Atari Mania continues...plus more Eurovision

Just a couple of quickie updates on previous posts.

Atari
First of all, thanks for all the comments on the Atari Music post. I was hoping it would get some more video game minded folks to post their favorites, which it did. But best of all, it inspired blog reader Gavin Richmond to make his own video for Little Brother's Atari 2600 song, using vintage Atari commercials. Download Quicktime (15.5mb) or GoogleVideo. Check out Gavin's blog for more fun videos, a future one of which will feature people doing the robot for a late 80s electronic dance band that are somehow still around.

Oh, and that photo to the left? Total BS. But it amused the heck out of me none-the-less, which is exactly what the comedy of the Van Gogh Gogh's is supposed to do. You can read the whole story of Atari 8 tracks and other fake 2600 products here.

Eurovision
Back in May, Lukas posted about the glorious history of the Eurovision song contest, and the insanely catchy 1975 winners, Teach-In. Well, browsing around today I discovered this crazed Eurovision fan from Tel Aviv who has posted some 400 videos on YouTube of contestants from the 1950s through today.

Got a few hours to kill? There are so many gems in there, especially during the 70s and 80s, that I can't even begin to watch them all. But here are links to just a few of my international favorites (read the comments, etc, on the YouTube pages for more details):

Denmark 1983     Israel 1985     Norway 1983     Greece 1977     Netherlands 1966     United Kingdom 1981    Belgium 1967     Finland 1966     Iceland 2000
Cyprus 1987 - the song is a dud, but those dancers are HOT
Sweden 1977 - An astoundingly lame Beatles tribute song. Check the comments section below for more on this one!

And you just can't go wrong with virtually all of the 1976 edition:
Austria     Finland     Switzerland      France     Israel
And the United Kingdom.
They swept the award in 1976 with one of the biggest hits in Eurovision history, earning an 80% vote. The song is "Save Your Kisses For Me" (mp3) by Brotherhood of Man. It is indeed insanely catchy, and the dancing has certainly won my vote! And these guys were in for the long-haul, not only scoring several chart topping hits, but staying together and performing to this day. You can even book them for your next event!

If you find any other favorites, post them in the comments. My eyes are not yet fully glossed over with Eurovision cheese.

Comments

[H Lydahl]

This Beatles tribute is so bad....

Lyrics
http://artists.letssingit.com/melodifestivalen-forbes-beatles-qdw3cq5

Band site

http://www.forbes.se/

[scruss]

Indie-rock guitar hero and former Soft Boy Kimberley Rew wrote and performed the 1997 Eurovision winner...

[poesboes]

Ohww.. I remember that Brotherhood of Man entry vividly! I was nine years at the time. I thought their underware was too tight, by the way they did their dancesteps. I was just puzzled by the way they did it all in tune with eachother.

[B.D.]

Who can forget Brotherhood of Man?!? They also did the classic, United We Stand. YouTube it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D9OeJZ9t0M

[Gavin]

Don't forget Monty Python's send up of the Eurovision contest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G42DBfih3RE

And thanks for making me part of a WFMU blog post. I feel so special now!!!

[Lukas]

Here are the lyrics for "Beatles" by Forbes:

------------------------------
Beatles gav oss sin musik
"Yesterday", vad den var fin
Alla älska' melodin
Yeah yeah yeah...

När skivor kom då gick det larm
Grammofonen den gick varm
Alla föll för Beatles charm
Yeah yeah yeah...

Många gick och nynna' på
"A Hard Day's Night" fast de var små
Farfars far kan ge svar vem de var
Beatles, Beatles

Världen var en stor estrad
Och där stod vi rad i rad
Njöt av varje fin ballad
Yeah yeah yeah...

Beatles gav oss sin musik
Flickor tjöt i vilda skrik
Alla skivor har vi kvar
Vi ska minnas Ringo Starr
Och George och Paul och John

Farfars far, kan ge svar vem de var
Beatles, Beatles

Världen var en stor estrad
Och där stod vi rad i rad
Njöt av varje fin ballad
Yeah yeah yeah...

Beatles gav oss sin musik
Flickor tjöt i vilda skrik
Alla skivor har vi kvar
Vi ska minnas Ringo Starr
Och George och Paul och John
----------------------------

My Swedish sucks pretty bad (maybe someone else can translate), but basically they are gushing about how great the Beatles were, how thankful they are that the Beatles gave them their music. They praise the lovely melodies (like "Yesterday"), say that they bought all Beatles records, and that they will always remember Ringo, George, Paul and John. Pretty embarrassing, if you ask me.

[ResidentClinton]

I tried using an on-line translator on the Beatles song, but just got gobbelty-gook. Fortunately, I then found and actual English translation. And there are two rather distinct lyrical oddities: 1) A reference to them being "small" and 2) mentioning Ringo Starr first (and by full name) when listing off the Beatles. Was he the real star in Sweden?

The Beatles gave us their music, 'Yesterday', how nice it was
Everybody loved the melody, yeah yeah yeah...

When their records were released there was a commotion
The gramophone played non-stop
Everybody fell for the charm of the Beatles, yeah yeah yeah...

A lot of people went around humming
'A Hard Day's Night', although they were small
Your great grandfather can tell you who they were
Beatles, Beatles

The world was a big stage, and there we stood in rows
Enjoying every nice ballad, yeah yeah yeah...

The Beatles gave us their music, girls were screaming and shouting
We still have all the records, we shall remember Ringo Starr
And George and Paul and John

And then it just repeats. I guess that's all they really had to say on the subject. But, hey, take heart Swedish Eurovision fans. While Forbes' Beatles didn't really win anyone over back in 1976, the modern version, updated by Snoop translator Gizzogle (thanks, Faltherflot), is actually better. Watch for it in the '07 competition!

The Beatles gizzy us they music, 'Yesterday', how funky ass it was
Everybody loved tha melody, yeah yeah yeah...

When records were releazed there was a commotion
The gramophone played non-stop
Everybody fizzy fo` tha C-H-to-tha-izzarm of tha Beatles, yeah yeah yeah...

A lot of thugz went around humm'n
'A Hard Day's Night', although they wizzy small
Yo bootylicious grandfatha can tizzle you who they were
The Beatles, The Beatles

The world was a big stage, n there we stood in rows
Gang Bangin' every funky ass ballad, yeah yeah yeah...

The Beatles gave us they music, bitchez were scream'n n doggy stylin'
We stizzay hizzle all tha records, we shiznall pusha Ringo Starr
And George n Paul n Jiznohn

[H Lydahl]

1.
'A Hard Day's Night', although they were small

meaning that even young people was listening and singing along.

2. Not that I can recall...

The Snoop translator version is better, maybe they record a new version if they see this. They are still playing together and you can book them for your Party if you want.( I will probably stay home sick)

[Ivy]

Bucks Fizz are a legend in England. Why no mention of one of the greatest Eurovision performers ever, Dana International, the Israeli transsexual who won it in 1998, or Cliff Richard ("Congratulations", a runner up in 1968)or the song that won it in 68, Spain's "La La La La"?

[prince megahit]

Ringo is mentioned first because it wouldn't rhyme otherwise, I'm pretty sure.

Here's a pretty new and very awesome entry that I saw in the 2000 Eurovision. Ping Pong from Israel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_ygRtcsv7w

Read the comments from the uploader too. Apparently they caused an uproar in Israel due to being relatives and friends with 5/7 of the jury.

[Halli]

My all time favorite year was 1987. I was eleven, and for some reason I remember this year better than any other. I am Icelandic, and 1986 was the first year "we" participated, and...what can I say...big hair, even bigger shoulders, and "amazing" songwriting. That's Eurovision for ya.

My favorites:

- Luxembourg: Plastic Bertrand and "Amour Amour"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLmSC7UQ19s
(Still listen to this song today.)

- Turkey (fantastic!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVLM1fhmLcU
- Belgium: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We8LyWi15BU
- Israel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_NEF4YBbU0

Also:
- Israel 1986. It's called Yavoh Yom, but I can't find a video...
- Israel 1979 - Halleluja (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGnAVl2L79o)

I'm just realizing now that I like a lot of Israel's entries...

[Halli]

And yeah, Ringo _is_ mentioned first for the sake of the glorious rhyme.

[Ivy]

Dana International's winning song can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTEe6Gvethk&mode=related&search=

[Scot Hacker]

Speaking of Belgium and bad translations... apparently Plastic Bertrand once narrolwy beat the world Scrabble champion at his own game. I'm wondering whether this might explain how Bertrand came to be known as King of the Divan? Or even whether the lyrics to Ca Plane Pour Moi might have been a straight reading from a completed Scrabble board?

http://stuckbetweenstations.org/2007/05/12/plastic-bertrand/