All posts by Roy van der Merwe

FINAL POINTS TABLE FOR ABBA SONGS

This is the final points for the ABBA songs. Thank you to all 57 who commented at least once.

As you will see, in the end, each person who bothered to take the time to comment, did get some points
adele adelle -10
aj poncin – 9
alan tubery – 2
alexandra sowden – 9
alexandru badea – 15
andrew bayley – 29
andrew cudeboi – 9
bernando ordas – 21
beth hackey – 32
chris zeiher – 9
christopher cobb – 25
dale hardy – 22
danie greef – 7
david robichaud – 9
david wilkins – 16
emily smith – 28
eric anderssen – 46
evgeny borzov – 7
gavin a-rainey – 11
harlani salim – 22
hien djie – 7
jason watkins – 61
john martin – 2
johnny kollin – 40
jose luis abeda – 18
julia foskey – 53
kate hansen – 13
kent acott – 9
kevin fansler – 27
kyle woods – 52
len whitney – 32
luc spencer – 58
luis lopez – 9
lukman uleng – 33
marcus davey – 7
matt buchholtz – 12
michael muniz – 19
michaela sowden – 49
michele acott – 10
nail agadullin – 7
nathan mountford – 24
niall drennan – 42
nick sowden – 13
nicolas suarez – 11
phil beanes – 11
richard isaac -27
rodrigo hidelgo – 12
roger a-rainey – 22
ronny addamo – 58
sandy allen weztler – 7
scott parsons – 16
steve humpfries – 50
stuart mcnaughton – 26
tamas vamos – 63
troy bass – 14
vane acevski – 13
vincent colagiuri – 28

FIFTH GAME FOR POINTS

Switzerland each year opens the field so wide that every Tom, Dick and Harry can upload a video on the internet and be in the running. Yet their results over the years while they have been using this method were not good enough when you potentially can get songs from every corner of the world. What are they doing wrong? Swiss TV has asked you to give them some advice and share ideas how to ensure that they end up with a top 5 placing in Stockholm.
For me the problem is that although potentially artists from all over the world can enter, when the finalists are picked, 90% of them are Swiss artists. They must look back at 1988 when they had Celine Dion from Canada and won. So it really is stupid to have artists entering from many countries but that should also reflect then the finalists that come to TV.

FORTH GAME FOR POINTS

Re:

Next up is a task for the fashion experts. Netherlands has picked DOUWE BOB as their artist for Stockholm. He appeared on TV with his underpants and a coat and says this is what he would like to wear in Stockholm.

Now we know the Netherlands has had some flops in the clothing department. My best recollection is 1984 when Maribelle sang IK HOU VAN JOUW but all I remember was the dress with the huge bow and the song escaped me totally. Many said Joan Franka also picked the wrong outfit and who will forget Vienna with Trinjntje Oosterhuis and the dress in the first rehearsals – looking like a piece of the puzzle was missing.

You must now advice the Dutch delegation as to what would be the best for Douw to wear.

THIRD GAME FOR POINTS

You have to pretend to be the head of delegation of Moldova. You have seen the success felloe CIS country GEORGIA had with songs composed by Swedish composer Thomas Gson (Waterfall and Warior) and so your idea is to contact Thomas and ask him to compose a song for Moldova for 2016, seeing that Eurovision is in Stockholm. So you have to tell us what guidelines you are giving Thomas in terms of a song.
My first guideline to him will be, also a song with a one word title, easy to remember (afterall he composed Euphoria). Maybe something called TORPEDO would be quite a dramatic title.

THOSE SONG THAT SHOULD ….

Article from Luc Spencer (Australia)
Sparked by Roy’s ABBA song question for number 16, Chiquitita, I will indeed expand on the devastation each year of THAT song that misses out on the Grand Final that shouldn’t (in my opinion).

Given that I have no idea how to “vlog”, I thought I would write an article on this. 

Every one from the introduction of semi finals, the biggest disappointments will be marked by the following categories;
Criminal (should have qualified);
Wishful Thinking (I’d have liked it to qualify) and;
WHAT THE..? (Qualifier that defies my understanding).
I appreciate this is highly subjective, so invite others to add their opinions in comment.
Let’s get started:
2015:
Criminal: Hope Never Dies – Czech Republic
Wishful Thinking: Time to Shine – Switzerland
WHAT THE..?: Face Every Shadow – Armenia
2014:
Criminal: Same Heart -Israel
Wishful Thinking: Amazing – Tanja
WHAT THE..?: Start a Fire – Azerbaijan
2013:
Criminal: Crisalide (Vola) – San Marino
Wishful Thinking: Igranka -Montenegro
WHAT THE..?: Lonely Planet – Armenia
2012:
Criminal: You and Me – The Netherlands
Wishful Thinking: Time – Israel
WHAT THE..?: Aphrodisiac – Greece
2011:
Criminal: Jestem – Poland
Wishful Thinking: Haba Haba – Norway
WHAT THE..?: In Love for a While – Switzerland
2010:
Criminal: Lako Je Sve – Croatia
Wishful Thinking: Työlki Ellää – Finland
WHAT THE..?: Life Looks Better In Spring – Ireland
2009:
Criminal: Et Cetera – Ireland
Wishful Thinking: I Don’t Want To Leave -Poland
WHAT THE..?: Always – Azerbaijan
2008:
Criminal: Vodka -Malta
Wishful Thinking: Casanova – Andorra
WHAT THE..?: Romanca – Croatia
2007:
Criminal: On Top of the World – Edsilia Rombley
Wishful Thinking: Vertigo – Malta
WHAT THE..?: Water – Bulgaria
2006: (a few to mention)
Criminal: Je T’adore – Belgium & Why Angels Cry – Cyprus
Wishful Thinking: Mr Nobody – Slovenia & Through My Window – Estonia
WHAT THE..?: Ninanajna – Macedonia
2005: (a few to mention)
Criminal: Y Asi – Austria & My Impossible Dream – The Netherlands
Wishful Thinking: Stop – Slovenia & Love Me Tonight – Belarus
WHAT THE..?: Forogj, Világ – Hungary
2004:
Criminal: Stay Forever – Slovenia
Wishful Thinking: What’s Happened to Your Love – Lithuania
WHAT THE..?: Life – Macedonia
There you have it!
Now… What do you think?

SECOND GAME FOR POINTS

The United Kingdom has realized they are selecting the correct entries for Eurovision and have asked fans now to come with suggestions. One of the ideas is to again to look at an OLDIE like Engelbert Humperdick and Bonnie Tyler to make a come back to their careers.
Now you as fan have to tell them if there are OLDIES they could look at and who they never even should consider. List between 3 and 5 such artists.
I will have a look at one male singer, one female singer and one group.
TONY CHRISTIE had a great run of success in the 70’s and he has a good voice and if he gets a chance with a song similar to I DID WHAT I DID FOR MARIA, I think he could be considered.
SUZI QUATRO had some great hits in the 70’s composed by NICKY CHINN and MIKE CHAPMAN like SHE’S IN LOVE WITH YOU so that is someone I would look at given the correct song, she is a MAYBE.
BAY CITY ROLLERS – they caused phandemonoum around the world in their distinctive outfits but could they do it in Eurovision? I do not think so, so they are a definite NO NO.

FIRST GAME FOR POINTS

Pretend you have been employed by Montenegrin television to give them advice  on the kind of song they should give to HIGHWAY to sing in STOCKHOLM.
My answer is that since the group consists of 3 singers, let each one do his part of the song in a different language, so guy 1 does his part in Montenegrian, guy 2 does his part in English and guy 3 does his part in Swedish since they will be on stage in Stockholm.
Avoid copying IL VOLO but give them a song that is easy on the ear for the majority of people that will be casting a vote.
So you see it will not take a lot of time and you can be as creative as you wish.

THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC – SONG TWENTY-FOUR

Finally we reached the end of the ABBA songs.

Thank you for the music, the songs I’m singing

Thanks for all the joy they’re bringing

Well, we had to end the whole ABBA saga off with this song, it is such a classic. Thank you ABBA for all the music and the songs we are constantly singing.

The question is name 3 Eurovision songs you constantly feel like singing

For me it is Cliff Richard and Congratulations every time I see someone is having a birthday. Then Mouth and Macneal with I see a star, and often it is the Afrikaans lyrics of it. Lastly Nicole’s Ein bisschien frieden, after all I have many versions of it (53 in total) and in 21 different languages.

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KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU – SONG TWENTY-TWO

Mem;ries, good days, bad days, they’ll be with me always

And EUROVISION is known for memories – good ones and bad ones. So share with our members some of those from your Eurovision days. I can write a book on it because I have been extremely lucky to have been able to attend it every year since 1993, some were such highlights, TALLINN, RIGA, BELGRADE, others quite awful – especially BIRMINGHAM and GUILDO HORN.

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