Ralph Siegel celebrates some round years this year: 40 years since his first Eurovision song, 30 years since his first victory and his 20th entry. He talks about his Eurovision past and his biggest wish. How he got hooked on Eurovision, his happiest and saddest memories and the German selection process. And many other things. My flying reporter Robert had a chance to talk to the legend and Mr Eurovision himself, who is happily back on track after some difficult years. Blogilkar congratulates him for this incredible 40+30+20 and takes a pow....
What does Eurovision mean to you?
First of all let me tell you that I'm
celebrating my 40th anniversary since my first Eurovision
song in 1972. I came second but it was my first appearance. My first
entry was in 1974 when ABBA won and I came 4th. for
Luxembourg. It was very promising. Then I said to myself hopefully
this is going to get better and then 1979 I was 4th again,
then 1980 2nd and 1981 also 2nd. And then in
1982 I won. Thirty years ago now. And please don't be mad at me that
I didn't stop then! Eurovision is a very important event for me in
many ways. It's a possibility to play a song to a hundred million
people, writers today are lucky to be played on their local radio
stations these days. This is one of the very few ways to make an
artist known at once worldwide, plus there is of course the fact that
you are representing your country, or can work with an artist you
love like I'm doing with San Marino this year. I'm working with
wonderful Valentina Monetta, she's just a fantastic artist. I'm also
proud to work for San Marino. Things have changed. Swedish
writers write for many countries like Malta, they won for Azerbaijan!
And of course along the way you make a lot of friends.
Do you recall the moment when you got
hooked on Eurovision?
It must have been 1966 when Udo Jürgens won. Then next year it was in Vienna and Puppet on a string won. I
was in Vienna with my father because he was a composer, too. And my
mother was a singer. I'm working with music since I was a child. At
13 I wrote my first song, I'm 67 now. Sorry, 66! So I have been
writing songs for over 50 years. I learned music from some great
teachers, from school, from playing Chopin as a kid, I learned
accordeon, drums, guitar... and then I just worked by way up studying
music and harmonies, piano. I started music publishing business in
Paris and I lived a year in Nashville, Tennessee. I wrote my first hit
for Don Gibson when I was 19. That's 47 years ago....
How did you get started in Germany, was
it because of Eurovision?
No. My first hit there was with Peggy
Marsch who already had hits before. We also did national selection with
her in 1975 but we were second. It was my first second place, I have
them so many!
What is your best Eurovision memory?
There are so many! It should be when we
won. I remember when we were walking back from the arena in Harrogate
to our hotel with Nicole and I said to her: Nicole, tonight we're
going to win! But don't tell anybody. She looks at me and says: yes!
She just smild. We just knew we are going to win. It was such a
fantastic moment when you walked up to the stage when you finally
made it after so many years! But that was 30 years ago and I was 36. I
said I won't participate the year after and I didn't but then someone
said should we try again? And there we were, 2nd again in
1987 when Johnny Logan beat us again. I met him Saturday afternoon
and I said to Johnny: It's you and me again but I guess it's you
again! And that's exactly what happened. Then later I was 3rd
twice, in 1994 and 1999. I loved Reise nach Jerusalem! I really loved
that song. We were not very lucky with the sound of the song on
stage, there was too much echo but it's always an adventure and a
risk. You never know how the sound is, how the camera angles work.
Sometimes a night is the night, it just happens. But I'm so happy to
be here again! I was so ill and I've had such bad years behind
me.....
May I ask what you had?
Yes. I had cancer, the worst kind.
Doctors gave me six months. That was 3,5 years ago. After all the
treatemets, radiation and all that I'm just so happy to be here!
Are you cured now?
Doctors say hopefully. Yes. Like I said
I'm just so happy to be here and my biggest wish is to be in the
final once again.
I already asked about your best memory.
How about the biggest disapppointment?
2002. We were the big
pre-contest favourites. We were leading the polls and we were on top
in bettings but it all was too much for her (Corinna May), she couldn't stand the
pressure. The choir wasn't good either. When you are blind the pressure can
get you easily. It was a mistake, I knew it already on Thursday it didn't
work and on Saturday you could see she wasn't ok. I didn't know what
to do. I tried to help her but I didn't know how. She is one of the
most beautiful singers in the world but the pressure was too much.
She had no chance. For me it was so depressing I swore I would never
do it again. I was so down.
Are you proud of having written 20
Eurovision entries?
To tell you the truth I'm proud of
having started a few careers. Nicole for example has a very good
career we started. We started the career of Dschingis Khan. They went
around the world. After the contest they recorded Moscow which is my
biggest success. I wouldn't have written Moscow if I hadn't written
Dschingis Khan! We had 5-6 years of success. And I have helped many
careers to become stronger like Lena Valaitis and Katja Epstein. I
was very proud of doing
Sürpriz . Them going to Jerusalem was maybe one
of my best ideas and also one of the best songs. I'm also proud I
created some good careers and some good friendships through
Eurovision. But what is proudness in the end? I think there are several Mr
Eurovisions. Johnny Logan for sure is one.
But for the composers it is you.
For the composers yes. Also Phil
Coulter. But for the number of entries, this is my 20th. I
dream of being in the final once more! It is indeed my biggest dream.
I hope it comes true.
I hope so, too. I hope it also for
Valentina because she's really, really fantastic artist! She's a
great singer!
Out of all numerous preselection songs
can you name one that you really thought would do it?
Absolutely I believe in God by Corinna
May. In 2000. It's one of the best songs I have written, she sings
it in a fantastic way but then came Stefan Raab with his Wadde hadde
dudde da with eight weeks of promotion, we just had no chance! First
of all he's a big talent and secondly he has his TV-show. So we were
just dead.
At the moment you don't write any songs
for Germany.
No no no. I wish I could! But they have
now this closed decision. I would always write for Germany but there
has to be an opportunity to write. We don't have an open selection so
I can't send a song. We used to have an open and anonymous
selection. We sent in songs and the jury selected them without knwoing
who wrote them, where they came from and then I always had a chance.
But now it is very closed ,someone decides what is good and what is not
good. And they have done a great job with Lena. Roman Lob is a very
nice, very good singer. He does a good job and I wish him all the
luck.
But you hope the format changes in
Germany again...
Sure! Not only for me but for all the
German writers! All the German writers hope for a format where they
at least have a chance to send in songs. Anonymously preferably. For
the competition it is important everyone has an equal chance and
personal likes or dislikes have no place. The only thing that is
important how good the song is. Maybe some people don't like me
anymore because I won 15 times. I didn it so often, they say Enough!
But music is not a question of age. Or how long you've done it. You
write music until you die.
So you will go on as a writer and
producer?
I will write music like Irving Berlin
did, or Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder..... Everyone will write as
long as he can. All the great writers in the world, like Henry
Mancini write music until they die.
So you will never retire. That's good
to know. Last question: Did Eurovision treat you well?
…. Eurovision was created by a group
of people in 1956 who had no idea what it would become. It has been a
part of my life for so long, I have made so many friends, I have done
all kind of business contacts starting from musicians and singers...
so yes. And we will celebrate all this next Saturday in the Sammarinese Party in Baku!
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