 Conny van den Bos
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The Netherlands - Conny van den Bos - Het Is Genoeg (Dutch)
Music/Lyrics: Johnny Holshuyzen/Karel Prior
Conductor: Dolf van der Linden
The Dutch song starts off full of energy but as it progresses, it loses a bit of the initial impact. |
 Kathy Kirby |
United Kingdom – Kathy Kirby – I Belong (English)
Music/Lyrics: Peter Lee-Sterling/Phil Peters
Conductor: Eric Robinson
After moving away slightly in the previous two years from contemporary music, the United Kingdom sent a 1960’s pop song. |
 Conchita Bautista |
Spain - Conchita Bautista - Qué Bueno, Qué Bueno (Spanish)
Music/Lyrics: Antonio Figueroa Egea/ Antonio Figueroa Egea
Conductor: Adolfo Ventas Rodriguez
A touch of the bull-fight his year for Spain. It gave a contest debut to that most Spanish of instruments, the castanets.
|
 Butch Moore |
Ireland - Butch Moore - I'm Walking the Streets in the Rain (English)
Music/Lyrics: Joe Harrigan and George Prendergast/Teresa Conlon
Conductor: Gianni Ferrio
Ireland’s debut was an inoffensive ballad, starting as they mean to go on perhaps. |
 Ulla Wiesner |
Germany - Ulla Wiesner - Paradies, Wo Bist Du? (German)
Music/Lyrics: Barbara Kist and Hans Blüm/Barbara Kist and Hans Blüm
Conductor: Alfred Hause
The title, translated as Paradise Where Are You?, might lead you to expect something a little more solemn. The song has a 60’s movie feel to it.
|
 Udo Jürgens |
Austria - Udo Jürgens - Sag Ihr, Ich Lass' Sie Grüßen (German)
Music/Lyrics: Udo Jürgens/Frank Bohlen
Conductor: Gianni Ferio
Udo returned for his second year in succession with another emotional, piano based ballad. The strings were used well in the arrangement and Udo deserved to be even higher than 4th.
|
 Kirsti Sparboe |
Norway - Kirsti Sparboe – Karusell (Norwegian)
Music/Lyrics: Jolly Kramer-Johansen/Jolly Kramer-Johansen
Conductor: Øivind Bergh
Kirsti sings with a smile on her face while the song has a wintery, perhaps even a Christmas feel to it. |
 Lize Marke |
Belgium - Lize Marke - Als Het Weer Lente Is (Flemish)
Music/Lyrics: Jef van den Berg/Jaak Dreesen
Conductor: Gaston Nyuts
As the year ended in an odd number, it was the turn of Flemish to be the language of the Belgian song. The arrangement improves the song no end. |
 Marjorie Noël |
Monaco - Marjorie Noël - Va Dire à L'amour (French)
Music/Lyrics: Raymond Bernard/Jacques Mareuil
Conductor: Raymond Bernard
Monaco chose a soft ballad which is not a million miles away in style to Non Ho L’Eta. She even sings about being young, in the same way Gigliola had sung about being too young to fall in love.
|
 Ingvar Wixell |
Sweden - Ingvar Wixell – Absent Friend (Swedish)
Music/Lyrics: Dag Wiren/Alf Henriksson
Conductor: William Lind
Tenor Ingvar sings one of those songs whose title doesn’t appear in the song. It’s a pleasant ballad which Ingvar sang well sung and sensitively. |
 Guy Mardel |
France – Guy Mardel - N'avoue Jamais (French)
Music/Lyrics: Guy Mardel/ Françoise Dorin
Conductor: Franck Pourcel
The word jamais is sprinkled liberally throughout the song. The song moves along nicely and is not a typical French song. |
 Simone de Oliviera |
Portugal - Simone de Oliviera - Sol De Inverno (Portuguese)
Music/Lyrics: Carlos Nobrega e Sousa/ Jeronimo Bragança
Conductor: Fernando de Carvalho
Not put off after scoring zero at their first attempt, Portugal bravely returned with a dramatic ballad.
|
 Bobby Solo |
Italy – Bobby Solo – Se Piangi, Se Ridi (Italian)
Music/Lyrics: Satti Marchetti/ Giulio Rapetti
Conductor: Gianni Ferrio
The winner of the Sanremo festival again provided Italy with its Eurovision entry. Like a lot of Italian songs, it has aged well and could easily have brought Italy a second successive victory.
|
 Birgit Brüel |
Denmark - Birgit Brüel - For Din Skyld (Danish)
Music/Lyrics: Jørgen Jersild/ Poul Henningsen
Conductor: Arne Lamberth
Quiet and understated are the words that spring to mind. It is a bit difficult to stay with the song until the end. |
 France Gall |
Luxembourg – France Gall - Poupée De Cire, Poupée De Son (French)
Music/Lyrics: Serge Gainsbourg/ Serge Gainsbourg
Conductor: Alain Goraguer
French rebel Serge Gainsbourg wrote this, Luxembourg’s second winner. In true Gainsbourg style, it was different to anything that had won the contest before and by far the most up tempo.
|
 Viktor Klimenko |
Finland - Viktor Klimenko - Aurinko Laskee Länteen (Finnish)
Music/Lyrics: Toivo Kärki/Reino Helismaa
Conductor: George de Godzinsky
The saxophone provides a bright, if slightly misleading opening. The jazz feel continues and the saxophone returns for the instrumental.
|
 Vice Vukov |
Yugoslavia – Vice Vukov – Ceznja (Serbo-Croat)
Music/Lyrics: Julijo Maric/ Zarko Roje
Conductor: Radivoj Spasic
Vice gives an emotive and sensitive performance of this strong ballad. Many would argue it deserved a lot better than twelfth.
|
 Yovanna |
Switzerland – Yovanna - Non à Jamais Sans Toi (French)
Music/Lyrics: Bob Calfati/ Jean Charles
Conductor: Mario Robbiani
The cymbal is used quietly and constantly throughout the song, which is a lilting ballad.
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EuroVisionary.com - Everything you need to know about the Eurovision Song Contest - We welcome the 2009 Contest in Moscow
