Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Loreen of Sweden is the 15th previous Eurovision song contest winner who has decided and/or managed give it another try. Only Ireland's Johnny Logan has managed to win twice, as we all know. One can't really do a ranking however as the contest had changed so much from the 1950's with maybe a dozen songs to the approx 40 we have these days. In coming days I will feature the winners who decided to come back after winning the contest as there also many winners who have won with their second or third try.   We start of course with late Lys Assia (1924-2018), who didn't come back once but twice and indeed three years in a row, or the first three editions of the newborn contest representing the first host nation Switzerland. She won the first one, kinda flopped the second one but came back once more and almost won, placing second 3 points short of winner's 27. Italian Domenico Modugno and global hit Volare placed 3rd with only 13, so it was really between Lys and winner...

Italy took its well deserved third victory - finally! - at the Eurovision song contest 2021. Over the years several other Italian entries would have been worthy winners. In this series I will go through all of them from the worst ranking to the winner s. Domenico Modugno 's first Eurovision happened after winning Sanremo 1958 with Johnny Dorelli with a little tune called Nel blu, dipinto di blu after the song was nearly rejected from the songs admitted to the festival. Dorelli's performance is forgotten but Modugno's , arms open wide was something that changed the Italian music forever. At the Eurovision the song placed only 3rd out of 10 but went on to sell over 800.000 copies in Italy alone in the coming years, went to Number One in the Billboard Top-100, Top-10 in the UK. Dalida , once again, made the song #1 in France.  The songs has been covered by countless artists ever since, and charted all over the world in various versions as Volare, and has become the best sell...

  Italy took its well deserved third victory - finally! - at the Eurovision song contest 2021. Over the years several other Italian entries would have been worthy winners. In this series I will go through all of them from the worst ranking to the win ners Domenico Modugno (1928-1994) returned to the contest the year after his global success, US #1 and two Grammys winning Volare but he didn't better his 3rd place but slipped to 6th out of 11.  Piove (Ciao ciao bambina) was performed in Sanremo also by Johnny Dorelli and Modugno had wit it another international success hitting also the US charts at #97. Dalida covered the song and made it a number one hit in the French speaking countries and recently another Eurovision veterans, Il Volo covered it, too. Yes, it's another evergreen for Italy that did't win....

Italy took its well deserved third victory - finally! - at the Eurovision song contest 2021. Over the years several other Italian entries would have been worthy winners. In this series I will go through all of them from the worst ranking to the win ners Claudio Villa (1926-1987) first Eurovision experience came in 1962 (the second one is here )  with Addio, addio that won Sanremo performed by himself and Domenico Modugno who already had two Eurovisions behind him (and third yet to come). Placing 9th out of 16 it quite wasn't the result the supertsar wished.  The song wasn't a domestic hit the way Sanremo winners tend to be either and one can only wonder did it win only because it was a joint effort of the biggest stars Villa and Modugno?  The song that came 4th became an evergreen and global success, namely Quando quando quando by Tony Renis and  Emilio Pericoli.. The Renis version ends up selling more copies than all the other entries put together..... Oh well.....

Italy took its well deserved third victory - finally! - at the Eurovision song contest 2021. Over the years several other Italian entries would have been worthy winners. In this series I will go through all of them from the worst ranking to the winners. Dio, come ti amo! (God how I love you) by Domenico Modugno (1928-1994) is the only Italian nul pointer, and very undeserved one. In fact it's one of  this blogger's all time favourite entries. It's Modugno's third Eurovision entry following global success of Nel blu dipinto di blu aka Volare and Piove (Ciao ciao bambina) and was performed in Sanremo also by 1964 Eurovision winner Gigliola Cinquetti (as at the time songs were performed by two artists each), but Modugno went to Luxemburg himself and apparently managed to insult the orchestra along the way and wanted to perform it in his own arrangement and musicians. Many various stories are around about the incident but as said, it all resulted in zero points. Did the j...

Sanremo has its special night tonight. While the competition continues for the remaining newcmers and those Big in risk of elimination the other Big take it easy and perform something else. I am most curiously waiting for Bravi's take on Battiato and Zarrillo's Bosè! It's going to be an interesting night!                                      Al Bano - "Pregherò" ( Adriano Celentano )                    Alessio Bernabei - "Un giorno credi" ( Edoardo Bennato )           Michele Bravi - "La stagione dell'amore" (Franco Battiato)        Lodovica Comello - "Le mille bolle blu" ( Mina ) Gigi D'Alessio - "L'immensità" ( Don Backy ) Elodie - "Quando finisce un amore" (Riccardo Cocciante) Francesco Gabbani -"Susanna" ( Adriano Celentano ) Chiara...

In Italy they have this very popular Tale e quale TV-show on RAI1 were a number of singers/actors each week practice and then imitate in a live show other singers. This season among the ones we have for example Gigliola Cinquetti who has done already another Eurovision legend, Domenico Modugno . She's done also Milva so far. But the real surprise has been Mietta who we know as a dark husky voiced pop singer, winner of OGAE Song contest 1990 and has delivered some great tracks in Sanremo over the years ( Baciami adesso and Fare l'amore for example). The first week she did Ornella Vanoni , then Donna Summer and this week Maria Callas! And who thought she could sing like that???  Mietta won the second show as Donna Summer and came third in the third one as Maria Calla s while Gigiloa Cinquetti won that one as Gianna Nannini ! Next week Mietta will do Jennifer Lopes while Gigilola will be Gloria Gaynor! You can follow the progress of the show here . 

My flying reporter Robert managed to get hold of Nina Zilli for a quick interview even if her entourage was dragging her away but what doesn't Nina do for Blogilkar and all it's Italian readers? Anyways, she talks about her Eurovision knowledge, her dress and shoes, and reveals Italy just might be ready to win and host the contest in 2013. But where? Find it out here: Did you know what you got yourself into when you said ”si” to Eurovision? It's kind of madness here, isn't it? Yes and no. And yes, it is! Sanremo is pretty much the same but it's even worse! It's so busy there, it's one week and we have to sing every night! I kinda like this one better! Did you follow Eurovision before? Yes of course because Raphael Gualazzi and Italy came back last year. Plus I really love Raphael, he's such a great artist! I was so happy for him! But did you follow it when Italy was not in the contest? Oh no. As Italy was away for some many yea...

This year Jedward returns the year after hoping to make it better than last year's 8th. But what are the odds in Eurovision? We have a recent example of Germany's Lena who returned the year after winning and managed only 10th place. This seems to be the trend anyways if you look the bis makers over the decades.  In the 1950's Germany Margot Hielscher scored 4th and 7th while Italy's Domenico Modugno went from 3rd to 6th, and later returned for the third time - he probably wished he didn't: 17th and zero points!  In the 1960's Norway Nora Brockstedt also did 4th and 7th while United Kingdom's Ronnie Carroll did a solid 4th both times.  The 1970's were the same. Germany's Katja Epstein did twice in a row 3rd place but would later return to claim a 2nd place. That's also an Eurovision record of a kind; three top-3 placements. Sweden's Family Four did 6th and 13th while the Norwegian Bendik Singers did 7th and 14th, the second t...

Gianna Nannini - who recently gave birth to her first child, Penelope, at the tender age of 54 - releases her new album Io e te tomorrow, 11.1.2011 and one of the 12 tracks in none other than Domenico Modugno's Volare ( Nel blú dipinto di blú) . La Nannini is one of the biggest names in the Italian scene and well known also in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Finland and propably the rest of Europe, too, ever since her single America 1979 (she released her first album though already in 1976). A few years alter came the megahit Fotoromanza, then Bello e impossibile , I maschi , Donne in amore , Scandalo , Radio baccano and so on. Like a good Tuscan wine she just gets better with age and her 19th album Grazie in 2006 made it to #1 in Italy. Her latest single is off the album, dedicated to her daughter: Ogni tanto.   My personal favourites include Ragazzo dell'Europa , Profumo and Voglio fare l'amore . Am I the only one finding this album cover a bit disturbing...

I wrote about the Italian entries earlier post today and somehow I came across Joe Damiani Trio's tribute to late Domenico Modugno. They have actually covered all three Eurovision entries Volare, Ciao ciao bambin a and Dio come ti amo . Very interesting and different versions, have a listen here . Joe is a multi-instrumentalist, drummer and musician from Brescia. He has collaborated and played with the greatest Italian artists and this is his fourth album so far.

Not is Italy only a returnee as a country (making returns after absenses in 1983, 1987, 1997 and 2011) also its artists seem to be returning. I have no statistics but my wild guess is they have more returning artists than any other country! Domenico Modugno first entered in 1958 with Nel blú, dipinto di blú, better known as Volare . It only scored third place but later became a world hit and is the most sold and covered Eurovision song in the history. He returned next year to score another megahit Piove , better known as Ciao, ciao bambina . Only 6th. Despite all he returned for the third time in 1966 with Dio, come ti amo sung also by Gigliola Cinquett i in Sanremo. A flat zero points and last place! Italy's only null pointer.... Another Italian legend Claudio Villa also did Eurovision twice. In 1962 with Addio, addio (9th) and in 1967 with Non andare piú lontano (11th). Like with Modugno the international jurors didn't quite get them. Then came wonderful Gigliola Cinque...

Non so che? Non so che darei , one of the maybe forgotten Italian entries by Alan Sorrenti, anno 1980. The Olsen Brothers are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their win with Fly on the wings of love with a new album made of Eurovision covers titled Wings of Eurovision including of course their own updated to 2010. The other songs are Congratulations , Waterloo , Ein bisschen Frieden , Främling , Save all your kisses for me , Hallelujah , Boom bang a bang , Volare , La det swinge , Love shine a light and Rock'n roll kids . Some choices sound very suited for the gentleman, the others... well, we just have to wait til late May to hear how they manage with them!

My favourite Eurovision flop, Domenico Modugno's Dio come ti amo , that scored a flat zero for Italy in 1966 gets its about 154.753rd cover version when Paola Turci does it in her new album Attraversami il cuore with Paolo Fresu, a regular collaborator in Alice's albums since Park Hotel in 1986. My favourite version though remains Gigliola Cinquetti's .

The Netherlands scored their second win in the 4th Eurovision song contest held on March 11, 1959 in Cannes with Teddy Scholten's ' n beetje . UK started its string of endless 2nd places, Monaco debuted finishing last and Italy's Domenico Modugno still didn't win but his song Piove (Ciao ciao bambina) followed Volare 's steps to become a worldwide hit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_6UoTKY0CA

The 11th Eurovision song contest took place March 5, 1966 in Grand Auditorium de RTL in Luxembourg and Austria's Udo Jürgens was third time lucky with Merci chérie . Milly Scott from the Netherlands was the very first coloured singer, and also the very first who didn't stand behind her microphone but used a handy. Jurors didn't like the combination and it took another 35 years before a coloured singer won the contest, namely Dave Benton for Estonia. Udo's win was very clear: 31 votes against 16 for Swedish Lill Lindfors & Svante Thuresson. Denmark said goodbye to Eurovision for 11 years and returned only 1978. And Italy scored a flat zero with Domenico Modugno's Dio come ti amo . How do you explain that? And Udo still tours and records... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeeStaXs1sQ

In YouTube there's a voting for the most undeserved null pointer in history so go and vote here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RcaLWg-Fas . In early years before the current voting system was introduced it was quite easy and common to get a flat zero, however for me Italy 1966 still remains a mystery as it's a fantastic track and Domenico Modugno was a big star at the time. In more recent years Remedios Amaya did absolutely not deserve a zero in 1983. On the other hand if she got say 15th place would we remember her this well? There's always two sides to null pointer, too. A fact proved by Finland's own Kojo who made it his trademark and still lives on its glory! And frankly, you remembers those last placed ones who got a few points?

Sometimes one comes across something very unexpected and surprising. Would you think a track named Cabaret short circuit from album named Disastro by DJ Sonny J turns out to be rework of Oh how much I love you by Jack Jones, an English version of Dio come ti amo , the Italian entry 1966 by Domenico Modugno, also by Gigliola Cinquetti? Nope, me neither. And it's fabulous. Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSJXRL5baRs

Mike Patton, the ex-leader of Faith No More has been involved in several musical projects since he left the band ten years ago. The latest is Mondo Cane where he sings Italian classics from the 50's, 60's and 70's. One of the songs is the unfortunate zero pointer Dio come ti amo from 1966. How it scored so bad is still beyong me as it is fantastic, even by Mike Patton. Judge yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CocwaE9JvGU For comparison the original by Domenico Modugno: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9Ae1nALMUQ and my favourite version by Gigliola Cinquetti: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAEUNjmNL6Q