My random comments from Tuesdays Eurovision semi final 1

All the excitement has finally begun in Baku While here in Melbourne down under we have delayed telecast broadcast on Friday evening I tend to download a broadcast from my motherland in Uk and as I like Scott Mills he's fun. So this post is some schlagertune comments as I saw and heard the songs for the first time on stage- (other than listening to the Eurovision 2012 official Cd of course) 
So if you have yet to see the semi final 1 (just don t worry this post will not reveal any results for any Aussie fans and bloggers). 
Montenegro - Must be one of the worst Eurovision opening songs ever ever! And the horse what was that for? It did not work or make sense to me!
 Latvia - This is one of my firm favorite songs of 2012 from the Cd I still luv it yet am worried the performance and set is too minimalistic for the song .... but please mr god let it qualify? 
Greece - I was not so keen on this tune but now I luv it! It really takes us back to 2005 and The performance is for me very Helena Paparizou -Mark II and the song is very modern
Albania - A classic example of a fantastic singer with a bare terrible tune now see how Albania will qualify for all the wrong reasons - Scott Mills said 'hide your pets' before the song started too right-
 our puppy charlie was scared !
 Iceland - this song for me just has'nt got it for me- it just has never yet clicked but I cannot imagine a Eurovision final without Iceland in it-
 Romania - this is a country that has -one of the best-track records in recent Eurovision history and I luv their entries- so imagine my horror to find I am sorry to say -I am just not keen on this year's offering !
Romania you can do much better?
 Switzerland -it's the Swiss Italian version of 'The Killers' I hope the lads qualify they sound great Live although the song is rather average in Eurovision Tune-terms - for me
 Belguim - a sweet ballad - its almost the Tom Dice - Me & My guitar- effect again with a female singer Sorry belguim not a second time ! I cannot see Iris in the final.
 Finland - a much better ballad Than "Would you" yet will a Swedish ballad pick up a lot of votes Swedish Melodifestivalen has not chosen a ballad for a very long time hmmmm...I think I understand why not now!
Isreal - this song is very different for 2012 and suddenly I think it may work- but Isreal you are up against the Russian grannies/Jedward will take the novelty votes for 2012 is their any left for Isreal?

My Pad-random comments from Semi final 1 : part two

San Marino - its Ralph Siegel how can I not like it just cannot understand why S.N Song is not a lot more popular on the web
 Cyprus - we seem to have heard this song so much yet the live performance is a smasher I just luv this song so much much more
 Russia- they turned out to be everything we hope for I just dare them not to win Hungary - a real quality song for me-  I luv it want Compact Disco to be 2012 'A Friend from London' for this year -just gotta be Top 3 for me ...oh did I saw the singers cute as well
 Austria - I began actually started out liking this fun rap German hit and not only for the funny lyrics but now I think live it's a non qualifier but hey anything can happen in Eurovision
 Moldova - another country that normally do qualify but this year I have to say loose that trumpet cus you won t need it!
 Ireland - Jedward with the hair down I like it with a great performance Dare I say it about the shower effect Eric Sadde did it first in 2010 We still want Jedward in the final 2012.

 My Best song of the night - 'LaLa Love' (Cyprus) & Sound of our hearts (Hungary)

Loreen's interview from Eurovision.tv-Baku this week

Sweden's Loreen is still the favourite to win Eurovision Song Contest 2012.
  Here we have a great first interview with this amazing lady Loreen....

Donna Summer an icon and Diva- she will be missed so much

Yesterday I was infact speechless- after the sad news of Donna Summer so suddenly leaving us, and at a time when she seemed so healthy and doing concerts and recording in the studio an unreleased new record.
 Donna was so full of real joy and happiness- she has been called by BBC 'the reluctant diva' yet she was a
quiet ordinary and down-to-earth lady. With her music in the 70's it was not all about songs of 'bad girls' & 'I Love to love you..baby' she always had a gospel tone to so many of her album tracks and B-sides in her hey-day as well as the disco anthems we know so well.


To bring back a 'smile' to our faces- here its a RARE fun Fan interview from 2009- when Donna even speaks german- wow and so well 

'We miss you Donna Summer'     -Heaven knows we do.

Julia in a Kamper-van his names Karl - see inside Karl os

this is very exciting on the SBS leadup to Euro-vision in Baku-
      we feel so inspired we wanna do a trip over to Europa very sooon..too

A Lost Eurovision Cover-classic from 1977 covered by Farrah Fawcettt

When it comes to Eurovision cover versions I find very often they don't live up to the originals However there is always an exception to the rule. Recently I found one in a version of English/French version of the very successful Italian entry from Eurovision Song Contest 1974 a song that finished 2nd place to Abba's Waterloo winner of that year. Gigola Cinquetti who won Eurovision for the first time in 1963 was looking for a second Victory with "Si" - It did have a English version at the time called "Go (before you break my heart)" the single even became a hit in the British top 20.
                      Farrah Fawcett was certainly in the mid 70s was unknown at all for her singing she did however become an iconic original Charlies Angel and will be remembered fondly for this part and her blond bombshell-  look that came to captured the face of a whole decade - the 70s. We did very sadly lose Farrah Fawcett recently in 2009 when she died at only 62- of cancer.
                      In 1977 Farrah duetted with a French actor Jean-Paul Vignon who was equally famous yet seems to sing alot better than Farrah on this track. Farrah's part on the duet is mostly spoken and almost Marilyn Monroe-eque yet works very well to change this rather traditional Eurovision latin ballad. Why this Eurovision runner-up was re-vamped a full 3 years after 1974- is unclear and it had very limited success in Europe mainly due to both these artists involved I would say-
                      Yet I do like how the whole style of this song was developed into a very different take on 'Si'
when it became 'You"   (click here to hear the track)

...it's just not Eurovision 2012 for us downunder- without the incredible Julia Zemira

With each year SBS Australia sends to Eurovision one of two wonderful commentator Julia Zemira- and this year
  she is travelling in style in an Eurvision Baku camper- van!
Julia we are the lucky one's to have you interviewing & being our eyes of Baku..
                                                        - Schlagertunes


Find out more here from eurovision. tv

Eurovision 2012 Crystal Hall Baku is ready for the first rehearsals-

Jedward flying the flag- but just what have they done to 'Lipstick'

Jedward- how to make great use of last year's expired eurovision entry-
                 this way they won't have to take the bus all the way down to Baku 2012!

Eurovision songs from the Baltics 2012- Latvia, Lituania gets a thumbs up!

Each year at Eurovision I do confess to being very partial to each selection from Estonia A country that always takes it's Euro entries very serious and normally comes up with a song very different each year- Certainly they bring to the stage the very best artists this small country can offer from a well of great modern talent.
This has been rather successful in seeing Estonia so often in the Eurovision grand final.

For Baku 2012, I confess I do like Estonia's 'Kuula' by Ott Lepland. He has made a lot of waves already in Eurovision cycles.

Plus, in 2012 both Latvia & Lituania are favourites of mine- to make the whole trio of baltic countries.
Especially with one of the most caughty songs of recent modern Eurovision tunes if you ask me is
'Beautiful Song' a tune on first listen sounds like a montage of name drops with Johnny Logan winner from 1980, followed by Mccartney and then Mike Jagger. Yet this tune really does stick in the head-
like all eurovision songs should- added to the pure charm of the stunning Anmary as our Latvian singer.

Check out the fab Video of 'Beautiful Song'

Then Lituania, who's greatest success is in fact Eurovision 2006's bold 'We are the Winner' that finished in 6th place. For Baku they are sending a cute singer called Donny Montell ( or Donatas Montvydas )
with a rather polished pop song called 'Love is blind' a song that is a really grower-
In fact - it is almost a follow-up to Sasha Son's 'Love' for Eurovision Moscow in 2009.
If you like this tune - like I do- then do go on and check out Donata's solo album on i-tunes. It's just as good.
Maybe not as strong as Beautiful Song' I hope -Donny can qualify along with the two sister balic countries.

                                              Donny he wants your vote in Baku-

Italy's Nina Zilli - can she improve on last years 2nd place at Eurovision

After some 13 years away from Eurovision Song Contest- one of the original countries Italy returned last in Dusseldorf 2012 
with Raphael Gualazzi's 'Madness of Love' that finished in 2nd placing.. one amazing comeback.


In the past Italy have been represented by the likes of Gigolia Cinquetti, Domenico Modugno,Toto Cutugno, Ricchi & Poveri and Umberto Tozzi, Al Bano & Romina Power & Franco Battiato-  to name a few. Although the list of artists reads like the royality of Italian music- they have won only twice in Eurovision history - and last year's runner up position is only the 2nd time they have been a runner-up- previously to 2011. We have to go back to 1974 when Gigolia Cinquetti came second to Abba's 'Waterloo'. 
For Eurovision Song Contest 2012 Italy have choosen San Remo artist Nina Zilli. She looks like almost like an italian Amy Whitehouse with a song called 'L'Amore e Femmina (Out of Love)' we think this could even be the one- 
with a modern song + a little of Eurovis Sparkle to be a winner