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 Lex's 1990s Eurovision Countdown |
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 19th October 2016, 06:58 PM
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#41
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 Attack Dog/Sass Queen
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46. Switzerland 1993: Annie Cotton - Moi, tout simplement (3rd, 148 points) *PEAK SWITZERLAND*
We've talked about the 'finding a genre that works for you' method before and this is another example of that, all be it less well mined than Ireland managed. It's perhaps no great surprise that the country that fielded this had their biggest success ever with Celine Dion five years earlier. Some people enjoy Eurovision songs that push the envelope, take risks and challenge the listeners with intricately experimental compositions. This is not one of those. At all. But by god is it executed well. Overall a rare moment of brilliance from usually Sh |
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20th October 2016, 05:29 PM
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#42
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 I'm a paragon so don't perceive me
Joined: 3 February 2011
Posts: 37,419 User: 12,929                |
That Austrian track is really interesting for the language, and god those key changes and backing vocals (good call on the Hercules similarity), something very unique that I must have barely known but somehow hadn't really paid much attention to. Maybe if Liechtenstein ever get in they can send some tracks in that language.
Never been a huge fan of Precious so I'd definitely have preferred us to send So Strange, that's a really fun track. |
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20th October 2016, 05:33 PM
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#43
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I was born 7 million years ago in Sweden, Africa
Joined: 4 October 2010
Posts: 13,253 User: 11,955
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As well as gifting us with future Atomic Kitten members, the blonde Precious went on to present CBBC.
'Say It Again' is one of my favourite UK entries ever, a shame the live vox on the night went to shit. |
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21st October 2016, 09:50 PM
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#44
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 BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 23 December 2010
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I've always loved Say It Again, but the vocals (mainly the backing vocals) were not up to scratch. I never realised until now how much it was Louise (Google tells me) and 4 backing singers, The Pussycat Dolls obviously took inspiration here. In fact watching it, I didn't even realise the two girls that started at the back of the stage were part of the group until I went on Wiki (I knew Jenny and Sophie were due to their later careers but I couldn't remember if they were a trio or a quintet!).
I like the vibe of the Austrian entry but it irritated me after two minutes, I can't imagine having to listen to it throughout a Eurovision season. The Greek song gives me Festivali i Kėngės vibes, Festivali i Kėngės 2015 that is rather than Festivali i Kėngės 1991 - although that says more about Albania than Greece I guess!  Ireland and Switzerland are both nice for what they are but very run of the mill. |
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25th October 2016, 06:48 PM
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#45
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Attack Dog/Sass Queen
Joined: 29 January 2008
Posts: 16,022 User: 5,342
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45. United Kingdom 1993: Sonia - Better The Devil You Know (2nd, 164 points)
A lot of this review should probably read similarly to the Precious review so this'll be relatively short and snappy because I don't want to repeat myself too much. If 'Say It Again' was the end of a run of contemporary British pop Eurovision entries then this was the start (yeah I know we actually came 2nd in 92 but that was shit so this is the start for me). It's full out cheesy pop performed to the max, especially those gurns to camera at 1:04 and 2:30. Only thing I'm not here for in the live performance is that electric guitar solo, partly because of that failure of a backing singer choreo moment and partly because in the studio version it's the god's gift to music that is a sax solo #EndSaxErasureNow |
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25th October 2016, 08:11 PM
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#46
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Attack Dog/Sass Queen
Joined: 29 January 2008
Posts: 16,022 User: 5,342
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44. Cyprus 1995: Alexandros Panayi - Sti Fotia (9th, 79 points)
Here's a name that eurostans may know very well. Our friend Alex here has worked as backing vocals/vocal coach/staging director for a long run of Eurovision favourites that you'll know of from the 2000s onwards including 'My Number One', 'Everything', 'This Is Our Night', 'Hold Me', 'Shine' (the Russia 2014 version) and, crowning jewel in this collection, 'I do' by Fabrizio Faniello. Also he wrote the Cypriot J****r song in 2014 or something. You can tell he's destined to be a future staging master with that shot right at the start where R ALEX can clearly be seen making his own waves in the sheet that they use as a prop at the start before he goes on (and is them promptly thrown away rendering the whole thing a bit pointless but shush). Truly a man of many talents. Also, look at that hair! Joseph's faves could nevah. This is a masterclass in how to build up a 3 minute song to a soaring crescendo with all the drama almost worthy of some kind of grand opera. Whilst I initially found that double rhythm thing they do in the chorus infuriating/hard to grasp on to, in the grand scheme of things I think it works by making sure they're not just repeating the same chorus twice, adding that suspense of not knowing what's coming next. |
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26th November 2016, 10:44 AM
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#47
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Attack Dog/Sass Queen
Joined: 29 January 2008
Posts: 16,022 User: 5,342
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Hello, it's been a while. I know I shouldn't have kept you waiting....but I'm here now.
43. Malta 1992: Mary Spiteri - Little Child (3rd, 123 points)*PEAK MALTA* Okay, so, 1992 is probably the worst hour and a bit of my life I'll never get back. This isn't helped by the fact that the top 2 that year was...questionable. However, if they were really wanting to have a traditional style english language female pop-ballad win then I don't know why they didn't swing behind this in a big enough way (although Ireland had the "written by Jonny Logan" tag attached to it so maybe that explains everything) This, as with all of Malta's euroniche, nails the "awww" factor almost despite itself with the song basically being about a parent missing their child whilst being on the road (although many of these lines only stay 'cheesy' rather than 'creepy' because it's not a man singing it...I draw your attention to the first line!) and if you don't find that at least somewhat charming then you truly do have a heart of ice. And that change to her operatic range in her voice as the key change lands, YES GAWD! The jem in this pack has to be the dress though. The "my first powerpoint where I've learned how to do a pink fading into navy blue" colour with bejeweled crystallized sleeves combo is truly a thing of beauty! |
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26th November 2016, 04:48 PM
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#48
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Attack Dog/Sass Queen
Joined: 29 January 2008
Posts: 16,022 User: 5,342
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42. Germany 1996: Leon - Planet of Blue (DNQ)
Yeah we're back to the state of limbo "erased from existence" 96 non qualifiers. This one is perhaps the most of note as this failing to qualify resulted in the only Eurovision song contest in history with no German representative. The year after, the concept of the "big 4/5" was brought in. Feel free to draw your own conclusions on the connectivity of those statements! I think I love this for the same reason I love 'Iki Dakika' in that it is a genuinely good mid nineties europop song but it is only improved by the silly/campy aesthetic it's performing. Leon himself being this wierd mix of MIKA and Dominic Cooper doing the "gay or European?" schtick long before your 2010s faves were (Tooji who?) only exacerbated by the German accent giving those lyrics a certain amount of lispiness, those backing dancers wearing outfits consisting of majority silver lamé, that fierce/ridiculous choreo, I LIVE! The juries both denying Gina G her victory AND this from even making the stage in 1996 is a hate crime on par with the Orlando shootings tbpfh with you. |
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26th November 2016, 05:01 PM
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#49
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I was born 7 million years ago in Sweden, Africa
Joined: 4 October 2010
Posts: 13,253 User: 11,955
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What a TRIUMPHANT return to form for your thread Lex after that Maltese dud.
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27th November 2016, 03:44 PM
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#50
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Attack Dog/Sass Queen
Joined: 29 January 2008
Posts: 16,022 User: 5,342
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41. Austria 1990: Simone - Keine Mauern mehr (10th, 58 points) *PEAK AUSTRIA*
Time for another dash of "song from 1990 with an obvious political subtext" y'all. Of all of the overtly political songs from that year (such as a German Ralph Siegel ballad, a Norwegian ode to Brandenburg Gate and the UK's saccharine JESC-worthy ode to peace), all of which are striving for a certain "anthemic" quality, Austria pulls it off the best. Yeah, I know, pre-Conchita it's wierd to think of Austria pulling anything off in a way that isn't terrible but this is one of those rare instances! The driving beat (hell, just the instrumentation in general) and the big soar in the chorus emphasises the idea of "coming together" in the wake of the Berlin Wall coming down, especially in the final money note. And, in a way, isn't that just what Eurovision's all about man? *takes another drag on the spliff* Why they decided to give the win to a dull and dreary Italian song about European Unity over an anthemic Austrian song about European Unity I do not know but if they really wanted a statement kind of winner then it's a damn scandal that they passed this one over! This post has been edited by LexC: 9th February 2017, 09:35 PM |
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27th November 2016, 03:52 PM
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#51
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Attack Dog/Sass Queen
Joined: 29 January 2008
Posts: 16,022 User: 5,342
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So, to review, here's 41-60 in list form:
41. Austria 1990: Simone - Keine Mauern mehr (10th, 58 points) *PEAK AUSTRIA* 42. Germany 1996: Leon - Planet of Blue (DNQ) 43. Malta 1992: Mary Spiteri - Little Child (3rd, 123 points)*PEAK MALTA* 44. Cyprus 1995: Alexandros Panayi - Sti Fotia (9th, 79 points) 45. United Kingdom 1993: Sonia - Better The Devil You Know (2nd, 164 points) 46. Switzerland 1993: Annie Cotton - Moi, tout simplement (3rd, 148 points) *PEAK SWITZERLAND* 47. United Kingdom 1999: Precious - Say It Again (12th, 38 points) 48. Austria 1996: George Nussbaumer - Weil's da guat got (10th, 68 points) 49. Greece 1991: Sophia Vossou - I anixi (13th, 36 points) 50. Ireland 1990: Liam Reilly - Somewhere In Europe (2nd, 132 points) 51. Hungary 1996: Gjon Delhusa - Fortuna (DNQ) 52. Cyprus 1998: Michael Hajiyanni - Genesis (11th, 37 points) 53. Turkey 1991: İzel Ēeliköz, Reyhan Karaca & Can Uğurluer - Iki Dakika (12th, 44 points) 54. Bosnia & Herzegovina 1994: Alma & Dejan - Ostani kraj mene (15th, 39 points) *PEAK BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA* 55. Croatia 1996: Maja Blagdan - Sveta Ljubav (4th, 98 points) 56. Slovakia 1998: Katarķna Hasprovį - Modlitba (21st, 8 points) * PEAK SLOVAKIA * 57. Germany 1998: Guildo Horn - Guildo hat euch lieb! (7th, 86 points) 58. Iceland 1992: Heart 2 Heart - Nei eša jį (7th, 80 points) 59. Malta 1996: Miriam Christine - In A Woman's Heart (10th, 68 points) 60. France 1999: Nayah - Je veux donner ma voix (19th, 14 points) A great bunch of tracks I'm sure we can agree but there's SO MUCH GOOD STUFF TO COME! *.* |
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9th January 2017, 05:17 PM
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#52
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Attack Dog/Sass Queen
Joined: 29 January 2008
Posts: 16,022 User: 5,342
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The countdown is back back back again with a vengeance in 2017 y'all and we're kicking off with one that I know a lot of you like.
40. Cyprus 1997: Hara & Andreas Konstantinou - Mana mou (5th, 98 points) *PEAK CYPRUS* If you've ever seen one of those 'lol eurovision' clip shows then you've almost definitely heard the final chorus of this song with the 'dabadam' moment. Because foreigners = funny we've reduced this song down to that but in actuality it's a rather gorgeous proto-ethno pop number about loving one's country (with a mandolin solo so gorgeous it just makes you wanna dip some pita in something). Also: random linguistic tidbit I learned from my friend and actual Cypriot person, 'Mana mou' translates as 'Motherland' but the 'mou' suffix is also a way of calling somebody close to you 'dear' or 'darling'. The more you know! |
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9th January 2017, 05:35 PM
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#53
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Attack Dog/Sass Queen
Joined: 29 January 2008
Posts: 16,022 User: 5,342
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39. Greece 1993: Kati Garbi - Ellada, hora tou fotos (9th, 64 points)
Sticking with Greek language 'I love my country' ethnopop, we move to this funky little number from 1993. By far and away the best element of this number is Kati's performance skills, particularly in the final shot of the song from 2:20 where the camera just does a slow zoom to let her stare down the camera lens and shimmy'n'smoulder (and okay this is more indicative of the technical capacity of rural County Cork in the early 90s than any kind of grand genius technical prowess but the point still stands). Yaaaaasss Queen! |
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9th January 2017, 05:45 PM
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#54
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I was born 7 million years ago in Sweden, Africa
Joined: 4 October 2010
Posts: 13,253 User: 11,955
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Mana mou *.* Best Cypriot entry ever, step aside Adamou.
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9th January 2017, 11:15 PM
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#55
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 23 December 2010
Posts: 24,411 User: 12,608
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Maybe we'll have to call her Ivi Adadarling now then!
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10th January 2017, 06:23 PM
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#56
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Attack Dog/Sass Queen
Joined: 29 January 2008
Posts: 16,022 User: 5,342
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38. Belgium 1996: Lisa del Bo - Liefde is een kaartspel (16th, 22 points)
Now I know 96 is a good year and all but even in that context this one is CRIMINALLY underrated. SIXTEENTH!?!? GTFO. It's as close to a "schlager" song as the Benelux countries have in their Eurovision tradition (and unlike that mess that I know you're going to point out from 2010, it's actually good!) and in the tradition of the schlager greats it's just so damn feelgood. My personal highlight is that ridiculous in-vision revolving door camera effect that even for the mid 90s looks both naff and amazing at the same time. The fact that the song translates as "Love is like a Card Game" just adds to the appeal for me. CARD GAMES IN EUROVISION! And if you're hearing visual reminders of a certain early 00s Swedish entry, then you may be interested to learn that Thomas G:Son and co agreed to pay a cash settlement when the writers of this song claimed he'd plagiarized it when writing 'Listen to Your Heartbeat'. SKANDAL! |
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9th February 2017, 09:40 PM
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#57
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I was born 7 million years ago in Sweden, Africa
Joined: 4 October 2010
Posts: 13,253 User: 11,955
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Celine did the tutu-suit look better.
MORE PLS LEX |
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9th February 2017, 09:47 PM
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#58
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thanks for being a sarcy lil bitch
Joined: 25 September 2007
Posts: 79,277 User: 4,397      |
QUOTE(AdamAloud @ Jan 9 2017, 08:45 PM)  Mana mou *.* Best Cypriot entry ever, step aside Adamou. Genesis tho~ But it's hard to choose between them tbh |
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9th February 2017, 09:53 PM
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#59
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Attack Dog/Sass Queen
Joined: 29 January 2008
Posts: 16,022 User: 5,342
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37. Norway 1995: Secret Garden - Nocturne (WINNER, 148 points)
Oh we're onto an interesting one now! By ESC 1995, Ireland had just won for the third time in a row so the cynical interpretation of this winning is that it was "Norway tries to impersonate Ireland" but that glosses over quite a bit, not least the fact that the 'celtic' sound is by no means unique to that part of the world. If anything, this is a creative response to the knowledge that the only way to get the win a hit at this point is for the song to be in a language that the people voting can get (de facto English) so the interesting way around it is essentially "have no lyrics at all" (cept the bare minimum, I don't know if the "must contain at least twelve lines of text rule existed before this or was brought in because of this winning) because ultimately, music is a universal language amirite ladies! For those reasons, plus the added musical intensity you just get from having the live orchestra playing the music, this is an entry that could only exist in the 1990s. But for all it represents the detour into "adult contemporary" detour Eurovision could have gone down were it not for televoting, I think this is more than deserving of its place in the Eurovision hall of fame. Because it is, after all, stunningly beautiful |
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9th February 2017, 09:55 PM
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#60
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I was born 7 million years ago in Sweden, Africa
Joined: 4 October 2010
Posts: 13,253 User: 11,955
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'Nocturne'
 Definitely my favourite Norwegian winner (closely followed by La det swinge)
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