Sunday, May 12, 2013

Takasa's You And Me the Estonian way


It's a well know fact Estonians like to sing, live to sing. So when this coverversion of the 2013 Swiss entry You And Me by Takasa  was recorded it was no problem to get 400 people to join in. The singers are from the Kärdla Uhisgümnaasium, which I guess is an Estonian education hotspot of some sorts. Nice and a funny video.
In Estonian the song is titled Ikka Jääd Sa Minuga which means something like Will you still be with me.

Having 400 people doing a Eurocover may well be a record (The Kärdla's think so and I'm not arguing)
Takasa (short for Them Of The Salvation Army) are breaking one of two records in Eurovision this year, at 95, Bassplayer Emil Ramsauer is the oldest artist to grace the Eurovision stage.
The other record is by Ukraine who are parading the tallest ever person on the stage.

Eurovision 2013 is imminent. For details on all this years entries, releases, recordings, charts and other trivia, please grace The Malmö Collection with a visit.
Eurocovers also has a bit about Bonnie.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Release news: O Vento Mudou - Ricardo Oliveira


Portugal decided to stay home for the Malmö contest. Sad of course, but they can make it up to us by sending Ricardo Oliveira when they return in 2014. All he needs is someone to write a classy tune and record it with the orchestra as featured in the videoclip above.

The clip, O Vento Mudou (The wind changes) is a coverversion of the Portuguese 1967 entry originally by Eduardo Nascimento (12th place).

The song (released as digital single) is taken from the album which also bears the title O Vento Mudou which was released in Februari. 
I'm loving it, Oliveira's great voice and fab orchestra give the song a new lease of life, very different from the (also amazing) original.

Eurovision related tracks:
The album includes 12 reworkings of milestones in Portuguese music history and two Eurovision songs are included.
Next to the 1967 entry there's Sol De Inverno (Winter sun) originally performed by Simone de Oliveira in the 1965 contest.

Another Eurovision related cover on O Vento Mudou is Flor Sem Tempo (Timeless flower) by Paulo De Carvalho. The song finished 2nd 1971 Portuguese national final.
From the 1976 Festival is No Teu Poema a song that ended third in the final with all songs by Carlos Do Carmo.

There's also 20 Anos, a song made famous by José Cid (ESC 1980),  Adeus Tristeza by Fernando Tordo (ESC 1973) and Pensando Em Ti, a 1978 hit for Gemini who entered Eurovision in the same year with Dai Li Dou.

2004 debut album
From Idols to The Voice
Ricardo participated in A Voz De Portugal (The Voice Of Portugal). He finished second, but it enabled him to record this album, 10 years after his first record* and his lauch at Ídolos, Portugese Idols (where he also finished second). (2003).
In the Idols final one of the songs he performed was Chamar A Musica, the 1994 Portuguese entry by Sara Tavares. At the final of A Voz Sara and Ricardo performed a duet: Bom Feeling.

*Pic from debut album nicked from e-bay.


Special thanks to José Antonio!
Full tracklist and a downloadable medley to sample the album are here at Universal Portugal
I don't know about the availablity of the album worldwide, but the CD is available at FNAC Portugal and the digital is at iTunes Portugal
For the Netherlands Ricardo's digital releases are available at MegaMedia. Germany: Amazon
O Vento Mudou, the 1967 EP sleeve

O Vento Mudou releases and coverversions.
Eduardo Nascimento released O Vento Mudou on an EP (Decca PEP 1193). He also released an English version Listen, released on a Decca promo EP with a front sleeve identical to the original EP.


Here’s a list of coverversions of O Vento Mudou that I know of and that have been officially released. If you know more, please let me know.


Nicolau Breyner
- on EP Livre (Tecla records TE 1016), re-issued on 1998 CD (Movieplay)
António Calvário (Eurovision 1964)
- on 7" and EP (EP: Spain Belter 51.791)
Da Vinci (Eurovision 1989)
- on CD Oicam (1995)
Delfins
- on 7" and 12", see this Eurocovers post
María de Fátima (NL based fado singer)
- on CD O Vento Mudou (Silvox 2012)
Adelaide Ferreira (Eurovision 1985)
- on CD Sentidos (BMG 2000)
Artur García
- On EP Porta Secreta (5th in NF 67, Marfer MEL 2-056)
Rádio Clube Nora
- on CD Ver Sons (Arte2, 2006)
Maria de Lourdes Resende
- on EP (Alvorada AEP 60904)
Ricardo Oliveira
- on CD O Vento Mudou (Universal 2013)
UHF
- on CD Porqué ? (Columbia 2010)
Grande Orquestra De Luís Gomes
- Instrumental on CD Portugal Deluxe - Volume 2 - Um Cocktail Swingante (1998)
Thee Chargers
- Surf guitar Instrumental on CD The Mansion Of The Doomed (2009), listen here

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Umidaxon

Here's a sweet video from Uzbekistan. Umidaxon's Dema Dema is a coverversion of Show Me Your Love by Tina Karol. (7th place for Ukraine in the 2006 Athens Eurovision)




Sunday, March 24, 2013

Sugarfree version of Bucks Fizz hit



Here's Belgian duo Sugarfree with their version of the 1981 Eurovision winner Making Your Mind Up by Bucks Fizz.
Sugarfree (Gildy Florus and Nathalie Prins) already released a few radio hits in Belgium and hopefully they will break through in the charts with this one.

Geef Er Een Lap Op (Go for it, liberally translator ed.) is available through digital sources but also out on a one track cdsingle (CNR Damaro).
Digital at amazon, iTunes, Megamedia (NL)

Also check out the Sugarfree website (in Dutch)

U.K. winner Making Your Mind Up by Bucks Fizz may be remembered of the skirt ripping gimmick, but the chirpy Eurovision jive also has proven itself as a true Eurovision classic.
The band went on to have an impressive string of hits including the magnificent My Camera Never Lies and the useful for Christmas hit The Land Of Make Believe, which was another international #1 for the band.
Two years ago the Fizz celebrated the 30th anniversary of the song by releasing a new version. (CD Up Until Now (The 30th Anniversary Hits Collection)).

Special thanks to JB!!!!


Saturday, March 16, 2013

Let's get loud!


Found a coverversion of the 2013 Swedish entry on the tube. The band are Outtrigger (no, me neither) and their version of Robin Stjernbergs You is destined for the highly coveted interval spot of Melodifestivalen 2014. Great stuff.

Find out more about You by Robin Stjernberg and Melodifestivalen 2013 here at the Malmö Collection.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Beam Me Up Bonnie!


With Bonnie Tyler being the U.K. singer for Malmö it's a good moment to take a look at this one, where things boldly go in ways unexpected.
Lin Yu Chun from Taiwan duets with the one and only William Shatner, Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. The clip is from the Lopez Tonight show, a U.S. late night show hosted by George Lopez (TBS).

Total Eclipse Of The Heart written by is a classic and Bonnie's biggest hit to date.
The song is written by Jim Steinman, the man who made Meatloaf the 80's staple diet and who gave Celine Dion It's All Coming Back To Me Now.

I love Startrek and William performing as a "singer" is one of those Space Oddities that make the universe such an exiting place to be part of.

Lin Yu Chun (林育羣) is no stranger to Eurocovers. The Taiwanese One Million Stars talent show sensation recorded a coverversion of the U.K. 2009 entry It's My Time (Jade Ewen).
More about that one here at Eurocovers.

Bonnie Tyler will represent the United Kingdom with Believe In Me from her new album Rocks And Honey.
Bits about Bonnie 2013 here at the Malmö Collection

Some more interesting Eclipses: One Direction, Josh Groban and Ellen Degeneres, Lucy Lawless (Xena) with Bonnie Tyler, 2000 Eurovision star Nicki French and even Metallica.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

David Sancho - Estando Contigo!!



Nice to see the old classics aren't forgotten.
Here's Spain's very first entry Estando Contigo (Conchita Bautista) in a new version by David Sancho. It is taken from the album Sancho and Swing from 2011.

Sancho first performed Estando Contigo in the Spanish casting pre-selection thingy to find the 2011 Eurovision artist, but he was axed at an early stage.

Sancho and Swing Website
Special thanks to José Antonio.
More Estando Contigo at Eurocovers

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The Road To Malmö - The Bandaloop - Waterloo

The Bandaloop are in the race to become Austria's next Eurovision stars. Their song Back To Fantasy is one of the five songs competing in the Austrian National Final on Februari 15.
And Eurocovers is pleased to inform you all that the band have recorded ABBA's Waterloo after a 'meeting' with the Legendary Swedish band and made it available for you here, Yay! (more people should do that).
Credits: photo (c) Norbert Ivanek, wax figures (c) Madame Tussauds Wien

"Waterloo" is an exclusive gift for all the fans of The Bandaloop and is available until the 28th of February as free download here:
Download "Waterloo"  Hope you didn't miss it.

"Back To Fantasy" can be downloaded on iTunes:
"Back To Fantasy" on iTunes

The Bandaloop website, Also check out the Austria page at the Malmö Collection.

from their press message:
"Since this year's ESC finals will take place in Malmo, Sweden, the members of The Bandaloop - Barca Baxant, Justin Case and Mike Blitz - tried to gain some inspiration from the legendary Swedish band ABBA. Fortunately, they could easily "get in touch" with the most popular Swedish band in Vienna - for they are currently part of the exhibition at Madame Tussauds Wien, as a wax figure".

"ABBA used to give me a lot of inspiration when I was young. I was a huge fan of them!" so Barca Baxant, singer of The Bandaloop. Being able to represent Austria at the ESC, just like ABBA for Sweden did, is her greatest ambition for this Friday: "in 2013, we would like to reach what ABBA with 'Waterloo' did in 1974: the European crown of pop music!" Justin Case, bassist of The Bandaloop and king of the keyboards, loopers and all other electronic instruments in this project, spent the last few days working on their extraordinary cover version of the ABBA-hit: "with 'Waterloo', ABBA made Song Contest history at that time. On the one hand, it was an honour to work on our own interpretation of this song, and on the other hand, it was of course huge fun as well!" Finally, as Mike Blitz, drummer of The Bandaloop adds: "once we have performed our own version of 'Waterloo' this Friday and done our best at it, we hope to gain the sympathy of the audience. The song fits our style perfectly: electronic music with a touch of pop from the '70s and '80s, glowing in a new, fancy light!"

Special thanks to Marco

Sunday, February 10, 2013

女 Yan Kee - Puppet On A String


Bought A 4th Chinese version of 1967 Eurovision winner Puppet On A String by Sandie Shaw.
I'm a bit clueless here.  The girl is called Rose (something) (玫瑰 = Rose) and the song seems to be titled 女 Yan Kee (Nu Yan Kee). I haven't been able to find any info on the net searching by record label and all that and off course I'm rubbish at Chinese characters. And is it Mandarin, Cantonese or another Chinese language?.
Po-Lo records MEP 3070. Please E-mail me for  or if you can help.

Post with the other Chinese puppets:
Lara Tan's Emotional man.

Betty Chung - Is that a big string in your hand or....

Sakura Teng and the Quests
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Saturday, February 02, 2013

Zoller Zsolt - Szerelem miért múlsz

Here's a Hungarian bloke in his basement recording a coverversion of Szerelem Miért Múlsz (What about my dreams), in a Mike 'I play all the instruments myself' Oldfield way.
The track is a rock version of Kati Wolfs Eurovision entry in 2011. 
The clip just struck me for its passion and professionality (and the loud shirt) and is well worth checking out.