. Currently the list of Volare coverversions counts 1060 (and rising). The famous and the forgotten, the obvious and the obscure, the polka, the punk & the philharmonic, so much to choose from.

I decided to kick off Anno Domenico © with a favorite version from 1958. Several American artists have recorded the song before Modugno had his breakthrough with his song but none of them stole his thunder. One of them is featured here.

Jesse Belvin (1932 - 1960)
Jesse Lorenzo Belvin was a soul singer from Los Angeles (but born in San Antonio, Texas) and he only spent 28 years on this earth, but not without leaving his marks on 20th music history.
His first chart hit was in 1953 with Dream Girl (Jesse & Marvin). He co-wrote Earth Angel, a 1954 hit for the Penguins, and later for the Crew-Cuts and much much later for New Edition (1986). His second band The Shields, also featuring Johnny Guitar Watson, scored a hit with You Cheated (1958). The most successful Belvin hits were Goodnight My Love (1958) and Guess Who (1959) from his first solo LP Just Jesse.
Tragedy struck when after a concert with stars like Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson, Jesse Belvin and his wife Anne died in a car accident in Arkansas. It was just before his third album Mr. Easy (his nickname) was released.

Jesse Belvin's wonderful soul-voiced version of Volare, sung in English and Italian, was released on a 7" single in the US in July 1958 (RCA Victor 47-7310). It was his 30th single.

Jesse Belvin recorded for various labels like Specialty, Imperial, Modern, RCA-Victor, King and Knight. His RCA recordings (including Volare) are collected on the recommended 2CD Guess Who - The RCA Victor Recordings (ACE records, UK) which was released in 2004 and is available in any good music store and in most internet CD shops.
♫ Jesse Belvin / Jesse Belvin

You can find a detailed Jesse Belvin discography here.

Also check out these 2007 Eurocovers posts that feature versions of Volare:
Jazz legend Oscar Peterson, Brasilian superstar Leny Eversong, Chorrujumo, 10.000 Eurocovers featuring Milva, Wayne Newton, Dolores Duran, Gery Scott & Earl Grant. Ella Fitzgerald, Luciano Pavarotti & G4 , Lithuanian Mino and La Grande Dame De France: Juliette Greco.


Some facts about Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)
The song was written by Domenico Modugno (music) and Franco Migliacci (lyrics). The most used English lyrics are written by Mitchell Parish.
The song was written in 1957 but was first launched at the eighth San Remo contest (Final Februari 1st) where it was performed twice. Once by Domenico Modugno and once by Johnny Dorelli.
Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu won the San Remo song contest and Modugno represented Italy in the third Eurovision Song Contest in 1958 in Hilversum, The Netherlands at the 12th of March.

The contest was won by France's Dors Mon Amour by André Claveau and Modugno ended third with 13 points. 2 times 4 from Belgium and Germany and five times 1 point. And zero poing from Denmark and Luxemburg.

But Modugno laughed all the way to the bank, as his song , soon known as Volare (after the refrain) became one of the top 100 best selling singles of 20st century, a US #1 hit, A grammy winner and one of the most covered songs with several lives in most decades since the original recording.
Volare won the first ever Grammy for a song in 1958. Both for song of the year and record of the year.

More facts to come….