Eurovision 2009 - Whose Time Is It Anyway?

This years entry for the U.K. is It's My Time by Jade. It's a slightly OTT musical score written by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Diane Warren. Think The Greatest Love Of All or My Impossible Dream.

Jade at The Moscow Collection

A coverversion for the clubs is recorded by Almighty Divas. A 4-track promo is issued (Almighty Records ALMY 246) and digital release will follow soon.
You can hear an excerpt in the player at the Almighty Records website (skip some songs and then it's there)

Another (definitely much better) release is by Clubkidz Featuring Sam Solace. This one also includes 4 dance mixes of Jades Eurovision entry.
Check out Remixarchive for more. (click the pic)

I wonder how this all fits in Andrew Lloyd Webbers plans for World Domination. Especially since the U.K. release of Jade's single is postponed until after Eurovision.
Although the Russians can get the cd single with the Russian O.K. Magazine.

2009: The road to Moscow 3 - Wenche Myhre and more

After a successful entry in 2008 with Maria Haukaas Storengs Hold On Be Strong (5th), Norway has started the search for a song that will even do better in Moscow this year.
It's another multi round elimination fest and this week round two sees a Eurovision ánd Eurocovers veterienne taking the stage.

Wenche Myhre is a Norwegian singer but she represented Germany in 1968 with Ein Hoch Der Liebe. The song written by orchestra leader Horst Jankovski and Carl Schäuble ended 6th.
Ein Hoch Der Liebe is a nice slice of Schlager-Pop like they just don't make anymore.
Wenche (Wencke) Myhre recorded the song in German, Norwegian (pic) and Swedish.
She also entered national finals in Norway in 1964, 1966 and 1992, and in Germany in 1983.

Wenche Myhre Eurocovers.
Wenche Myhre recorded a German version of the not very successful 1980 Greek song Autostop. Originally by soon to be superstar Anna Vissi (Άννα Βίσση). Vissi's Autostop promo single is one of the rarest promo's in the Eurovision collecting universe although it has recently been re-released on cdsingle. It's a typical Eurovision song and careful thought was invested to find a title and theme that would appeal to an international audience (Autostop = Hitchhiking). It backfired and ended 13th. Anna Vissi would return in 1982 (for Cyprus) and 2006 (for Greece).

Another Wenche cover with a little story is Do Re Mi, Norways 1983 entry by Crown Prince Of Eurovision Jahn Teigen, Wenche was originally planned to sing Do Re Mi in the Norwegian selection but she withdrew as she was also lined up for the German selection. (Wir Beide Gegen Der Wind, a duet with her son Dani).
Do Re Mi is a bit silly too, but it's kind of endearing an not as annoying as the Sound Of Music song of the same title. Wenches Do Re Mi can be found on the LP/CD Vi Lever, the first ever CD by a Norwegian artist. (source)

I think she also recorded the Yugoslavian 1983 song Julie (Dzuli by Daniel) for a live LP (maybe Wenche On Tour from 1983?) but I have no further details on that.
Since 2004 Wenche Myhre toured and recorded with Eurovision collegues Siw Malkvist & Gitte Haenning and they inevitably had the odd Eurovision medley on their repertoire.

In 2008 she released two live albums with large orchestras. One in Germany (Wenche Myhre Live 2008) including Ein Hoch Der Liebe, and one in Norwegian (Wenche Myhre In Concert) including one of her most popular preselections songs La Meg Værre Ung (1964)

Best Of CDs were also released last year. One in Norway (50 Beste Gjennom 50 år) and one for the German language market. (Das Beste, Hits und Raritäten)
Both include Ein Hoch Der Liebe but no Swedish or Norwegian version (Recordcompanies, will they ever learn?)

2009
Wenche Myhre will perform Alt Har En Mening Nå in the second heat of the Norwegian selection tonight (Saturday 31-01) (details here).
The CD with all songs from this years Norwegian pre-selection songs, Melodi Grand Prix 2009, is already available at BeaRecords. (pic right)

Wenche Myhre homepage (In English, German & Norwegian) and a Discography page
Ein Hoch Der Liebe Youtube

The Road To Moscow 1 - Hera Björk, Tapani Kansa & Nucha
The Road To Moscow 2 - Čuki from Slovenia

Serbia - Beovizija
I noticed two interesting names in the list for the national selection in Serbia (Beovizija).
One is Lejla Hot, but just because it's a cool name, the other is Đorđe Marjanović. He was featured in last years Belgrade Weeks. His Eurocovers are from the sixties so I was a bit surprise to see him on the shortlist. Oscar & Beauty Queens feat. Đorđe Marjanović will sing Superstar. The Beauty Queens were the backing with the 2007 winner Molitva by Maria Serifovic, and I don't know who Oscar is (See comments, Thanks Never Stop The Europop). I guess one Beauty Queen (who makes up these names?) will have to stay home as six persons on stage is the max limit at the contest.

Đorđe Marjanović is 78, so he's outdating last years 75 cent (Croatian entry) with three years if they get to the Eurovision stage. You can find his Serbian coversversions of Italy 1962 & 1963 here.

Le Weekend
Tonight 31-01 is also the final in Denmark. Eurocovers supports Hera Björk of course (See Road To Moscow 1) but it's a good bunch. You can hear the songs and watch the show here at the DR site. The CD with all song from the Danish final is available at Bea Records soon.
The U.K. has the final episode of Your Country Needs You where the three remaining acts will all sing My Time, the song Andrew Lloyd Webber & Diane Warren composed for Moscow. More info here at the BBC. I say Mark, Webber wants Jade and the British public will probably go for the crybaby Twins. Unfortunately the BBC has (long since) disappeared upon its own British backside and videos are not available outside the U.K.. Are you local?....
Same goes for Finland who have the second chance and final tonight, webcast only for the Finnish (Why?, the Finnish can watch it on TV can't they?) One of the artists is Tapani Kansa (translates as 'not a chance in hel'(sinki) (See Road To Moscow 1).
Check BeaRecords for CDs with the Finnish 2009 songs already available
Romania also has their final tonight and you can watch and listen here.
Sunday 01-02 is the Dutch final with the Toppers. There's a bit about them here at Eurocovers but since that article übertopper Gerard Joling has been replaced by Jeroen Van Der Boom, deminishing the camp-effect by about 90%. They'll do six songs but in a tribute to Russian politics it's already decided that Everyone Can Be A Star will go. (allegedly of course).
Also on Sunday is the final in Slovenia with Čuki (Road to Moscow 2) and Eurovision stars Omar Naber and Karmen Stavec.

The Road To Moscow - Eurovision 2009

Eurovision 2009 is well on its way. Several countries are preparing already for Moscow with several multi round preselections.
Here's a short round up of the pre-semi-semi stars that have recorded their Eurocovers. -

Tapani Kansa
Heat 1 in Finland sees popcrooner Tapani Kansa trying for the 8th time in over 30 years.
He tackled a few memorable Eurovision belters in his career, all are sung in Finnish
U.K. 1972 - Beg, steal or borrow (New Seekers, 2nd)
- Varkain vien taikka lainaan, on 7" and VA LP Huipulla 2
U.K. 1975 - Let me be the one (The Shadows, 2nd)
- Saanhan olla hän, on LP Kuinka paljon rakkautta
U.K. 1976 - Save your kisses for me (Brotherhood of man, winner)
- Säästä suukkosi vain, on LP Kesän lapsi
Ireland 1976 - When (Red Vincent Hurley 10th)
- Pois, on 7" ABM 444 and VA LP Huipulla 10: Euroviisu special
France 1985 - Femmes dans ses rêves aussi (Roger Bens, 8th)
- Hän, on VA LP Kesähitid (Finnlevy)
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Hera Björk
And then Danish TV announced their shortlist today. The final sees the return of Icelandic Hera Björk to the pre-Eurovision stage. Hera Björk lives in Denmark and choosing for the Danish selection saves some gazmoney.
She was in the Söngvakeppni 2007 selection for Iceland and covered the 2006 Norwegian entry Alvedansen (Christine Guldbrandsen). The old post about Hera Björk is still up (here).
And here is her Myspace
And at the Schlagerblog you can read an interview with the composers of Someday, Hera's bid for a Danish ticket to Moscow.
Hera Björk at The Oslo Collection

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ADDED 21-01-09
And for the Die Hards, there's a collection of all Danish pre-selection songs since 1978 at the DR website : Grand Prix Bonanza. Well done Danish TV, it doen't make up for destroying all the 1964 contest footage, but it's a great example that should be followed by more TV stations.

Hera's Danish entry Someday is really good, an Abba-esque Nordic Schlager starting out as a ballad, think The Winner Takes It All. Somehow her voice reminds me of Donna Summer. We mentioned Alvedansen, but there's another slightly Hera related Eurocover.
A christmas CD by Fróstrosir released last year features an Icelandic version of Den Vilda (Sweden 1996, by Abba offspring One More Time). Fróstrosir is a various artists project celebrating Christmas music the Icelandic way. Fróstrosir 2008 are Eivør Pállsdóttir, Margrét Eir, Hera Björk & Dísella
In Icelandic Christmas language the ethereal ballad becomes Dansaðu Vindur (CD Heyr himnasmiður, Skifan) and the lead vocal is by Eivør Pállsdottir.

Title track Heyr Himnasmiður (Hear Lord Creator) is an 800 year old hymn by Icelandic Chieftan Kolbein Tumasson (although the music is only 100 years old). So now you know.
At the Icelandic Fróstrosir page you can hear excerpts of Dansaðu Vindur and other songs.
The English language site only has info up to 2007.
The first Fróstrosir project from 2002 featured a Christmas version of Swedens 1995 entry Se På Mig (Jan Johansen) titled Stjarnan Mín.

Nucha
Portugal also announced the finalists for the Festival da canção 2009. 1990 entrant Nucha is among them. She didn't fare too well back then with Ha Sempre Alguem only ending on place 20.
A year or so ago Nucha released a new album Regresso (see this post) covering Sense Tu & La Mirada Interior from Andorra.
Here's Nucha's homepage