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Post by ry4n on Mar 9, 2020 8:33:32 GMT -5
64 contests 67 winners (1969 had a 4-way tie) 1,500+ entries 52 participating countries 26 host countries 27 winning countries 42 host cities 1 ranking (mine) I need something to kill time during this quarantine, so I'm re-watching every Eurovision Song Contest, posting my thoughts on each contest, and reviewing/ranking the winners! I know most of you guys on Pulse won't know the early winners, but maybe this is a good way to hear them if interested? I will be doing this chronologically and I will use the tier system that the internet loves. My sources for info are Wikipedia and eurovisionworld.com/Criteria: G.O.A.T.: My eventual top 10 YASSSS: I'm happy that it won, even if it isn't my favourite of the night I like it: There's at least one flaw that I cannot overlook Okay: Not happy that it won, but it has redeemable qualities TRASHHHH: Super boring or super cringe *the "meh" tier was later abolished Let me know if you'd like to be tagged in this
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Post by Leo ✔ on Mar 9, 2020 8:53:46 GMT -5
Totally in. Tag me.
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Post by Soundcl🕤ck on Mar 9, 2020 9:22:47 GMT -5
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Post by ry4n on Mar 9, 2020 18:30:57 GMT -5
Lugano 1956Host: Switzerland Countries: 7 Entries: 14 Winner: Lys Assia - Refrain Country: Switzerland Points: N/A Language: French YouTube | Spotify | LyricsThe first Eurovision contest was a weird one. Each country performed two songs. Each country cast two jury votes. Countries were allowed to vote for themselves. The ballot was secret, and the votes were never publicly released. The Luxembourg jurors weren't able to attend so Switzerland voted on their behalf (which makes Switzerland's win seem suspicious). There was no 3-minute rule. There's no surviving footage of this contest. And there was zero English songs in 1956 as the UK didn't participate until 1957. Thankfully, things become more familiar in 1957. Stylistically, the 14 songs are what you'd expect to hear in 1956. SO MANY slow boring big band orchestral crooner/vocal ballads. I just listened to a quick recap of the 14 songs and they all sound the same lol. This is definitely not my era. Despite possible corrupt voting, I think the jury picked the right winner. "Refrain" sounds BIG. It begins and ends with a huge blast of brass from the orchestra. It's Eurovision asserting its mark from the beginning. Meanwhile Lys Assia is a competent singer and the French language always sounds beautiful. (I believe French was the most widely spoken language on the European continent at the time, which would explain why so many of the early winners are in French). The orchestra and backing vocals chime in at the right times to elevate the song. Lyrically, "Refrain" is melancholic and reflective. About being nostalgic for a young romance. Wishing to recapture it, but she seems to accept that life moves on. I'd say it's a well written song, assuming the translation is accurate. Verdict: YASSSSS tier. "Refrain" grew on me as I writing this review. It set a precedent for Eurovision winners and the contest is still going 64 years later. My points go to....01. Switzerland: Lys Assia - Refrain 02. Italy: Franca Raimondi - Aprite le finestre 03. Luxembourg: Michèle Arnaud - Ne crois pas 04. Netherlands: Jetty Paerl - De vogels van Holland 05. Germany: Freddy Quinn - So geht das jede Nacht 06. Switzerland: Lys Assia - Das alte Karussell 07. France: Dany Dauberson - Il est là 08. Netherlands: Corry Brokken - Voorgoed voorbij 09. Belgium: Fud Leclerc - Messieurs les noyés de la Seine 10. Italy: Tonina Torrielli - Amami se vuoi 11. Germany: Walter Andreas Schwarz - Im Wartesaal zum großen Glück 12. Luxembourg: Michèle Arnaud - Les Amants de minuit 13. Belgium: Mony Marc - Le Plus beau jour de ma vie 14. France: Mathé Altéry - Le Temps perdu Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck
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Post by Leo ✔ on Mar 9, 2020 21:25:54 GMT -5
I haven't heard all the songs from 1956 but that intro... is just beautiful. Holy shit!!
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Post by ry4n on Mar 10, 2020 18:36:54 GMT -5
Frankfurt 1957Host: Germany Participants: 10 Winner: Corry Brokken - Net als toen Country: Netherlands Points: 31 (34.4% of highest score possible) Language: Dutch YouTube | Spotify | LyricsThe second Eurovision Song Contest saw much of the original format and rules tweaked. Juries were no longer allowed to vote for their own country. The votes were made public, and a clearly defined voting system was established - each country was given 10 points to distribute however they wish... the current 12-point system wasn't adopted until the 1970's. And three new countries debuted (the UK, Denmark and Austria). The 1957 contest was 1 hr 8 min, which I think is the shortest in ESC history. It featured more slow boring orchestral ballads. That won't change for a while. Germany had possibly the first joke entry in ESC history with "Telefon, Telefon"; where the performer Margot Hielscher literally sings and talks into a telephone prop. The Italian entry was over 5 minutes long, which lead to the implementation of the 3-minute rule in future contests. The UK's first entry was an operatic ballad, and boy does Patricia Bredin belt it. While the first Danish entry sees a wife say goodbye to her military husband. They even share an onstage kiss. 1957 is a fairly "meh" contest. While there's a few interesting performances, none of them feel all that memorable. They don't elevate themselves above the pack in the way "Refrain" did. The winner, Corry Brokken's "Net als toen", is a snoozefest. I can hum the melody of almost every Eurovision winner. This one I cannot. Where's the hook? It lacks the orchestral bombast of "Refrain". And it blends in with every other performance of the time. Yes I'm quite harsh with 1950's music but most of it bores me. On the positive side... the song is fine lyrically. Corry misses the romantic fairytale phase of her marriage. It's relatable. And the "Ja, je wordt dik en je haar wordt al grijs" part has a pleasing poetic bounciness to it. Verdict: Meh tier. This just doesn't feel like a winner to me. The song isn't terrible, but I rank it pretty low compared to the other 66 champions. My points go to....01. France: Paule Desjardins - La Belle amour 02. Germany: Margot Hielscher - Telefon, Telefon 03. Luxembourg: Danièle Dupré - Amours mortes (tant de peine) 04. Switzerland: Lys Assia - L'Enfant que j'étais 05. Netherlands: Corry Brokken - Net als toen 06. Denmark: Birthe Wilke & Gustav Winckler - Skibet skal sejle i nat 07. Belgium: Bobbejaan Schoepen - Straatdeuntje 08. Austria: Bob Martin - Wohin, kleines Pony? 09. United Kingdom: Patricia Bredin - All 10. Italy: Nunzio Gallo - Corde della mia chitarra Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck
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Post by ry4n on Mar 11, 2020 21:03:57 GMT -5
Hilversum 1958Host: Netherlands Participants: 10 Voting method: Ten-member juries distributed 10 points among their favourite songs Winner: André Claveau - Dors, mon amour Country: France Points: 27 (30.0% of highest score possible) Language: French YouTube | Spotify | LyricsThe 1958 contest saw the first interval act. Corry Brokken and Lys Assia represented the Netherlands and Switzerland (respectively) for the third consecutive year. A future dominant country in ESC, Sweden, debuted. The UK departed after losing its bid to host the contest. Which means, for the second and last time, there's no entries in English. The Netherlands hosted the contest instead, setting the tradition of the winning country hosting the next contest. The most well-known entry of 1958 is not the winner. It's the Italian entry - Domenico Modugno's "Nel blu dipinto di blu" or "Volare". The song was a huge international hit and it even topped the Billboard Hot 100 and won two Grammy awards. Arguably the most successful song in ESC history. The Italian and Swiss entries are better than anything from 1956 and 1957, aside from "Refrain". However the 1958 is another fairly dull set of entries. More slow orchestral ballads. Even the Swedish entry is dull! Margot Hielscher represents West Germany again; this time in a pageant dress holding vinyl records. The third Eurovision winner, "Dors, mon amour", performed by André Claveau, is a typical 1950's crooner ballad. I could see Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin singing this. It's a diary of André's thoughts while he watches his significant other sleep. It's sugary sweet and well sung. Aptly, this song is a sleepy lullaby. It's another winner where I can't hum the melody from memory. Which is never a good thing. Verdict: Meh. Another dull one. Italy is the real winner. My points go to....01. Italy: Domenico Modugno - Nel blu, dipinto di blu 02. Germany: Margot Hielscher - Für zwei Groschen Musik 03. Switzerland: Lys Assia - Giorgio 04. Sweden: Alice Babs - Lilla stjärna 05. Belgium: Fud Leclerc - Ma petite chatte 06. Netherlands: Corry Brokken - Heel de wereld 07. Austria: Liane Augustin - Die ganze Welt braucht Liebe 08. Denmark: Raquel Rastenni - Jeg rev et blad ud af min dagbog 09. France: André Claveau - Dors, mon amour 10. Luxembourg: Solange Berry - Un grand amour Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck
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Post by ry4n on Mar 12, 2020 18:53:34 GMT -5
Cannes 1959Host: France Participants: 11 Voting method: Ten-member juries distributed 10 points among their favourite songs Winner: Teddy Scholten - Een beetje Country: Netherlands Points: 21 (21.0% of highest score possible) Language: Dutch YouTube | Spotify | LyricsThe fourth Eurovision Song Contest featured a livelier set of entries, thankfully. The uptempos outnumber the ballads! Denmark, the winning Netherlands, Germany and Sweden provide some playful/perky/buoyant numbers. The UK returned with a new formula that they'd repeat several times - the jaunty silly song ("Sing Little Birdie"), which includes whistles and a finger puppet. Too childish for me. It got them second place and they haven't missed a contest since. France also went the silly route with "Oui, oui, oui, oui". 1958 also saw Monaco debut (while Luxembourg missed this one). Domenico Modugno represented Italy again, but finished worse this time. The hosts France tried a new gimmick with the stage - the performers entered via a revolving door that had a painted backdrop. And the host used a giant pointing stick for the scoreboard. I find that amusing for some reason. So the Netherlands became the first repeat winner. "Een beetje" is definitely catchier than "Net als toen". The chorus has a bouncy sing-songy melody accentuated by Teddy's enunciation. I like it when Eurovision songs play to the poetic strengths of the respective languages. Because, generally, Dutch doesn't sound pretty. In between the perky choruses, the verses offer a more stripped back reflective side. 1950's love songs can be so serious. "Een beetje" ("A Bit" in English) is definitely not. Teddy is happy to be in a casual relationship. And that sentiment matches her chipper delivery. Teddy deduces that if they opened their hearts, it would lead to promises of being faithful, and inevitably one of them would cheat. She's happy to avoid that mess by not getting emotionally involved (ie. closing the door to her heart). Verdict: YASSS tier for its uniqueness. Seems the first few "black-and-white era" winners are either quite good or quite meh. My points go to....01. Sweden: Brita Borg - Augustin 02. Netherlands: Teddy Scholten - Een beetje 03. Switzerland: Christa Williams - Irgendwoher 04. Germany: Alice and Ellen Kessler - Heute Abend wollen wir tanzen geh'n 05. Italy: Domenico Modugno - Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina) 06. Denmark: Birthe Wilke - Uh, jeg ville ønske jeg var dig 07. France: Jean Philippe - Oui, oui, oui, oui 08. Monaco: Jacques Pills - Mon ami Pierrot 09. Austria: Ferry Graf - Der K und K Kalypso aus Wien 10. United Kingdom: Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson - Sing, Little Birdie 11. Belgium: Bob Benny - Hou toch van mij Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck
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Post by ry4n on Mar 12, 2020 19:09:16 GMT -5
Also loved how they called up the countries with an actual phone in 57 and 58. Looks like a rotary phone too. We're a long ways off from the today's production values!
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Post by ry4n on Mar 13, 2020 23:26:57 GMT -5
London 1960Host: United Kingdom Participants: 13 Voting method: Ten-member juries distributed 10 points among their favourite songs Winner: Jacqueline Boyer - Tom Pillibi Country: France Points: 32 (26.7% of highest score possible) Language: French YouTube | Spotify | LyricsAs Eurovision heads into the 1960s, I should mention the tense political situation during the early years of the contest. With Nikita Khrushchev taking power, the Warsaw Pact, the Hungarian revolt, the Soviet Union assuming control over eastern Europe, the Berlin Wall construction in 1961, and ultimately the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. The Cold War was at its hottest peak. An iron curtain divided Europe into east and west. And the destruction of World War II was still fresh in people's memories. So the west united for one day a year in a song contest to focus on something more positive. This context is worth mentioning. Anyway onto the 1960 contest itself. It features another set of livelier songs, and a few more boring crooner ballads. The Netherlands declined to host again, so the UK stepped up. Meaning this is the first contest with an English speaking host (Katie Boyle - who would host three more times). The UK sent another silly jaunty entry ("looking high high high, looking low, low, low") and once again placed 2nd. Norway debuted and Luxembourg returned. Otherwise, pretty standard affair compared to the first four contests. So the Netherlands and France play hot potato with the past 4 winners. "Tom Pillibi" is another perky bouncy number, in the same vein as "Een beetje". The instrumentation reminds me of classic Disney movies. And I like the sing-songy nursery rhyme enunciation of the verses. It sets the mood of a fantastical fairytale. Jacqueline's boyfriend is flexing big time. He's a king, he owns two castles, ships, some gold. Extreme exaggerations, I'm sure. But there's a twist towards the end of the song - it's all a lie! However, Jacqueline is still happy in this relationship for one reason. She is the one real thing that her boyfriend brags about. She gets to be the queen in this fairytale. It's a neat song, although it's reductive of the previous winner. Right down to the twist ending ("But actually, I'm happy that my heart has no door either" in "Een beetje" / "but he's such a liar" in "Tom Pillibi".) Verdict: I'm fine with it. My points go to....01. Germany: Wyn Hoop - Bonne nuit ma chérie 02. Monaco: François Deguelt - Ce soir-là 03. Switzerland: Anita Traversi - Cielo e terra 04. France: Jacqueline Boyer - Tom Pillibi 05. Norway: Nora Brockstedt - Voi Voi 06. Denmark: Katy Bødtger - Det var en yndig tid 07. Netherlands: Rudi Carrell - Wat een geluk 08. United Kingdom: Bryan Johnson - Looking High, High, High 09. Sweden: Siw Malmkvist - Alla andra får varann 10. Italy: Renato Rascel - Romantica 11. Austria: Harry Winter - Du hast mich so fasziniert 12. Belgium: Fud Leclerc - Mon amour pour toi 13. Luxembourg: Camillo Felgen - So laang we's du do bast Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck
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Post by ry4n on Mar 14, 2020 18:58:53 GMT -5
Cannes 1961Host: France Participants: 16 Voting method: Ten-member juries distributed 10 points among their favourite songs Winner: Jean-Claude Pascal - Nous les amoureux Country: Luxembourg Points: 31 (20.7% of highest score possible) Language: French YouTube | Spotify | Lyrics1961 saw the debut of Finland, Spain (finally) and Yugoslavia (they weren't aligned with the Soviets). This brought the number of entrants to 16, making the 6th contest feel more full than the first 5. France, unlike the Netherlands, went through with hosting again. Unfortunately, the 1961 contest is heavy on the slow, sleep-inducing ballads. While Spain and Germany's performances are just painful. The UK placed 2nd for the third consecutive year. This time with harmonizing duo The Allisons, who remind me of the Everly Brothers. It's the most modern-sounding song of the night. Sweden provides a bouncy whistling number. France goes the silly hook route ("bing-a-bong"). And Italy finishes the night with a belter. One of the strangest Eurovision facts is Luxembourg winning FIVE times. Though I don't think any of their winners are native to Luxembourg. Another interesting fact: Luxembourg placed last in 1960 and first in 1961. On initial assessment, the winner “Nous les amoureux” (translated: “We, The Lovers”) sounds like any other male crooner ballad from the “black-and-white era”. However, I think there's more depth to the song than that. The vocal tone and instrumentation create a downbeat, romantic, soothing atmosphere. I'm sure the French language has something to do with that. The lyrics are a reassurance and defiance against other people's opinions of Jean-Claude's relationship. All that matters is that they're happy together. “We, the lovers, we're going to live without you” is certainly a statement of conviction. I like the way Jean-Claude sings the title phrase. It's the main hook of the song. But it's really the only hook. Not sure how I'd make the melody more memorable, though. Verdict: Yeah, I like it My points go to....01. United Kingdom: The Allisons - Are You Sure? 02. Spain: Conchita Bautista - Estando contigo 03. Luxembourg: Jean-Claude Pascal - Nous les amoureux 04. Netherlands: Greetje Kauffeld - Wat een dag 05. Sweden: Lill-Babs - April, april 06. Switzerland: Franca di Rienzo - Nous aurons demain 07. France: Jean-Paul Mauric - Printemps, avril carillonne 08. Denmark: Dario Campeotto - Angelique 09. Monaco: Colette Deréal - Allons, allons les enfants 10. Yugoslavia: Ljiljana Petrović - Neke davne zvezde 11. Italy: Betty Curtis - Al di là 12. Finland: Laila Kinnunen - Valoa ikkunassa 13. Norway: Nora Brockstedt - Sommer i Palma 14. Belgium: Bob Benny - September, gouden roos 15. Austria: Jimmy Makulis - Sehnsucht 16. Germany: Lale Andersen - Einmal sehen wir uns wieder *I changed "Amazing" to "G.O.A.T." (Greatest of All Time) Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck born fearlessarrow
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Post by born on Mar 14, 2020 19:00:59 GMT -5
I love this! I'm lowkey offended that I'm not tagged
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Post by ry4n on Mar 14, 2020 19:03:56 GMT -5
I love this! I'm lowkey offended that I'm not tagged Added to the list of tags! :)
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Post by Leo ✔ on Mar 14, 2020 19:14:23 GMT -5
Patiently waiting how you rank my least favorite winner
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Post by ry4n on Mar 14, 2020 19:24:39 GMT -5
Patiently waiting how you rank my least favorite winner I wonder which one that is. There's 3 winners that are super cringe. But I'll get there eventually~
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Post by fearlessarrow on Mar 14, 2020 19:30:15 GMT -5
Please tag me too! I'm enjoying your write-ups so far!!
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Post by ry4n on Mar 15, 2020 21:47:43 GMT -5
Luxembourg 1962Host: Luxembourg Participants: 16 Voting method: Juries gave points to three songs (3-2-1) Winner: Isabelle Aubret - Un premier amour Country: France Points: 26 (57.8% of highest score possible) Language: French YouTube | Spotify | LyricsThe 1962 contest saw the same 16 countries compete as 1961. A new voting a system was adopted. Similar to the current 12-point system, but only the top 3 received points. 1962 is another contest heavy on the orchestral ballads. I'm ready to move on from this era. You'd never know rock-and-roll or doo-wop existed. It's also the year of performers singing the hell out of their songs. Particularly the last 3 of the night - Luxembourg, Italy and Monaco. All huge belters, each outdoing the previous one. While Austria's entry is straight-up opera. Finland ("tipi-tii tipi-tipi-tipi tii") and the UK ("Ring-A-Ding Girl") fill the quota on silly hooks. Fud Leclerc represents Belgium for the 4th and final time. Luxembourg's Camillo Felgen, who placed last in 1960, redeems himself by finishing 3rd. The Netherlands send a vocal harmonizing duo akin to The Allisons (the UK's 1961 entry). While Sweden's entry is quite upbeat, despite the weird vocal ticks in the bridge. So France wins for the 3rd time in 5 years. The country and its language dominated the early years of Eurovision. Despite the gluttony of big vocal performances in 1962, the winner actually aims for a downbeat performance; mostly. Indeed Isabelle's vocal tone is soft, soothing, and seductive. The part where she touches her face adds charm to the performance. “Un premier amour” just feels magical. It's Isabelle's seductive voice. It's how she repeats certain phrases throughout, particularly the title phrase. And it's the restrained instrumentation. Meanwhile, the downbeat sections are balanced with vocal soars in the middle and end. “Un premier amour” is the perfect soundtrack to a romantic moonlit scene in a movie. Verdict: YASSS tier. I was not expecting to rank the early winners so highly. But “Un premier amour” is pure CLASS. My points go to....01. France: Isabelle Aubret - Un premier amour 02. Sweden: Inger Berggren - Sol och vår 03. Yugoslavia: Lola Novaković - Ne pali svetla u sumrak 04. Germany: Conny Froboess - Zwei kleine Italiener 05. Netherlands: De Spelbrekers - Katinka 06. Switzerland: Jean Philippe - Le Retour 07. Spain: Victor Balaguer - Llámame 08. Finland: Marion Rung - Tipi-tii 09. Italy: Claudio Villa - Addio, addio 10. Monaco: François Deguelt - Dis rien 11. Luxembourg: Camillo Felgen - Petit bonhomme 12. Austria: Eleonore Schwarz - Nur in der Wiener Luft 13. United Kingdom: Ronnie Carroll - Ring-a-Ding Girl 14. Belgium: Fud Leclerc - Ton nom 15. Norway: Inger Jacobsen - Kom sol, kom regn 16. Denmark: Ellen Winther - Vuggevise Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck born fearlessarrow
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Post by Leo ✔ on Mar 15, 2020 22:03:30 GMT -5
This is another of those oldies I enjoy, is decent!!
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Post by ry4n on Mar 16, 2020 19:20:40 GMT -5
London 1963Host: United Kingdom Participants: 16 Voting method: Juries gave points to five songs (5-4-3-2-1) Winner: Grethe & Jørgen Ingmann - Dansevise Country: Denmark Points: 42 (56.0% of highest score possible) Language: Danish YouTube | Spotify | LyricsFrance could not afford to host 3 times in 5 years. So the UK stepped up again, with the classy Katie Boyle presenting. The hosting Brits redesigned the stage and switched to a hidden boom microphone. This allowed for more props and movement compared to the first 7 contests, where the performers mostly stood in one spot. So the 1963 contest was the first push towards a more visual medium (Eurovision began as an audio-focused program). Indeed, a few countries took advantage. The UK performer sat on a platform, Netherlands had a music box, Germany had some dancing, Italy had 7-foot portraits of women, and France had a spinning girl fading in and out of frame. For the third year in a row, there was no change in the 16 competing countries. The voting system did change slightly - the juries now voted for five songs instead of three. Also of note; Nana Mouskouri, who has sold over 300 million records worldwide, represented Luxembourg.. even though she's Greek. The 8th Eurovision Song Contest still contains plenty of orchestral ballads, but my top 3 is super strong. Switzerland's entry is excellent – I'm a sucker for these soft, melodic French language numbers. While Monaco's entry gives me the feels. The 1963 jury result was controversial. Norway's jury votes were announced incorrectly, so they were pushed to the end of the queue. But after the other 15 countries revealed, Norway delivered a different result from earlier and it switched the winner from Switzerland to Denmark. This seemed suspicious. But there's been enough Francophone winners. It's good when different styles win this contest - it's why I ranked “Een Beetje” and “Tom Pillibi” highly for breaking the ballad sludge. “Dansevise” is a fresh and unique Eurovision entry. The magic comes from the minimalist guitar plucking. It's pushed to the forefront, while the orchestra mostly quiets until the chorus, when the string section soars. This instrumentation creates such a melancholic mood. Grethe's performance complements it. Her delivery is downbeat in the verses and compelling in the chorus. “Dansevise” is a song of contrast. Even in the middle – the guitar/vocals are buoyant on “I'm dancing and dancing”, then switch to gloomy on “Come back, come back” three lines later. Similarly, the lyrics switch between listing physical sensations to getting lost in a dance to pleading for this guy to return. The repetition of certain phrases works well too. Yes it adds hooks, but it's also Grethe repeating thoughts in her mind. “Dansevise” is a rush of constantly changing emotions. Verdict: G.O.A.T. tier. No question. My points go to....01. Denmark: Grethe & Jørgen Ingmann - Dansevise 02. Monaco: Françoise Hardy - L'amour s'en va 03. Switzerland: Esther Ofarim - T'en va pas 04. Italy: Emilio Pericoli - Uno per tutte 05. Austria: Carmela Corren - Vielleicht geschieht ein Wunder 06. Germany: Heidi Brühl - Marcel 07. Luxembourg: Nana Mouskouri - À force de prier 08. Finland: Laila Halme - Muistojeni laulu 09. France: Alain Barrière - Elle était si jolie 10. Netherlands: Annie Palmen - Een speeldoos 11. Belgium: Jacques Raymond - Waarom? 12. Spain: José Guardiola - Algo prodigioso 13. Yugoslavia: Vice Vukov - Brodovi 14. Sweden: Monica Zetterlund - En gång i Stockholm 15. Norway: Anita Thallaug - Solhverv 16. United Kingdom: Ronnie Carroll - Say Wonderful Things Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck born fearlessarrow
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Post by ry4n on Mar 18, 2020 1:48:55 GMT -5
Copenhagen 1964Host: Denmark Participants: 16 Voting method: Juries gave points to three songs (5-3-1) Winner: Gigliola Cinquetti - Non ho l'età Country: Italy Points: 49 (65.3% of highest score possible) Language: Italian YouTube | Spotify | LyricsThere is no available footage of the 1964 contest. Only a few clips and photos. The film was reportedly destroyed in a fire in Denmark. And no other copy has been uploaded online yet. Which is a shame because the stage looks elegant with the spiral stair case. This means I can't comment on the visual aspect of this contest. Apparently the organizers could not decide on a voting system during this era. It was changed again – now the juries give points to three songs (5 pts, 3 pts, 1 pt). The 1964 contest saw Portugal debut (and receive 0 points) while Sweden missed out due to a boycott. The style of songs remained largely the same from previous contests. While the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Spain are the stand-outs in terms of fresh sound. The Dutch entry being a personal highlight of mine - excellent instrumental and bitterness, despite the lyrics suggesting a doormat situation. Meanwhile, Austria sent Udo Jürgens, who pours his heart out. More on that in 2 years. This year's controversy came from a political protest invading the stage after Switzerland's performance. So Italy won by a landslide – 49 points vs 17 for second place. The country deserved a win by this point. The Italian entries (thus far) aren't always to my taste, but they put forth the effort. “Non ho l'età” is structurally well-crafted. It contrasts minimalism and bombast, reaching the extremes on both ends. Indeed, “Non ho l'età” opens with a huge orchestral bang, then dives into the most delicate vocals. The song basically escalates in tension across three verses. Then repeats. The first involves Gigliola timidly whispering “I'm not old enough” while the orchestra restrains itself to a few “bom-bom”'s. The second verse teases with 4 dramatic piano notes. Finally, in the third section, Gigliola and the orchestra release all the built up tension. Asking nicely for this guy to wait isn't working, so she asserts her stance. While Gigliola's voice switches from meek to commanding. Gigliola was 16 at the time, and her voice is just beautiful on this song. I love the message of a young girl standing up for herself. And the balance between shyness and the bursting works well. Verdict: YASSS tier. This is a such strong run of winners. My points go to....01. Italy: Gigliola Cinquetti - Non ho l'età 02. Netherlands: Anneke Grönloh - Jij bent mijn leven 03. Germany: Nora Nova - Man gewöhnt sich so schnell an das Schöne 04. Austria: Udo Jürgens - Warum nur, warum? 05. United Kingdom: Matt Monro - I Love the Little Things 06. France: Rachel - Le chant de Mallory 07. Luxembourg: Hugues Aufray - Dès que le printemps revient 08. Spain: Los TNT - Caracola 09. Finland: Lasse Mårtenson - Laiskotellen 10. Belgium: Robert Cogoi - Près de ma rivière 11. Norway: Arne Bendiksen - Spiral 12. Denmark: Bjørn Tidmand - Sangen om dig 13. Monaco: Romuald - Où sont-elles passées 14. Portugal: António Calvário - Oração 15. Yugoslavia: Sabahudin Kurt - Život je sklopio krug 16. Switzerland: Anita Traversi - I miei pensieri Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck born fearlessarrow
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Post by ry4n on Mar 19, 2020 0:53:54 GMT -5
Welp with the cancellation news today, and with time to kill in isolation, I'm very much committed to this. <3 58 winners to go. France Gall coming up tonight. Also changed the title since I ended up reviewing the contests themselves as well.
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Post by kimberly on Mar 19, 2020 1:27:45 GMT -5
tag me pls!
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Post by ry4n on Mar 19, 2020 3:10:38 GMT -5
Naples 1965Host: Italy Participants: 18 Voting method: Juries gave points to three songs (5-3-1) France Gall - Poupée de cire, poupée de son Country: Luxembourg Points: 32 (37.6% of highest score possible) Language: French YouTube | Spotify | LyricsWhile pop music underwent a massive shift in the mid 60's, Eurovision was slower to catch up. The 1965 contest still features many snoozer ballads – looking at you Ireland, Denmark, Finland and Yugoslavia. The Beatles were supposed to kill off this type of music! That said, the top 2 – Luxembourg and the UK – sound contemporary. Also the Dutch and Norwegian entries have livelier, more intricate/remarkable instrumentation. So some countries are pushing Eurovision forward. And I generally give my top points to the ones that do. Elsewhere, Germany's performer sounds bored. Udo Jürgens represents Austria again with another tear-jerking ballad. Sweden goes straight-up opera (ABBA can't come soon enough). The UK places 2nd for the fifth time. Finland's performer looks like a young Abe Lincoln. And the '64 and '65 contests used a weird bar graph scoreboard instead of actual numbers. Ireland finally debuts (so now we get two English songs per contest!) and Sweden returns, bringing the participating countries to 18. Which will be around the average until the late 80's. The 1965 stage is tiny and basic, with a generic back drop. Once again, the performers stand still in front of a microphone. Love you Italy, but you dropped the ball there. The early Eurovision contests focused on quality of song composition, rather than spectacle or pop appeal like later years. That's probably why I agree with most of the winners so far. The Francophone countries especially delivered on quality. Indeed, Luxembourg won for a second time in 1965, bringing the Francophone win ratio to 6/10. I think I've figured out Luxembourg's success – they're able to teleport top songs and artists from other countries. Gall was already successful in her native France. Even moreso after the 1965 contest, while “Poupée de cire, poupée de son” became a top 10 hit all over Europe. A sign that Eurovision is about to enter its next era – though I'd say '67 is the turning point. “Poupée de cire, poupée de son” is my favourite pre-“Waterloo” winner. It is the most energetic Eurovision entry of the first 10 contests. It injects so much life into the contest. Frenetic, never stopping, thrusting forward. So much credit goes to the orchestra/instrumentation. The opening scampers, the string section holding things steady, the percussion stamping the syllables of the title phrase, the brief pause after the title phrase. It's so intricate and provides so much energy. But that's not to discredit France Gall – she spears that chorus right at you. Lyrically, “Poupée” is a cynical self reflection of being a pop singer. It's a pop song criticizing pop songs.. so it's self deprecating and meta. Gall feels like a “rag doll, wax doll”, as per the translated title. Her music describes experiences of love that aren't real. Gall was 17 at the time - never experienced love. Yet the public listens to the fake stories anyway. The song ends with Gall hoping she'll find real love someday. “Poupée” addresses an interesting point about artists lacking creative control, and the public not caring about authenticity.. but that's a whole other discussion. Verdict: G.O.A.T. tier. My points go to....01. Luxembourg: France Gall - Poupée de cire, poupée de son 02. Norway: Kirsti Sparboe - Karusell 03. Netherlands: Conny van den Bos - 'Het is genoeg 04. United Kingdom: Kathy Kirby - I Belong 05. Austria: Udo Jürgens - Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüßen 06. Ireland: Butch Moore - Walking the Streets in the Rain 07. France: Guy Mardel - N'avoue jamais 08. Italy: Bobby Solo - Se piangi, se ridi 09. Spain: Conchita Bautista - ¡Qué bueno, qué bueno! 10. Belgium: Lize Marke - Als het weer lente is 11. Switzerland: Yovanna - Non, à jamais sans toi 12. Portugal: Simone de Oliveira - Sol de inverno 13. Monaco: Marjorie Noël - Va dire à l'amour 14. Yugoslavia: Vice Vukov - Čežnja 15. Finland: Viktor Klimenko - Aurinko laskee länteen 16. Germany: Ulla Wiesner - Paradies, wo bist du? 17. Sweden: Ingvar Wixell - Absent Friend 18. Denmark: Birgit Brüel - For din skyld What a boring year. I literally don't care about anything below Italy. Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck born fearlessarrow kimberly
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Post by born on Mar 19, 2020 5:10:17 GMT -5
This is one of my favorites as well. Cool review :)
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Post by Leo ✔ on Mar 19, 2020 6:06:58 GMT -5
This is the one I loathe. Even more than Salvador.
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Post by ry4n on Mar 20, 2020 1:09:07 GMT -5
Luxembourg 1966Host: Luxembourg Participants: 18 Voting method: Juries gave points to three songs (5-3-1) Winner: Udo Jürgens - Merci, Chérie Country: Austria Points: 31 (36.5% of highest score possible) Language: German YouTube | Spotify | LyricsThe 1966 contest follows France Gall's lead; with most entries being noticeably more melodic, faster tempo, and less formal than previous years. Three songs in particular are stand-outs to me. First, the Norwegian entry is rather unique for Eurovision – it's a brooding, folksy number featuring an acoustic guitar. The Belgian entry is cute and Tonia has fun with it. And the Swedish entry is amusing. It involves a married couple lightheartedly playing lines off of each other. The song finished 2nd, becoming Sweden's first ESC smash. The Danish entry lets loose too. It's a boisterous 1950's number where a couple randomly dances on stage in the middle of the song. Luxembourg (whose instrumental sounds like “She's Not Unusual”), Yogoslavia, Switzerland and France have melodic entries as well. Conversely; Austria, Spain and Italy go for dramatic, gut-wrenching emotion. Austria's Udo Jürgens did the exact same thing for the third year in a row, and won. Spain went for super intense anguish. And Domenico Modugno represented Italy for the third time... and received 0 points. What a tumble from “Volare”. The 1966 card is frontloaded though, and ends on 3 letdowns. First the Netherlands. They seem to be the most willing to try new things in the 60's. But their 1966 entry is a doozy. Milly Scott is the first black performer in Eurovision, which is awesome. But the performance involves two guitarists dressed in stereotypical Mexican attire (sombreros and all). And the lyrics are nonsense. Then Ireland is a little similar to "Unchained Melody". And finally, the UK has an incredibly dated entry – with Kenneth McKellar dressed in full traditional Scottish attire. The 1966 contest featured the same 18 participants as 1965. They kept the weird 5-3-1 voting system. And a German language song finally won. You could argue that Austria and Germany had the biggest disadvantage in early Eurovision. They're not part of the Francophone bloc, nor the Nordic bloc. They lack the widespread recognition of English. And German doesn't sound “pleasant” like Spanish or Italian. Also, perhaps World War II was still fresh in people's memories. But persistence pays off for Udo Jürgens. For three consecutive years, he gave the exact same performance of crying his heart out in front of a piano. I appreciated his earnest emoting at first, but after the THIRD consecutive time I'm just over it. It's like the juries gave him the win so he'd finally stop. I cannot review “Merci, Chérie” in a vacuum. In 1964, Jürgens plead “why, why, why” a bunch of times. In 1965, he asked to keep his pain and desperation a secret. And in 1966, he thanks his ex for her love. There is a progression of maturation across these three performances. But structurally and melodically, each song is so similar, and weaker than the previous one. That said, I do like how Jürgens trembles while repeating certain words. It creates a hook. And it gives the impression that he's sobbing and struggling to get the words out while he says goodbye on a dark rainy night. That's the mental image I get anyway. Verdict: It's ok. Reductive. Jürgens pours everything into “Merci, Chérie”. But my reaction is just “whatever”. My points go to....01. Norway: Åse Kleveland - Intet er nytt under solen 02. Belgium: Tonia - Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel 03. Germany: Margot Eskens - Die Zeiger der Uhr 04. Denmark: Ulla Pia - Stop – mens legen er go' 05. Switzerland: Madeleine Pascal - Ne vois-tu pas? 06. Austria: Udo Jürgens - Merci, Chérie 07. Sweden: Lill Lindfors & Svante Thuresson - Nygammal vals 08. Spain: Raphael - Yo soy aquél 09. Yugoslavia: Berta Ambrož - Brez besed 10. Finland: Ann Christine - Playboy 11. Portugal: Madalena Iglésias - Ele e ela 12. Monaco: Téréza - Bien plus fort 13. Luxembourg: Michèle Torr - Ce soir je t'attendais 14. Netherlands: Milly Scott - Fernando en Filippo 15. Ireland: Dickie Rock - Come Back to Stay 16. France: Dominique Walter - Chez nous 17. Italy: Domenico Modugno - Dio, come ti amo 18. United Kingdom: Kenneth McKellar - A Man Without Love Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck born fearlessarrow kimberly
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Post by ry4n on Mar 21, 2020 4:54:18 GMT -5
Vienna 1967Host: Austria Participants: 17 Voting method: Ten-member juries distributed ten points among their favourite songs Winner: Sandie Shaw - Puppet On A String Country: United Kingdom Points: 47 (29.4% of highest score possible) Language: English YouTube | Spotify | LyricsGeneral Overview“Puppet on a String”'s win forever changed the direction of Eurovision stylistically. As the first non-serious winner, “Puppet” ended the “black-and-white” era, and it kicked off whatever the next era is – the stretch from here to “Waterloo”. I'll give it a name later. It's the era when Eurovision entered its peak period of relevance and chart impact. Indeed, “Puppet” was a huge hit across the continent. The early years produced plenty of classics too; but fewer countries participated, television wasn't as widely accessible, and most of those entries sound old as f**k. The voting method returned to the original one from 1957. Denmark withdrew for the next decade. The hosting Austria built a unique stage atheistic – it had revolving mirrors behind the performers. Presenter Erica Vaal introduced the audience in several languages. The jury voting was a mess though – the university students kept entering incorrect numbers. And Vaal almost announced the winner before calling the final country (Ireland). It's a funny moment though. This year's orchestra is superb. They used a variety of instruments and focused more on percussion. Even including a tambourine. So Eurovision finally sounds vaguely 60's. Chart music was changing quickly at the time with all the experimental songs ready to burst. But this contest always existed in its own bubble before 2000. The 1967 entries are a mix of lighthearted catchy numbers and the usual plethora of ballads. SO MANY BALLADS. The Entries Netherlands: Thérèse Steinmetz - Ring-dinge-ding The Netherlands employs a silly “ring ding ding a ding” hook, but Thérèse has fun with it. Luxembourg: Vicky Leandros - L'amour est bleu My favourite of 1967. Strong melody, beautiful voice, and intricate instrumentation (percussion and strings especially). Simply magical. It goes for the “wall of sound” feel. So it sounds pretty 60's to me. A cover even topped the Billboard Hot 100. Austria: Peter Horton - Warum es hunderttausend Sterne gibt Dull. France: Noëlle Cordier - Il doit faire beau là-bas Gentle, melancholic verses with a typical vocal chorus. Portugal: Eduardo Nascimento - O vento mudou Portugal submits a black performer to score political points. The baritone sounds fresh. Switzerland: Géraldine - Quel cœur vas-tu briser? An honest female ballad, but it feels flat. Sweden: Östen Warnerbring - Som en dröm A cinematic ballad. Finland: Fredi - Varjoon – suojaan Fredi has a unique raspy voice, while the chorus employs a commanding, marching beat. West Germany: Inge Brück - Anouschka Hopeful and sufficiently melodic. Belgium: Louis Neefs - Ik heb zorgen A catchy, memorable, bellowing chorus. There's also an unexpected fake finish. UK: Sandie Shaw - Puppet on a String WINNER (see below) Spain: Raphael - Hablemos del amor Raphael represents Spain for the second year in a row with a passionate, intense belter. Norway: Kirsti Sparboe - Dukkemann Breezy, uplifting and melodic. Monaco: Minouche Barelli - Boum-Badaboum The performance contains a bunch of “boom boom”'s and backwards counting. Minouche sounds off-key though. Yugoslavia: Lado Leskovar - Vse rože sveta A standard male ballad, aside from the monologue and trumpet solo. Italy: Claudio Villa - Non andare più lontano Italy goes opera, overdramatic vocals and all – I don't care about opera. Ireland: Sean Dunphy - If I Could Choose Ireland submits another bland thing, which somehow finishes in 2nd place. The WinnerSo the UK finally earned their first win after 5 second-place finishes. Britain had now cemented its place at the forefront of Eurovision; where it would remain until the 21st century. “Puppet” is a fitting example of the UK's cynical contempt towards the contest. The country has a vibrant music scene known for pushing boundaries, especially in the mid 60's. Eurovision is the opposite of that, so the UK looks down on it. Often they submit utter trash thinking that's what Europe wants. Indeed, Sandie hated “Puppet” when she first heard it. Still, Sandie's success inspired the UK to send established artists for the next decade. (Sandie having earned two UK #1's before “Puppet”). “Puppet on a String” is a conflicting song to rate. Like it's either TRASH or SMASH. The lyrics are problematic. Sandie is proud to be a doormat for this guy. And the circus-y farting horn instrumentation is too cutesy. That said, “Puppet” is one catchy bop isn't it? The way Sandie jumps out – IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII wonder if one day THAT you'll say THAT you care. She drills that hook into your head. The marching circus beat sticks with you. The pre-chorus elevation is melodically strong. And “Puppet” is the most bright and colourful Eurovision entry thus far. Verdict: Weighing the good and the bad, I'll settle on “I like it” My points go to....01. Luxembourg: Vicky Leandros - L'amour est bleu 02. Germany: Inge Brück - Anouschka 03. France: Noëlle Cordier - Il doit faire beau là-bas 04. Norway: Kirsti Sparboe - Dukkemann 05. United Kingdom: Sandie Shaw - Puppet on a String 06. Belgium: Louis Neefs - Ik heb zorgen 07. Portugal: Eduardo Nascimento - O vento mudou 08. Finland: Fredi - Varjoon – suojaan 09. Netherlands: Thérèse Steinmetz - Ring-dinge-ding 10. Switzerland: Géraldine - Quel cœur vas-tu briser? 11. Spain: Raphael - Hablemos del amor 12. Ireland: Sean Dunphy - If I Could Choose 13. Sweden: Östen Warnerbring - Som en dröm 14. Yugoslavia: Lado Leskovar - Vse rože sveta 15. Monaco: Minouche Barelli - Boum-Badaboum 16. Italy: Claudio Villa - Non andare più lontano 17. Austria: Peter Horton - Warum es hunderttausend Sterne gibt Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck born fearlessarrow kimberly
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Post by Leo ✔ on Mar 21, 2020 12:17:02 GMT -5
Here comes the two spanishs songs, I'm nervous!!
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Post by ry4n on Mar 22, 2020 2:57:46 GMT -5
London 1968Host: United Kingdom Participants: 17 Voting method: Ten-member juries distributed ten points among their favourite songs Winner: Massiel - La, la, la Country: Spain Points: 29 (18.1% of highest score possible) Language: Spanish YouTube | Spotify | LyricsGeneral OverviewEurovision is now in colour! Although many viewers didn't own colour televisions at the time. I don't like black & white aesthetic much – colour is more pleasing visually. London, and presenter Katie Boyle, hosted for the third time in 9 years. And the same 17 participants from 1967 competed in 1968. The vote reveal is an exciting one. France lead for the first half. Then the UK lead. Then Spain overtook at the last minute. Ultimately, one point stopped the UK from winning twice in a row. The 1968 contest shoved all the forgettable songs into the first third, and finished with 3 of my favourites of the night. Many countries deliver enjoyable uptempos. The Entries Portugal: Carlos Mendes - Verão Breezy but the performance feels off? Netherlands: Ronnie Tober - Morgen The Dutch entry employs a marching drum beat throughout. Forgettable song though. Belgium: Claude Lombard - Quand tu reviendras Beautiful, angelic and the restrained orchestra complements it. This is breathtakingly sad. Austria: Karel Gott - Tausend Fenster A standard dramatic male ballad. Luxembourg: Chris Baldo & Sophie Garel - Nous vivrons d'amour A male/female couple romantically harmonizing. But they're out of sync and the pacing is sluggish. Switzerland: Gianni Mascolo - Guardando il sole Tedious, overdramatic male ballad. If you've heard one, you've heard them all. Monaco: Line & Willy - À chacun sa chanson Another male/female couple romantically harmonizing. However, this entry has a sweet, breezy, fairytale boat ride feel to it. Sweden: Claes-Göran Hederström - Det börjar verka kärlek, banne mej Sweden goes for a swinging 1950's style orchestral dance. The lyrics describe the unexpected mundane aspects of a romance. Finland: Kristina Hautala - Kun kello käy An average female ballad. France: Isabelle Aubret - La source Isabelle Aubret (the winner of 1962) returns. Her soft vocals, and the breezy instrumental, paint the image of a beautiful, innocent girl laying in a sunny grassy field. But darkness lurks beneath the facade when three men kidnap and abuse the girl. Isabelle compares the incident to wolves preying on a lamb. It's such a bold choice for Eurovision, though only Francophone viewers would understand the lyrics. Italy: Sergio Endrigo - Marianne Gentle and melancholic. Sergio's warm voice and the string section sell this. UK: Cliff Richard - Congratulations The UK selected one of its biggest acts ever in Cliff Richard. Arguably, TOO big for Eurovision. (He was pretty successful on the European mainland as well). It'd be like sending Ed Sheeran in 2021. “Congratulations” is a jaunty number. It's annoyingly catchy and borderline TRASH. But Cliff gets quite into it. I don't hate it. Norway: Odd Børre - Stress Odd Børre employs the gimmick of rapidly repeating a bunch of monosyllables. It's a silly song. Ireland: Pat McGuigan - Chance of a Lifetime Ireland repeats their proven formula of blandness. Spain: Massiel - La, la, la WINNER (see below) West Germany: Wenche Myhre - Ein Hoch der Liebe A cute bop. Wenche has fun with the performance. Yugoslavia: Dubrovački trubaduri - Jedan dan Yugoslavia finishes the night by dressing in Medieval costumes while playing the flute and lute. A preview of future quirky Eurovision entries. It's a jubilant entry. The Winner“La La La” is Spain's first win. And it's a controversial one – Joan Manuel Serrat was originally chosen to represent Spain, but she wanted to sing in Catalan. And there's allegations that Franco bribed jury votes. The main criticism of “La La La” is the lack of substance – half the lyrics are literally “la la la la la la la la la la”. That's a noticeable shift from the early winners. Still, the “la”'s are catchy, and the brass explosion elevates it. In between the “la”'s are two downbeat verses describing what inspires Massiel to sing. I like when her voice soars during this section. Verdict: I like it. My points go to....01. Belgium: Claude Lombard - Quand tu reviendras 02. Germany: Wenche Myhre - Ein Hoch der Liebe 03. France: Isabelle Aubret - La source 04. Yugoslavia: Dubrovački trubaduri - Jedan dan 05. Spain: Massiel - La, la, la 06. Italy: Sergio Endrigo - Marianne 07. United Kingdom: Cliff Richard - Congratulations 08. Sweden: Claes-Göran Hederström - Det börjar verka kärlek, banne mej 09. Finland: Kristina Hautala - Kun kello käy 10. Monaco: Line & Willy - À chacun sa chanson 11. Ireland: Pat McGuigan - Chance of a Lifetime 12. Norway: Odd Børre - Stress 13. Netherlands: Ronnie Tober - Morgen 14. Portugal: Carlos Mendes - Verão 15. Austria: Karel Gott - Tausend Fenster 16. Switzerland: Gianni Mascolo - Guardando il sole 17. Luxembourg: Chris Baldo & Sophie Garel - Nous vivrons d'amour Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck born fearlessarrow kimberly
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Post by ry4n on Mar 22, 2020 3:09:38 GMT -5
So 1969 has four winners (yes there a 4-way tie). I will split that retrospective into five posts - one for my thoughts on the contest itself, and 4 to highlight each winner individually
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