Birthe Kjær

Birthe Kjær - Birthe

Birthe Kjær - Birthe - Album cover

New album from Birthe Kjær who represted Denmark at the 1989 Eurovision Song Contest. The album is produced by Søren Bundgaard.

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New album from Birthe Kjær released next month

Birthe Kjær - Birthe - Album cover

She celebrated her 40 years anniversary 5 years ago, later this year she turns 65, but Birthe Kjær appears nowhere near her pension as she is about to release yet another new album. The singer who came third in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1989 is also back touring.

Danes in shock about the death of Anders Frandsen - Famous people in queue to show sorrow

Anders Frandsen and Birthe Kjær ©  Jørgen Sperling

The list of famous people expressing their sorrow in relation to the death of Anders Frandsen, only 51 years old, is getting quite long. Some describe him as being lonely, others as a happy person who loved sun and golfing and was popular among the females, but they are all in shock. 

Review: Birthe Kjær - Smile

Birthe Kjær - Smile - Album cover
 
Rating: 3

On her new album Birthe Kjær is showing a rather new side of herself when she diggs into 12 well known international classics to give them new life. For Birthe this album is a dream come true, but is she too much out of her comfort zone here or does she have what it takes? 

Birthe Kjær releases new album with 12 classics in Swing style

Birthe Kjær - Smile - Album cover

Despite celebrating her 40 years anniversary on the music scene a couple of years ago Birthe Kjær, who represented Denmark at the 1989 Eurovision Song Contest, is still going strong. On a new album released today she fulfil a dream of hers. The album, that is entirely in English, includes classics such as My Way and Smile.

Birthe Kjær - Smile

Birthe Kjær - Smile - Album cover

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Anne Herdorf releases cover album

Anne Herdorf - Lad Det Swinge

Today, a new album by Anne Herdorf, who represented Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1987, was released. It is an album with cover versions of Danish Eurovision entries, national final songs and of course a new version of her own entry. Two foreign songs found its way to the album in a Danish version.

Anne Herdorf - Lad Det Swinge

Anne Herdorf - Lad Det Swinge

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1989

1989 Logo ©  EBU
Basic information
Date: 
5 May 1989
Venue: 
Palais de Beaulieu, Lausanne, Switzerland
Broadcaster: 
SSR
Presenter(s): 
Lolita Morena and Jacques Deschenaux
About the contest: 

Shortly before the country was torn apart by civil war, Yugoslavia won for the only time. Riva was a six piece band fronted by Emilija Kokic, who went solo not long after. Celebrated DJ John Peel spent the week in Lausanne making a radio documentary. On the plane home, he interviewed Ray Caruanna, the lead singer of Live Report, and got his views on finishing second to Rock Me. “I wouldn’t have minded if France or Spain had won because they were good songs, but that!” bitterness or the truth, you can decide.

Cyprus rejoined the fray after being forced to withdraw in 1988, so the number of songs went back up to 22. Unusually, there were no familiar faces in 1989, but Thomas Forstner and Marianna made their debuts, which were both more successful than their second attempts.
The set was designed around Switzerland’s most famous landmark, the Matterhorn, and was less high tech than the previous two years.

Two eleven years olds ‘graced’ the stage, Gili from Israel and France’s Nathalie Pâque. If it was an attempt to win votes, it was a risky tactic. As Ken Bruce pointed out when he presented the BBC previews before going to Lausanne to provide commentary for Radio 2, “For as many people who think ”ah, how cute”, there are as many who want to deliver a good clip round the ear."

The scoring system remained unchanged. Juries awarded points from 1-8, then 10 and finally 12.  

Trivia: 
Unconfirmed rumours say that Swiss TV were irritated at what they allegedly thought was a cynical attempt by France and Israel to win votes by using child singers. Israel’s Gali gave a bad performance at the recorded dress rehearsal. This recording is made to run alongside the live broadcast in case the transmission experiences technical difficulties, so there can be a (hopefully) seamless switch. Swiss TV are rumoured to have switched to the recording when Israel took to the stage in an attempt to sabotage Gili’s chances.
About the songs: 
Anna Oxa and Fausto LealiAnna Oxa and Fausto Leali Italy - Anna Oxa & Fausto Leali - Avrei Voluto (Italian)

Music/Lyrics: Franco Fasano/Franco Ciani, Franco Berlincioni

Conductor: Mario Natale

Anna and Fausto won the Sanremo festival in 1989, and three of the writers of that song also wrote Avrei Voluto. It needed a stronger input from the orchestra, who were not yet warmed up, and as a result, it sounded less strong than it is. The argument set to music is a very strong theme which Anna and Fausto got into the spirit of.

 Gili & GalitGili & Galit Israel - Gili & Galit - Derech Ha'melech (Hebrew)

Music/Lyrics: Shaike Paikov/Shaike Paikov

Conductor: Shaike Paikov

Despite being surrounded by Galit and a couple of backing singers, Gili started very nervously but did become more relaxed. The song had potential to be a big belter, but suffered because of Gili’s immature voice.

 Kiev ConnollyKiev Connolly Ireland - Kiev Connolly and the Missing Passengers - The Real Me (English)

Music/Lyrics: Kiev Connolly/Kiev Connolly

Conductor: Noel Kelehan

Kiev’s song is soft rock and moves along smoothly. As well as The Passengers, Kiev was accompanied by a female singer who was never far from his shoulder and was surplus to requirements.

 Justine PelmelayJustine Pelmelay The Netherlands - Justine Pelmelay - Blijf Zoals Je Bent (Dutch)

Music/Lyrics: Jan Kisjes/ Jan Kisjes

Conductor: Harry van Hoof

A week of rehearsals had taken its toll on Justine’s voice, which cracked on the big note right at the end. That didn’t detract from the quality of her big power ballad.

 PanPan Turkey - Pan - Bana Bana (Turkish)

Music/Lyrics: Timur Selçuk/ Timur Selçuk

Conductor: Timur Selçuk

Usually, if the most memorable thing about a song is the performance of the conductor, it wouldn’t be saying much about the quality of the song. However, despite Timur’s energetic display with the baton and a repetitive lyric, there is still a very infectious tune and rhythym to make the song stand out on its own.  

 IngeborgIngeborg Belgium - Ingeborg - Door De Wind (Flemish)

Music/Lyrics: Stef Bos/Stef Bos

Conductor: Freddy Sunder

Door De Wind starts modestly staying within itself, but by the end, it comes out of its shell by picking up the pace and power.

 Live ReportLive Report United Kingdom - Live Report - Why Do I Always Get It Wrong (English)

Music/Lyrics: John Beeby/Brian Hodgson

Conductor: Ronnie Hazlehurst

As usual, the United Kingdom was near the top of the bookmakers list. This year, it was fully justified. Why Do I Always Get It Wrong is a quiet, yet emotive ballad that leaves its mark.

 Britt Synnøve JohansenBritt Synnøve Johansen Norway - Britt Synnøve Johansen - Venners Nærhet (Norwegian)

Music/Lyrics: Inge Enoksen/Leiv Grotte

Conductor: Pete Knutsen

Heard on its own, Venners Nærhet is an appealing song; a sincere and gentle ballad. However, it doesn’t quite have the strength to pull itself above the competition. 

 Da VinciDa Vinci Portugal - Da Vinci - Conquistador (Portuguese)

Music/Lyrics: Ricardo/Pedro Luis

Conductor: Luis Duarte

Portugal tried a rock song for the first time. The final position on the scoreboard doesn’t reflect how good the song is. The downfall comes when the lyrics go all geographic.

 Tommy NilssonTommy Nilsson Sweden - Tommy Nilsson - En Dag (Swedish)

Music/Lyrics: Tim Norell, Ola Hakansson/Tim Norell, Ola Hakansson

Conductor: Anders Berglund

Sporting a hairstyle that any lead singer of a rock band would be proud of, Tommy gave everything as he delivered his uplifting piece of rock. Time has not diminished its quality.  

 Park CaféPark Café Luxembourg - Park Café - Monsieur (French)

Music/Lyrics: Maggie Parke, Gast Waltzing/Maggie Parke, Bernard Loncheval

Conductor: Benoit Kaufman

Fronted by American Maggie Parke, the band representing Luxembourg gave us something different. An obvious bass, brass and plucked strings make Monsieur stand out from the crowd

 Birthe KjærBirthe Kjær Denmark - Birthe Kjær - Vi Maler Byen Rød (Danish)

Music/Lyrics: Soren Bundgard/Keld Keick

Conductor: Henrik Krogsgaard

Veteran Birthe showed the others how to do it as she lifted this bouncy little number to third place. There was even a chance to Henrik to dash from the orchestra pit to join in the proceedings on stage. How fortunate that the conductor from the previous song was on hand to take over, and seemed to know exactly where to start.  

 Thomas ForstnerThomas Forstner Austria - Thomas Forstner - Nur Ein Lied (German)

Music/Lyrics: Dieter Bohlen/Joachim Horn-Bernges

Conductor: n/a

Thomas (a former member of the Vienna Boys Choir) achieved Austria’s highest placing since 1976, and the top five has eluded them ever since. Nur Ein Lied starts in dramatic style and maintains its grandness right to the end.

 Anneli SaaristoAnneli Saaristo Finland - Anneli Saaristo - La Dolce Vita (Finnish)

Music/Lyrics: Matti Puurtinen/Turkka Mali

Conductor: Ossi Runne

A song in Finnish with an Italian title and Spanish influences, what more could you ask for?

 Nathalie PâqueNathalie Pâque France - Nathalie Pâque - J'ai Volé La Vie (French)

Music/Lyrics: Guy Matteoni, G. G. Candy/Sylvein Lebel

Conductor: Guy Matteoni

The second of the annoying child singers was much more confident than Gili had been earlier in the evening. She breezed her way through this admittedly good ballad.

 NinaNina Spain - Nina - Nacida Para Amar (Spanish)

Music/Lyrics: Juan Carlos Calderon/Juan Carlos Calderon

Conductor: Juan Carlos Calderon

In a year that contained more than its fair share of big ballads, Spain’s stood apart from the rest.  Nina sang with real feeling and could have brought her country its third win.

 Fanny Polymeri and Yiannis SavvidakisFanny Polymeri and Yiannis Savvidakis Cyprus - Fanny Polymeri and Yiannis Savvidakis - Apopse As Vrethoume (Greek)

Music/Lyrics: Marios Meletiou/Efi Meletiou

Conductor: Haris Andreadis

A couple of wobbles with the vocals didn’t help a song already in need of all the assistance it could get. It’s rather empty and unsatisfying. 

 FurbazFurbaz Switzerland - Furbaz - Viver Senza Tei (Romanche)

Music/Lyrics: Marie-Louise Werth/Marie-Louise Werth

Conductor: Benoit Kaufman

This is the only song in the history of the contest to be sung in Switzerland’s fourth language, Romanche. It’s a rather subdued effort which passes by almost unnoticed.    

 MariannaMarianna Greece - Marianna - To Diko Sou Asteri (Greek)

Music/Lyrics: Yannis Kyris, Marianna Efstratiou/Villy Saniánou

Conductor: Yiorgos Niachros

Marianna was one of the stronger singers in the contest but had one of the weakest songs. It holds itself together, but seems to drift along aimlessly, never really taking off or achieving its potential. 

 Daníel Augúst HaraldssonDaníel Augúst Haraldsson Iceland - Daníel Augúst Haraldsson - Það Sem Enginn Sér (Icelandic)

Music/Lyrics: Valgeir Gudjonsson/Valgeir Gudjonsson

Conductor: Valgeir Gudjonsson

Perhaps a little unlucky to score no points at all, this is a steady rather than strong ballad. It wasn’t the worst song in the contest, but was probably just outside the top ten of most of the juries.  

 Nino de AngeloNino de Angelo Germany - Nino de Angelo - Flieger (German)

Music/Lyrics: Dieter Bohlen/Joachim Horn-Bernges

Conductor: n/a

Had Austria chosen a different song, Germany may well have been fifth instead. The two are very similar in style and presentation. This is not such a big surprise when you consider that the same songwriters were responsible for both songs.  

 RivaRiva Yugoslavia - Riva - Rock Me (Serbo-Croat)

Music/Lyrics: Rajko Dujmic/Stevo Cvikic

Conductor: Nikica Kalogjera

Yugoslavia’s 24th entry brought it its first and only win. The often tried Balkan ballad was abandoned in favour of a europop tune of the type so often derided by cynics. It is one of the less musical credible songs Yugoslavia entered, but a win is a win and it is fun. Not only that, but the ‘Rock me baby’ refrain is very memorable.

New voting format in Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2009

The finalist for the 2009 Dansk Melodi Grand Prix © Jens Nørgaard Larsen

When the 2009 Dansk Melodi Grand Prix takes place on the 31st of January it will be with a new voting format where the winner will end up being on stage three times before he or she is awarded with the honour of representing Denmark at the Eurovision Song Contest in May.

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