581/917 Mariana Efstratiou: To diko sou asteri (Greece 1989)

When one thinks of Greece in Eurovision, one often thinks of their current trend of combining the modern pop rhythms with local dance styles and instruments. It wasn't always like that. In the 1980's the greek songs tried often to be more of a general european pop songs and the local flavours were very much hidden in the arrangements, or not even there. The greek entry from 1989 is a better example of this kind of song.

Mariana Efstratiou had represented Greece already in 1987 as a backing singer for a group called Bang, who sang a very ungreek Stop!, a song sounding disturbingly like Wham's (wonder where group Bang got their name from) Wake me up before you go go. Another good example of a greek song trying not to sound a bit like greek.

Efstratiou wrote 1989 entry Το δικό σου αστέρι together with Yannis Kyris. The song was an airy and pleasant ballad in the contest, that was dominated by rock and pop pastiches (Rock me by Riva, Vi maler byen rød by Birthe Kjær) and power pop ballads (En dag by Tommy Nilsson and Nur ein Lied by Thomas Forstner). The song was arranged perfectly to match the Lausanne orchestra making the live version of the song much more effective than the lame studio version.

Mariana Efstratiou was like her song. A little shy, not trying to make an act and simply doing a perfect fresh performance making the greek entry unpretentious and enjoyable three minutes of the contest otherwise full of neon lights and drum machines. It was awarded by 56 points and well reserved 9th position among 22 entries.

Seven years later Mariana Efstratiou was back as a totally different artist with a totally different song. But that will be another entry in this blog sometime in the future. But I promise you, it will not receive as high point as I award her 1989 entry.

My points 5/5.

200/917 Lenny Kuhr: De troubadour (Netherlands 1969)

After 40 songs presented in this blog it is now the first time for me to come across a winning song in the Eurovision Song Contest. The victory of the 200th eurosong is overshadowed by the fact that it was one of the four songs to win in 1969. Still in my book it is one of the best winners and best Dutch songs in the Eurovision history ever.

Lenny Kuhr was only 19 years of age and in the beginning of her career when she represented the Netherlands in the contest held in Madrid. With her strong and appealing voice she managed to capture the moment and be one of the four winners that year.

De troubadour is not a typical pop tune of the late 1960's. It is more of a folk song with story of the past. The song tells a very simple story of man who sang his songs to all the people, to the knights, to commoners, to drunks and to priests, to people who missed him when his songs and his life ended. Not more complicated than that, but not more was needed as most of the viewers didn't understand the lyrics anyway.

To me, who have always loved the sound of the dutch language, De troubadour is a beautiful combination of lovely melody, strong arrangement (the live version has much more effective orchestra than the recorded version) and the dutch lyrics sung eloquently by the young singer. This song would have been worth more than just a shared first place.

My points 5/5.

p.s. I've tried to find the real songwriting credits to this song, but the information I've found has been contradicting. According to some sources De troubadour was composed by Kuhr herself and lyrics were written by David Hartsema, but in many places the credits are reversed. Can anyone confirm what were the real credits to this wonderful song?

33/917 Liane Augustin: Die ganze Welt braucht Liebe (Austria 1958)

In the early 1950's the singers representing their country were often experienced and classically trained professionals. They sang a song written for the occasion and rarely recorded the song or sung the song since. The eurosong 33 is apparently one of these.

The 1958 contest was only the third Eurovision Song Contest ever arranged. I find it therefore quite remarkable that the video recording of the contest from 55 years ago is such a good quality picturewise and specially soundwise.

With such a good and dynamic sound quality it is a joy to watch and listen to the contest, which gave us some of the first world wide Eurovision hits (Nel blu di pinto di blu from Italy and Dors mon amour from France).

The Austrian entry is not one of those. Liane Augustin, was a popular actress and singer from the last years of the 2nd world war until her untimely death in 1978 (at only 51 years of age). In Eurovision she sang beautifully the otherwise unremarkable ballad and received the unremarkable fifth position (among only 10 participants). Even with a good singer, the Austrian entry was overshadowed by other entries of this, rather good quality Eurovision Song Contest of 1958.

My points 2/5.

284/917 Jacques Hustin: Fleur de liberté (Belgium 1974)

All the songs from the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest have been overshadowed by a Swedish group that won the contest that year and became one of the biggest music and show business phonomena in the world. However, the contest included many other notable entries, among the Eurosong 284 which the random number generator draw for me this time.

Jacques Hustin had been a household name in Belgium since the mid 1960's and was confident enough to present this pleasent song on the Eurovision stage in 1974. With his charming trembling voice and well planned stage act (including the very 1970's outfit) he managed to please many in the audience. The song was well arranged with prominent use of strings and the flute.

The 1974 was not, unfortunately, the year for single male performers. The top places in the result list were filled with groups (Abba, Mouth & McNeal) and established female artists (Gigliola Cinquetti, Olivia Newton-John and Ireen Sheer), and Belgium had to settle for ninth place.

Jacques Hustin continued his career until the late 1980's, when he concentrated on his other career as a painter.

Fleur de liberté is an eurosong that one does not hear often. But whenever I hear it it makes me smile and long for the 1970's Eurovision Song Contests.

My points 4/5.

730/917 Miriam Christine Borg: In a woman's heart (Malta 1996)

Malta and me, we've had a very troubled relationship ever since they returned to Eurovision in the early 1990's. They tend to make professional but also sterile pop tracks with no human factor anywhere in sight. With the exception of the three entries sung by wonderful Chiara (1998, 2005 and 2009) and their fun entries from 1972 and 2000 I cannot really find anything I like in their entries. The Eurosong 730 is a good example of a Maltese entry that tries hard, but goes nowhere.

17 years old Miriam Christian Borg was one of the favourites in 1996 when the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Oslo Norway. Her entry was composed by Paul Abela, who had already written two eurovision entry for Malta (in 1991 and 1992). The song was a modern, well arranged pop track which, however, continued Malta's line of entries that played it safe and did nothing to break any barriers. Like it's predecessors, the song floated inside one ear and out of the other leaving no traces in my mind. The song would have needed something special to wake the sleepy listener up.

Despite of her young age and insecure singing perky Miriam Christine made a good impression on stage and Malta finally reached the 10th position (among 23 participants). This result can be considered a disappointment, since the recorded version of the song had come as high as to the fourth position in the semifinal. Since the 1996 contest I had almost forgotten about this song.

Miriam Christine Borg has continued to sing and she has apparently had a considerable career in Malta. To see and hear what she sounds like now, listen to her song Mystery Mama from 2011. I prefer her 21st century style and voice to her 1996 Eurovision entry.

My points 2/5.