a child, a harlot, a drunk and a flirt
Nov. 12th, 2003 01:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jawnbcIn 1969, Europe was in a state of flux--bordering on chaos--unseen outside of wartime. The Cold War, the Maoists, Indochina (France was there before the US and Australia) the Peace movement, the deflation of religious influences on secular life...as the baby boom generation asserted itself on a rather conservative status quo.
But not at the Eurovision Song Contest. Though in its own way the '69 contest arguably wrote the script for winning the contest that largely holds true today.
16 participanting "countries" (including Monaco) sent entries to Madrid's Teatro Réal. Several countries sent their own genuine pop stars, and while the full spectrum of Eurovision talent was represented (awful to brilliant), no one entry stood out as the pre-broadcast favourite. After the votes were tallied, it was a tie. A four-way tie, all quite different in some ways, but one. And the winners were (in no particular order):
Netherlands Der Troubadour, Lenny Kuhr. An acoustic ballad about a singer who, though once truly talented, has been reduced to busking. Largely to keep the alcohol flowing. A songwriter's song. Lenny co-wrote the song, and it would be 34 years--until 2003 and Sertab Erener's "Every Way that I Can"--that a female performer would win with a song of her own composition.
Spain Vivo Cantando, Salomé. One of those canned, painfully hypnotic, danceable pop ditties, replete with sound effects (think snap!crackle!plotz!), whoops and shrieks. The joy of music! Music is life! Your love drives me crazy but I love it! Guaranteed to garner the grandma and 6 year old voting blocks. Though in '69 juries decided the winner--not the public, as is done today via phone voting.
United Kingdom Boom Bang a Bang, Lulu. Yes, thatLulu. A straightforward, sing-a-long in your local, pop ballad. But Lulu is arguably one of the least appreciated performers in the entertainment field. Drips charismas, veritably glows. "My heart goes boom bang-a-bang, boom bang-a-bang when you are near..."
France Un jour, un enfant, Frida Boccara. Like many France Eurovision entries, this was une grande ballade--and back then everyone performed with a live orchestra. Frida Boccara was considered by many too good a singer for a thing like Eurovision. Even if you didn't understand French, she conveys this is a song about hope, about the future, about children. In years to come France would repeatedly pick songs that almost fit the order--except for the hopeful part. Generally songs about racism, child abuse, failed love affairs and growing up in a war zone don't win Eurovision. On second thought, make that they never win Eurovision...
And so it was: a songwriter's song, an annoyingly catchy danceable pop ditty, a sing-a-long hit, and a power ballad about children and hope. You'd be hard pressed to find a single winner of Eurovision since 69 that doesn't fit at least one of these categories.
Oh, and they changed the scoring system after 1969--no one liked the 4 way tie it seems.
But not at the Eurovision Song Contest. Though in its own way the '69 contest arguably wrote the script for winning the contest that largely holds true today.
16 participanting "countries" (including Monaco) sent entries to Madrid's Teatro Réal. Several countries sent their own genuine pop stars, and while the full spectrum of Eurovision talent was represented (awful to brilliant), no one entry stood out as the pre-broadcast favourite. After the votes were tallied, it was a tie. A four-way tie, all quite different in some ways, but one. And the winners were (in no particular order):
Netherlands Der Troubadour, Lenny Kuhr. An acoustic ballad about a singer who, though once truly talented, has been reduced to busking. Largely to keep the alcohol flowing. A songwriter's song. Lenny co-wrote the song, and it would be 34 years--until 2003 and Sertab Erener's "Every Way that I Can"--that a female performer would win with a song of her own composition.
Spain Vivo Cantando, Salomé. One of those canned, painfully hypnotic, danceable pop ditties, replete with sound effects (think snap!crackle!plotz!), whoops and shrieks. The joy of music! Music is life! Your love drives me crazy but I love it! Guaranteed to garner the grandma and 6 year old voting blocks. Though in '69 juries decided the winner--not the public, as is done today via phone voting.
United Kingdom Boom Bang a Bang, Lulu. Yes, thatLulu. A straightforward, sing-a-long in your local, pop ballad. But Lulu is arguably one of the least appreciated performers in the entertainment field. Drips charismas, veritably glows. "My heart goes boom bang-a-bang, boom bang-a-bang when you are near..."
France Un jour, un enfant, Frida Boccara. Like many France Eurovision entries, this was une grande ballade--and back then everyone performed with a live orchestra. Frida Boccara was considered by many too good a singer for a thing like Eurovision. Even if you didn't understand French, she conveys this is a song about hope, about the future, about children. In years to come France would repeatedly pick songs that almost fit the order--except for the hopeful part. Generally songs about racism, child abuse, failed love affairs and growing up in a war zone don't win Eurovision. On second thought, make that they never win Eurovision...
And so it was: a songwriter's song, an annoyingly catchy danceable pop ditty, a sing-a-long hit, and a power ballad about children and hope. You'd be hard pressed to find a single winner of Eurovision since 69 that doesn't fit at least one of these categories.
Oh, and they changed the scoring system after 1969--no one liked the 4 way tie it seems.
no subject
Date: 2003-11-12 11:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-12 03:00 pm (UTC)Images of John Cleese playing "plop" with gjetost spring to mind...