Category Archives: Blast from the past

LOVE IS A BEAUTIFUL SONG

In 1970 or so a South African singer Dave Mills released a song called Love is a beautiful song which went to number 1 on the South African charts, The song also went on to become a number 1 hit in Australia and probably also New Zealand.

To sing about love has been probably the theme in music but it is interesting to look at which Eurovision songs have the word LOVE in their titles. We are taking a look just from 2004 when the semi finals were introduced.

2004

Three countries entered songs with LOVE in their title

United Kingdom – HOLD ON TO OUR LOVE sung by James Fox

Lithuania – WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR LOVE sung by Linas & Simona

Poland – LOVE SONG sung by Blue café

My vote goes to the UK, a really great song.

2005

Belarus – LOVE ME TONIGHT sung by Angelica Agurbash

Ireland – LOVE sung Donna & Joe

Iceland – IF I HAD YOUR LOVE sung by Selma

My vote goes to Belarus, a very good song.

2006

Armenia – WITHOUT YOUR LOVE sung by Andre

Denmark – TWIST OF LOVE sung by Sidsel Ben Semmane

Ireland – EVERY SONG IS A CRY FOR LOVE sung by Brian Kennedy

Ukraine – SHOW ME YOUR LOVE sung by Tina Karol

My vote goes to Ireland although all other “love” songs are good.

2007

Belgium – LOVE POWER sung by The KMG’s

Spain – I LOVE YOU MI VIDA sung by D’Nash

Lithuania – LOVE OR LEAVE sung by 4Fun

Romania – LIUBI, LIUBI, I LOVE YOU sung by Todomondo

My vote goes to Spain, very catchy song.

2008

Macedonia – LET ME LOVE YOU sung by Tamara, Vrcak & Adrijan

Moldova – A CENTURY OF LOVE sung by Geta Burlacu

My vote goes to Macedonia who did the songs in various languages.

2009

Lithuania – LOVE sung by Sasha Son

Slovenia – LOVE SYMPHONY sung by Quartissimo featuring Martina

My vote goes to Slovenia by a narrow margin.

2010

Netherlands – IK BEN VERLIEFD (sha la lie) sung by Sieneke

Even although there is just one, my vote would still have gone to the Netherlands as it was my favourite song from that year.

2011

Austria – THE SECRET IS LOVE sung by Nadine Beiler

Bosnia/Herzegovina – LOVE IN REWIND sung by Dino Merlin

Belgium – WITH LOVE BABY sung by Witloof bay

Belarus – I LOVE BELARUS sung buy Anastasiya Vinnikova

Switzerland – IN LOVE FOR A WHILE sung by Anna Rossinelli

Italy – MADNESS OF LOVE sung by Raphael Gualazzi

My vote goes to Belarus, although with 6 songs there were a lot of pick from.

2012

Bulgaria – LOVE UNLIMITED sung by Sofi Marinova

Cyprus – LA LA LOVE sung by Ivi Adamou

United Kingdom – LOVE WILL SET YOU FREE sung by Engelbert Humperdinck

Italy – L’AMORRE E FEMMINA (OUT OF LOVE) sung by Nina Zilli

Turkey – LOVE ME BACK sung by Can Bonomo

My vote goes to Cyprus.

2013

Belgium – LOVE KILLS sung by Roberto Bellarosa

Ireland – ONLY LOVE SURVIVES sung by Ryan Dolan

Norway – I FEED YOU MY LOVE sung by Margaret Bergen

Slovenia – STRAIGHT INTO LOVE sung by Hannah Marcini

My vote goes to Ireland by a narrow margin.

2014

Denmark – Cliché love song sung by Basim

There was only one but my vote goes to Denmark as it is an interesting song and title.

It will be interesting to see what LOVE entries our readers like? And if maybe I have missed one because of the word being in a foreign language.

HIT OR MISS

It is interesting looking at chart success in South Africa for Eurovision artists. Several of them have had big hits but with other songs than their Eurovision entries. One of the classic examples is KATRINA AND THE WAVES who had a minor hit with LOVE SHINE A LIGHT but WALKING ON SUNSHINE is a classic here.

It is, however Dutch Eurovision artists who have “suffered” the most. At least 5 come to mind who hit big with a song but failed with their Eurovision entry.

GERARD JOLING – NO MORE BOLEROS went platinum but his 1988 euro entry SHANGRI-LA failed to chart.

MAYWOOD – GIVE ME BACK MY LOVE went to number 1 but their 1990 euro entry IK WIL ALLES MET JOU DELEN/NO MORE WIND TO GUIDE ME failed to chart.

TEACH IN – IN THE SUMMERNIGHT was a number 1 hit for them but their Eurovision winner in 1975 DINGE-DONG failed to chart.

LINDA WILLAIMS – I’LL BIDE MY TIME was a huge hit here (and probably nowhere else) but her 1981 euro entry HET IS EEN WONDER/I AM THE LADY failed to chart. The song, however charted several years later for other artists as covers, among them DANA WINNER.

MOUTH & MACNEAL – HOW DO YOU DO did very well on the charts bit their 1974 euro entry I SEE A STAR did not chart, however the song was covered at the same time in Afrikaans as EK SIEN A STER which did very well.

SAKIS ROUVAS – PROMO CD SINGLE

One of the nicest people I have met at EUROVISION isSAKIS ROUVAS of Greece and it happened twice, 2004 in Istanbul and 2009 in Moscow plus a third time when he was in South Africa as a guess of the Greek community. The promo CD of his 2004 entry is a gem, the cover is that of a pair of jeans (he was the face of their ad campaign) and inside the pocket of the jeans, was his CD single, SHAKE IT.1-53p

JAN JOHANSEN – BIRTHDAY

With Jan Johansen having a birthday today, it is appropriate to publish his 1995 Eurovision entry – the promo CD, which by the way was also the first promo CD I ever got directly from an artist himself. The song has been covered by several South African artists among them Kurt Darren, Guillaume Willemse, Jaycee Crause, Dominec and Steven Sterling.

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