Everything Everything Everything Everything

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.

Another Bad Creation, “Where’s Ya Little Sista?”

Their final single. Puberty didn’t strike them all at the same time, clearly.

Eurovision 1982, From Best To Worst:

1. Lucía, “Él” (Spain)
2. Stella, “Si tu aimes ma musique” (Belgium)
3. Avi Toledano, “Hora” (הורה) (Israel)
4. Mess, “Sonntag” (Austria)
5. Doce, “Bem bom” (Portugal)
6. Arlette Zola, “Amour on t’aime”  (Switzerland)
7. Anna Vissi, “Mono I Agapi” (Μόνο η αγάπη) (Cyprus)
8. Neco, “Hani?” (Turkey)
9. Brixx, “Video, Video” (Denmark)
10. Nicole, “Ein bißchen Frieden” (Germany)
11. Bill van Dijk, “Jij en ik” (Netherlands)
12. Bardo, “One Step Further” (UK)
13. Chips, “Dag efter dag” (Sweden)
14. Aska, “Halo, Halo (Хало, хало)” (Yugoslavia)
15. Svetlana, “Cours après le temps”  (Luxembourg)
16. The Duskeys, “Here Today Gone Tomorrow” (Ireland)
17. Kojo, “Nuku pommiin” (Finland)
18. Jahn Teigen and Anita Skorgan, “Adieu” (Norway)

The top three were all really good this year, but ultimately my favorite was Spain, even though Belgium probably had a better singer. There may or may not have been a kerfuffle about “Él,” since it was a tango and England (the host country) was at war with Argentina at the time. Which, how weird is it that England and Argentine were at war during my lifetime?

Norway is kind of amazingly wimpy, even more so since the song was apparently written specifically to avoid some of the harder-sounding Norwegian consonants. Blecch.