Ewan’s year-long project to listen and review ‘Every Eurovision Song’ before the 60th Contest in Vienna continues, and it has passed one of the mental goals… the ‘songs remaining counter’ has ticked under one thousand songs and we’re into three digits.
The project continues over on EveryEurovisionSong.com, but as always ESC Insight has the highlights from the last batch of songs if you can’t quite manage to listen along with Ewan as he works through a back catalogue of uncanny key-changes, sequinned spectaculars, and musical travesties.
Every Eurovision Song, week 12 & 13 gallery
Monaco 1967: Boum-badaboum, by Minouche Barelli
No, it’s not a parody, this is definitely the 1967 entry.
Conforming to every stereotype trotted out by British ‘Alternative’ Comedians, Monaco’s entry captures the simplistic yet brash style of the mid sixties bubblegum pop.
We’ve got a bold brass band, lyrics that easily make the jump between languages, and a singer that is happy belting out the lyrics, picking out the camera to give a visual flavour to the song, and some incredibly expressive eyes.
There’s a lot to like here (and it’s worth noting that the writer is Serge Gainsbourg, of ‘Poupée de cire, poupée de son‘ from 1965, and various other pop standards from the sixties), but at the same time ‘Boum Badaboum‘ is like an excited puppy who has discovered a new town. There is a touch too much repetition in the lyrics, with the chorus and verse picking up thte titular phrase. The chorus needs a bit more fleshing out as well, life is not all boom boom boom, you need some meat on the bones as well.
Still, this is a song that show how Eurovision is changing with the times. Slow chanson ballads are clearly part of the past (unless you are France) and more energetic pop numbers are the way forward. Badaboum indeed.
(via Every Eurovision Song on Tumblr)
Malta 1972: L-imhabba, by Helen and Joseph
This does not sound like a song that deserves last place at the Song Contest.
The incredibly basic dance moves from Joseph do not come over well, and Helena looks terrified to be singing, and to remember that she’s singing with Joseph when she catches his eye. But they are clearly working well with each other on stage, the song has a good hook (which is smart, as this is sung in Maltese), and it builds nicely if not speedily to a good ending.
It should work. There’s no on-stage disaster, there are no awkward notes, it just… doesn’t get the points to get off the foot of the table.
I can see why Malta sat out the next few years until a new scoring system was put in place.
(via Every Eurovision Song on Tumblr).
Cyprus 1981: Monika, by Island
This is Cyprus’ debut at the Song Contest. In the years to follow, they will gain the ability sing songs with different notes, but for now they are making do admirably with as little tonal variation as possible.
It’s driving me wild. This is all ear-worm and no style whatsover. Its a repetitive syllable, in a repetitive word, in an over-worked chorus. Take that irritating structure, and then hand it to a group of singers who have a very limited vocal range, and you have a threadbare song at best.
That the Cyrpiot team managed to carve a Top Ten result out of a very thinly cut cloth should be regarded as a triumph.
And Cyrpus’s debut twelve points went, obviously, to Ireland.
(via Every Eurovision Song on Tumblr).
Italy 1992: Rapsodia, by Mia Martini
It’s the big Italian ballad. And it’s big. I mean, you might think ‘Molitva‘ was big, but that’s nothing compared to Mia Martini. She is going to go out on that stage, belt out ‘Rhapsody‘ and do her best to put that 13th place from 1977 behind her.
Which she does with a bundle of passion, style, and lung-power.
I get the feeling this song was catnip for the juries. Lots of technical moments in the composition, a singer showing off her style and range, with lots of moody lighting and swish camera moves (for the nineties). It just misses out on the podium, and with hindsight I think that’s fair, because this isn’t the most accessible song for the viewers at home.
Throw a 50/50 vote into the mix with the public voting, and I don’t think Martini would have scored so highly. But the rules those days was 100% jury, Italy played to the rulebook, and came away with a great result, if not the most memorable of songs.
(via Every Eurovision Song on Tumblr).
Norway 200: My Heart Goes Boom, by Charmed
From the first ‘wooooo’ you should realise you are in safe hands here. Yes, it’s a three-piece girl band, yes the fashion is a bit ‘rebellious teenager who has just discovered Toyah’, and yes it’s not the deepest source material… Yet this is a happy song. I can’t help smiling when it plays, it’s easy to sway along to, it’s a dance floor filler, its the perfect example of stadium filling Eurovision that the twenty-first century is going to see rather a lot of.
There are two things I want you to take note from Charmed’s performance. The first is that even with all the action, the energetic chorus, and driving verse… all the lyrics are clear and understandable. Maybe the ladies have sacrificed a little bit of tonal quality for a solid implementation, but I think that’s a smart call to make.
Secondly, the staging goes a little bit jazz in the middle so Valestrand, Nygård, and Haugsand, all get their own little solo moment in front of the camera. Nicely done.
Yet this never even managed to get into the Top Ten while ‘Wadde Hadde Dudde Da‘ managed fifth…
(via Every Eurovision Song on Tumblr).
Who’s Next On The Stage?
You can follow the project every day at EveryEurovisionSong.com, or check back here on ESC Insight for the weekly highlights. As mentioned, the project has now reviewed 356 songs… 1000 to go!