Norway's Eurovision treasure Nora Brocksted has died. She was the singer of the first two Norwegian entries:Voi Voi (1960) and Sommar I Palma (1961).
Next to her Eurovision songs, which she recorded in several languages, Nora Brockstedt also recorded Norwegian and Swedish version of other Eurovision songs.
You can find out about those in the 2010 Eurocovers post The Olso Weeks Part 1.
Also find some more Nora Brocksted related posts here.
Nicki French, much loved British Eurovision chanteuse, releases a new remix EP including new mixes of her 2000 entry Don't Play That Song Again and a few Eurovision covers.
Don't Play That Song Again ended 16th in the 45th Eurovision Song Contest (in Stockholm). Hold Me Now is the winner of the Brussels contest of 1987. It was Johnny Logans 2nd victory for Ireland. One Step Further, originally by Bardo, ended 7th in Harrogate (1982)
And then there's Ding A Dong, the winner of 40 years ago. The Dutch entry by Teach In won the contest in Stockholm en became a European hit.
Update 2019: Nicki French released another Eurovision EP, more info here.
Nicki French shot to fame with her dance coverversion of Bonnie TylersTotal Eclipse Of The Heart.
It was already the third time Nicki released the song but the 1995 version became a worldwide hit.
It was a No. 5 in the U.K. and a No. 2 in the USA. It went to No. 1 in Canada, Japan and Brasil.
Eurovision EP Tracks:
1. Don't
Play That Song Again 2015 (Andy Haldane Remix)
2. Hold Me
Now (Andy Haldane Remix)
3. One Step
Further (Matt Pop Mix)
4. Ding A
Dong (John Springate Mix)
5. Don't
Play That Song Again 2015 (Matt Pop's Golden Anniversary 12inch)
6. Hold Me
Now (Matt Pop Mix)
7. Don't
Play That Song Again 2015 (Andy's Karaoke Mix)
8. Hold Me
Now (Andy's Karaoke Mix)
A CD single is released on May 15, still available at the Energise Records shop.
The digital release is out May 23. (but discontined now)
Earlier this year the album One Step Further was released including Matt Pop remix versions of the four Eurovision songs mentioned above.
Another recent release is the album Nicki French: The Singles 1997-2015. Energise Records also offer a 4-disc (though CD-r) release with the albums One Step Further, The Singles 1997-2015, a Megamix CD and a 4th album Total Eclipse Of The Heart including two previously unreleased demo's.
In 2014 Lisa Angell recorded a version of the French 1977 winner L'oiseau Et L'enfant (Marie Myriam) with Portuguese singer Tony Carreira. This version in Portuguese and French can be found on Carreira's album Nos Fiançailles, France / Portugal which was a No. 4 in the French album charts.
Other Eurovision singers to duet with Carreira on this album are Natasha St. Pier, Serge Lama, Gérad Lenorman and Anggun
Eurovision entry N'oubliez Pas will be included in Lisa Angells forthcoming album Lisa Angell which will be out on May 11.
On the new album, her 4th, Lisa worked with Robert Goldman, Patrick Fiori (Eurovision 1993), Jacques Veneruso and Serge Lama (Eurovision 1971)
A living legend, Simone De Oliveira, returns to the Festival RTP da Canção, the Portuguese national selection for Eurovision. À Espera das Canções is the song she will try to return to the contest with, 45 years after her last visit to the Eurovision stage.
As far as
festivals go, Simone de Oliveira is royalty.
The Portuguese final of 2015 is on March 7. Update: So Simone didn't make it to Vienna, which is a shame of course. But here at Eurocovers we're happy she's still out there and we hope to see her again in some Festival or another.
Promo EP 1969
Simone De Oliveira made
her first appearances at the Festival da Canção Portuguesa* in the late 50’s
and early sixties, winning a few of them along the way.
Other
festivals she attended are Festival da Canção da Figueira da Foz. (winning
in 1962), Festival Internacional da Canção do Rio de Janeiro,
Festival da Nova Canção de Lisboa (winner in 1979) and the 1980 OTI festival (Songcontest of Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries)
* Not to be
confused with the Eurovision selection Festival RTP da Canção.
Simone De Oliveira entered Eurovision twice. In 1965 with Sol De Inverno and in 1969 with Desfolhada Portuguesa. She only finished 13th and 15th but both songs now rank top five of Great Portuguese Classics that happened to be Eurovision entries. I think Desfolhada Portuguesa only has to leave the 1974 entry E Depois Do Adeus (Paulo De Carvalho) before it in the Portuguese evergeen immortality stakes. Both of Simones songs have been recorded by many artists and are still covered and performed today.
Simone also recorded a few interesting Eurocovers. There's Volare and Puppet On A String (but who hasn't covered these?) but also the 1968 entries of Germany and Monaco. Eurocovers loves lists, so below you can find the discography of Simone's own entries and her Eurocovers. Finally there's a list of Festival RTP da Canção entries.
Simones Eurovision songs and versions
Portugal 1965 -
Sol De Inverno (13th place)
- Sol De Inverno (Portuguese) - on
EP (Continental Rec. P-QB
192)
- Sol De
Invierno (Spanish) on EP Nàpoles 1965 (with three other ESC entries) (ES: Belter
51.520)
Note: Spanish EP Sol De Invierno has the Portuguese version (Belter 51.509, Spain) Thanks for the correction Jean François! - Sol De Inverno (in Medley Português) on LP Algumas Canções
Do Meu Caminho (Live) (Ariola 1106844, 1992)
- Sol De Inverno
(live acoustic 2004) on CD
Intimidades (Vidisco, also on DVD)
Note:
French EP Soleil d'Hiver (Decca PEP 1088) is sung in Portuguese, French version
unconfirmed.
Portugal
1969 - Desfolhada Portuguesa (15th place)
- Desfolhada Portguesa (Portuguese) on EP (Decca PEP 1276)
- Deshojada
(Spanish) on 7” inch single (Decca MO
648, Spain)
- Terre
guitarre (French) on 7” (Decca PN 110,
France, also has Spanish version)
- Promo EP
(Decca VC4) has Portuguese, Spanish, French & Instrumental by Thilo’s
Combo. The Instrumental is actually track 1 on side A.
-
Desfolhada (live 1992) on LP Algumas
Canções Do Meu Caminho (Live)
- Desfolhada
(live acoustic 2004) on CD Intimidades (Vidisco, also on DVD)
- Desfolhada Portuguesa (2018) - Namorados Da Cidade ft. Simone De Oliveira on CD Namorades Da Cidade. All info on this 2018 release is here at Eurocovers.
Simone De
Oliveira Eurocovers
Italy 1958 -
Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare) - Domenico Modugno
- Nos Teus
Olhos Vejo O Céu - EP (Alvorada mep 60136,
1959)
Spain 1966 - Yo
Soy Aquel - Raphael
- Tu És Aquele
- EP Música No Coração
(Decca PEP 1131) see video above
U.K. 1967 -
Puppet On A String - Sandie Shaw
-
Marionette - EP (Decca PEP 1204)
Germany
1968 - Ein Hoch Der Liebe - Wenche Myhre
- Viva O Amor
- EP (Decca PEP 1250)
Monaco 1968 - A
Chacun Son Chanson - Line et Willy
- Para cada um sua canção - EP (Decca PEP 1250)
The 1968 songs can be found on the same EP
Germany 1967 - Anoushka
- Simone and Marco Paulo
- Duet on EP Tu Só Tu (Decca Pep 1211)
I’m not sure about this one, track could be by Marco Paulo only. If you know more, e-mail me or leave a comment, thanks. Update: It is indeed a song by Marco Paulo solo. Many thanks for the info Klaus! The EP features one duet, two tracks by Simone and one by Marco Paulo.
Acapella coverversion of last years Estonian Eurovision entry by Tanja, recorded for this years National final show.
Tanja's original Eurovision performance may have been a bit of a hit 'n' miss (and missed out on the final), but the original studio track remains my favorite song of the 2014 contest. All details and trivia on Amazing and its releases and versions can be found here at the Copenhagen Collection.
Estonia don't disappoint in 2015 either. Check out all about the totally wonderful Goodbye To Yesterday by Stig Rästa and Elina Born here at the Vienna Collection.
Next to her Eurovision songs, which she recorded in several languages, Nora Brockstedt also recorded Norwegian and Swedish version of other Eurovision songs.
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