This years edition is to be held in Athens (semifinal on May 18, final on May 20).

The Netherlands haven't been doing very well the last years, so we have to survive the semifinal first. I think we stand a fair chance there. Here's what we're gonna send:

http://www.schouwburglochem.nl/uploaded_images/051208%20Treble%20-%20Willem%20de%20Roon.jpg


Treble are Caroline Hofman and (sisters) Ni

I love it, you can't beat a good dose of cheese !!  ;D
In the U.K Terry Wogan is the reason for watching. His commetary is fantastic.

It may be my age, but it's not as good as it used to be...

I gather we're entering some 'rap' effort this year, which should push us nicely into minus figures!


In the U.K Terry Wogan is the reason for watching. His commetary is fantastic.


Most people only tune in for his 'comments'...

That man has gentle p*ss-taking down to a fine art!

It's sort of a farce, I think...not one takes it seriously anymore, it's been a long time since ABBA were on the show. And Olivia Newton John (though she wasn't even British  >:().

It may be my age, but it's not as good as it used to be...



I'm not sure if it ever was "good".  :-\\

For a good result you (still) need:

- an excellent song, and/or
- an outstanding performance, and/or
- a lot of good friends (always helpful), and/or
- a lucky draw (final three in starting order seems to help a lot).

In recent years, The Netherlands have been lacking at least two out of four, and since we'll never have a lot of good friends, we've got to have an excellent song AND an outstanding performance and just pray for a lucky draw...

I love it, you can't beat a good dose of cheese !!  ;D
In the U.K Terry Wogan is the reason for watching. His commetary is fantastic.
Exactly the same point as me, Terry Wogan is the master.

It's sort of a farce, I think...not one takes it seriously anymore

You mean...we're meant to take it seriously...?!!

it's been a long time since ABBA were on the show. And Olivia Newton John (though she wasn't even British  >:().


Ah yes, you're going back to the glory days of the 70s...

Anyway, you don't have to be a citizen of the country that you represent...as long as you can claim some sort of ancestry, you're in!

You mean...we're meant to take it seriously...?!!

Ah yes, you're going back to the glory days of the 70s...

Anyway, you don't have to be a citizen of the country that you represent...as long as you can claim some sort of ancestry, you're in!
Cliff Richard born in India, Katrina (and the Waves) born in the USA, or even Celine Dion Canadda?

I love it, you can't beat a good dose of cheese !!  ;D
In the U.K Terry Wogan is the reason for watching. His commetary is fantastic.



Most people only tune in for his 'comments'...

That man has gentle p*ss-taking down to a fine art!


A couple of years ago they made the mistake of screening it here without Wogans commentary - replacing it with an aussie comedien.  Big big mistake - there were so many complaints that they had to re screen it 3 days later with Wogan reinstated !!!!

You mean...we're meant to take it seriously...?!!

Ah yes, you're going back to the glory days of the 70s...

Anyway, you don't have to be a citizen of the country that you represent...as long as you can claim some sort of ancestry, you're in!


In all fairness, half a million Europeans DO take it seriously, especially teens. It's like an European version of American idol (just something a yank would say)!  :)

Treble - it's ironic they're all drummers (well maybe not, I dunno). Well, that would be a cool. A band consisting of three drummers and vocals...we need originality like that in the music industry.

Bumped thread.

Eurovision. Terry Wogan has quit in his role as the main continuity announcer from this season onwards, and has been replaced by the omnipresent Graham Norton.

Last year's contest saw "Breathe" by Dima Bilan win out above 25 entries. We in the UK did the best we possibly could have with former Fame Academy graduate Andy Abraham singing Even If - the live Eurovision version is here, and, when you consider the difference in our political position between 1997 and now, it has to be said, we did the best we could, and Abraham himself put in as worthy a performance as Eurovision deserves.

I remember Albania's entry from the contest, and though you have to say she had a few, what we call, Jemini moments, she did rather well given the material she was faced with.

Last year's UK audition runner-up, on the other hand, was this - which upset me so much the first time I watched it that I actually gave in halfway through.

And any contest which gives Scooch the ability to reform must be worthwhile, right Jason?

Italy, meanwhile, haven't entered the contest since 1997. Their most recent entry in the contest I remember buying on import CD single a week after the contest. Their most recent entry, which you can hear here, was their first entry for four contests, and their last to date. The popular song "Volare", originally titled "Nel blu dipinto di blu", was the Italian entry for the 1958 contest, and was selected by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson as their favourite ever ESC entry.

I can't even remember our other qualifier songs from 1997, though one was apparently performed by Kerry McGregor, who, nine years later, would audition for the X Factor and get through to the final 12.

Celine Dion Canada?


I was surprised to hear that she had won Eurovision for Switzerland in like '88 or something like that. It shocked me because I assumed you had to be from the country you're singing for (and Céline is certainly not Swiss), or at least from Europe. But I guess not.

Sévérine, a French singer, won for Monaco in '71  I think.

I was surprised to hear that she had won Eurovision for Switzerland in like '88 or something like that. It shocked me because I assumed you had to be from the country you're singing for (and Céline is certainly not Swiss), or at least from Europe. But I guess not.

Sévérine, a French singer, won for Monaco in '71  I think.
Vicky Leandros, born in Corfu (Greece), won the Eurovision Song Contest for Luxembourg with "Après toi" in 1972.

The popular song "Volare", originally titled "Nel blu dipinto di blu", was the Italian entry for the 1958 contest, and was selected by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson as their favourite ever ESC entry.


A chap named Elvis Presley was quite fond of it too!

Yet for all its international recognition and success, it never actually won Eurovision! It finished third, but you'd have to find a real 'hardened' Eurovision fan to remember the winner and runner-up!

A chap named Elvis Presley was quite fond of it too!
I associate the song more with Dean Martin.

I associate the song more with Dean Martin.


No, no...I'm not saying he recorded it, rather he had a copy in his jukebox at Graceland...

However, he didn't have the Deanster's version (or Charlie Drake's!)...he had the original version (as performed at Eurovision) by Domenico Modugno...

A chap named Elvis Presley was quite fond of it too!

Yet for all its international recognition and success, it never actually won Eurovision! It finished third, but you'd have to find a real 'hardened' Eurovision fan to remember the winner and runner-up!


I'd say there's a fair chance of UK being runners-up that year... ::) ;)

Winner...? Ah, here it is.... Not one of the most memorable song in ESC history.

Mind you, this was back in the days of jury voting.

Eurovision. Terry Wogan has quit in his role as the main continuity announcer from this season onwards, and has been replaced by the omnipresent Graham Norton.

Last year's contest saw "Breathe" by Dima Bilan win out above 25 entries.


I hate to correct you...but the song was titled "Believe".

I'd say there's a fair chance of UK being runners-up that year... ::) ;)

Nope...'cause we didn't enter that year!  ;)

If memory serves we did have a hat-trick of runner-up spots from 1959-61...

Winner...? Ah, here it is.... Not one of the most memorable song in ESC history.


Thank you! It appears the title translates as 'Sleep, My Love'...probably sending most of Europe into a stupor!

Nope...'cause we didn't enter that year!  ;)

If memory serves we did have a hat-trick of runner-up spots from 1959-61...


By golly, you're right.

So I checked and found out runner-up was a lady that entered the contest for the third time in a row...


Thank you! It appears the title translates as 'Sleep, My Love'...probably sending most of Europe into a stupor!


Sorry...you were saying..?

By golly, you're right.

A rarity in itself!  ;)

We took a year out to gear ourselves up for the mighty onslaught of 'Sing Little Birdie'...which would have swept everything before it in its path, but for the Netherlands!  ;)

So I checked and found out runner-up was a lady that entered the contest for the third time in a row...

She also did the original (I think) of 'Oh My Papa' a few years before...

(Probably of no interest to anyone except Eddie Fisher fans!)

Sorry...you were saying..?


Er...I've lost the plot already!  :D

A rarity in itself!  ;)

We took a year out to gear ourselves up for the mighty onslaught of 'Sing Little Birdie'...which would have swept everything before it in its path, but for the Netherlands!  ;)


1959...One of our finer years. Dang, that's 50 years ago already. :o


She also did the original (I think) of 'Oh My Papa' a few years before...

(Probably of no interest to anyone except Eddie Fisher fans!)


You could be right, you could be wrong... Personally, I don't care either way. I grew up with a 1973 version by Dutch trumpet player Marty.

I've started a new thread on the European Song Contest, mainly because this one is already rather old.

I hate to correct you...but the song was titled "Believe".


It is?

Aha, it is. That means I need to correct page 28 of my document. Thanks Henk. :D