L'amour a la Française

Forget about a new president, the French people had far more important voting to do last night. And there was a superbe lot to chose from so and I'm pleased they gave the vote to Les Fatals Picards to represent them in the Helsinki contest in May.
The jumpy rocking pop tune with the great accent is a big departure from the traditional grumpy French chansons of recent years which really only work about once every three times.

The Jean Luc Picard link is not the first intergalactic connection for a French entry.
A memorable choice from France was back in 1999 when they picked that spaced out woman Nayah who had ties with the Raelian cult and caused a bit of a stir. Spaceships would come for her (remember it was 1999) and make her the queen of the Universe, or at least win the Galactivision Song Contest.
Je veux donner ma voix was the song, and the greatest thing it did back then was score a # 100 hit (one week) in the French charts. And it scared away the aliens.

Still Nayah's Voix was heard as far as Tahiti and Canada where coverversions of the song were made.

First up there's Maruia from Tahiti. Don't know much about her except she has made quite a few CDs with Polynesian pop mixed with coverversions of ABBA et les chansons pop. She also recorded a version of the Swedish 1999 winner Take me to your heaven. (Find that in this Eurocovers post)
Ginette Reno does a great job on the song and makes it actually quite good.
The Canadian singer was one of the most popular artists in Quebec in the 60's and 70's and even had a fling with the BBC after she won the Yamaha Tokyo Song Festival representing England.
Je veux donner ma voix is on the first CD of a series collecting her work mixed with new and unreleased recordings.
She also recorded a version of Udo Jürgens 1964 entry Warum, nur warum better known as Walk away. (Dis-moi pourquoi)
Read more about her at http://www.ginettereno.com/


Je veux donner ma voix - Maruia - CD Te Ora Hau (Vol. 11) (1999)
Take me to your heaven - Maruia - CD Te Ora Hau (Vol. 11) (1999)
Dis-moi pourqoui - Ginette Reno - LP Ginette en amour (Apex, ALF-1580, 1965)
Je veux donner ma voix - Ginette Reno - CD Mademoiselle Reno (Melon-Miel, 2004)

Related posts: French versions of Sandie Shaws Puppet on a string can be found in this Eurocovers post.
Le dernier qui a parlé (France 1991) in Cantonese is here.
A Lithuanian version of the French 1993 song Mama Corsica is here.

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Denmark - Lille Marionet

The Danish version of Puppet On A String was recorded by Grethe Sønck.

Singer and actress Grethe Sønck (born Grethe Ingeborg Nielsen Hald) has been in the entertainment business for over 60 years and has released over 50 singles.
She never went to Eurovision but sang in the Danish national final (Dansk Melodi Grand Prix) on several occasions.
1960 - Trækbasun og vaskebræt (3rd place)
1961 - Hjemme hos os (w.Raquel Rastenni, last)
1963 - Verden er en gammal bekendt (7th)
1964 - Ugler i mosen (With Gustav Winckler)

Lille Marionet was released on a 7"single (EMI Columbia) and can also be found on the CD Tak for alle kys.

She also recorded a Danish version of Norways first Eurovision song Voi Voi from 1960 (Sonet EP) and the other famous Puppet Song: Poupée de cire, poupée de son (Luxembourgs winner from 1965 by France Gall / Serge Gainsbourg) titled Lille Dukke. (on LP Favoritter 1.)

www.grethesoenck.dk (in Danish)

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Related Eurocovers post: Grethe & Jørgen Ingmanns Eurovision coverversions

Eurocovers Blog Tip: Phil Musical's Lounge Corner features a lovely cheesy LP by Alfredo Domenech y su Conjunto: Exitos del 67. It features versions of 1967 hits including Puppet On A String and Hablemos Del Amor. Definitely worth checking out.

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Has anybody seen my dachshund?

The Year Of The Puppet continues with this seminal version from Tirol, Austria.
Some versions don't need further explanation. So for this utterly fantastic coverversion by Sepp Viellechner I present you this picture and I will mention another of his unforgettable evergreens: Zum jodeln,da brauch i mein Dackel da. (For jodelling I need to have my dachshund around)


The Year Of The Puppet celebrates 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 already 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, Organia.

Push The Button - Noisy Israeli's (UPD)

Israel will be represented by the band Teapacks this year and I for one am happy it's a change from the usual sugary peace and harmony stuff from recent years.
Teapacks give their 12 points to Trinidad & Tobago, compare peace with a salami and Push Buttons the Sugababes never even heard of. I'm sure the new Israeli entry Push The Button will cause some disturbance amongst the people of Israel and the Eurovision army. Teapacks MySpace

UPDATE: Well controversy indeed, the calls for disqualifying Teapacks because of the political content of the song are already heard and it seems Eurovision has a hard time keeping up with the modern era (except commercially). Here's some news from the BBC and ESCtoday.

To the covers:
Unfortunately I can't present any Eurovision cover by Teapacks, so here's some other Israel songs that have had a makeover in a less conventional style. To be played at full volume but not for the faint hearted.

First up there's a version of the Ping Pong Song Same'ach. Ping Pong opened the 2000 Eurovision Song Contest with this memorable song, jumping around, not hitting a single note and doing some serious political flag-waving. The song was later voted the most embarrasing Israel entry and I'm not sure if the Ping Pong people are allowed back in temple yet.
Beer-7 (Beer-Sheva) took the song a made a ska-punk version which is on their 2003 album 'Skandal'. at Beer-7 MySpace you can download all tracks from the Scandal album for free.

YIDcore must be the winners of the Eurovision Songs In A Punk Style Contest. The noisy bunch make the Israeli party classics bearable by giving them a punk rock makeover.
Of course the classic Hallelujah couldn't be spared but even better is their version of Olé Olé, the lesser known Izhar Cohen song that was wasn't half as brilliant as A-Ba-Ni-Bi. Also here is their party mix of Hora (1982), Hi (1983) and Hava naguila. It's been released in several versions, one of them on the Adam Slander EP which includes a song about one of my pet hates Adam Sandler: 'Why Won't Adam Sandler Let us Do His Song?'
To top it all, YIDcore are from Australia. YIDcore home page

If you need a downer after all the jumping around I recommend A Ba Ni Bi by K.O.B. It's a bit emo-lite and certainly way too long, but it'll get you back in your depression guaranteed.
Their new album is called A Glorious Ending At A Push Of A Button, coincidence?
K.O.B. have their own MySpace and are not to be confused with the French band of the same name.

Same'ach - Beer-7 - CD Scandal (2003 RA records)
Hallelujah - YIDcore - CD YIDcore (2001 Swell Records)
Hora/Hi medley - YIDcore - CD The Great Chicken Soup Caper EP (2002 Swell records)
Olé Olé - YIDcore - CD Scrambles (2003 independent release)
A Ba Ni Bi - K.O.B. - CD Time is sweating (2003)





related post: For a groovy Thai movie version of A Ba Ni Bi check out this Eurocovers post. and this one for some more.

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Organ Donation - Puppet's got a brand new string

Happy Birthday Sandie Shaw!
Today is the big birthday for Sandie Shaw and next to the Eurocovers Year Of The Puppet series it's also celebrated at her own website with a new version of Puppet On A String, especially recorded for the occasion. She recorded it with Howard Jones, remember him? Made some amazing stuff in the 80's and is still going strong.

Sandie's present: 'Puppet's Got A Brand New String' is available for download for 60 days.
On her site you can also find extensive discographies, biography and regular messages from Sandie herself. Plus the stuff that shapes Sandies world today.


The number 1 shop for Eurovision CDs and vinyls is BeaRecords, check out their Sandie Shaw page here.

To light up Sandie's birthday I rented some ole barrel organ to serenade her under her balcony.

Organ DonationWhen I browse my organs, Puppet On A String is the song that found it's way to the streets, fairs & dancehalls more times than any other Eurovision song.
The ump-pah ump-pah bits translate easily to the cardboard perforated books setting the pipes & cymbals of the ornate antique automatons in motion.

Many of the great classic organs have had their music recorded on LP's EP's, singles and even CDs. My collection (Thanks to Rick for many of them) features Dutch barrel organs, Belgian Decap (Dancehall) organs and there's also the odd British fair organ recording available.

Recordings of Dutch street organs (Draaiorgels) like 'De Turk' , 'De Veronica' and 'De Arabier' can be found on many vinyls from the 60's and 70's.

In Belgium Decap - Herentals built organs to entertain the party people in dance halls and party centres from the 1920's on. These organs, similar to the French Gaudin ones, also have their recordings saved for prosterity on many records.

I can go on pretending now to know anything on this subject but I'm a total ignoramus: So let's get to the business.



You can rent 'De Veronica' and other organs for your parties and events here.
Circle of Draaiorgel friends has a site in Dutch English & German with all the links you need.

The Year Of The Puppet celebrates 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 already featured are from France, Singapore, Jamaica. Yugoslavia, Estonia, U.K. (Comedy), Iceland, Lithuania, USA (Musical), Spain, Brasil, UK punk, Norway (gloom) Norway, Turkey, Portugal Basque country
Here is a (sketchy) list of Sandie's Organs, additions & corrections are welcome at the usual address
Decap 121 Key (Dance Organ) -----LP The Thursford Assortment (1978)-----(Thursford Museum TE05 2KR100)
??? Fair Organ (UK) ----- 7" Great hits for fair organ -----(Decca DFE 8679)
The Carl Frei (Dutch street organ) -----LP The Golden Age of Mechanical Music Vol 9. Piston Polka -----(Saydisc, 1970)
Gavioli Mammoth 89 Key Fairground Organ -----LP Fairground Fantasia In stereo (1970) -----(Hallmark HMA231)
Gaudin 89 Key -----LP All The Fun Of The Fair Vol 1 (1970) -----(Gaudin Fair JOYS 168)
Hooghuys Organ CH 660 -----MC (EMB 05588)
Draaiorgel De Kempenaer Decap 123 Key 1927 -----LP Draaiorgel de Kempenaar (1969) -----(Gemini Records GMX 5015)
Limonaire 1900 (Dance organ) -----CD Orgue Limonaire 1900 (2003)----- (ILD 642222)
Limonaire 'Pandora' 35 Key -----LP Airs by the Limonaire (1976) -----(CRS1001)
De Marenghi 63 Key -----LP Feest Met De Marenghi"" (1970) ----- (CBS S 52793)
Mortier Organ Grymonprez in medley -----LP Mortier Organ No3 (1969) ----- (Palette PPB S-611)
Mortier Dance Organ 82 Key -----LP Flötte Melodien Aus Knocke's (1980)----- (CM LP 2063)
Decap 'Napoleon' -----LP Decap Orgel Napoleon (1998)----- (Discount Music DCCD 98004)
Taj Mahal Mortier Dance hall organ -----CD Mortier "Taj Mahal" Dance Organ
Mortier 'The Trumpeter' 84 Key -----LP The Trumpeter-----(SSLX 346)
Draaiorgel De Turk (Dutch street organ) -----LP ?
Draaiorgel De Veronica -----LP Greetings From Holland (1987) -----(TCD 10042 Dureco Telstar)

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Txoriburuak sokan

Today it's 40 years ago that Sandie Shaw presented her Eurovision contenders to the British audience in A Song For Europe in Rolf Harris' TV show.
5 songs were in the competition and it was a good old postcard affair, so the results came later.

Eurocovers takes every anniversary to celebrate with another version of Puppet On A String, so here's a rare one you may love (I know I do).

Txoriburuak sokan - Irune ta Andoni Argoitia

Irune & Andoni Argoitia (a.k.a. Argoitia Anai-arrebak) are a brother and sister duo from the Basque town of Ondarroa.

Theirs was a a relatively short career, mainly playing their versions of popular songs at festivals.

They released a handful of singles & EP's and the song they are remembered for most is Maitasun Itzak, a Basque version of Catalan legend Joan Manuel Serrat's Paraules d'amor.

'Txoriburuak sokan', Puppet On A String sung in Basque, is an low key affair, limiting the instruments to acoustic guitars and bass.

It's from a rare 6-track EP but the song can also be found on the 1993 CD Kantu nostalgikoak 2 (on the Elkar label) collecting all the recordings of the Argoitias and a few other artists. This CD version however misses the intro of the song, so I'm very pleased to present the full version here, recorded from the EP.

Irune ta Andoni Argoitia - Txoriburuak sokan (EP Cinsa CIN-140)
tracklist:
Txoriburuak sokan (Puppet on a string)
Gaurko Gazteak
Ames, Ames
Alarguna
Epperraren Kanta
Maitasun Itzak (written by Joan Manuel Serrat)

Super thanks to Armando for the song and picture.

More 'local' versions coming up soon: Catalonia, Scotland, Tirol and Flanders.

The Year Of The Puppet celebrates 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 already featured are from France, Singapore, Jamaica. Yugoslavia, Estonia, U.K. (Comedy), Iceland, Lithuania, USA (Musical), Spain, Brasil, UK punk, Norway (gloom) Norway, Turkey, Portugal

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Florbela Queiros - Boneca Articulada

Florbela Queiros is a Portuguese actress who starred in several movies of the Nouvelle Vague variety. Now you can say a lot about Puppet On A String, but not that it's Nouvelle Vague, so I don't think the song is from any of her movies.

This song is from an EP titled Folclore Americano (Tecla TE 1013)

UPDATED with picture sleeve and release details 01-07-07

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Suna Artun Poyraz from Turkey

The Turkish version of Puppet On A String, Ben Senin Kuklan Değilim, is another one I couldn't find much info on. The song is by Suna Artun Poyraz and can be found on a single (Ezgi Plákk 45-12?) and a Turkish various artists LP 'Yıldızlar geçidi' (Ezgi Plákk).

I don't know who Suna Artun Poyraz is, the only thing I know is that she recorded several coverversions of 60's songs and that she released some singles as Suna Artun (without Poyraz).
If anyone knows some more or has a picture, please let me know.

A recommended site for fans of (any) coverversions is http://www.birzamanlar.net/ which has an extensive lists of versions in Turkish with titles and artists of the originals and the covered versions.

More Turkish Eurocovers in the near future.

VII: Year Of The Puppet - Sprellemann by Bente Aaseth

In the week leading up to two important Sandie Shaw anniversaries I'll be presenting some coverversions of Puppet On A String I don't have much details on.
Not even a picture for this one.

Sprellemann is the only Norwegian version I know of and it was on my wanted list until Jan from Norway came along. Thanks Jan!

Bente Aaseth was in the 1967 national selection for Eurovision: the 'Norsk Melodi Grand Prix 1967', with the song Shake (also performed by Laila Granum). The song finished 2nd.
Another thing I know is that Sprellemann was released on a 7" as a b-side to Jeg tror på sommeren.



You can find an introduction to the Year Of The Puppet series in this Eurocovers post
More Norwegian stuff by Døsty Cåwshit a.k.a. Dusty Cowshit is here

UPD 12-04 Blog Freche Früchtchen has an nice item on 'Shake' the Norwegian preselection song mentioned above.

Happy New Year !!

Happy New Year from Eurocovers to our Chinese Visitors .
May the year of the Pig bring you health and posperity.
What better way to celebrate than with a Eurocover.
A great Chinese Eurovision cover is by Hong Kong superstar 关淑怡 - Shirley Kwan , who covers the French 1991 song, Le dernier qui a parlé, in Cantonese.

After her debut hit 難得有情人 Shirley Kwan became famous for her mixture of Cantonese Pop with western music. Next to many originals she covered music by Roxette, the Beegees, Sandra and even Ralph Siegel.
Kwan released about a dozen original albums sung in Cantonese. In the mid 90's she also recorded several in Mandarin (but not the Eurocover) and a few in Japanese in 1989 and 1990.
After a relative period of silence she is back on top in 4704 with the live CD/DVD Being Shirley On Stage.

梵音 - 关淑怡
Shirley Kwan released three versions of Amina's song that almost/also won the Eurovision Song Contest in Rome in 1991.
Studio version from 1991
- CD Love is forever and CD 32 Top Selections
Live version from 1995
- CD Shirley Shirley Kwan live in concert
Live version from 2006
- CD/DVD Being Shirley On Stage

Here's the word document with all the Chinese Eurocovers I know of. (UPDATED version 16-05-07)
http://www.espace.org/ is a great place for all things Shirley (in english)

4705 will also continue as VII: the Year Of The Puppet.You will find a Chinese (Mandarin) version of Sandie Shaw's Puppet On A String in this post.

p.s. Parts of this article were featured last year at the Eurovision Collectors Guide Group. (Yahoo)