EuroNite - This Week 1995

Back to normality with the final EuroNite of the year, we arrive at 1995.


The UK Song For Europe lives long in the memory!  No-one was more astonished than me at the easy win enjoyed by Love City Groove with the imaginatively titled "Love City Groove".  If the UK were to send such an act in 2011, then it would be N-Dubz!  My televote went to the entry above, Samantha Fox with the equally imaginatively named group Sox and "Go For The Heart".  Not because I thought it would win, but it was the best song out of a rather average selection.


Love City Groove scored a landslide victory, but if there is one thing the UK doesn't do well, and that is "trendy".  Presumably the voters who gave their fivepenceworth to them thought "this is modern, this is trendy, this will do well!",  whereas I thought "this is rubbish, we've got no hope, what sort of a name is Beanz?".  I wasn't wrong as we trailed in 10th when we got to Dublin.


After 3 successive Irish victories they made sure it wasn't going to be a 4th as Eddie Friels "Dreamin'" was one of the most ordinary entries in their history.  The triumphant country on this occasion was Norway, although calling their entry "Nocturne" a song was almost contravening the Trades Description Act, as it was little more than a tune with a few words thrown in for good measure.  One of my least favourite winners, and thankfully the EBU saw fit to change the rules in it's wake.

Aurela Gaçe Wins In Albania

Managed to find a live stream courtesy of Kosovan Television, as the TVSH links were dead again.....

As NFs go it was of fairly standard quality, so I was quite surprised at how easily Aurela Gaçe won.  Receiving the 12 points from 5 of the 6 jury members (no televote remember) it was pretty much a one horse race from the start.  Alban & Miriam trailled in a rather distant second place, which was a shame as I felt they had the stronger entry,  Aurela being a bit shouty.  Wont qualify in any case, not a hope.

Albanian Final Tonight

Merry Christmas Everyone!!


Technical faults permitting - blast you TVSH for blocking the webcasts of both semi-finals, as the working properly links all mysteriously went dead prior to both broadcasts - I hope to be tuning into the Albanian NF this evening.  Looking forward to it, from the qualifiers I've heard so far I would expect the winner to be Alban Skenderaj & Miriam Cani with "Ende Ka Shprese" and nothing else.  As it is all jury and no televoting, any other outcome would be unlikely.  I will post the winner on here either later on tonight or tomorrow.

Latvia - Entries Online

Having listened to the Latvian entries (all 20 of them) I was rather stunned at what I considered to be the high quality of most of them.  Imagine my dismay when scouring the various Eurovision forums where very few shared my opinion.  Now, I'm not suggesting  I heard any potential winners here, far from it, but I felt the standard was very high and I'm not impressed with the general concencus of opinion "Boring" "Snoozefest" "Ordinary".  I have heard a hell of a lot worse over the years!!  I do agree with one thing, there could have been a couple of Lavian language efforts to vary the content.


The only entry that seems to gaining any favour is one of the very few I ditched before the 3 minutes were up, so poor did I consider it.  Lauris Reiniks, who I remember as one member of F.L.Y., has returned as a soloist with a song entitled "Banjo Laura".  I hate it.  I can only think that it is his popularity in Latvia that is carrying him on, because the song is awful.  If it should get the Latvian nod then it is a certain non-qualifier (surely Latvian TV aren't still paying for Marie Ns win of years ago....).  I would wager good money that the winner will be found elsewhere. 


Narrowed it down to three I like:


"Live On!" - Oksana Lepska
"Cinderella" - Ivo Grisnins-Grislis
"Summer Night" - The Secretz






The songs are all here: Latvian Pre Selection


****


No EuroNite this week due to a late work finish, back to normal on Wednesday 29th December.

EuroNite - This Week 1994

EuroNite once more, and we are back in Dublin.  This weeks flashback however is tinged with great sadness as this will be the first time I have watched the show since the brilliant Gerry Ryans sad passing back in April.  I was a huge fan of the great man and his death upset me greatly.


Another high quality concert, and one that Ireland were certainly not expected to win!  Having already triumphed 2 years in a row, it was likely that the head of RTE had already sold anything he could get his hands on to stage the concert for a second time - heaven knows what was going through his mind when Paul & Charlie carted off the prize with "Rock n Roll Kids".  On the face of it the Irish had sent a reasonable not-supposed-to-win effort, and I will be honest here that at the time I didn't much like it - but over the years it is one winner that has grown and grown on me, and I'm rather fond of it now!


There was decent opposition in the form of Elisabeth Andreasson & the late Jan Werner Danielson with "Duett" for Norway, which was my idea of the winner and remains one of my all time favourites.


Of course, the biggest hit to emerge from 1994 wasn't even in the contest - Riverdance.  Surely there has never been a better interval act than Michael Flatley and company.  Simply amazing, and no surprise it is as popular now as ever.

Switzerland - Anna Rossinelli Wins

The result of the Swiss National Final is now known, and it is congratulations to Anna Rossinelli who has triumphed with "In Love For A While".  On the downside It does appear that the Swiss Televoters and experts have plumped for a rather "safe" and Lena-Like option (suspect the contest will be full of Lena-a-Likes next year, you heard it here first).  What cannot be disputed of course is that it is a vast improvement on Michael van der Heides effort of 12 months ago.

I did think that all the pre-final favourites were nothing special, and looks like the televoters agreed.

Probable qualifier, but not a winner in my opinion.  I'll stand by my earlier assertion that we shall not be in Lausanne in 2012.

***

First UK rumour to surface seems to indicate that we may finally be returning to ways of old by internally selecting a well-known performer.  Last time we did this was with Frances Ruffelle in 1994 (of who more on Wednesday).

Names in the frame appear to be all female - Charlotte Church, Pixie Lott and Katherine Jenkins.  At least we know they can all sing!!  Although Charlottes reputation often proceeds her, she would be my choice of the three.  Pixie would secure the youth-vote and little else (not many grannies would have heard of her) and I haven't heard Katherine do anything but classical, which doesn't particularly inspire.

I am told to expect an announcement shortly, but knowing the BBC I am not holding my breath. 

EuroNite 1993 Part 2

A much enjoyable contest, with many high quality songs.  My hubby returned from his night out as I was was having a tuneless Sing-Along-A-Niamh moment as she belted out the reprise.  It was the correct winner, make no mistake.  The fact that Sonia came close to winning (another year when it went down to the last vote) took me, and I suspect many others watching, by complete but pleasant surprise.


At the other end of the scale, the song that ended up with the wooden spoon is curiously one of my all time favourites.  Poor Barbara Dex from Belgium has had a lot to put up with since 1993 (the joke about her outfit is wearing a tad thin), but I thought her song was fabulous and far more worthy than the 3 points gained.

EuroNite - This Week 1993 (and other news)

After a blank Wednesday last week, back to normal this week.  Our Euro-journey has reached 1993.  At the time I well remember being a little disappointed that Sonia had been internally selected to represent the UK as I was no fan of Stock-Aitken-Waterman-type music, and thought that all the pre-selection entries would be of similar fare.  I wasn't wrong, as 6 of the 8 songs were in that style, including the one above which was my second choice "Gonna Put A Spell On You".

I did televote for the winner (in line with 150,000 others), admittedly, however thought the standard of entries in our NF that year was distinctly average.  The fact that we almost won the whole thing with "Better The Devil You Know" (another year when it went to the final vote) took me by complete surprise.

*****

When is a semi-final not a semi final? Just when you all thought you had heard the last of the Ukrainian selections until the New Year (or a least until the televote selections had been revealed), it seems NTU changed the rules.


Do keep up with the next bit, it will be worth it...........


The semi finals were actually quarter finals it would now seem.  The 15 qualifiers as of right, along with the 5 televoted also-rans and, bizarrely, 4 others who didn't qualify either on the day or by the subsequent televote (including a timely reprieve for A.R.M.I.Y.A. I am pleased to hear) have been split into 3 groups of 8, of which 5 so far have qualified for, I assume, the NF (although who knows, maybe there will be even more qualifying rounds).  


Are you still with me?? 


(By the way, Jemchug, who caught the ear in week 3 with "Hero" have made it safely through.)

Switzerland NF

One week tomorrow sees the first National Final of the season, in Switzerland.  Having heard all the entries a number of times now, I still cannot find a single one that would be good enough to qualify for the contest proper, no matter what the Swiss televoters select.  The only one I thought was half decent was Sarah Burgess with "Just Me".  The other selections are moderate at best, and am at a loss why anyone would think "Come What May" by The Glue, or "Home" by The Colours & Ilia are even remotely good enough to represent Switzerland in Dusseldorf. And as for an act by the name of Polly Duster, one word - avoid.


I think that the main problem here was the web selection.  How many of the better entries of the 300+ songs may have been a) eliminated by a few votes or b) not even heard.  There were far too many songs for anyone to reasonably listen to properly, and it would have served far more purpose if they had got some music professionals to whittle it down to say 50 maybe before releasing the selections online.  


In conclusion it is safe to say we will not be in Lausanne in 2012.