Anyone watch Eurovision?

[saintslad]

So many uncorrected errors on this thread. There is good reasons that Israel, Turkey, Australia and Morocco have all participated.

They cannot escape. The big 5 countries are locked in and guaranteed a place every year. They signed and sold their soul way back in the 1950s when the whole thing started. The best the UK can do and have succeeded in do is not winning too much as it costs millions to host the thing. What? You thought it was an accident they enter so, so or horrid songs each year?

Some of the big 5 didn't compete early years.

 

[Muttley]

Yes, Graham was in Father Ted. I forget the name of the priest he was, but he was always taking a youth group camping etc and wanting them to do River Dance.

I think he played Father Noel Furlong, a really irritating, hyperactive priest. I remember once he was trying to get Father Ted Crilly to sing telling him "you've a lovely voice, rather like Celine Dion"

I've got the DVD box set, it needs to be watched again.

 

[Ant7t]

I think he played Father Noel Furlong, a really irritating, hyperactive priest. I remember once he was trying to get Father Ted Crilly to sing telling him "you've a lovely voice, rather like Celine Dion"

I've got the DVD box set, it needs to be watched again.

The two things, which are more than obvious to those who watched it, that I remember. Go on go on go on..... and the foul mouthed priest who, as I write can't remember. The one who kept saying feck and the likes.

 

[maymorganlondon]

The two things, which are more than obvious to those who watched it, that I remember. Go on go on go on..... and the foul mouthed priest who, as I write can't remember. The one who kept saying feck and the likes.

Father Jack. DRINK! FECK!

 

[Ant7t]

Father Jack. DRINK! FECK!

That's the one. So obvious, I must have had brain blindness

 

[Muttley]

Father Jack. DRINK! FECK!

Also GIRLS!

The two things, which are more than obvious to those who watched it, that I remember. Go on go on go on..... and the foul mouthed priest who, as I write can't remember. The one who kept saying feck and the likes.

Will you have a cup of tea? Ah go on, go on, go on, go on...

 

[Ant7t]

Also GIRLS!

Oh yes. Forgot that one.

Will you have a cup of tea? Ah go on, go on, go on, go on...

That made me laugh when she kept on until they said yes. And if I recall, that was some good makeup. I saw her (photo, not in person) out of character, and you wouldn't think they were the same woman.

 

[maymorganlondon]

That's the one. So obvious, I must have had brain blindness

I still missed one.
Father Ted is a real classic. Even if you are neither Irish nor Catholic, the characters are recognisable. There was always something to strike a chord in every episode.

Such a shame and tragedy the Dermot Morgan died so young so there was no prospect of further episodes.

 

[PhaedrusR]

I’ve watched it since I was a kid growing up in the 1970s. Stark contrast from what it has become to what it was back in those days. Back then, it was essentially a gentle little show, with the contradictory element of not taking itself too seriously, but a tad pompous at the same time. You had the main countries of western Europe, plus Israel competing back then…The UK used to have A Song for Europe build-up show, where a usually well known artist/s (Lulu, The Shadows, ONJ etc..) would sing six possible entries for the public to vote for. Bearing in mind we had a pretty good success rate back then of two or three wins and a number of second place finishes, it worked pretty well.

Nowadays, the show other than name is virtually unrecognisable to those earlier years. The BBC, probably because of the huge gay attachment to the competition (I don’t remember that being the case until the later 1980s/early 1990s), gives the Contest massive coverage these days. Semi-Finals being shown and news reporting in general. It ticks boxes. Big boxes…

This year we had Olly Alexander. Well known, a showman, gay and with an incessantly catchy tune…Sounds perfect for a win in theory. Unfortunately, Eurovision is incredibly gay friendly, but not quite to the levels of a grimy public toilet set for two thirds of the song, with Alexander replicating some very sexual positions with four muscle men in bondage gear you don’t normally find when you go for a pee in the bogs at Tesco, say. It was just too much.. It killed the song stone dead. His poor singing on a night with some very strong vocal performances, also seemed very much responsible for the Big Zero from the public vote. People generally don’t want The Fantasy Channel output with their modern day, family evening extravaganza fix of Euro Oom-Pah-Pah.. Now, the Swiss entry with a smiling, innocent looking fellow in a skirt and white tights, was much more like what is required…Quaintly Camp and Catchy…Not Sordidly Sexual and Sung Badly…

Many say we could send The Beatles (if we could) and still lose because everybody ‘hates’ us in Europe and er…Australia… But send an extremely personable, smiling guy (Sam Ryan) singing a great song, brilliantly, and not doing it from a mock-up of the gents in Earls Court Tube…and the UK can still win, or nearly so…

Do you think we'd do ok if we sent Paul McCartney with a decent song?

Wonder if he'd even consider doing it now, for King & Country, as a Knight of the Realm, or if Charles III asked him, or dismiss it out of hand? Might be a new fun experience for him at his time of life/career, if he were interested.

After all, we tried Engelbert Humperdinck and Bonnie Tyler and they failed miserably too!

 

[PhaedrusR]

They cannot escape. The big 5 countries are locked in and guaranteed a place every year. They signed and sold their soul way back in the 1950s when the whole thing started. The best the UK can do and have succeeded in do is not winning too much as it costs millions to host the thing. What? You thought it was an accident they enter so, so or horrid songs each year?

So that's why UK volunteered to host it in Liverpool in lieu of Ukraine and had entered a decent song the year before that came 2nd, only to Ukraine's entry, and meant they nearly won it to host it anyway!

Think UK would like the problem Ireland had in winning too often. If only!

I still haven't fixed my telly, so no Eurovision for me.
I thought the winning song was strong..

Do you know you can watch live tv on iPlayer, and other tv apps, web, etc.?
And just curious how you heard the song(s) in that case?

 

[donna255]

Father Dougal to another priest. "I don't believe in organized religion.!

 

[Ant7t]

I still missed one.
Father Ted is a real classic. Even if you are neither Irish nor Catholic, the characters are recognisable. There was always something to strike a chord in every episode.

Such a shame and tragedy the Dermot Morgan died so young so there was no prospect of further episodes.

Dare I say, IF they wanted to do more, there's Dougal still 'available' (aka Ardal O'Hanlan) but it seems they don't out of respect?

 

[Herring]

Ok, I found the song I was thinking of, from Belgium 2003, Sanomi by Urban Trad. It actually came second to Turkey. Not quite as I remember it, but many comments on youtube that it's one of the best songs not to win and many people remember it and search for it and come back to it. It stuck in my memory as tuneful, atonal and layered, with middle eight, switch and crescendo. A nice piece of work. Using a made-up language.
It could do with a 2024 rework with symphonic orchestra, samples, etc.!

Belgium 2003, Sanomi, Urban Trad.

I loved that song so much at the time I imported the CD single of it

My 2p on UK Eurovision:

I think the BBC selectors ought to try and experiment more our acts* and send something other than a solo singer with Radio 2 friendly pop song (though Sam Ryder shows that can pay off if you can pair a good song with someone who can command an audience - but Olly, Mae, James Newman, etc shows it's easier to miss than hit).

Ireland this year - not a winner-winner but different and stands out (for the right reasons)
Mannaskin who won for Italy in 2021 are now one of the world's biggest rock bands - not pop.
Both the second place acts this year and last weren't cookie-cutter one-genre songs or sex-soaked performances.

I mean, one of the UK's biggest pop stars is Ed Sheeran who, while is rather Radio 2 friendly, leans heavily on mashing British folk - a genre this country is oddly ashamed to embrace – with modern styles. Have we ever sent a folk song? Kate Rusby would show a different side to the UK than yet-another generic sultry solo pop star.

*but not as left-field as the Englebert Humperdink/Bonnie Tyler/Electro Velvet years

 

[Herring]

I think Sweden do well because they pick decent songs and tracks that you would hear in a club or in the charts. Not manufactured Euro pop aimed for the contest. And no gimmicks. I think Lorreen is big in the clubs and Heroes was a massive dance club hit before it appeared on Eurovision.

The biggest, most successful songwriters and production teams in the world — currently, I don't mean 'artists' like Abba, etc just songwriters — are Swedish or based in Sweden. Pick any pop artist in the last 20 years and chances are there is a Swedish songwriter and/or production team behind at least one of their hits.

And most of those songwriters and production teams take part in Melodifestivalen, the Swedish national selection for Eurovision. It goes on for 6 weeks across 5 heats and is hugely popular but it is increasingly dominated by entries from the same handful of songwriters.

In 2024 alone there were 5 entries from Thomas G:son (3 made the final 12 - he wrote both of Loreen's winning songs), 3 from Jimmy Jansson (2 made the final 12), 6 from Jimmy Thörnfeldt (5 made the final 12, including the winner, Marcus & Martinus "Unforgettable").

But they're VERY good at writing songs that do well at Eurovision and beyond — so well that no-one will be surprised to know many entries in Eurovision from other countries over the years have been written by Swedish songwriters (there's never been a rule that a songwriter or artist be 'native' to the country that enters it).

 

[Herring]

After all, we tried Engelbert Humperdinck and Bonnie Tyler and they failed miserably too!

Yeah but their songs were rubbish and their 'star' status long-since faded

This country has the idea that anything the UK sends should do well as it's from the UK and we're 'good at music'. So good at music we send *checks notes* Englebert Humperdink to shuffle around a stage looking lost, and Bonnie Tyler slurring a mid-tempo dirge she'd have passed over using as a B-side in the 1980s.

As I said in an earlier comment, we in the UK are arrogant to the hilt: we expect Europe to vote in their droves for songs we usually don't consider good enough to make our own top 40:

The higher a song charts in the UK the better it does at Eurovision (with the exception of Mae, but she delivered a very poor vocal performance on the night).

Looking at those Top 40 placings one could almost conclude that the more the UK likes its own entry, the better it does at Eurovision…

Wonder if there's a lesson to be learned

 

[donna255]

The way the UK select now is one management company pick, that was how Sam Ryder got picked. He was pretty unknown before Eurovision. The girl last year bombed big time. No idea if Ollie Alexander is in their artists?

The idea that a world-famous UK artist will do Eurovision for the UK will never ever happen. The old let the public pick a song and it always in the 21st century was not good.

Way back, Elton John and Bernie Taupen actually wrote a song for Eurovision, it was not picked by the public. It was for Lulu, now she did win but had to share it with Spain.

 

[PhaedrusR]

Yeah but their songs were rubbish and their 'star' status long-since faded

This country has the idea that anything the UK sends should do well as it's from the UK and we're 'good at music'. So good at music we send *checks notes* Englebert Humperdink to shuffle around a stage looking lost, and Bonnie Tyler slurring a mid-tempo dirge she'd have passed over using as a B-side in the 1980s.

As I said in an earlier comment, we in the UK are arrogant to the hilt: we expect Europe to vote in their droves for songs we usually don't consider good enough to make our own top 40:

View attachment 28590

The higher a song charts in the UK the better it does at Eurovision (with the exception of Mae, but she delivered a very poor vocal performance on the night).

Looking at those Top 40 placings one could almost conclude that the more the UK likes its own entry, the better it does at Eurovision…

Wonder if there's a lesson to be learned

Just to say thanks @Herring very interesting and informative re Swedish songwriters and chart positions.
How do you know about this?

We used to have Song for Europe, for the public to vote on 5 or 6 potential entries, but they did away with that a while back at the time I'd say the preselected entry started to then do worse and worse. Maybe bring that back for the public to pick a banger.

I just want to gloat that I spelled E. Humperdinck from memory in my original post, with a 'c', and looks like it was correct from your chart list!

 

[MrMarple]

The way the UK select now is one management company pick, that was how Sam Ryder got picked. He was pretty unknown before Eurovision. The girl last year bombed big time. No idea if Ollie Alexander is in their artists?

The idea that a world-famous UK artist will do Eurovision for the UK will never ever happen. The old let the public pick a song and it always in the 21st century was not good.

Way back, Elton John and Bernie Taupen actually wrote a song for Eurovision, it was not picked by the public. It was for Lulu, now she did win but had to share it with Spain.

And France and The Netherlands (it was a four way tie that year).

 

[maymorganlondon]

Our biggest problem as a nation is always our belief we should be winning. Eurovision, football, whatever…
And we put so much pressure and expectation on our horse in the race and blow up at them should they fall short.
So it was brave of Olly, who is a successful singer and actor, to take a chance. For that alone he deserves some kudos.
Nowadays Eurovision is the biggest musical event on the planet… but it requires some risks and gambles to win through. For the performer or band who really hit the right combination of song and performance a successful musical future awaits.
I do think we have faffed around and tinkered with the whole process too much and too often. Maybe it should be the musical equivalent of The Great British Menu? And it’s a shame it’s locked into the BBC as I suspect the only part of it that’s enthusiastic is Radio 2. I’d like to see what the other home broadcasters could do with it.

 

[donna255]

And France and The Netherlands (it was a four way tie that year).

I did think but was not sure, I knew Spain, and then I think there were more winners.