Melodifestivalen 2011- The final song selections

Marie Serneholt hoping to be back in 2011?

Tick Tock Tick Tock...the Clock is ticking in Stockholm

Over in Melodifestivalen HQ at SVT, it will be all systems go! As the remaining 26 songs will be decided as four songs/artists have already been made public. For 2011 this process is not made by just a jury selection. The jury will selected only 15 contributions for next year song contest. The remaining songs will be selected by STV - 2 of which will be Webjokers currently being voted on via STV website by the swedish public.

So October is crunch-time as the songwriters involved who have submitted songs will find out if they are part of Melodifestivalen next year. The jury process has been fully completed yet some songwriters have only been informed of this result by email!

So we wait -as more rumours fly in the Svenska Press- and very soon more names and songwriters will be revealed. Each year traditional swedish songwriters appear each year on the final list. Writers who have brought us so many schlager hits of the past.
It just would not be Melodifestivalen without their talents. Only now New' Rules for 2011 - overseas songwriters can be part of the song contest. Just how much difference this we will make to Melodifestivalen? If you consider 'Satellite' Germany's winner in Eurovision 2010 was written by American songwriter Julie Frost with Danish songwriter John Gordon. It will be interesting to see...how Sweden do with the new rule changes.

Austria will they bring us another Song of Love- Thomas Forstner in Eurovision 1989

-its still music to our ears that Austria are back in Eurovision 2011 in Dusseldorf-

will they produce something like the super schlager-ballad ' Nur Ein Lied'

from 1989- it gave Austria 5th place in Lausanne that year. A worthy top placing from Austria

+ 12 points, for just a Perfect 80's hair-do Thomas

..its Dusseldorf -has been finally choosen as the City to host EUROVISION 2011

Bard -goes back to Schlager for Melodifestivalen 2011

STV have started early to reveal the artists & songwriters for next year's 'new' Melodifestivalen format. As is the norm we have a variety of music styles with a large helping of Schlager-cream (yum!) Just before the Webjokers hit the Net around 10th October let us have a look at what is now confirmed;

Song- Desperados

Artist: Pernilla Andersson
Composer/Lyricist: Pernilla Andersson

a complete newcomer here- a singer/songwriter who has four albums to her credit since 2004- she normally sings in english. If you loved Cookies N Beans who gave us 'What if' in 2009 expect something simular from Pernilla Andersson.

Song- E De Fel Pa Mig

Artist: Linda Bengtzing
Composer/Lyricist: Pontus Assarsson, Thomas G:son, Jörgen Ringqvist

Linda Bengtzing returns to Mf for the fourth time, so a full schlager alert! we get with this grand news. And with songwriters like Thomas G:son who has brought us many a great schlager- stomper ( +Denmark's 'In a Moment like this' in ESC 2010 ) This is gonna be a fan-favourite for sure and means schlager is alive and kickin in 2011- we are hoping it will be as good as 'Jag Ljuger Sa Bra' back in 2006

and key chances a go-go!

Song- Me & My Drum.

Artist: Swingfly
Composer/Lyricist: Teron Beal, Patrik Magnusson, Johan Ramström

Now that Mf for the first time will have foreign songwriters allowed in the competion we find

Teron Beal who wrote hits with Micheal Jackson on his last album recorded. Swingfly, are a HipHop R&B style, not in recent years seen as a real winning genre in Mf.

Song- En Blick och Nagot Hanner

Artist: Lasse Stefanz
Composer/Lyricist: Alexander Bard, Ola Håkansson, Tim Norell

This is the most exciting as a veteran dansband who have been around since the late

60s. Yet never performed before in Melodifestivalen, and turned a chance recently in 2009. The dansband are huge in sweden, norway & finland with mainly top selling albums of dansband music in a kikki country-style.

In the 80's the song-writing trio of Tim Norwell Ola Hakansson & the great Alexander Bard are considered the S.A.W. of the late 80's/90's. They certainly wrote some english popular songs for Barbados. Lili & Susie hits tracks, as well as Agnetha's hit duet with Ola in 1987 'The way you are'/'Fly like an eagle' and Andreas Lundstedt's early Mf hits. Cannot wait to hear the tunes & much more to come...

Unheilig- flying the Flag the best song in Bundesvision 2011

the Bundersvision 2011 was held this month in Berlin. In its fifth year the Nation song contest has 16 states of Germany competing & voting in typical Eurovision style. Yet the artists are more Rock based & require to sing in German. It was a brilliant show, which had a lot to offer: alot of fun, emotion and a bit crazy. Johanna Klum introduced the show, and named the winner of this year's contest. Who could hardly believe their luck. The winner was a Rock band called Unheilig (Unholy) representing North Rhine Westphalia state- with a Rock ballad called 'Unter Deiner Flagge' (see video)

In Runner-up was position was Eastern Germany band making a comeback called Silly! As well as Ich & Ich

a famous band in Germany sang for Berlin, where the Competion was held this year.

We liked much more Peter Fox winner from 2009-

Mr Magnus is Back with a Pop Galaxy of Pop Hits-

Take a look at the official video for the Magnus Carlsson single "Feel You"

- a pulsating Dance track with a hint of eighties pop!

And there is much more of the same on his 26 track bonanza of a new album

called Pop Galaxy available from i-tunes just about everywhere..

Yes, your schlager needs this.

Måns Flashback - Miss America- just Zelmerlöw/Kempe Magic

...it seems ages since we had a flashback clip on the blog.

what better than that combination of Fredrik Kempe & Måns - and an ace clip

Didrik Solli-Tangen is back- At Jnr Melodi Grand Prix with his 'Best kept secret'

Didrik, he is certainly Norsk's best kept secret, we think- and this is the title for the new single..

- luv it..

Will Nanne +One More Time- make it one more time for Eurovision in 2011?

Danny of EMD, Shirley Clamp & Sanna Nielsen, Lasse Stefanz and Lili & Susie are said to be certain names to perform in Melodifestivalen 2011. According to Aftonbladet (newspaper) last weekend they say Christer Bjorkman has a half full list of Stars. Who are going to make up a larger list of top names for 2011, the normal 4 Top Star jokers will increase next year to 15

Legend Nanne Grönvall is said to be certain for a comeback with her band One More Time, they did have 2 successful entries in the 80s Then One More Time won Melodifestivalen in 1996- they came 3rd at Eurovision with 'Den Vilda' More Melodifestivalen veterans in Sanna Nielsen and Shirley Clamp who
have been missing in recent line-ups.

Danny, without his EMD brothers (shame!)

Among the artists who have expressed an interest in the festival as well is Magnus Carlsson, Alice Svenson, & Marie Serneholt. Plus following an ole Mf tradition; Ace of Base are rumoured to take part (rumoured again!!) - they are on the comeback with two new female singers in sweden at the mo...

Same Difference for EuROVISION 2011

Ok- yes, it has been said before -Same Difference are just perfect for Eurovision 2011-

come on UK what are you waiting for?

The new single proves they have what it takes born out of X Factor.

Here is an idea - UK could hold an ole sckool 'Song for Europe' & just vote on 6

great songs all sung by Same Difference for UK's selection next year?

just how could they lose?

PLUS what is almost as exciting is Same Difference have got together with Super Swedes Alcazar for one amazing hit planned for the next Same Differrence follow up to their debut Pop album
Amazing we will listen out for that one!

Golden Girl of EUROVISION in the 60's KATHY KIRBY & her real 'Secret Love'

Kathy Kirby was one of the Golden Girls of Female 60s pop a couple of years before Sandie Shaw with her Puppet on a string!
Kathy was only the second girl ever to sing for UK at Eurovision Song Contest in 1966, in fact she was put forward to represent Britain in 1964 yet heartthrob Matt Monroe was chosen to sing " I love the little things" instead that year. The following year Kathy had proved herself with hit records plus her own successful series on BBC Television The Kathy Kirby Show. It was on her show, televised on 29^th January 1965, that Kathy performed six specially commissioned compositions.
The cream of British songwriters wrote the songs. Tony Hatch (who composed many of Petula Clark's hits) Leslie Bricusse, Tom Springfield (Dusty's brother) Les Reed and Barry Mason, Chris Andrews (who wrote songs for Sandie Shaw) plus two relatively unknowns Peter Lee Stirling and Phil Peters.The Song for Europe winner was a power ballad called " I belong" that only Kathy could deliver in a style of Bassey crossed with Doris Day.The five songs were very strong for the UKs selection following Matt Monroe's 2nd placing the year before. Kathy also became 7 points away from the winning position in Naples Italy, but France Gall won for Luxembourg.

Kathy went on to have a string of Uk hits she looked very much a Star from Hollywood, however the reason her career never ventured further than Uk & Europe was revealed when Kathy told all in a Newspaper exclusive interview (read here). She has lead a Garbo-style existence for the past 20 years only recently has she came back after sadly fallen from grace. Kathy does still belong as one of Eurovision's Golden moments of 60s Glory.