It was a bit disconcerting to discover the Eurovision Tune Contest is still going strong, having actually commemorated its 67th year in Liverpool last weekend. The occasion had currently looked the even worse for wear back in the 1960s, however in some way it simply will not disappear. In truth it’s grown and more brassy than ever– an uninhibited event of kitsch.
The UK entry in this year’s occasion came 2nd from last although vocalist Mae Muller must take heart from the truth that 2 years ago the UK ended up all-time low with a grand overall of absolutely no votes. In truth it’s nearly a badge of honour to do so terribly.
As you might have thought I have actually never ever been a fantastic fan of the Eurovision occasion merely due to the fact that I do not take pleasure in the music which anyhow is generally overwhelmed by daft shenanigans on phase. Those elegant light programs and pyrotechnics appear entirely created to conceal the musical imperfections. This year one efficiency, which might have been misinterpreted for a strange Town Individuals homage act, had men in military uniforms winding up on phase in their underpants. The real tune was all however forgotten.
Seeing bits of the contest on the BBC seemed like experiencing an out of control techno-pop celebration. Nevertheless, the BBC were gushing about how terrific everything was and to be reasonable the audience liked it.
A case of various strokes for various folks, I think.
Hesitant puppet
I keep in mind viewing the contest on television back in 1967 when Sandie Shaw, well known for singing in her bare feet, won with Puppet On a String, a tune I truly hated. Sandie later on openly confessed that she likewise disliked the tune, “from the very first oompah to the last bang on the bass drum” and described it as having a “cuckoo-clock tune”.
The truth the tune won was most likely due to Sandie’s appeal in Europe instead of the tune itself. She had a great voice which appears on her 1964 hit There’s Always Something There to Advise Me
Nevertheless, Puppet went on to make No 1 in the UK charts which suggested Sandie needed to grit her teeth all the method to the bank and sing this ditty she hated all over she carried out.
Waterloo not simply a fight
The 4 other UK winners of Eurovision were similarly unmemorable. They consisted of Boom Bang-a-Bang (Lulu, 1969), Conserve Your Kisses For Me (Brotherhood of Guy, 1976), Comprising Your Mind (Bucks Fizz, 1981) and Love Shine a Ligh t (Katrina and the Waves, 1997).
Obviously the most well-known winner was the Swedish group ABBA with Waterloo in 1974. A couple of years back on the anniversary of the Fight of Waterloo in 1815 British individuals were talked to about what the word “Waterloo” suggested to them. Many mentioned the ABBA tune, followed by the London train station, with the real fight can be found in a remote 3rd. More amazingly, 14% believed Napoleon won.
Even scarier, amongst the names recommended as leading the British forces into fight at Waterloo was none besides Albus Dumbledore, the wizard of Harry Potter popularity.
Restriction the bang
It might come as a surprise to discover that Boom Bang-a-Bang (a love tune about a heart beat) and Waterloo were amongst 67 tunes prohibited by the BBC throughout the period of the First Gulf War in 1991 for worry they may weaken the war effort, unusual though it might sound. Lulu’s love tune was stated to be bad for spirits due to the fact that it had “Bang” in the title. Waterloo got the slice due to the fact that it referenced an ancient opponent, as did the Beatles’ Back in the USSR
Other tunes that were momentarily prohibited consisted of Eric Clapton’s variation of I Shot the Constable, Skeeter Davis and her plaintive Completion of the World, and Jose Feliciano’s fantastic variation of Light My Fire, “fire” being the angering word. In some way Rod Stewart’s Cruising was likewise sunk.
The most eyebrow-raising casualty was the Plastic Ono Band’s renowned Provide Peace an Opportunity If you are going to prohibit that you may also prohibit whatever.
City sundowns
Mentioning Waterloo, numerous might have forgotten a beautiful whimsical number Waterloo Sundown by the Kinks, which was voted by a radio station as the “Greatest Tune About London” with its lyrics about the “Filthy old river …” and so on. Something the Kinks and ABBA share is that their particular Waterloo tunes started life with a various title. ABBA’s tune was initially called “Honey Pie” while the working title for Waterloo Sundown was “Liverpool Sundown.”
Kinks leader Ray Davies discussed that his preferred city was Liverpool and he initially composed the tune with Liverpool in mind, there likewise being a Waterloo in Merseyside. Nevertheless, the Beatles had actually simply launched Cent Lane which was everything about life in Liverpool so the Kinks moved their tune’s area to London with Davies warbling “As long as I look on Waterloo sundown, I remain in paradise”.
From individual experience, seeing a sundown at Waterloo generally suggested that I had actually simply missed out on the train house.
Blisters upgrade
For those following “Wild Wolf” James Valentine’s stressful walk from Pattaya to Phuket, regardless of suffering terribly from blisters on Friday he had actually reached Chumphon town. He is raising cash for the Make sure Children charity. He is expecting a June 1 arrival in Phuket.
Contact PostScript by means of e-mail at oldcrutch@hotmail.com
Roger Crutchley
Bangkok Post writer
A very long time popular Bangkok Post writer. In 1994 he won the Ayumongkol Literary Award. For several years he was Sports Editor at the Bangkok Post.
Email: oldcrutch@gmail.com
