The Return of the 'Disco Defenders'

One of the most exciting artists on the comeback trail is Alcazar as a three piece group.They began back in 1998 with Andreas Lundstedt Tess Merkel & Annika Kjaergaard & soon after had an international worldwide hit with "Crying in the Discoteque" 
The bands major success in their homeland came with Melodifestivalen 2003 when royal highness 'schlager' king himself Magnus Carlsson from Barbados joined Alcazar to make a 4 piece "Sinner nor a saint" The song finished 3rd  in MF yet became the public's favourite of that year as well as a massive No; 1 Gold selling single.This was followed by the suberb studio album 'Alcazaized' that perfectly shows the bands continued tribute to Disco dance sound of the 70's in a new modern way. More great singles followed "This is the world we live in" & "Start the fire" and another blast of disco stardust with "Alcastar"This was the bands song in Melodifestivalen 2005 once again finished 3rd place. Then in the autumn of 2005 the band announced they would take an Abba-style break to work on other solo projects. 
They had a massive hit with "We Keep on rockin" in 2008 in Sweden, Andeas & Tess are back with former MF star Lina Hedlund, alot like the original line up back in the late 90's.If the new song for MF 2009 "Stay the night" is anything like 'Keep on rockin' we could seeAlcazar pass the previous third placing record.... 
The glitter ball spins as we prepare to be Alcazared 

Alcazar "We Keep on Rockin" - They are back : )

SMILEY MARTIN Will he return?

Martin Stenmarck represented Sweden with 'Las Vegas' Eurovision 2005. "7milakliv", a follow up in 2006 became certified Platinum and spent over 10 weeks at #1 on the Swedish singles chart.
Martin Stenmarck's Melodifestivalen winner "Las Vegas" hit the top spot the week after the 2005 MF Final, while Nanne Grönvall's "Håll om mig", favorite from public tele-votes topped the charts the week after that.
       Meanwhile a new Martin Stenmarck album for 2007 "Nio sanningar och en lögn" (Nine truths and one lie) mirrored the success of "7milakliv" by topping the Swedish albums chart & spending three weeks at #1.
After all his chart success will he come back to Melodifestivalen stage again? I like Martin's music a lot ( even if its not very schlagistic! ) Last week he brought us another great single "A million candles burning" this time in english, so a new english album is on its way (see clip below) now many of his tunes are wrote with younger brother David Stenmarck who has wrote "1000 Miles" one of the song for MF 2009 The artist is to be revealed next week .. its rumoured to be The Poodles (again?) I am hoping it will be Martin's MF comeback.....      (come back Marty, Nanne's forgiven you now)

Martin Stenmarck "A Million candles burning" Sweden's NEW Hit

Schlager goes to The Opera

For the second round of Melodifestivalen artists released, 

there is not as 

  many 'hot' favouries as in round one last week. 

Such names as The Scotts, ( a famous dansband!) Molly Sanden, Jonathan Fagerlund

     Maja Gullstrand, Next  3.   and Mikael Rickfors.

Then the wild card 2 we have an internationally famous Opera superstar 'Malena Ernman' she will sing "La Voix" this song is wrote by Fredrik Kempe who wrote "Hero" ( MF 2008 winner ) & sung his own Mf song "Finally" back in 2003. 

Fredrik will be in high demand in 2009. He has given his songwriting sparkle to "You're not alone" a BWO electro-power-gospel-drama ballad gosh!  "Moving on"  is 'nuther Sarah Dawn Finer ballad & our  Måns singing 'Hope and Glory' 

        Its my guess we will see Fredrik on a few of the songwriters tables in the Globen Mf Final night .. can't wait.

       Check out Malena clip from this year, and what she can bring to Mf with her Opera Schlager Tune....

introducing Malena Ernman a 'wildcard' for Melodifestivalen 2009 !!

The stars are coming for Melodifestivalen 2009

Its official,

Måns Zelmerlöw, Alcazar

B W O, Emilia

Sarah Dawn Finer,

Jennifer Brown,

Caroline af Ugglas & Lasse Lindh

The first eight artists made public this week, and one

wild card..........

Christer Björkman was joined by Jennifer Brown and Måns Zelmerlöw on 'Good Morning Sweden' to reveal the ninth act confirmed for the competition. As Markoolio, Finnish-Swedish multi platinum musician is massive in Sweden, & someone Christer has wanted to have in Melodifestivalen for several years. See clip interview with Mans below...he looks as smiley & fab as ever.

Is everyone now schlaga-x-cited !

Måns Zelmerlöw in Godmorgon SVT after MELODIFESTIVALEN 2009 announcements

From 'MAKING YOUR MIND UP 2004' to HOLLYWOOD !

    

 that's Ben Barnes he is being

called the new Orlando Bloom, and was picked from hundreds of actors to take on the major role in Chronicles Of Narnia new movie Prince Caspian. More movies are coming up for this 

hot property in Hollywood as he will star in 'Stardust'  and 'Picture Of Dorian Gray' (currently being filmed)  

      In 2004 the Londoner's career began when he was one step away from Eurovision Song Contest 2004. Part of boy band Hyrise, Ben who looks better now, with his longer hair. They came 2nd to 

James Fox with  "Hold on to out Love"  in MYMU check out the clip below. 

So there is hope for all Euro- rejects there is a place in Hollywood movies when you don't make the big ESC....

HYRISE Leading Me On 2nd MYMP 2004 Feat.BEN BARNES

SHOCK Schlaga-Swap is Van der Boom-Boom.

Jeroen Van der Boom-Boom ! has been now named as a 'New' replacement 

  in the dutch top schlager act 'De Toppers' this is the band hand picked 

by Netherlands Tv.   They were all set to take the dutch entry to Moscow

for Eurovision 2009 and make, A Big Toppers-schlager performance to put Holland back on the Euerovision map.

When 'tragedy' (que Steps intro ) struck the band! one of the lead singers Gerard Joling 

 left the group who are approaching  their 5th anniversary year, and a large tour. Leaving 

only 2 Toppers brothers Gordon & Rene Froger, shortly after the shock of

  the news. The brothers found Jeroen as a happy replacement for Gerard,  and Jeroen seems

highly qualified, just take a look at his recent Video below. 

With a couple of  No 1 singles up his sleeve back in Holland he will be making hearts go a boom-boom!  

                           in fact,  it makes you wonder...............

  Could he be related himself in someway to that famous Song , Lulu's  Eurovision winner 

   'Boom Boom Bang-a-bang"  of 1969. ................ see what ya think.

Jeroen van der Boom 'Betekenis' NEW DE TOPPER' MEMBER..

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Stand by your Måns.....

Måns Zelmerlöw is set to return to Melodifestivalen 2009 (hurrah) with a song "Hope and Glory"

He gave us 'Cara Mia' in Melodifestivalen 2007 and this gave him a Swedish No:1 hit and big selling debut album, for the boy from idol. He was one of the runner ups to Agnes Carlsson in the final 2005 ( she may also take to Melodifestivalen stage next year ) Also to top off the year our Måns took the grand title of 'Najeskowniejszego Swede' (Most sexiest man) in QX Gay Magazine.

Since then he has taken part on Sweden's 'Lets Dance' Tv show & 'Grease- The Musical' starring as Danny in Malmo and been touring sweden in various shows. Welcome back to MF

Here is his follow-up huge hit "Brother oh Brother" video.

LILI OCH SUSIE ARE BACK FOR 2009

            While heaps of rumours are flying around back  in Sweden who will,

  or who won't?  sing which song?  

One return to Melodifestivalen is a certain fact, and thats  

 after some 20 years Lili & Susie are back. 

How exciting,   the 80's Pop-blonde sister duo, who were even famous for making big waves down-under. 

          Where in 1991 "The Sisters" album was released in Australia with  'Boyfriend' & 'What's the colour of money' were big-ish hits for the girls.  Back home they had a longer Hit run 1984-93 also they came 5th in Melodifestivalen 1989 with

 "Okey Okey"  

   -this  tune was much more that ok,ok!  Just check out the english version Video below. 

They are a very worthy pop act to take Sweden into Eurovision with their song 

 "Show me Heaven"co-wrote by Lili herself, who is now-a-days an activist against animal testing now at home in sweden.

        So lets hope she can prevent any more 'Dustin, the Turkey's being exploited in Moscow 2009...

Please EBU, can we have a new ruling....  

  NO Animal Puppetry Experiments in Eurovision 2009 !     

okey         okey?

"okey okey" LILI & SUSIE Melodifestivalen 1989

BUCKS FIZZ 'Making your Mind up' 1981 Preview

FLASHBACK ALERT Song For Europe 1978 & 1981

Cheryl Baker, one of the members of Bucks Fizz. Our Cheryl is 

  also one of the few artists to take to the Eurovision stage for her homeland 

  twice. In fact only Sir Cliff Richard & Ronnie Carroll have equalled this proud honour

'Bad old days' was wrote by same team Stuart Slater & Stephanie de Sykes who also wrote the 1980

U K enrty Prima Donna  'Love enough for two'

Co-Co's song won Song for Europe in 1978. The band were:

Terry Bradford  Josie Andrews Cheryl Baker Keith Hasler & Paul Rogers 

it was back in 1976 they had sang 'Wake up' and finished 2nd to Brotherhood of Man, 

in Song for Europe that year. 

  

I have found both of  Cheryl's debut mega lush BBC Eurovision Preview Clips, they always

seem to featured our new Euro' stars never even singing a word in these clips. Never 

sure why? as it was the decade that started lip synching could it be that  have they yet to learn the song lyrics... 

Hmmmm. The Bucks Fizz clip is fantastic, as our Fizzers slip the first 

glass of bubbly      

Bad Old Days CO-CO ( Feat. Cheryl Baker) 1978

"Miracle"-Sonja Aldén ...Yes its Melodifestivalen time

MELODIFESTIVALEN 2009 Countdown Begins

The rumour mills are turning making new fresh            schlager-bread 

for the Melodifest' harvest in 2009.

                          Who will be in the Melodifestivalen next year??

As only song titles & writers

 have been revealed and we all wait for the names of the wild-cards- Top Swedish

 artists for 2009.

According to The Swedish Press Mill;  Peter Joback, E M D ( featuring Danny Saucedo ) or Sibel 

 are hot contenders to take to the stage in for Melodifestivalen.

MOST exciting for me  is news of the likely return of some ole favourites .....

 the return of past    HEROs.......

Alcazar ( stay the night)  

   BWO (You're My World)            Velvet (The Queen) 

 Amy Diamond (Its my life)        Sarah Dawn Finer (Moving on)

Shirley Clamp (Med Hjartat fyllt av Ljus)     Lili & Susie (Show me Heaven)

   Elin Lanto ( Killing me tenderly)   

  and lets not forget 

The return of   Måns Zelmerlöw   (hope & glory)

    Check out some more schlager memories that came from 2007 Sonja Alden's  "For Att Du Finns"

          together with a classic  "Att älska dig". in english... the vid is above.

Prima Donna "Love Enough For Two" UK 1980

FLASHBACK ALERT Song For Europe 1980

Following the excellent big NEWS from the ole BBC in UK that Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber will

be heading  a Tv Show to Search for a 'Eurovision Star' for Moscow 2009. 

Will it be like "The Cilla Black Show" of 1968 onwards ! with Sarah Brightman as his sexy co-host!! she could bring back her dance group Hot Gossip!!  

Just wishful thinkin'

As I am a Brit' Lad (Birmingham UK home of 1998 Eurovision Contest) 

from way back, I have been checking out the Best of 'Song For Europe' gems.

So I will be bringing you on this blog, the best & even the worst of England's Eurovision Pre-Selections. 

Perhapes even from the 70's & 80's before Videos came to be the norm. 

They was "TV Preview" Clips....

of winning local entry's from a lot of counry's in Europe . I found one from 1980

'Prima Donna' very typical of the Preview Clips of that time.

The band were Kate Robbins, Jane Robbins ( the wonderful) Sally Ann Triplett. Danny Finn Alan Coates and Lance Aston (who was "yes" Jay Aston  Fizzer's brother no less)

Lance Aston tried again to reach Eurovision final performing with a ex-New Seeker 

Kathryn Ann Rae in 1983 after Jay in Bucks Fizz  had won just 2 years before. The band was Audio with "Love on my mind" finished 4th in Song For Europe. 

Be sure check out this 1980 clip above.

Schlagertunes is here

Hej there,

Welcome to the first blog on schlagertunes..

   a place to get all the News and views on schlager-pop music

both past and present mainly from Sweden. The schlager capital 

 of the world.

Also regular up dates on Melodifestivalen and even some Eurovision

 tunes from around Europe -as they happen  leading into 2009 & Beyond.

Stay SCHLAGER Tuned & ENJOY