Diamonds Are Forever

This week legendary Welsh songstress Shirley Bassey releases her final album I Owe It All To You. A modestly titled album (and song) thanking her fans for their loyalty over the years. The album has new songs, a few coverversions and some old personal favorites of Shirley reimagined.

In the back of my mind I always knew Goldfinger, Big Spender and Diamonds Are Forever but the first Shirley Bassey record that made a real impact on me was the 1978 disco version of This Is My Life (La Vita). She originally performed that song, also performed by Elio Gandolfi, in the 1968 SanRemo contest but it didn’t make it to the final. Below is the wonderful 1968 SanRemo performance.

To be fair, I wasn’t a massive fanboy at the time, but I learned to love her later. In the 80’s and 90's (second hand bought) singles started piling up to the point she got her own section in my record collection. (An honour not bestowed on many)
I was overjoyed when I found the Italian single with Diamonds Are Forever sung in Italian (Vivo Di Diamanti).
I was stunned by her cooperation with Yello (The Rhythm Divine) and adored her Propellerheads hit History Repeating*. And, no surprise, I also love The Performance from 2010 with new songs by cool people like Rufus Wainwright, The Manics, Gary Barlow and the Pet Shop Boys.

There’s no Eurovision tune on the new album, so here’s the videoclip of the only Eurovision song she covered, Dio Come Ti Amo (Italy 1966, Domenico Modugno).

Dio Come Ti-Amo (Oh God How Much I Love You) was first released in 1991 on the album Keep The Music Playing. On the original LP release Modugno is credited as D. Medunidoleo.
She also recorded another Modugno song Chi Si Vuol Bene Come Noi..., a 1968 single for Bassey sung in Italian.
Shirley Bassey recorded several songs from the Great Italian Songbook so there may be some more SanRemo covers in there, I don’t know (do you?).

Update: Jezahel from her 1972 LP And I Love You So was a SanRemo entry for Delirium (as Jesahel), finishing 6th).

Another Eurovision legend, Udo Jürgens, also supplied Bassey with (at least) two songs.
Reach For The Stars from 1961 (originally Woher Ich Auch Komm’) with English lyrics by Norman Newell**.
If I Never Sing Another Song (or. Illusionen by Alexandra, 1967 and Udo Jürgens himself, 1974) was recorded by Shirley Bassey in 1976. You can find a nice article (and lovely pics) about Udo meeting Shirley here at the Shirley Bassey Blog.

* Jamala, Eurovision 1944, also did that one, on her album For Every Heart. (video)
** Trivia alert: Norman Newell wrote the English part of the lyrics to the 1963 Swiss entry Vielleicht Geschieht Ein Wunder by Carmela Corren which was performed in German and English at the contest (and on record).

 

Shirley Bassey website
Shirley Bassey facebook
The Shirley Bassey Blog
I Owe It All To You is released on November 6 on CD, deluxe CD (with book but no extra tracks) and digital. (Shopping)

More Eurocovers posts about Dio Come Ti Amo include Elvis & Vega, Verdelle Smith, Perla, Sonny J., and the 10000 coverversions project #9.

007 approves, R.I.P. Sean Connery

 

Justice for a classic: Door De Wind

A surprise hit for a personal Eurovision favorite.
Every now and then the popular TV show Beste Zangers Van Nederland (Best singers of The Netherlands*) comes up with a song that somehow strikes a chord and becomes a hit.
Door De Wind (Through the wind), the Belgian entry originally performed at Eurovision by Ingeborg always was a beautiful song even though it only came 19th out of 22 entries in 1989.
Dutch singer Miss Montreal did her heartfelt version in the show dedicated to the original composer (and backing singer) of Door De Wind Stef Bos and people ate it up and bought it into the charts. Finally some justice for a classic.

* The format is known in many other countries. It’s a show where singers sing each others songs and everyone goes all tearful and gooey over it (which makes it pretty much unwatchable for me).

Ingeborg's original 
Ingeborg (Sergeant) recorded three versions of the song, the original, an acoustic version and an English version (Breakaway). Plus there's an instrumental you can sing along to. They were released over two single releases (7" inch vinyls). 

Ingeborg's singles were released in the Netherlands but obviously also available in Belgium.
- Door De Wind / Door De Wind (Acoustic)  (HKM 145 491-7)
- Breakaway / Door De Wind (Instrumental)  (HKM 145 509-7)
The English version single comes in two different sleeves.
The English lyrics were written by Simon Shrimpton-Smith who in the 70’s recorded under the name Simon Le Bon. (not him of Duran Duran)

The original version was also released on Ingeborg's 1990 album Voor Eén Seconde (HKM LP & CD) and her 2004 compilation CD Diamond Collection (HKM).

Ingeborg's Eurovision performance Youtube & English version Youtube audio

The hit version by Miss Montreal is released through your usual digital sources. You’ll be pleased to know that the single version does not have the emotional affectations the video has.

There have been a few coverversions of the song, some very recent. I quite like the country tinged version by Tamara and Tom. 

Coverversions 
Stef Bos - Live version by the composer
--- CD Stad en Land: Live 92/98 (1998, HKM)
Angel 
--- digital single (2018, Puur Feest Muziek)
Gert Bekker (South Africa)
--- CD Dis Die Girl (2005, Rhythm Records)
Peter van Bugnum
--- CD Heimwee (1996, Bemmel productions)
Miss Montreal
--- digital release (2020, Cornelis Music)
De Strangers - Door De Regen (Comedy in Antwerps, Flemish dialect)
--- LP/CD De Ziel Uit Ons Lijf (1989, Dureco)
--- Also includes Vivan Bomma, a coverversion of Rock Me Baby, the Eurovision winner of 1989.
Tamara en Tom (Davys)
--- digital single (2017 HKM)
 
Do you know of any other (officially released) versions?

Below is a Spotify playlist with all version they have. Does not include the Gert Bekker (it's on Youtube) and Peter van Bugnum versions.

Hoe Lang (Kuula) - Henny Thijssen

2020: Congratulations to Henny Thijssen for winning The Voice Senior.

To celebrate, I have moved this slightly updated 2013 post about his Eurovision cover Hoe Lang (Kuula) up.  

A Dutch version of Ott Leplands Kuula is recorded by Henny Thijssen. The song is titled Hoe Lang (How long) and is out on TwentieRecords (digital)

The januari 2013 release is available from digital sources like iTunes, Spotify, Apple music. (updated)

Update 2020: Hoe Lang was released on CD in 2016. You can find it on the album Henny Thijssen Zingt (Twentierecords) as a bonus track. (at moment of writing still available here, here, here)

In March 2013 the song enters the Dutch top 100 at 86.
Update: After five weeks the track makes an unexpected jump to #20 in the Dutch charts. Total chart run: 86, 72, 59, 50, 53, 20, 85 

Henny 'de snik' Thijssen is a Dutch folk-schlager* singer-songwriter who wrote several songs and lyrics for some of the Dutch greats like André Hazes, Koos Alberts, Renée De Haan and Eurovision host Jan Smit.

He's been a prolific solo singer since the late 90's but Hoe Lang is his first solo hit to reach the top 40. (and his biggest hit to date).

Henny Thijssens Youtube.

Henny Thijssen Website

For the latest Eurovision related release news follow our Facebook.

Ott Leplands Kuula reached 6th place in the Baku Eurovision Song Contest for Estonia. He performed the song in Estonian but has also recorded English, Spanish and Russian versions.

All details about that one here at the Baku Collection.

*Dutch folk-schlager: Not sure how to translate the word volksmuziek, so it's folk-schlager and I hope you get the gist.

2013: PeR from Latvia from behind.

Eurovision 2013
The Malmö Collection features the latest news on the CD releases, versions and artists of the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest held in Sweden and soon on a TV set near you.

Here's the quick links to each country's 2013 page.
Albania, Austria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and United Kingdom

Forever The Forces' Sweetheart, Goodbye Vera Lynn

Vera Lynn has passed away. She is one of those people who you think will stay around forever but at 103 the curtain falls. Rest In Peace and sing with the angels.

Our Vera clearing up the mess after the blitz.

Vera Lynn was born in the First World War and started to record in 1935. Signature song We'll Meet Again was first recorded in 1939. It became a song of hope in the dark days of the war and later a song of remembrance. And again in 2020 her song played its part in the celebration of 75 years of freedom in the grim time of a worldwide pandemic. 

The song gave its title to the popular 1942 film starring Vera Lynn herself.

Vera Lynn sang for the British and Allied forces all over the world on many occasions during the Second World War. She had her own radio show in which she sang songs requested by British soldiers serving abroad and messages from their families were broadcast.
Other popular Vera Lynn hits of the (pre charts) war years were The White Cliffs Of Dover, Yours and You're In My Arms. In the 50's she scored hits with Forget Me Not, Auf Wiedersehn, Homing Waltz and My Son My Son (a U.K. #1). Her last U.K. hit from the era was Travelling Home in 1957.

Vera Lynns career started long before Eurovision and unlike Anne Shelton she didn't participate in any of the early British preselections for Eurovision. But she was on the selection committee of the 1959 U.K. selection. 

She recorded an English version of the 1964 Eurovision winner Non Ho L'eta as This Is My Prayer.

Read more in this Eurocovers post about Vera Lynn when she turned 100. 

For the latest Eurovision related release news follow our Facebook.

Sissel - Walk Away

Digital single artwork

Sissel, Sissel Kyrkjebø that is, has released a new digital track in her Reflections project.

Reflections V (5) already. Reflections is a project where the singer will release a song every week for 50 weeks to celebrate her big birthday.
And it's beautiful.

Of course Sissel is a well known classical and crossover singer from Norway (Here’s a nice bio) and you may have spotted her in the interval of the 1986 Eurovision Song Contest.

Or singing the Olympic tune in Lillehammer in 1994.

Walk Away is the English version of the first Eurovision entry for Udo Jürgens (Warum nur warum, Austria 1964, 6^th place).

Pre- Merci Cherie, Jürgens’ song was made popular by Matt Monro who scored a worldwide hit with it.

Matt Monro’s own 1964 entry I Love The Little Things did better at Eurovision (2^nd)
but didn’t make the charts.

Warum Nur Warum/Walk Away has since been recorded by many other artists like Brenda Lee (who even recorded it in Japanese), Byron Lee and Mighty Sparrow, Virginia
Lee (that’s 3 Lee’s there), Jane Morgan, Julie Rogers, Nancy Wilson, Timi Yuro
and Eurovision stars Alice and Helen Kessler, Michael Ball and Lasse Mårtenson.

Thanks for the tip Mikael!

Sissel Website
More Walk Away's

For the latest Eurovision related release news follow our Facebook.

Liesbeth List, Adieu

Dutch singer and national treasure Liesbeth List has left us.
And as this is Eurocovers, the picture above is her 2nd ever single from 1964, a coverversion of Elle Etait Si Jolie by Alain Barriere, the French Eurovision entry from 1963.
I nicked the picture from Discogs.

Rotterdam or anywhere....

Gjon's Tear

Eurovision set sail for Rotterdam 2020, but it wasn't meant to be.
Of course we're all disappointed but it's obvious we have more important matters on our hands now.

Thanks to all the artists and broadcasters who have put so much work in their entries and to the organisation of the Rotterdam event.

Please be safe, wherever you are. Take care of yourself and your loved ones and hopefully we'll meet in Rotterdam in 2021.

The Rotterdam Collection still has all the details on the 2020 songs and versions and will be updated if there's any news.

And I know in the light of the situation it's trivial, but the 2020 CD release will go ahead and is expected to drop on May 8. (More info here)

Goodbye Pearl Carr (1923 - 2020)

British Eurovision pioneer Pearl Carr has passed away at the age of 98.
With her husband Teddy Johnson she represented the United Kingdom in 1959 with Sing Little Birdie and ended second behind the Dutch Teddy.
Sing Little Birdie became an evergreen even though it only made it to #12 in the U.K. charts. It got to #8 in the Dutch charts and was a popular song in Scandinavian countries.

The oldest tracable record featuring Pearl Carr I could find is Blue For A Boy with Dick James (1951).
Update: No it isn't, Lou Preager's Hang On The Bell Nelly from 1949 features Pearl Carr and Rusty Hurren on vocals.

Later Pearl Carr was a vocalist fore Dave King and the Keynotes. She was a frequent singer and comedian on various radio shows until she met her husband Teddy Johnson.
From then on they continued as a duo, performing on many British TV shows.
A rare record in picture sleeve was the EP Meet Teddy and Pearl which includes the 1957 single Tomorrow Tomorrow.
About a dozen singles followed up to 1965.
They only managed to score one more U.K. top 40 hit: How Wonderful To Know (#23 in 1961)
Teddy Johnson passed away in 2018 also at the age of 98.

Eurovision
Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson participated twice in the U.K. selection for Eurovision, each time with two songs.

Eurovision Song Contest British Final 1959
- Sing Little Birdie (finalist and winner)
- That’s It, That’s Love (semi) unreleased

Eurovision Song Contest British Final 1960

- When The Tide Turns (finalist)

- Pickin' Petals (semi)

Both songs on U.K. 7” HMV 45-POP 697
It was Teddy's brother Bryan Johnson who took the trophy and ended up 2nd in the Eurovision Song Contest with Looking High, High, High.

Sing Little Birdie releases

U.K. 7”   (Columbia 45-DB 4275), promos exist

U.K. 78 rpm   (Columbia DB 4275)

Netherlands 7”     (Columbia 45-DB 4275)

Germany 7”    (Columbia  C 21166)

Norway 7”    (Columbia 45 DD 697) Yellow vinyl

US 7”    (Capitol F 4211) possibly promo only

Coverversions

Sing Little Birdie proved to be a popular tune in Scandinavia, with 11 listed coverversions in Nordic languages. 

Some more Eurocovers post with The Birdie Song: Teddy Scholten, Oslo Weeks, Carla Boni, Festivalfavoriter, Marie Dieke / Ria Solar.

Below is a list of all the coverversions I know of. There's probably more, please let us know.

(It's a picture / scan of a word document, so it will be here forever, click it and it gets bigger and you can download it.)

Rotterdam weeks: A Dream Come True for Cilla Black fans

Cilla Black, British institution, I guess she needs no introduction to most Eurocovers readers.
Below (at the end of this post) you can hear her lovely coverversion of the Dutch 1984 entry Ik Hou Van Jou as A Dream Come True. (It's Rotterdam weeks after all).
Cilla Black released her version of the Dutch classic in 1993 on her album Through The Years. (CD, LP and MC)
A Dream Come True also ended up as the b-side of the single Heart And Soul (recorded with Dusty Springfield). (7"inch and cdsingle)

You're Sensational!
The legendary singer, TVshow host and all round showbizz star passed away in 2015.
Now, for the first time, an unreleased song is released. On Valentines day!
You're Sensational was recorded in the early 70's and only recently uncovered. The track is remixed by Matt Pop.
There are two versions: An extended remix and a radio edit.
It's a digital single (ltd cdsingles are sold out now) but let's all buy it or stream it and get Cilla back to #1. (I'm talking to you Brits here, make it happen!, Update:  It didn't.).

You're Sensational at iTunes, Amazon
and a link to all digitessen

A nice bit of Eurovision trivia about Cilla Black, who of course would have been the dream representative for the U.K.. In fact (or: allegedly, to be safe) she was asked if she was interested to do Eurovision in 1968. Cilla didn't think it was a good idea to have another female singer after Sandie Shaw's victory and she declined.
She ended up hosting the Song For Europe contest that year with Cliff Richard in her BBC TV Show Cilla and Cliff ended up with Congratulations and a 2nd place in the London Eurovision.

I Can't Go On Living Without You
In 1969 it was Lulu's turn to do A Song For Europe. One of the six songs she performed was I Can't Go On Living Without You written by then little known songwriter duo Elton John and Bernie Taupin. Hard to believe now, but the song came last.
Cilla Black recorded the song for her LP  Sweet Inspiration (1970) and it was released as a single in Venezuela, New Zealand and as a b-side in Japan.

Links and sources
Cilla Black Website and FB
Matt Pop FB and more Matt Pop at Eurocovers
More Ik Hou Van Jou coverversions posts

More Rotterdam Weeks Eurocovers Specials

- 바니걸즈 - 딩딩동,K-Pop avant la lettre

- Ragazzo di Piccola Città in una Grande Sala Giochi

- Penghibor Di Rantau by Rahimah Rahim

- Dutch entries get a makeover (CD release)

- Someday, Morgen, Y Fori with Mary Hopkin

- Cristina Jorio - Come Una Volta

La Strada Per Rotterdam: Diodato's Piove

Here's a lovely videoclip of Piove by Diodato, the 2020 Eurovision singer for Italy.

Piove a.k.a. Ciao Ciao Bambina was 2nd the Sanremo winner for Domenico Modugno and also his 2nd Eurovision entry. The song ended (only) 6th in the contest and was another worldwide hit after the Grammy winning 1958 entry Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare).

Diodato's Piove is taken from the 2014 album A Ritrovar Bellezza including coverversions of several Sanremo and other Italian classics.

Diodato will perform Fai Rumore in the Rotterdam contest. You can read all about that and full Sanremo 2020 release stuff and more Diodato info here at the Rotterdam Collection.

Find more: Piove at the 10.000 coverversions project and other related Eurocovers posts.