Everything Everything Everything Everything

I won’t be around for the actual contest, but based on preliminary videos here’s my Eurovision 2013 picks:

1. Margaret Berger, “I Feed You My Love” (Norway)
2. Moje 3, “Ljubav je svuda” (Љубав је свуда) (Serbia)
3. Alyona Lanskaya, “Solayoh” (Belarus)
4. ByeAlex, “Kedvesem” (Zoohacker Remix) (Hungary)
5. Elitsa Todorova and Stoyan Yankulov    “Samo shampioni” (Само шампиони) (Bulgaria)
6. Amandine Bourgeois, “L’enfer et moi” (France)
7. Andrius Pojavis, “Something” (Lithuania)
8. Hannah, “Straight Into Love” (Slovenia)
9. Who See, “Igranka (Игранка) ” (Montenegro)
10. Adrian Lulgjuraj and Bledar Sejko, “Identitet” (Albania)

11. Anouk, “Birds” (Netherlands)
12. Emmelie de Forest, “Only Teardrops” (Denmark)
13. Takasa. “You and Me”  (Switzerland)
14. Eythor Ingi, “Ég á líf” (Iceland)
15. Farid Mammadov, “Hold Me” (Azerbaijan)
16. Cascada, “Glorious” (Germany)
17. Birgit, “Et uus saaks alguse” (Estonia)
18. ESDM, “Contigo hasta el final” (Spain)
19. Koza Mostra feat. Agathon Iakovidis, “Alcohol Is Free” (Greece)
20. Bonnie Tyler, “Believe in Me” (United Kingdom)

21. Gianluca, “Tomorrow” (Malta)
22. Cezar, “It’s My Life” (Romania)
23. Valentina Monetta, “Crisalide (Vola)” (San Marino)
24. Aliona Moon, “O mie” (Moldova)
25. Natália Kelly, “Shine” (Austria)
26. Despina Olympiou, “An me thimasai” (Aν με θυμάσαι) (Cyprus)
27. Esma and Lozano, “Pred da se razdeni” (Пред да се раздени) (Macedonia)
28. Moran Mazor, “Rak bishvilo” (רק בשבילו)  (Israel)
29. Klapa s Mora, “Mižerja” (Croatia)
30. Nodi Tatishvili and Sophie Gelovani, “Waterfall” (Georgia)

31. Ryan Dolan, “Only Love Survives” (Ireland)
32. Marco Mengoni, “L’essenziale” (Italy)
33. Dina Garipova, “What If” (Russia)
34. Roberto Bellarosa, “Love Kills” (Belgium)
35. Zlata Ognevich, “Gravity” (Ukraine)
36. Krista Siegfrids, “Marry Me” (Finland)
37. PeR, “Here We Go” (Latvia)
38. Dorians, “Lonely Planet” (Armenia)
39. Robin Stjernberg, “You” (Sweden)

FINALLY.

I just took a nap and when I woke up I realized that Austria was, in fact, more amazing than Luxembourg in 1981. This choreography! So many things.

Eurovision 1981, from best to worst:

1. Jean-Claude Pascal, “C’est peut-être pas l’Amérique”  (Luxembourg)
2. Marty Brem, “Wenn du da bist” (Austria)
3. Tommy Seebach and Debbie Cameron, “Krøller eller ej” (Denmark)
4. Emly Starr, “Samson” (Belgium)
5. Modern Folk Trio and Ayşegül, “Dönme Dolap” (Turkey)
6. Linda Williams, “Het is een wonder” (Netherlands)
7. Lena Valaitis, “Johnny Blue” (Germany)
8. Carlos Paião, “Playback” (Portugal)
9. Sheeba, “Horoscopes” (Ireland)
10. Finn Kalvik, “Aldri i livet” (Norway)
11. Hakol Over Habibi, “Halayla” (הלילה) (Israel)
12. Yiannis Dimitras, “Feggari Kalokerino”(Φεγγάρι καλοκαιρινό) (Greece)
13. Island, “Monika” (Μόνικα) (Cyprus)
14. Björn Skifs, “Fångad i en dröm” (Sweden)
15. Seid Memić, “Lejla” (Yugoslavia)
16. Bucks Fizz, “Making Your Mind Up” (United Kingdom)
17. Jean Gabilou, “Humanahum” (France)
18. Bacchelli, “Y sólo tú” (Spain)
19. Riki Sorsa, “Reggae OK” (Finland)
20. Peter, Sue and Marc, “Io senza te” (Switzerland)

An odd year. I was torn between the 56-year old singing about how Europe is better than America and the Austrian song with the completely insane styling, ie. the backup singer in the American football helmet FOR NO REASON. Actually the styling was kind of insane all around. Portugal wore a bow tie on a t-shirt to sing about pre-recorded backing tracks, for instance. I could also make a joke about Finnish reggae, but I won’t.

Divinyls, “Back To The Wall”

RIP Christina Amphlett. Now we will never have lunch together.

Eurovision 1985, from best to worst:

1. Roger Bens, “Femme dans ses rêves aussi” (France)
2. Izhar Cohen, “Olé, Olé” (עולה, עולה) (Israel)
3. Kikki Danielsson, “Bra vibrationer” (Sweden)
4. Sonja Lumme, “Eläköön elämä” (Finland)
5. Mariella Farré & Pino Gasparini, “Piano, Piano”  (Switzerland)
6. MFÖ, “Didai didai dai” (Turkey)
7. Vikki, “Love Is” (United Kingdom)
8. Bobbysocks!, “La det swinge” (Norway)
9. Paloma San Basilio, “La fiesta terminó” (Spain)
Lia Vissi, “To Katalava Arga” (Το κατάλαβα αργά) (Cyprus)
11. Al Bano & Romina Power, “Magic Oh Magic” (Italy)
12. Takis Biniaris, “Miazoume” (Μοιάζουμε) (Greece)
13. Margo, Franck Olivier, Diane Solomon, Ireen Sheer, Chris & Malcolm Roberts, “Children, Kinder, Enfants” (Luxembourg)
14. Wind, “Für alle” (Germany)
15. Linda Lepomme, “Laat me nu gaan” (Belgium)
16. Gary Lux, “Kinder dieser Welt” (Austria)
17. Hot Eyes, “Sku’ du spørg’ fra no’en?” (Denmark)
18. Maria Christian, “Wait Until the Weekend Comes” (Ireland)
19. Adelaide, “Penso em ti, eu sei” (Portugal)

This was the beginning of the deep downward slide in quality between the early eighties (really good!) and the early nineties (unbearably awful!) The top 4 were all good, and 5 and 6 weren’t bad for a ballad and a wimpy tropicalia number. Luxembourg, who called themselves Margo, Franck Olivier, Diane Solomon, Ireen Sheer, Chris & Malcolm Roberts, sang an inspirational song about children and surprisingly it was only the seventh worst song of the night.

Letters To Cleo, “You Dirty Rat”

Twenty years ago there was another attack on/in Boston, at a women’s health clinic in Brookline. Two receptionists were killed and it was awful.

Kay Hanley from Letters To Cleo, who were one of the bigger bands in Boston at the time, organized a series of benefit concerts called Safe And Sound, and in 1995 or 96 an album to benefit Boston women’s health organizations was released. It featured Aimee Mann and Mary Lou Lord and Jen Trynin and Fuzzy and Scarce and, yes, it also also where the fucking Mighty Mighty Bosstones first released “The Impression That I Get”, but overall it’s a really good album and one that I might have to dig out of storage the next time I’m at my parents’ house.