#performer: Corinne Hermès

[whenitsdarkweilluminate]

Munich 1983

Host: Germany Participants: 20 Voting method: 12-point system (juries only)

Winner: Corinne Hermès - Si la vie est cadeau Country: Luxembourg Points: 142 (62.3% of highest score possible) Language: French

General Overview:

This year's presenter is Marlene Charell, who is a major part of the show. She gives excessively long song introductions, she communicates everything in 3 languages (German, English and French) and she performs as the lead dancer in the ballet interval. She also opens the program by announcing the 20 countries, as the respective artists walk onto the stage. Which is a prototype for the flag parade seen today; albeit 3 decades too early.

There are no postcards this year. Instead, we stare at the country name for a while as we hear '80s music. Then Marlene introduces every songwriter, conductor and artist, while standing beside a different floral arrangement that resembles the respective flag colours. Later, during the voting, she repeats every vote in 3 languages, fumbling over the translations several times. This vote reveal is glacially slow (I usually switch to 1.5 speed to get through it). Indeed the 1983 contest is as dragged out as Jerusalem 1979. It finishes around the 3-hour mark; whereas the past few contests were closer to 2.5 hours. The top 4 was very close though, like '81.

1983 also employs one of my least favourite stage designs. The platform is a narrow strip, featuring a set of flashing lights built around some scaffolding. It just looks like an industrial warehouse and I dislike the lighting.

Italy and Greece return; as does France under a different broadcaster. Meanwhile Ireland withdraws due to a workers' strike. The only other contest Ireland has missed since debuting was their 2002 relegation.

I'll say 1983 is a strong year. Well... actually, my top 10 is very strong. There's still quite a few weak and messy entries. But at least the bad entries are memorable.

France: Guy Bonnet - Vivre The 1970 balladeer returns. I love this sombre, solemn, haunting atmosphere. It's different from France's usual ballads. That reappearing piano riff is bone-chilling. The backing singers enhance the mood whenever they appear. The verses hold tension until the “Loin, loin, si loin...” part shrinks back. The violin break and the quicker bridge offer a temporary escape. And there's a dramatic ending. The “viiiiivre”s are also a good hook. The lyrics advise living and loving again, despite all the pain that happens after two lovers depart forever.

Norway: Jahn Teigen - Do Re Mi Jahn's third and final entry is about the music scale, which just makes me think of The Sound of Music. It's a silly and basic concept, but the cutesy backing singers provide a strong pre-chorus. Anita kisses Jahn at one point too. The song opens with the pianist playing that scale. Then it becomes a calm sunny acoustic guitar thing. And the last chorus increases the tempo. However, the chorus is weird, where Jahn is out of sync with the “do re mi...”s from the backing.

United Kingdom: Sweet Dreams - I'm Never Giving Up The UK sends another joyful song with group choreo, just like '81 and '82. The trio dances around some barstools, which fall over during the last chorus transition. They also release flower petals. The instrumental is very hectic and dominant, and it kinda drowns things out. It throws in some panicked piano, drum stutters, and twinkle bells. The pre-chorus escalation is great though (including the horns) and the chorus pushes through nicely. The lyrics are straightforward – they refuse to give up on this relationship.

Sweden: Carola Häggkvist - Främling The first of Carola's three entries in three different decades! I love that ominous guitar that starts each verse and how her joyful shouting escalates the pre-chorus. There's a big note in the chorus too. Her vocals are impressive. The song has good energy. And her dancing is camp. But the chorus melody is a little underwhelming. Still, Carola's charisma makes me love the song anyways. In the lyrics, she begs this person to open up because they're like a stranger keeping secrets. Also, was that a mic fail at the start?

Italy: Riccardo Fogli - Per Lucia The chorus is impactful, with the ominous church bells, Riccardo's intense passion (he sounds like he's on his knees), and how his voice raises halfway through it. The song's atmosphere is like carrying a heavy burden during a dark night. The lyrics list the extreme things Riccardo will do for this Lucia girl, because she means that much to him. Almost like he isn't doing enough. The accordion adds a Mediterranean feeling and the flute transitions are nice.

Turkey: Çetin Alp & the Short Waves - Opera This is a confusing mess. After that “ahhh” + drum build-up intro, the song goes from classical to jazzy to...the most random switch-up ever. It becomes 1920s Vaudeville with an excessive amount of “opera!”s and “lay lay lay”s that are beyond annoying. It's such a sudden energy change. Then it returns to classical as if nothing happened. Meanwhile, the backing dancers wear a bunch of historical costumes. The lyrics list various famous works, composers, and opera terms. I guess this guy loves opera.

Spain: Remedios Amaya - ¿Quién maneja mi barca? This is an iconic mess. The blue curtain dress. The random camera angles of her feet. Her wobbly vocals that sound like she's summoning demons. The wonky beat, with the drum slaps and funky guitar. The lyrics repeating the same demands over and over again. There's also a heavy heartbeat + cymbal crash intro, some tense orchestra moments, and chorus clacks. This is definitely a 'love it or hate it' entry, and I struggle to listen to it multiple times. Flamenco rarely does well in Eurovision.

Switzerland: Mariella Farré - Io così non ci sto I often forget about this song. It's nothing special. The acoustic guitar verses are fine, and I like when the backing intensifies the second verse, but the chorus is kinda annoying. Mariella provides some emphatic vocals and stage presence though. There's also some string transitions and chorus stops. The lyrics are about how she doesn't like being “the other woman”. It's just casual sex – he'll return to his wife later.

Finland: Ami Aspelund - Fantasiaa Finland is back on track! It's a haunting yet playful song. There's a dangerous intro, then the orchestra stops, and the piano is extremely restless in the verses, as the backing turn their heads. The chorus becomes this super cluttered and overwhelming thing, but in a very epic way. Especially when it heightens halfway through. And I LOVE that false start into the second chorus, followed by Ami's sideways hip walk lol. In the lyrics, she's curious about this mysterious guy who brings his dog to the park. She wonders if it's a fantasy.

Greece: Christie Stasinopoulou - Mou les Yawns. The verses are like a dreamy fairytale, but Christie's voice makes me sleepy. And the chorus just sounds messy and 'off'. Then the bridge randomly switches to jazz for some reason. In the lyrics, her lover is nostalgic for ships and trains, so she'll close the ports and stations to make him stay. That sounds controlling.

Netherlands: Bernadette - Sing Me a Song Cute and catchy, but also repetitive and basic. Bernadette wants everyone to “sing her a song” so she can better understand the world. Every genre and race is invited. The contrast between the verses and chorus is interesting. The former are more childlike and delicate, with the bells and falsetto vocals. While the latter inserts a driving beat and lowers the vocals. The backing also heighten the chorus midway through.

Yugoslavia: Daniel - Džuli Yugoslavia matches their best placement. It's also their first top 10 since 1972. “Džuli” is a fun, feelgood, retro, rockabilly-type song. The instrumental is consistently energetic. The jumping piano, the bass, and the accordion are highlights. As is the chorus, with the tongue-clicking beat, Daniel's scratchy stretched-out “Juuuuulie”s, the horn responses, and the camera cuts to the smiling clapping dancers. He looks confident on stage too. I also love when the violins enact the key change. In the lyrics, he misses his summer romance with Julie.

Cyprus: Stavros & Constantina - I agapi akoma zi The verse melody is quite strong, and the way it intensifies midway is pretty powerful. But this entry is way too wholesome. Like when the backing singers smile and sing to each other. Or when the instrumental drops out for that overly sweet refrain. Or how the lyrics wish for the world to sing along to “love is still alive”. The orchestra also sounds like a family sitcom theme; the intro in particular. It is uplifting though. And the intense ending is okay.

Germany: Hoffmann & Hoffmann - Rücksicht Germany's host entry extends their top 5 steak. The brothers give a genuine and heartfelt performance, and the song is such a vibe. It has a cathartic finality feeling of finding closure. The lyrics are reflective, where the narrator tries to figure out why his relationship ended, throwing out various suggestions. Ultimately they were selfish and lacked consideration. The song is mainly soft rock. Each verse begins with a blues guitars. While the chorus pauses and the '80s synth responses stick with me.

Denmark: Gry Johansen - Kloden drejer I'm usually a sucker for '80s instrumentals, but this chorus is so flat and the dancing is so... amateur? The drums and the guitar just drag the chorus down. The verses are better, where the melody is more active, and there's some horns and tense strings. But there's just... not much happening here. The lyrics imply there's always a new tomorrow. I believe she's trying to help this person that sent an S.O.S.

Israel: Ofra Haza - Hi Israel performing in Munich was significant because of WWII and the 1972 Olympics massacre. Appropriately, “Hi” celebrates still being alive. It's a similar entry to “Hora”, by having a slick choreo routine with big smiles. It starts with the backing members wandering in the background. Then they turn around and go “ahhhh”. But it's the chorus movements that are so hypnotic, where all 6 walk in a circle, hop like puppets, and step left and right. That chorus is catchy AF too, with the “HI HI HI” party chants and the “...SABA” emphasis that follows. There's also the big horn intro, the bouncy verse beat, the backing ad libs in verse 2, Ofra's big vocals in the pre-chorus, the bridge breakdowns, and the dramatic ending. Yeah, this is my favourite Israeli entry ever.

Portugal: Armando Gama - Esta balada que te dou Armando gives an honest and heartfelt performance to accompany his comforting piano ballad. It's a fairly simple arrangement. The melody is nice, the title phrase sticks out, and the electric guitar solo is unexpected in a good way. I also like when the drums enter. It's one of those songs I often forget about, but when I hear it again, I really like it. Armando wrote this song to cherish his relationship that faded away.

Austria: Westend - Hurricane Austria brings a modern '80s production, with lots of walking across the stage, a random ballet dancer, and some ugly gym outfits. But I just zone out during this song. It's so empty and the chorus goes nowhere with those repetitive “hurricane, hurricane, hurricane”s. The “DUN DUN”s in the verses are alright though. The lyrics describe the narrator's loneliness as he seeks the hurricane feeling of love.

Belgium: Pas de Deux - Rendez-vous Now this is some '80s synthpop indulgence I can get into! Even if the song is extremely monotonous. It repeats the same two phrases, while the instrumental is very constant. The drum slaps and knocks drive things, but the brass and flute moments break the monotony at least. And the duo wildly swinging their arms is hilarious. I also like when they pull one another at start and when they walk across the stage crouched over. They pull out some flutes at one point too.

Luxembourg: Corinne Hermès - Si la vie est cadeau (winner review below)

The Winner:

Despite 1983 having all these creative songs, the winner ends up being a French ballad that could've won in the '70s. Almost as if there was a push back after Bucks Fizz. Which means Luxembourg achieves their 5th (and final) win, tying France's record at the time. Not an overwhelming victory, but they held a comfortable lead through the vote reveal. The juries were all over the place though. The previous 4 winners were considerable hits across Europe, but “Si la vie est cadeau” only peaked high in the Francophone countries. I think Yugoslavia actually had the biggest chart hit from this year (and Sweden in the Nordic countries).

Corinne sings the hell out of this. She out-intensifies Anne-Marie David from 1973. Yes it's a passionate performance, but it's so overdone and relentless. The song is basically 70% intense screaming. It starts subtle though. The first verse grows as the piano enters; followed by the drums, and finally the screaming. I like when her voice softens during the song title and the last chorus line. The song is such a gut punch too.

The lyrics are about how Corinne's ex made an unnecessary promise to have a baby together, and then he didn't follow through on it. Now Corinne is devastated. He's gone and happiness was too short. She surmises that life (and love) are a gift that's given, returned or stolen.

When I first heard this song, I thought it was a very powerful ballad, but now the drama and the intensity are too much. It's my least favourite '80s winner. And it's probably Luxembourg's least relevant winner as well.

Verdict: "D" tier.

My points go to.... 01. Israel: Ofra Haza - Hi 02. Finland: Ami Aspelund - Fantasiaa 03. Yugoslavia: Daniel - Džuli 04. France: Guy Bonnet - Vivre 05. Sweden: Carola Häggkvist - Främling 06. Germany: Hoffmann & Hoffmann - Rücksicht 07. Portugal: Armando Gama - Esta balada que te dou 08. Italy: Riccardo Fogli - Per Lucia 09. United Kingdom: Sweet Dreams - I'm Never Giving Up 10. Belgium: Pas de Deux - Rendez-vous

11. Cyprus: Stavros & Constantina - I agapi akoma zi 12. Netherlands: Bernadette - Sing Me a Song 13. Luxembourg: Corinne Hermès - Si la vie est cadeau 14. Norway: Jahn Teigen - Do Re Mi 15. Denmark: Gry Johansen - Kloden drejer 16. Switzerland: Mariella Farré - Io così non ci sto 17. Spain: Remedios Amaya - ¿Quién maneja mi barca? 18. Austria: Westend - Hurricane 19. Greece: Christie Stasinopoulou - Mou les 20. Turkey: Çetin Alp & the Short Waves - Opera

[unibrowzz]

The Signs and their Eurovision winners

Here we are again, with just one new name this time, but one for a rarely seen sign for once 👀

♈ Aries: Agnetha Fältskog (ABBA, 1974), Ard Weeink (Teach-In, 1975) Lee Sheridan (Brotherhood of Man, 1976), Elisabeth Andreassen (Bobbysocks, 1985), Céline Dion (1988), Nenad Nakić (Riva, 1989), Linda Martin (1992), Rolf Løvland (Secret Garden, 1995) Katrina Leskanich (Katrina and the Waves, 1997), Nils Olsen (Olsen Brothers, 2000), Sergei Morgun (2XL, 2001) Duncan Laurence (2019)

♉ Taurus: Teddy Scholten (1959), Jacqueline Boyer (1960), Jørgen Ingmann (1963), Björn Ulvaeus (ABBA, 1974), Marie Myriam (1977), Johnny Logan (1980 and 1987), Jay Aston (Bucks Fizz, 1981), Emilija Kokić, Dalibor Musap AND Zvonimir Zrilić (All Riva, 1989), Paul Harrington (1994), Alexander Rybak (2009), Victoria de Angelis (Måneskin, 2021), Oleh Psiuk and MC KylymMen (both Kalush Orchestra, 2022)

♊ Gemini: Grethe Ingmann (1963), Anne-Marie David (1973), Salomé (Spain, 1969), Koos Versteeg (Teach-In, 1975), Kaido Põldma (2XL, 2001), Ruslana (2004), Lena Meyer-Landrut (2010), Eldar Qasımov (Ell & Nikki, 2011), Måns Zelmerlöw (2015)

♋ Cancer: John Gaasbeek (Teach-In, 1975), Toto Cutugno (1990), Amen and OX (both Lordi, 2006)

♌ Leo: Isabelle Aubret (1962), Massiel (1968), Vicky Leandros (1972), Per and Richard Herrey (Herreys, 1984), Bobby Gee (Bucks Fizz, 1981), Marie N (2002), Nemo (2024)

♍ Virgo: Dana (1970), Boško Colić (Riva, 1989), Carola (1991), Fionnuala Sherry and Hans Frederik-Jacobsen (Secret Garden and Co, 1995), Indrek Soom (2XL, 2001), Nigar Jamal (Ell & Nikki, 2011), Jamala (2016)

♎ Libra: France Gall (1965), Udo Jürgens (1966), Séverine (1971), Chris de Wolde (Teach-In, 1975), Smulik Bilu (Milk and Honey, 1979), Sandra Kim (1986), Åsa Jinder (Secret Garden and Co, 1995) Vince de la Cruz (Katrina and the Waves, 1997), Charlotte Nilsson (1999), Loreen (2012 and 2023), Ethan Torchio (Måneskin, 2021), Sasha Tab and Vitalii Duzhyk (Kalush Orchestra, 2022)

♏ Scorpio: Jean-Claude Pascale (1961), Frida Boccara (France 1969), Lulu (UK, 1969), Anni-Frid Lyngstad (ABBA, 1974), Rudi Nijhuis (Teach-In, 1975), Reuven Erez (Alphabeta, 1978), Nicole (1982), Corinne Hermès (1983), Louis Herrey (Herreys, 1984), Tanel Padar (2001), Marija Šerifović (2007), Conchita Wurst (2014)

♐ Sagittarius: Corry Brokken (1957), André Claveau (1958), Gigliola Cinquetti (1964), Benny Andersson (ABBA, 1974), Martin Lee, Nicky Stevens AND Sandra Stevens (all Brotherhood of Man, 1976), Reuven Gvirtz (Milk and Honey, 1979), Mike Nolan (Bucks Fizz, 1981), Charlie McGettigan (1994), Eimear Quinn (1996), Kimberley Rew (Katrina and the Waves, 1997), Sertab Erener (2003)

♑ Capricorn: Esther Tzuberi (Alphabeta, 1978), Gali Altari (1979), Aleksandra Kalafatović (Riva, 1989) Dima Bilan (2008), Salvador Sobral (2017), Damiano David and Thomas Raggi (both Måneskin, 2021), Ihor Didenchuk (Kalush Orchestra, 2022)

♒ Aquarius: Yehuda Tamir (Milk and Honey, 1979), Hanne Krogh (Bobbysocks, 1985), Niamh Kavanagh (1993), Gunnhild Tvinnereim (Secret Garden and Co, 1995), Dana International (1998), Dave Benton (2001), Helena Paparizou (2005), Mr Lordi and Kita (both Lordi, 2006), Netta Barzilai (2018), Tymofii Muzychuk (Kalush Orchestra, 2022)**

♓ Pisces: Lys Assia (1956), Sandie Shaw (1967), Lenny Kuhr (Netherlands, 1969), Getty Kaspers (Teach-In, 1975), Yizhar Cohen (1978), Cheryl Baker (Bucks Fizz, 1981) Jørgen Olsen (Olsen Brothers, 2000), Lauri Pihlap (2XL, 2001) Awa (Lordi, 2006), Emmelie de Forest (2013)

UNKNOWN: Lisa Gold-Rubin*, Itzhak Okev and Nehama Shutan* (all Alphabeta, 1978), Alex Cooper (Katrina and the Waves, 1997)

*I did uncover some information regarding Lisa Gold-Rubin and Nehama Shutan which would make them Pisces and Leo respectively, however I was unable to confirm whether they were the actual Eurovision performers or whether they just happened to share the same names. The lead for Gold-Rubin is stronger... but still unconfirmed 😅

**Some sites list Tymofii's birthday as being in September, however his actual Ukrainian Wikipedia page shows it as February 6th, so that's what I'm going with

Corrections/additional information welcome!

[eurofan78]

Luxembourg's ESC days of victory are gone

After San Marino’s RTV’s General Manager Carlo Romeo said in a statement that “there is no place for micro-states in the Eurovision Song Contest”, his words made me think of other small nations which took to the stage years before San Marino’s ESC debut in 2008. Long gone are those glorious days when the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was considered to be a tough competitor in the Eurovision Song Contest, along with the United Kingdom and France. The small country has not participated in the contest since 1994, but not without having won it a total of five times. Luxembourg participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 37 times since making their debut at the first contest in 1956. From 1956 to 1993, Luxembourg missed only one contest, in 1959. Performed in French and Luxembourgish by the duo Modern Times, "Donne-moi une chance" is the last entry (to date) from Luxembourg which placed 20th with 11 points. I was first introduced to the Eurovision Song Contest in 1983 when the competition took place in Munich at a time when Germany was divided by the Berlin Wall. Luxembourg's fifth and last victory (to date) came in 1983 when Corinne Hermès won with "Si la vie est cadeau". Young and old Eurofans have asked about Luxembourg’s return to the competition, but Director of Programming at the Luxembourgish broadcaster (RTL) Steve Schmit explained last year the reasons against participating in the Eurovision Song Contest. Steve Schmit underlined that Luxembourg’s chance for success in the contest is limited these days. "I believe that (with) the enlargement of Eurovision, the days (of victory) are gone", he said and concluded by saying that "with the new voting system, it is very unlikely that Luxembourg is successful. Small countries are somewhat more troubled now".

[usstatesofsong]

Countdown to #Eurovision - Yearly Reviews - 1984

We’re approximately three months away from the next edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, and while we’re waiting for more of the 2017 songs to be released before reviewing them (as we did last year), we’re going to revisit Eurovision song contests from the past and rank our favorites in each contest.

Thanks to Corinne Hermès, we are off to the small country of Luxembourg! Oddly, at that time, it was Luxembourg who led the pack with the most contest wins. At least, it feels odd, given that it’s such a small country. But for most of its years, Luxembourg never sent entrants from the country itself. And so it puts this Orwellian year of 1984 into context – the smallest of countries, despite being in the center of Europe, could have a big impact!

This was the last contest that I would argue “looked” dated, and I think that’s just due to a restricted budget. Can you blame a country that small? It’s not too much more than a stage in a concert hall, with the “rearranged backdrops” strategy that had been done for 10+ years. Booooooring! If you’re paying attention enough, you’ll also notice that the commentator’s booths are nothing more than paneled sub-sections of the balcony seating, with presumably all the wires running underneath and through the chairs. But you know what? It worked. RTL chose, in contrast, the very modern, 1980’s international commodity Désirée Nosbusch as their commentator; it is amusing for me, as an American, how seamlessly she transfers between languages. I don’t really have much else to say about the presentation itself, because as it is, it’s so stripped down and a bit forgettable – except for the interval act. Watch it! If you are a native Czech, you may consider the interval act your nation’s first ESC performance. And speaking of country performances, Ireland would return in ’84 following a resolution of their broadcaster’s strike, while Greece and Israel bowed out for various reasons.

Even Wikipedia has very little to say about the contest itself. So, to avoid having this edition lost to time, let’s talk a little about the nineteen songs that participated, shall we?

(Click the titles of the songs below to watch the full-length video tracks.)

------------

1. SWEDEN – The Herreys, “Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley” (1st, 145 pts)

It’s admittedly awkward to start this year’s review by reviewing the winning song, but that’s how it happened in 1984. They could’ve just showed the first song and have been done with it! As for the song itself, it’s 80’s cheese at its finest. Goofy dance moves, goofy song title, colorful clothing, and they do create somewhat of their own atmosphere. Is it a perfect performance? No, but neither was UK’s 1981 win. This song isn’t something I find interest in downloading or listening to regularly (a clear sign of heterosexuality… right? Right???!?) but the fact is that they were there to entertain, and it carried them to victory.

2. LUXEMBOURG – Sophie Carle, “100% d’amour” (10th, 39 pts)

As for the host nation, they sent a native Luxembourgian! After all the fuss I made in my pre-review comments... was it the right move? Haha, no. Oops. Before I knew this fact, I remember watching this contest in full and thinking what an embarrassment Sophie must’ve been for her nation, as she’s so out of tune in that high register. Additionally, the broadcaster did nothing to boost her presentation – she looks isolated and squirmish on stage. You start noticing, with this performance specifically, how odd the camera angles are, and so you see Sophie Carle and nothing else - not even the backup singers. Not even the keyboardist who’s literally three feet to her right!!! Is this supposed to be cute? The only vibe I get is a nervous hot european girl singing and showing off her thin waist. “Avec le ciel, avec les gens…” lol. Fail. (Side note: There’s like a 3-4 second portion of her performance that seems to just be … gone. RTL fail?)

3. FRANCE – Annick Thoumazeau, “Autant d’amoreux que d’étoiles” (8th, 61 pts)

Oh. Well, I guess Luxembourg seems much more interesting now. This is the equivalent of sending Aunt Joan from down the street in her best dress (“robe”) to the music hall with some karaoke music. In addition, someone should have done something about fixing the microphone levels! Although, I will admit, after giving this a second listen, you can tell that Annick is musically trained and lightyears ahead in vocal talent compared to her previous competition. Eighth place is a reasonable spot for this powerful but ultimately non life-changing performance. (By the way, I’ve noticed we have “officially” switched from corded to cordless microphones. Yay!)

4. SPAIN – Bravo, “Lady, Lady” (3rd, 106 pts)

This is a nice and innocent-enough song, and there’s “somewhat” of a Spanish vibe to it (in sharp contrast to the 1983 entrant). I can see why this did well. But let me put it this way – we remember the 1983 song much more than we do this entry, at least if you’re not Spanish. Another side note - there are blondes from Spain!?! Wowza!

5. NORWAY – Dollie de Luxe, “Lenge leve livet” (17th, 29 pts)

About a half-year ago, I left a comment on Youtube to the extent of “How to lose Eurovision in the first five seconds” and I hope you’ll agree with me. To this day, I find that howl (scream?) from the woman on the left hilarious. She then proceeds to look high for half of the performance, not including the close-up of her cross-eyed lyrical delivery. And then you watch her during the second verse trying to adjust the microphone stand - and failing. I am happy, however, with this entry – it’s got the 80’s vibe and I think Norway knew they were taking a risk.

6. UNITED KINGDOM – Belle and the Devotions, “Love Games” (7th, 63 pts)

The dancing ladies of Norway were followed up by another group of dancing ladies! But, ultimately, a much more digestible group of ladies. At least, I believe so? Two reasons I say that: Belle’s backup singers hide for much of the performance, which is just bizarre to me… are they actually singing? Or is that person hiding off-stage on the left doing all the work? Second, this performance is known most (unfortunately) for the boos it received from some audience members upon completion, likely due to a stupid football match or something. The song itself sends us back to the Motown era, and whilst typing ‘era’ I almost typed ‘error’ because in the back of my mind I’m thinking how erroneous it was to wear those neon clothes. It was the era of Madonna, ladies and gents. This does have its audience of fans, but I think being Motown is what doomed it. Still a good entry, though. (Post-note: This song has been stuck in my head all day. I had considered switching out UK for Denmark, but this changed my mind.)

7. CYPRUS – Andy Paul, “Anna Maria Lena” (15th, 31 pts)

This, by contrast, is a major let-down. This man is dressed like the Greek Elvis. Ultimately I just don’t get this, and I have nothing to say about it. Like, seriously… I can’t even think of anything funny to say about it. Just... yawn!

8. BELGIUM – Jacques Zegers, “Avanti la vie” (5th, 70 pts)

You could potentially say the same for this entry, as the presentation is so lax and basic, but it somehow works. Which makes me question what makes it ultimately better than Cyprus, and the only thing I can think of saying here is that Jacques’ voice is powerful. Another well-trained vocalist. I also love those quintessential eighties-sounding zinger noises before a couple of the choruses. I feel bad for the lady over the left shoulder of Jacques whose face is hidden in shadow for half the performance. Let her have a moment in the spotlight, Belgium! Overall, a good performance. Also, good job dressing the group in the Belgian colors.

9. IRELAND – Linda Martin, “Terminal 3” (2nd, 137 pts)

Linda Martin’s best performance would not come in the year that she won the contest. Instead, it came in 1984. She looked so much more cool and relative to the direction that the contest’s music should have gone. She looks like a rockstar on stage, with that red hair, and the colors of the background are awesome - especially the flashing lights about halfway through the performance. They don’t do anything else like that for any other performer. This is the more awesome side of the 1980s, and that’s why I wish this would’ve won.

10. DENMARK – Hot Eyes, “Det’ lige det” (4th, 101 pts)

Hey, folks. Take a look at that face. The red-headed short lady with the gap in her teeth. Get used to seeing her in the future. Also get used to seeing her pregnant. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, “Det’ lige det” signaled something that the Danes would completely rely on for the rest of the decade – schlager pop. It worked in 1984, as it got them into the Top 5 for the first time in like… ever, and it’s a shame. There’s only a couple ways you can make schlager fun and memorable in Eurovision, and they succeeded at it, in my opinion, during this performance. They tried a bit too hard later in the decade.

11. NETHERLANDS – Maribelle, “Ik hou van jou” (13th, 34 pts)

And now for the most underrated entry of the night! Well, not quite - but given that there were some who believed Maribelle was a potential winner in 1984, 13th is a long way to fall. Upon first listen, this is a very strong ballad, but Maribelle just kind of stands there and sings, so there’s very little to latch onto. Someone’s messing with a microphone offstage and it interferes with the first 15 seconds of the song. There’s a bit of a Disney vibe to this, admittedly, and again – her stage presence sucks like none other. But it moves me, it pursues emotions, and I think it was written and composed well; it has a timeless quality to it. Not too long ago I watched an interview with Maribelle about her time on Eurovision, and she seems to have quite good memories about it, but upon being asked whether she would ever consider making a return, it was a resounding NO, citing that the contest has changed a lot since 1984.

12. YUGOSLAVIA – Vlado & Isolda, “Ciao, amore” (18th, 26 pts)

Why. Why?? I don’t mind that Isolda was in three straight Eurovision entries for Yugoslavia, I really don’t. Her voice is sweet and kind, and I love the opening parts with the twinkly 80’s synthesizer bits. But why did you match her with someone who sounds like he’s choking on ten cigarettes? Upon the first note I almost didn’t want to believe that it was someone’s real singing voice. This is remotely listenable when he’s not singing, and the ringing bells get in the way during the chorus. Too bad!

13. AUSTRIA – Anita, “Einfach weg” (19th, 5 pts)

There were no ‘goose-eggs’ in 1984, but this was the only entry to finish with less than 20 points. Honestly, it was so unfair. This is another “80’s” love song, but I love it because of the constant beat it provides. I don’t know how to describe it. The backup singers weren’t too great, so I can see why this didn’t move juries in 1984. Also, this song doesn’t exactly ring “Eurovision”. But I imagine this would have been the kind of music I would have listened to if I had grown up during that era. Come on… Anita didn’t deserve last place.

14. GERMANY – Mary Roos, “Aufrecht geh’n” (13th, 34 pts)

How about giving last place to this instead? I don’t remember this song at all, so I actually have to go back and watch it again… Now that I have, yeah, that’s right, you’re not misreading me. This is probably the first German entry of my reviews that I’m dissing. I guess you could say it was performed well, if you ignore the parts where Mary’s voice cracks. But if you’re looking for moving, powerful female ballads in 1984, France and Netherlands do it so much better. Maybe it would help if I knew the German language. I’ll put some effort into doing that.

15. TURKEY – Beş Yıl Önce, On Yıl Sonra, “Halay” (12th, 37 pts) Love! This is still a bit too quirky and disengaged from European music to perform well at Eurovision, but finally - with this entry, Turkey entered the 80’s decade! And they would begin to send some truly memorable entries in the next five-six years, for better or for worse. I’ve seen the national selection performance video of this song, which contains a completely different version – it used to sound even more Turkish, and so they revamped the song to do better for the contest. Both versions rock my socks, and I don’t even care that they look like turquoise Barbie and Ken dolls. Also, the short red-haired woman humors me, and the dark-haired man can’t stop blinking. This is the stuff you start noticing after ten plus listens.

16. FINLAND – Kirka, “Hengaillaan” (9th, 46 pts)

This song grates on me like none other. Another song that begins deep in the Finnish language with something like “Cocks get cocks, ya nail get feesh,” and “ride the cocks!” Am I at the Copacabana? Turn it off. I’m ashamed for Finland that this was their first Top Ten placing of the decade. Why, Europe. Why. The only credit I give this is that he whips out the harmonica. You avoid the Big Fat Zero for that, but you do get the Weirdest Backup Singers award.

17. SWITZERLAND – Rainy Day, “Welche Farbe hat der Sonnenschein?” (16th, 30 pts)

Instantly forgettable. This is about twenty years too late. I guess she’s a decent-enough singer, but how many times should I have to say this to cover up the lameness of a song? Next, please.

18. ITALY – Alice & Franco Battiato, “I treni di Tozeur” (5th, 70 pts)

This, on the other hand, is timeless. I love it. This, again, didn’t rock the juries back in ’84 (surprise, surprise), and the presentation verges on laughable (Franco needed that pen in his jacket during the performance for what reason?), but this checks all my 80’s classics checkboxes. Italy did it right by bringing music that wasn’t trying to be anything except itself. The ‘train’-like beat that persists through the entirety of the song, and the way they transition between lead, is amazing. Alice’s voice might have been the best voice of the night. While I may have replaced Franco with someone a bit more presentable, he matches well with Alice in the parts he plays. The backup singers elevate the song to cloud nine, and we finish off with some sense of romantic drama. Excellent song from Italy!

19. PORTUGAL – Maria Guinot, “Silêncio e tanta gente” (11th, 38 pts)

And while this entry also has an “Aunt Joan from down the street” vibe, I think Maria is much more believable as a performer, and this is another unique composition that doesn’t follow the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus pattern - the elegance and orchestration is beautiful. It’s a piano-driven ballad, deep in emotion, perhaps similar in taste to Italy’s 1991 entry or France’s 1982 entry. And it looks like the Portuguese have blondes, too! It missed out on the Top 10, probably for being not contemporary enough.

If you look at the voting by points in 1984, it’s almost “tiered” – and I think that’s reflective of a largely unsure group of juries. Desiree does mention that the juries consist of ordinary people “like you and I” - the first time I’ve heard this, and so if that’s atypical of the system, well… coolio! Sweden was a surprise winner, and certainly not the favorite prior to the night of the contest. I think that Ireland probably should have won, but alas. My winner is a personal favorite of mine, and luckily, a lot of countries that had struggled in the last four reviews finally get their due deluge of points.

My votes:

12 – Italy 10 – Ireland 8 – Austria 7 – Turkey 6 – Belgium 5 – Netherlands 4 – Sweden 3 – United Kingdom 2 – Portugal 1 – Norway

The “Big Fat 0” award: Cyprus Honorable Mention: Luxembourg Worst Dressed: United Kingdom

And here is the overall count of points thus far. Germany remains on top despite not receiving points, with Belgium being closest to overtaking them. Greece falls out of the Top 5 – it’s hard to stay up there if you’re not entering the contest. And Ireland propels up to 3rd place. Switzerland has yet to enter my top ten – will they manage to do so in ’85? 1st – 38 – Germany (1982, 1983) 2nd – 30 – Belgium 3rd - 23 – Ireland (1980) 4th – 21 – Portugal 5th – 20 – Israel 18 – Greece (1981) 14 – Sweden 14 – United Kingdom 13 – Luxembourg 12 – Italy (1984) 12 – Norway 12 – Spain 12 – Turkey 11 – Denmark 10 – Austria 10 – France 7 – Cyprus 6 – Netherlands  4 - Croatia 3 – Finland

-50SS

[anotherescsite]

100 days of Eurovision

Si la vie est cadeau -  Corinne Hermès

Luxembourg

Before I begin talking about this one, no that is not a huge radiator behind the artist, that was the stage. Very different from what you see today. For the people of a certain age, you will remember the 1983 song contest because the Germans finally won the song contest and where hosting the song contest for the first time. It was a song contest of eccentricities, strange outfits, more flowers than you want ever in your life, everything had a drawn out introduction and the hostess does a dance in the interval.

Corinne Hermes sang last. She capped off the evening with a very distinguished performance. Distinguished because she stood very still and sang her song in a powerful classy manner. It was one of those moments where 30 seconds into the performance, you know it has won because it was seriously a class above everything else. 

[eurorangers-blog]

EV PROFILE: 🇱🇺 Corinne Hermès (born Corinne Miller; 16 November 1961, Lagny-sur-Marne) is a French singer. She represented Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest 1983 where she won with "Si la vie est cadeau" ("If life is a gift") with music by Jean-Pierre Millers and words by Alain Garcia. "Zz ("If Life is a Gift") by Jean-Pierre Millers (music) and Alain Garcia (lyrics), was the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1983, performed in French by French singer Corinne Hermès for Luxembourg. The song is a dramatic ballad dealing with the wonder of life, likening it to a gift. The lyrics tell of the singer's suffering in love with a man; "who promised her the whole world" and did not follow through, "what about the child I wanted to give to you in the spring?". She then sings that any kind of gift is welcome, whether it be given, stolen or returned, and warns that the good times are too short, implying that the listener should savor them for all they are worth. Hermès also recorded the song in English and German, as "Words of Love" and "Liebe gibt und nimmt" ("Love Gives and Takes") respectively. The song was performed 20th (last) on the night, following Belgium's Pas de Deux with "Rendez-vous". At the close of voting, it had received 142 points, placing 1st in a field of 20. The win brought Luxembourg equal with France on five Contest wins apiece, however both countries would later be eclipsed by the Republic of Ireland, which would win seven. Compared to the previous year's Eurovision winners, "Si la vie est cadeau" only proved to be a moderate commercial success, peaking at #2 in France, #3 in Belgium, #12 in Ireland, #13 in Sweden, #14 in Switzerland, #31 in the Netherlands and failing to chart in most other European countries. The song was succeeded in 1984 as winner of the Contest by Herreys representing Sweden with "Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley". It was succeeded as Luxembourgish representative at the 1984 Contest by Sophie Carle with "100% d'amour". #Eurovisionsongcontest #EuroRangers #EuroVisionRangers #esc #eurovision #luxembourg #CorinneHermès #silavieestcadeau (at Luxembourg)

[eurovisionsongaday]

And at last, here’s our winner! Please all rise for this terrific number!

[unibrowzz]

The signs and their Eurovision winners

Well it’s back. The (almost) definitive guide to which winner is under which sign.

And would you believe it, the Alphabeta and drummer from Katrina and the Waves have still managed to elude me 😂

(With special thanks to @ignatius-servatius for helping me complete this monstrosity. Could not have done it without you 😂)

♈ Aries: Agnetha Fältskog (ABBA, 1974), Ard Weeink (Teach-In, 1975) Lee Sheridan (Brotherhood of Man, 1976), Elisabeth Andreassen (Bobbysocks, 1985), Céline Dion (1988), Nenad Nakić (Riva, 1989), Linda Martin (1992), Rolf Løvland (Secret Garden, 1995) Katrina Leskanich (Katrina and the Waves, 1997), Nils Olsen (Olsen Brothers, 2000), Sergei Morgun (2XL, 2001) Duncan Laurence (2019)

♉ Taurus: Teddy Scholten (1959), Jacqueline Boyer (1960), Jørgen Ingmann (1963), Björn Ulvaeus (ABBA, 1974), Marie Myriam (1977), Johnny Logan (1980 and 1987), Jay Aston (Bucks Fizz, 1981), Emilija Kokić, Dalibor Musap AND Zvonimir Zrilić (All Riva, 1989), Paul Harrington (1994), Alexander Rybak (2009), Victoria de Angelis (Måneskin, 2021)

♊ Gemini: Grethe Ingmann (1963), Anne-Marie David (1973), Salomé (Spain, 1969), Koos Versteeg (Teach-In, 1975), Kaido Põldma (2XL, 2001), Ruslana (2004), Lena Meyer-Landrut (2010), Eldar Qasımov (2011), Måns Zelmerlöw (2015)

♋ Cancer: John Gaasbeek (Teach-In, 1975), Toto Cutugno (1990), Amen and OX (both Lordi, 2006)

♌ Leo: Isabelle Aubret (1962), Massiel (1968), Vicky Leandros (1972), Per and Richard Herrey (Herreys, 1984), Bobby Gee (Bucks Fizz, 1981), Maria Naumova (2002)

♍ Virgo: Dana Rosemary-Scallon (1970), Boško Colić (Riva, 1989), Carola (1991), Fionnuala Sherry and Hans Frederik-Jacobsen (Secret Garden and Co, 1995), Indrek Soom (2XL, 2001), Nigar Jamal (2011), Jamala (2016)

♎ Libra: France Gall (1965), Udo Jürgens (1966), Séverine (1971), Chris de Wolde (Teach-In, 1975), Smulik Bilu (Milk and Honey, 1979), Sandra Kim (1986), Åsa Jinder (Secret Garden and Co, 1995) Vince de la Cruz (Katrina and the Waves, 1997), Charlotte Nilsson (1999), Loreen (2012), Ethan Torchio (Måneskin, 2021)

♏ Scorpio: Jean-Claude Pascale (1961), Frida Boccara (France 1969), Lulu (UK, 1969), Anni-Frid Lyngstad (ABBA, 1974), Rudi Nijhuis (Teach-In, 1975), Reuven Erez (Alphabeta, 1978), Nicole (1982), Corinne Hermès (1983), Louis Herrey (Herreys, 1984), Tanel Padar (2001), Marija Šerifović (2007), Conchita Wurst (2014)

♐ Sagittarius: Corry Brokken (1957), André Claveau (1958), Gigliola Cinquetti (1964), Benny Andersson (ABBA, 1974), Martin Lee, Nicky Stevens AND Sandra Stevens (all Brotherhood of Man, 1976), Reuven Gvirtz (Milk and Honey, 1979), Mike Nolan (Bucks Fizz, 1981), Charlie McGettigan (1994), Eimear Quinn (1996), Kimberley Rew (Katrina and the Waves, 1997), Sertab Erener (2003)

♑ Capricorn: Esther Tzuberi (Alphabeta, 1978), Gali Altari (1979), Aleksandra Kalafatović (Riva, 1989) Dima Bilan (2008), Salvador Sobral (2017), Damiano David and Thomas Raggi  (both Måneskin, 2021)

♒ Aquarius: Yehuda Tamir (Milk and Honey, 1979), Hanne Krogh (Bobbysocks, 1985), Niamh Kavanagh (1993), Gunnhild Tvinnereim (Secret Garden and Co, 1995), Dana International (1998), Dave Benton (2001), Helena Paparizou (2005), Mr Lordi and Kita (both Lordi, 2006), Netta Barzilai (2018)

♓ Pisces: Lys Assia (1956), Sandie Shaw (1967), Lenny Kuhr (Netherlands, 1969), Getty Kaspers (Teach-In, 1975), Yizhar Cohen (1978), Cheryl Baker (Bucks Fizz, 1981) Jørgen Olsen (Olsen Brothers, 2000), Lauri Pihlap (2XL, 2001) Awa (Lordi, 2006), Emmelie de Forest (2013)

UNKNOWN: Lisa Gold-Rubin*, Itzhak Okev and Nehama Shutan* (all Alphabeta, 1978), Alex Cooper (Katrina and the Waves, 1997)

*I did uncover some information regarding Lisa Gold-Rubin and Nehama Shutan which would make them Aquarius and Leo respectively, however I was unable to confirm whether they were the actual Eurovision performers or whether they just happened to share the same names. 

Corrections/additional information welcome!

[eurovisionsongaday]

Sorry if you’re listening to this with headphones. It appears only the right channel works in this vid. I had a better source but it got copyright claimed (pleeeeaase, EBU, post vids from the older contests). If you only care about the music and seeing the song performed at Eurovision is just a bonus, try this vid instead.

This is an absolute shame because her performance is aces.