This is a very easy question – with ESC Covers publishing the covers of several Herrey’s vinyl singles, we need you to name one of the 3 Herrey brothers – the first name, so there are 3 to choose from.
All posts by Roy van der Merwe
HERREY’S – THIRD VINYL SINGLE
I really like this one of Herreys, called DIN TELEFON. It is sung in Swedish and was composed by Lasse Holm and Ingela “Pling” Forsman who have written several euro entries. Lasse wrote entries in at least 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986 and 1993 and even was one half of the performer in 1986.
FIFTH QUESTION – of 12
The 5th question revolves around SAN MARINO and I have published three promo CD’s singles, 2012, 2013 and 2014, all three of Valentina Monetta and all three composed by Ralph Siegel. The question is easy, which one took San Marino into the final?
HERREY’S – SECOND VINYL SINGLE
This vinyl single really has a beautiful cover. It is called MIRROR, MIRROR (UPON THE WALL) and it is difficult to tell which of the three brothers is the most attractive – I guess all three had its fair share of fans.
DANCING DEODORANTS – HERREY’S FROM SWEDEN
In the run up to the Swedish selection, we will be looking at several interesting covers of vinyl singles by Swedish melodifestivalen singers/groups. First up will be four different ones by THE HERREY’s who won Eurovision in 1984. Do you agree with a Norwegian paper who called them the DANCING DEODORANTS?
IS MELODIFESTIVALEN A SEVENTH WONDER?
Fred Medeiros, OGAE R OW member and our accredited journalist to the 2015 edition of Melodifestival recalls his first in 2008.
After visiting the last seven Melodifestivalen finals myself, I wonder what actually is it that keeps fans coming back for more. Is it the Schlager pop, is it the top quality productions or is it simply the hypnotising sparkle of the disco ball? Melodifestivalen is Sweden’s most watched television programme and the most watched national final by international fans. I originally visited my first Stockholm final in 2008 as I chose not to go to Belgrade that year. So as I prepare for my eighth final, I’m looking back over past 7 years to see if Sweden’s national selection is Ira Losco’s “Seventh Wonder”?
Not unlike other years, previous participates are often the hot topics of all the press. When previous winners participate for another chance of represented Sweden they are normally favourites to win. In 2008, Charlotte Perrelli (Nilsson), who actually won the 1999 ESC in Jerusalem entered again with the “almost textbook” Schlager/power disco dance number “Hero.” Not unsurprisingly, “Hero” was a clear favourite before a single note had even been heard. Penned by Fredrik Kempe, the new Thomas G:Son, and Bobby Ljunggren, who had already written 3 Melodifestivalen winners, “Hero” was dripping with potential and yearning to be heard by every European Schlager fan.
After 4 long weeks and 32 songs, “Hero” was no disappointment. It shone with every bit of glitzy sparkle and Schlager-tinged note. It had everything you’d expect from a Swedish euro-pop hit with an over-the-top diva, shimmering sequins, wind machines and a dramatic earth-shattering crescendo. Saying all that “Hero” wasn’t a runaway winner. The 2008 final was full of classic euro-pop anthems. BWO had entered with their best entry “Lay Your Love on Me” which actually could have won if the competition that year hadn’t been so stiff. Their euro club style was already doing well charting all over Europe including in the UK, arguably the toughest European market to crack. Linda Bengtzing entered with her third attempt, also her best entry, with “Hur svårt kan det va?” (How hard can it be?) Linda’s energetic dramatic beat driven song really was excellent but was overshadowed by being in the same semi-final as “Hero.” Sibel’s ballad “That is Where I’ll Go” and Amy Diamond’s bubblegum pop “Thank You” were both popular as well and very well written songs in their own right. There were also several novelty songs the best being Christer Sjögren’s “I Love Europe.” Classic Eurovision formula that could of actually had done well across the continent for the ESC.
Saying all that “Hero” had only one clear rival, Sanna Nielsen and her emotional ballad “Empty Room.” Like “Hero”, “Empty Room” was co-written by Bobby Ljunggren and was Sanna Nielsen’s first entry in English, a winning formula?
Sanna Nielsen had entered several times before but this was clearly her best entry yet. Although, I still have a weakness for “Vågar Du, Vågar Jag” (If You Dare, I Dare Too) her 2007 euro pop anthem. So with her fifth attempt Sanna had her voice, a touching emotional performance and the right song to walk away with the trophy but Charlotte Perrelli was standing in her way. In the end of a very dramatic final Nielsen actually won the public vote over Perrelli but the jury had backed Perrelli. So Perrelli had won her place to represent Sweden at Eurovision.
In the run up to Eurovision in Belgrade, Sweden were favourite with the bookies and they were clearly favourites to win but oddly Sweden wouldn’t of actually qualified for the final, placing 12th in the second semi-final but during 2008 there was a jury override vote. If the top ten songs chosen by the public didn’t match the juries top ten the highest scoring non advancer at that point would become the tenth place entry. So “Hero” knocked out the Macedonian entry “Let Me Love You.” Sweden finished in a very poor 18th place in the final. Ironically Nielsen’s “Empty Room” went on to win the OGAE second chance contest.
Overall 2008 was an amazing introduction to the live event. The sheer excitement and drama of the selection had me wanting more but I believe the superb quality of music keeps me hooked.
MELODIFESTIVAL COVERAGE 2015
We can announce that ESC Covers together with ESC United will join forces to bring you more detailed coverage of the 2015 Swedish selection from both Andra chance and the final in Stockholm. Thank you to all who have been involved to make this possible, especially those at Melodifestival who approved the accreditation for our journalist and his cameraman.
FORTH QUESTION – of 12
Today’s question is about Montenegro because many people commented on me wearing a Montenegro t-shirt during the interview last night with the KYKNET show, FLITS. I have received many t-shits over the years at Eurovision and have 41 of them. The Montenegro one is my favourite because of the little design that looks like a vinyl single. Any way, the question is that Montenegro had a song in Eurovision one year composed by Ralph Siegel. This is also the only Montenegro entry covered in Afrikaans. Give the title of this song.
NICOLE IN CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
SEWER TSOENAMI OF HITS NOT SO AFRIKAANS AFTER ALL
The translation of the rapport article by Herman Scholtz
Most of the Afrikaans music on the market is neither new nor original.
When the “bearded woman” Conchita Wurst of Austria hit the international scene last year as winner of Eurovision song contest, it got the attention of a lot of South Africans and they suddenly became aware of this contest and the sub culture of music it represents.
But South African are listening to Eurovision songs for many years says Roy van der Merwe, the president of he Eurovision fan club for countries outside of Europe. Around 80% of the South African music scene is Eurovision related says this Johannesburg citizen who have attended the contest over several years.
He helps South African artists to obtain the rights to record these songs and keeps detailed record of all the covers done in South Africa.
Eurovision who allows each member country to send one entry to the contest. It is enormously popular and the contest had made stars of people such as ABBA and Celine Dion.
It started in 1956 and 52 different countries have at least entered once.
Since the start of the contest, there has been approximately 1600 individual songs says Van der Merwe. Of these 1600, at least 400 have been covered in AFRIKAANS and several of them had been huge hits.
This 400 are however only the official Eurovision entries. Since Van der Merwe helps the artists to liase with the overseas composers, he also keeps record of the songs that have been in the selection progress of countries and many of these have come to South Africa to become Afrikaans hits. We call these Euro related songs. Taking this into account, almost 80% of the Afrikaans music industry is Eurovision related.
It started way back. Bles Bridges recorded tons of German songs. Manual Escorcio’s song SOVEEL HERINNER MY (so much remind me) was Ireland’s 1970 winner, ALL KINDS OF EVERYTHING. The 1972 entry from Luxembourg APRES TOI has been translated by Bles & Sunette Bridges, Ge Korsten, Janita Claassen and Patricia Lewis and with three different sets of lyrics.
Rina Hugo’s hit JY’S VIR MY was the Spanish 1973 entry ERES TU.
A far more recent example is UITKLOPHOU (knockout punch), the title track of Karlien van Jaarsveld platinum CD. This song was Georgia’s 2013 entry WATERFALL.
This is just the Euro related market. Various singers have gotten the right to other songs by overseas composers to use their melodies and translate the lyrics. Snotkop en Moniqe Foxx got people’s feet tapping with their song PARAPAPA, but it was two BRAZILIAN rockets CIDINHO and DOCA who did the original song RAP DAS ARMAS in 2007. They were the composers of it.
The song is about the Brazilian police and their fight against crime and drug smuggling.
The Afrikaans version (the music video) shows Snotkop who is a weekend alone at his parent’s house and is holding a party. It contains lyrics like
EK SOEK JOU IN DIE SONSKYN HIER NABY MY
MY ARMS OM JOU SEXY BRUINGEBRANDE LYF
I want you in the sunshine here next to me
MY arms around your sexy brown tanned body
Van der Merwe says covers are international phenomena. In fact, his dream is to see every Eurovision hit done in Afrikaans.
But because of the stigma in South Africa over covers, a lot of artists lie, or just keep quiet over who the original composer is and just simple say IT IS UNKNOWN.
The song farmer ANTON GOOSEN differs radical and says this tendency is a sewer tsoenami that has hit the country. It is all about a quick fix to success. The artists record something from Europe, which is already a hit. Why do they do it? South African people understand English and should listen to the English song is they wanted to (He fails to understand that the majority of covers are from songs in OTHER LANGUAGE).
Although I wont say it is as bad a murder to cover a song, says Goosen, the big crime is that the royalties leave the country for Europe while this money could have much better be used in South Africa (Again he fails to understand that the royalties for composers are such a small part of the recording – most local artists spend the most money INSIDE South Africa on the expensive producers and promotion of the their CD’s).
He added it has now become so bad that most South African composers are only interested in writing lyrics to existing melodies and no new ones. He then said there are some original artists like LAURIKA RAUCH (and again he has not his facts as two of Laurika’s biggest hits like op BLOUBERG SE STRAND is originally UDO JURGENS songs) and DAVID KRAMER. These two will stay popular as their work are original and local. He says the cover songs (which again he referred to as translated although many have total new lyrics in Afrikaans and is not even related to the original lyrics – for example UITKLOPHOU) has a tendency to be DOEF DOEF (difficult to translate DOEF DOEF but mainly the GERMAN SCHLAGER beat music) music with shallow lyrics (yes there are some with shallow lyrics, like many EDUROVISION songs indeed but there are also some with absolute brilliant lyrics).
HERE SOME OF THESE COVERD SONS ON NETWERK24.com