TT
I endorse what you say there Pete.
Cast your mind back to Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up! 2007 (Saturday 17 March 2007).
The six national finalists were:
"(Don't It Make You) Happy!" - Liz McClarnon (5th)
"I Can" - Brian Harvey (6th)
"Big Bro Thang" - Big Brovaz (3rd)
"I'll Leave My Heart" - Cyndi (2nd)
"Flying The Flag (For You)" - Scooch (1st)
"They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To" - Justin Hawkins & Beverlei Brown (4th)
A week or so before that national final (9th or 10th March I think), I found the above six contenders on the BBC Eurovision web site, and watched the preview videos. To be quite frank and honest, I didn't really like any of them. The only one I "kind of liked" was "Flying The Flag (For You)" - Scooch, on the grounds that it was a good Eurovision song (ABBA-esque, mentioned capitals of several Eurovision countries, etc.) In other words, I felt "Flying The Flag (For You)" was the best of a bad bunch, and was so glad that made it through to the Eurovision Song Contest 2007.
Just for the record, Boogie Beebies on CBeebies during the week 5-9 March 2007 was Sporty Boogie , and I videoed that series to dance to Sporty Boogie. Quite frankly the song for that dance Sporty Boogie sounded better than any of the above mentioned contenders for Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up! 2007. I said at the time Sporty Boogie should have been the UK's 2007 Eurovision entry!
If the UK wants to take Eurovision seriously, it should have eight or ten songs to choose from in the national final. Decent ones, i.e. ones that will appeal to all parts of EBU territory. Furthermore the song ought to be picked by late January, so the artist has a few months to showcase it in every participating country, and it gets plenty of needle time (or should that now be laser time?) on the radio in other countries.
Course the BBC get to choose the finalists, and if they choose dross for that then it's hardly the public's fault when they choose dross from a slection of dross.
I endorse what you say there Pete.
Cast your mind back to Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up! 2007 (Saturday 17 March 2007).
The six national finalists were:
"(Don't It Make You) Happy!" - Liz McClarnon (5th)
"I Can" - Brian Harvey (6th)
"Big Bro Thang" - Big Brovaz (3rd)
"I'll Leave My Heart" - Cyndi (2nd)
"Flying The Flag (For You)" - Scooch (1st)
"They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To" - Justin Hawkins & Beverlei Brown (4th)
A week or so before that national final (9th or 10th March I think), I found the above six contenders on the BBC Eurovision web site, and watched the preview videos. To be quite frank and honest, I didn't really like any of them. The only one I "kind of liked" was "Flying The Flag (For You)" - Scooch, on the grounds that it was a good Eurovision song (ABBA-esque, mentioned capitals of several Eurovision countries, etc.) In other words, I felt "Flying The Flag (For You)" was the best of a bad bunch, and was so glad that made it through to the Eurovision Song Contest 2007.
Just for the record, Boogie Beebies on CBeebies during the week 5-9 March 2007 was Sporty Boogie , and I videoed that series to dance to Sporty Boogie. Quite frankly the song for that dance Sporty Boogie sounded better than any of the above mentioned contenders for Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up! 2007. I said at the time Sporty Boogie should have been the UK's 2007 Eurovision entry!
If the UK wants to take Eurovision seriously, it should have eight or ten songs to choose from in the national final. Decent ones, i.e. ones that will appeal to all parts of EBU territory. Furthermore the song ought to be picked by late January, so the artist has a few months to showcase it in every participating country, and it gets plenty of needle time (or should that now be laser time?) on the radio in other countries.
NG
noggin
Founding member
I think the BBC need to chose their song earlier, to get it performed across Europe (where they take Eurovision a lot more seriously and will invite other countries' artists on to TV shows - even selection shows if you've already chosen)
The problem is that the BBC would need to find a selection format that would also deliver ratings. The only one that has recently was the Norton/Webber multi-week show that was a hasty replacement for a "Maria/Joseph/Nancy" format show. They need to find a slot for it, and a format that will work...
A real issue is that the prize - representing the UK at Eurovision - is hardly a competitor for a starring role in a West End show etc., a record deal with Simon Cowell etc.
The problem is that the BBC would need to find a selection format that would also deliver ratings. The only one that has recently was the Norton/Webber multi-week show that was a hasty replacement for a "Maria/Joseph/Nancy" format show. They need to find a slot for it, and a format that will work...
A real issue is that the prize - representing the UK at Eurovision - is hardly a competitor for a starring role in a West End show etc., a record deal with Simon Cowell etc.
NE
I think that year "Leave My Heart" by Cyndi was the best. I think it must have been close because Terry said (wrongly) that she had won. I think it probably got overtaken by Scooch at the last minute. But the song was too much like other songs in some parts (eg. Loch Lomand) and wasn't original enough and the singing could have been better etc.
Scooch came 22nd. I think even if the UK had chosen Cyndi it might not have done much better (eg. Norway came 20th in 2010 with a bit similar song). But I think it was 10x better than Scooch (and better than the Norway one) and we should have chosen "Leave my heart" instead of "Flying the Flag".
Cast your mind back to Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up! 2007
I think that year "Leave My Heart" by Cyndi was the best. I think it must have been close because Terry said (wrongly) that she had won. I think it probably got overtaken by Scooch at the last minute. But the song was too much like other songs in some parts (eg. Loch Lomand) and wasn't original enough and the singing could have been better etc.
Scooch came 22nd. I think even if the UK had chosen Cyndi it might not have done much better (eg. Norway came 20th in 2010 with a bit similar song). But I think it was 10x better than Scooch (and better than the Norway one) and we should have chosen "Leave my heart" instead of "Flying the Flag".
Last edited by Neo on 30 August 2011 1:43pm - 2 times in total
MI
It's very simple. There are artists out there who could, can and will write songs that appeal across Europe (or rather across enough of Europe to win an ESC.) We have plenty of modern day Cliffs, BuckFizzes, Katrinas and ABBAs. It's just who wants to? Really? The days of respectability at the ESC are long gone. Where are Scooch now? Precious? Jemini? Love City Groove? Josh DuBovie? Even poor old Andy Abraham seems to have disappeared. Has Javine's career gone from strength to strength?
Sad truth is that Eurovision is the last throw of the dice for many a fading-into-obscurity act, rather than the springboard to fame it could be.
It's a songwriting contest as well as a singing/performing contest. Why not have a songwriting contest here? Why not get the best and brightest young songwriters (one rock, one pop, one dance and one indie) to pitch their ideas in a national contest, and then have four different bands / acts interpret each one in their own way in a follow up contest?
It'll never happen - BBC cutbacks and all that - but I tell you what -- we should just send Bill Bailey and Rolf Harris over next year to do a Stairway to Heaven duet. That'll win.
If the UK wants to take Eurovision seriously, it should have eight or ten songs to choose from in the national final. Decent ones, i.e. ones that will appeal to all parts of EBU territory. Furthermore the song ought to be picked by late January, so the artist has a few months to showcase it in every participating country, and it gets plenty of needle time (or should that now be laser time?) on the radio in other countries.
It's very simple. There are artists out there who could, can and will write songs that appeal across Europe (or rather across enough of Europe to win an ESC.) We have plenty of modern day Cliffs, BuckFizzes, Katrinas and ABBAs. It's just who wants to? Really? The days of respectability at the ESC are long gone. Where are Scooch now? Precious? Jemini? Love City Groove? Josh DuBovie? Even poor old Andy Abraham seems to have disappeared. Has Javine's career gone from strength to strength?
Sad truth is that Eurovision is the last throw of the dice for many a fading-into-obscurity act, rather than the springboard to fame it could be.
It's a songwriting contest as well as a singing/performing contest. Why not have a songwriting contest here? Why not get the best and brightest young songwriters (one rock, one pop, one dance and one indie) to pitch their ideas in a national contest, and then have four different bands / acts interpret each one in their own way in a follow up contest?
It'll never happen - BBC cutbacks and all that - but I tell you what -- we should just send Bill Bailey and Rolf Harris over next year to do a Stairway to Heaven duet. That'll win.
NG
It'll never happen - BBC cutbacks and all that - but I tell you what -- we should just send Bill Bailey and Rolf Harris over next year to do a Stairway to Heaven duet. That'll win.
Except that it couldn't be 'Stairway to Heaven' - as that has already had a commercial release...
Maybe we should do what the rest of Europe is increasingly doing.
Recruit Nordic talent (last year's winner was a Swedish entry to all intents and purposes - it was just the two lead singers who weren't Swedish. Pretty much everyone else on-stage and backstage was) Swedish and Norwegian music production talent is pretty influential in the European pop industry...
There have been rumblings in the past about Alcazar (now taking a break) representing the UK, and Swedish singer Nanne (aka Nanne Grönvall) has entered Song for Europe in the past).
The ESC has been Execed by a Swede (Svante Stockselius) for many years, and Jon Ola Sand (who is Norwegian and was the NRK producer behind last year's contest in Oslo)
noggin
Founding member
It'll never happen - BBC cutbacks and all that - but I tell you what -- we should just send Bill Bailey and Rolf Harris over next year to do a Stairway to Heaven duet. That'll win.
Except that it couldn't be 'Stairway to Heaven' - as that has already had a commercial release...
Maybe we should do what the rest of Europe is increasingly doing.
Recruit Nordic talent (last year's winner was a Swedish entry to all intents and purposes - it was just the two lead singers who weren't Swedish. Pretty much everyone else on-stage and backstage was) Swedish and Norwegian music production talent is pretty influential in the European pop industry...
There have been rumblings in the past about Alcazar (now taking a break) representing the UK, and Swedish singer Nanne (aka Nanne Grönvall) has entered Song for Europe in the past).
The ESC has been Execed by a Swede (Svante Stockselius) for many years, and Jon Ola Sand (who is Norwegian and was the NRK producer behind last year's contest in Oslo)
AG
The first Artist and song to be picked from a national selection have been chosen.
Switzerland have chosen the band Sinplus with "Unbreakable".
Switzerland have chosen the band Sinplus with "Unbreakable".
GO
The first big NF of the season, the Danish MGP is on right now.
http://www.dr.dk/nu/live#/DR1
Norwegian MGP began tonight with a very interesting stage. The audience go right the way round it.
http://www.nrk.no/nett-tv/klipp/821471/
http://www.dr.dk/nu/live#/DR1
Norwegian MGP began tonight with a very interesting stage. The audience go right the way round it.
http://www.nrk.no/nett-tv/klipp/821471/
Last edited by gottago on 21 January 2012 9:44pm - 2 times in total
TO
Just thought I'd mention that one of my favourite parts of the contest- the visual theme has been revealed: the slogan this year is "Light your Fire!" and goes with some rather nice red and orange graphics, which can be seen here:
http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=43383&_t=baku_2012_light_your_fire
The designers are Turquoise Branding- based in London. They also designed the graphics for last years contest:
http://www.turquoisebranding.com/2012/work/01/25/eurovision-2012-light-your-fire/
http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=43383&_t=baku_2012_light_your_fire
The designers are Turquoise Branding- based in London. They also designed the graphics for last years contest:
http://www.turquoisebranding.com/2012/work/01/25/eurovision-2012-light-your-fire/
HC
The designers are Turquoise Branding- based in London. They also designed the graphics for last years contest:
http://www.turquoisebranding.com/2012/work/01/25/eurovision-2012-light-your-fire/
Interesting there is a quote from Brainpool productions of Germany there. They must be lending production support to Ictimal TV, as Brainpool were co-producers of the Eurovision Song Contest last year - and produce the German Song from Europe show for ProSieben.
The designers are Turquoise Branding- based in London. They also designed the graphics for last years contest:
http://www.turquoisebranding.com/2012/work/01/25/eurovision-2012-light-your-fire/
Interesting there is a quote from Brainpool productions of Germany there. They must be lending production support to Ictimal TV, as Brainpool were co-producers of the Eurovision Song Contest last year - and produce the German Song from Europe show for ProSieben.
NG
noggin
Founding member
That's a pity. I wasn't a fan of the Düsseldorf production - thought Oslo the year before was far more interesting visually. The German production was very 'flat' - with the LED dominating at the expense of any other set elements. (The Oslo show had lots of different bits of set that could be deployed to give each song some variety - whether it was strings of spheres, drapes, long strings LED lights etc.)
I wonder if Azerbaijan is going to throw money at the contest in the same way Russia did. Russia used LED far more spectacularly (with the LED double-sided moving ceiling ring, the LED flats in front of the main LED wall etc. giving steadicams and artists hiding places etc.)
I wonder if Azerbaijan is going to throw money at the contest in the same way Russia did. Russia used LED far more spectacularly (with the LED double-sided moving ceiling ring, the LED flats in front of the main LED wall etc. giving steadicams and artists hiding places etc.)