Eurovision Song Competition 2011

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: melodeonboy
Date: 17 May 11 - 10:19 AM

Jim, you're my favourite poster on Mudcat. You never fail to make me laugh!

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: GUEST,Jim Knowledge
Date: 17 May 11 - 09:07 AM

I `ad that Sir Terry Wogan in my cab the other day. Sun tan, golf clubs and `is copy for `is article in "The Sunday Telegraph".
I said, "Morning M`lord. Cor luvvus, your comments were missed on that European Song Contest the other night. I was looking forward to a laugh and all I got was that pseudo mincer, Graham Norton, and "Match of the Day"".
`e said, " I know Jim, there was so much risible stuff on tap but they didn`t make the most of it. I could have `ad fun and games with some of those dodgy presenters, and those geezers in pointed `ats, well I never".
I said, "Maybe be they`ll do better next year".
`e said, " Yeah, I did `ear they are all going to be riding uni-cycles instead of just the Totty in silver!!".

Whaddam I Like??

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 17 May 11 - 08:03 AM

I forgot abount Sandie Shaw, that was of the first of it's kind and the difference was that everyone seemed to be whistling or singing it if I remember rightly. I believe it also got to number 1 here too. She was a guest of Desert Island Disks a short while ago and she mentioned 'Puppet on a String' saying that she hated the song but will now sing it. Ironically, Callodagh Rogers had an attempt at a similar song 'Jack in the Box' which wasn't so successful, she actually preferred the song that had been runner up on the Song for Britain show. Perhaps that might be an answer find the songs that had been runner up and re-do them especially where the singer had doubted the selection in the first place. Just a thought.

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser)
Date: 17 May 11 - 04:45 AM

I remember Dervish representing Ireland a few years ago. Not a huge success. The song wasn't much good for a start but then Cathy Jordan sang terribly flat. She's not in the habit of doing that so I suspect she couldn't hear herself. Seemed to be a lot of that going on on Saturday as well.

I thought Jedward did great. Fair play to them. My favourites, though, were Spain and Iceland. I liked Iceland because it was basically six fat middle-aged blokes having a laugh. I liked Spain because the song sounded Spanish and the singer was gorgeous and also able to actually sing.

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 17 May 11 - 03:18 AM

... "Puppet", though, another example of the widespread 'invisible writers' syndrome on which there have been several threads. Took me a lot of googling to establish that "Sandy Shaw's" 'Puppet on a String', as practically every entry called it, was acually the work of Bill Martin & Phil Coulter'

According to wiki, btw, Sandy Shaw in fact hated it ~ liked it least of all the 5 songs she trialled for the competition, but it was the one voted for:
'"I hated it from the very first oompah to the final bang on the big bass drum. I was instinctively repelled by its sexist drivel and cuckoo-clock tune." She was disappointed when it was selected as the song she would use to represent the country, but it won the contest hands down'.

~M~

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 17 May 11 - 03:06 AM

Puppet On A String did Sandy Shaw's career good service, tho she was already pretty distinguished.

Best song I can ever recall from Eurovision; so good that it won thru quality, not group-voting, for once.

~M~

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 17 May 11 - 02:50 AM

Moldova and the Bosnian entry is the kind of music being played in some of the local Bristol pubs at the moment so I was hoping that most of the votes would go to them. For a moment I did think that Jedward was in with a chance not because of their talent but because of the talent of the backing singers and the graphics. Considering that Jedward are the most irritating 'stars' around they did really well. However whoever is successful or unsuccessful it is not always great for the star thereafter. There are very few who go on to be outstanding memorable performers Abba, Celine Dione and I suppose Bucks Fizz although it is not my cup of tea. Olivia Newton John's saving grace was that she landed the role of Sandy in Grease I bet not many would remember her entry in the Eurovision, something to do with The Salvation Army?

Anyway it is over for another year thank goodness.

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 17 May 11 - 12:11 AM

=== 'Always terribly grieved to spoil a good joke.....'

no you're not...!
===========
i am i am i am i am

you horrible nasty brutal beast i hate you

boohoohoohoohoohoo

now look what youve made me do


i hate you

:~{§

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 16 May 11 - 11:38 PM

Some people (MGM springs to mind) are mean enough to say what Jedward do, isn't really folk music. can you believe that sort of small mindedness? =====

Who's MGM? Who's Jedward?

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 May 11 - 07:17 PM

Nah - too good surely! And it would completely go over the heads of those who cannot celebrate more that one thing at a time:-)

DtG

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 16 May 11 - 06:43 PM

I reckon we ought to get Bellowhead to do next years.

I was thinking along those lines, too!

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: GUEST
Date: 16 May 11 - 05:36 PM

'Always terribly grieved to spoil a good joke.....'

no you're not...!

No MikeL.2 - nothing against the Australians, or the Irish. I was rooting for Jedward -not enough to actually watch Eurovision - but I like those guys.

Some people (MGM springs to mind) are mean enough to say what Jedward do, isn't really folk music. can you believe that sort of small mindedness?

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: MikeL2
Date: 16 May 11 - 11:31 AM

hiu alan

I didn't watch it...busy celebratin Man U's 19th.

<"However, I love the irish dimension to this competition. The irish have made this their main contribution to world culture - dwarfing ireland's puny efforts in the fields of folk music, poetry, literature, and drama.

What's Another Year, The Rock and Roll Kids, Dustin the the talking turkey, Riverdance, My Little Horse, All Kinds of Everything (but nothing too mucky), Dana,,,,, Jedward!">

Surprised you missed out Johnny Logan here. In Ireland he is known as Mr Eurovision having won it twice as a performer and twice as a composer.

Perhaps it was something to do with him having been born in Australia ??

Not surprised that Jedward beat Blue.....typical.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 16 May 11 - 10:24 AM

'This show is not conducted on a level playing field!'

No its a television studio. ===

Good joke, Al ~~ except that this year it actually did take place on a playing field ~ Dusseldorf's football stadium, which the team had lent for the purpose and which had been roofed over and adapted for the occasion: the best part of the show was a speeded up film showing the whole of this process in 3 minutes.

Always terribly grieved to spoil a good joke: but into every life a little rain must fall!

~M~

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: GUEST,LDT
Date: 16 May 11 - 09:58 AM

So did I. Kinda like a Icelandic Beatles.
I thought the story behind the song/band was quite sweet too.

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 16 May 11 - 09:55 AM

I rather liked Iceland's entry

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 May 11 - 09:53 AM

My son's band was playing in a pub on the night of the show. Had a great night - he reckons it was helped by the presence of refugees from Eurovision.

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: GUEST,LDT
Date: 16 May 11 - 09:25 AM

They'll have Simon Cowell on the judging panel next.
;)

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 16 May 11 - 09:19 AM

'This show is not conducted on a level playing field!'

No its a television studio.

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 16 May 11 - 09:06 AM

Quote from the BBC News website

"More than nine million viewers in the UK watched Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest, according to early estimates.

The audience peaked at 12.7m towards the end of the show as Azerbaijan won, while the average viewing figure for the three-hour broadcast was 9.5m.

This compared with 5.5m viewers in 2010"

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 May 11 - 08:48 AM

Of course the Eurovision website has all the videos there to be viewed well in advance.

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 16 May 11 - 08:18 AM

This show is not conducted on a level playing field!
The rule should be that the first time that the public hear the entries is during the actual performance.
I bet the winning entry has been blasting out over Eastern Europe for weeks before the actual show.

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 May 11 - 08:15 AM

And for something completely different, try the operatic French entry, sung in Corsican - far better in the video here than on the night, when something went wrong.

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 May 11 - 08:01 AM

And on the Eurovision Song Contest website you can get all 43 songs,including the ones chucked out in the semi-finals. That's a special offer for musical masochists.

Just try the Belarus entry...

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 16 May 11 - 02:51 AM

I still went most for the Hungarian & my wife for the Spanish, neither of which got far. But we both agreed that the winning Azerbaijan one was one of the better entries, so the result was far from absurd ~~ and it did have the advantage of going to a state who will be well able to afford the staging of next year's!

~M~

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: Hamish
Date: 16 May 11 - 02:33 AM

Well... sorry to put in a good word, but I rather like the winning song. Also enjoyed the pure pop of the Romanian entry. But my top favourite was the Slovenian one. Compulsive! Great video, too: see www.bbc.co.uk/eurovision. (Didn't actually see the show, but listened on the radio to the second half whilst driving back from a gig.)

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 16 May 11 - 12:32 AM

Still time to get it on i-Player, Tim= ;~}

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: Tim Leaning
Date: 15 May 11 - 07:15 PM

hey when was it on oh bugger missed the musical hioghlight of my year..
Thats about twenty times ont he trot that has happened to me..:-(

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 15 May 11 - 07:02 PM

Bellowhead doing Boom Bang-a-Bang!. Then half way through they rip each others trousers off......

Yes, I can see how that might work!

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 15 May 11 - 06:04 PM

I am just cheesed off that Moldova didn't win. What is there not to like about a bunch of head banging gnomes and pretty brunette on a unicycle?

DtG

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: SRD
Date: 15 May 11 - 05:54 PM

I reckon we ought to get Bellowhead to do next years.

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: GUEST,BobL
Date: 15 May 11 - 04:57 PM

>>>Art, democracy, TV "entertainment", and national rivalry are four distinct entities<<<

Grishka, I make that five. But then I always made a distinction between TV and entertainment.

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: The Sandman
Date: 15 May 11 - 02:10 PM

buublyrat,i agree

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: bubblyrat
Date: 15 May 11 - 01:55 PM

Load of crap anyway ; I haven't bothered with it much since Nana Mouskouri sang "Colouring Book " on it ( nice song , that ).

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: Commander Crabbe
Date: 15 May 11 - 01:05 PM

Azerbaijan

Apparently as an oil producer they are able to afford to host the next competion!!!!

CC

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: David C. Carter
Date: 15 May 11 - 01:01 PM

Azerbaijan.

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 15 May 11 - 12:33 PM

Some unpronouncable state near Iran I think!!

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: GUEST,Ebor_Fiddler
Date: 15 May 11 - 12:23 PM

Does anybody know who won?

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: Allan Conn
Date: 15 May 11 - 11:43 AM

And aren't the UK and Spain along with France and germany, the so called Big Four? That is we are guaranteed a place in the final because we contribute far more towards the running of the competition than the other nations. It is about time that stopped. What is the point of the BBC continuing to bankroll it when the voting is political anyway?

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: Ernest
Date: 15 May 11 - 10:51 AM

Arthur, actually it is Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain - but same thing is probably true for all those countries which spent money to help the aforementioned... ;0)

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: GUEST,Desi C
Date: 15 May 11 - 07:31 AM

Well, as i didn't get this in my mailbox till Sunday I speak with hindsight, surprise surprise some former eastern block obscure state won it. But the UK was clearly robbed by dodgy voting, out of the LAST place the UK entry was most qualified for, it was well down to their usual stantards. But given that everyone knows this contest is a fix, no one even bothers to pretend otherwise these days, WHY then does the BBC adverstise phone numbers to vote on! If that's not daft enough, thousands of otherwise normal people go and waste money phoning them!!?   We really need to introduce phone voting for Parliamentary elections, put a charge on them and you solve the economic crisis at the same

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 15 May 11 - 05:42 AM

Ah that means the UK then

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: Ernest
Date: 15 May 11 - 05:11 AM

One part of the outcome was quite predictable:

Certain countries (known as the "pigs") would not send a winner because they couldn`t afford hosting next years contest...*fg*

;0)
Ernest

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: DMcG
Date: 15 May 11 - 04:46 AM

Nah, I vote now for getting the Demon Barbers to do the UK entry next year. Should be different, at least!

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: breezy
Date: 15 May 11 - 04:44 AM

so what chance was there of us hosting soccer's world cup ?

Foo fighters was a better option last night but even that became tedious

Then Cliff's World Tour !

if you watched it that was a waste of life-time, as was the cup final.

Please organise a folk concert next year

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: DMcG
Date: 15 May 11 - 04:37 AM

I was thinking about how innocuous most of the songs are and whether that met whatever the original brief was, so went off to Wiki to try to find out what that original concept was. I was amused to notice that in the table showing the history of the competion it has these captions:

Edition Finals date Year Broadcaster Venue City Countries Winner

'Winner' is the winning country. So the Wiki history includes things like the Venue (do people really care what hall it took place in?) but omits things like .. oh ... the name of the song and the singer.

"Unforgettable. That's what you aren't"

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: Allan Conn
Date: 15 May 11 - 04:35 AM

"Well I got mine wrong, but at least right about Blue." I watched with my wife and daughter who were baulking at the ex-Soviet and ex-Yugoslav states all giving each other the big points. I said "well you know the only way the UK is getting many max points is if Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland all had their own entries - now just watch we'll give Ireland 12 and they'll do the same". So of course we gave Ireland 12 as we always seems to do - then we only got 6 back in return. That was my theory shot down in flames :-)

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 15 May 11 - 04:03 AM

Well I got mine wrong, but at least right about Blue.

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 15 May 11 - 03:49 AM

Art, democracy, TV "entertainment", and national rivalry are four distinct entities. They should never be mixed.

Subject: RE: Eurovision Song Competition 2011
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 15 May 11 - 02:12 AM

Further to last post ~~ WHY are the phone lines open thruout? Surely anyone who votes as soon as they have heard a # they like without waiting to hear if there will be an even better one doesn't deserve a vote anyway?

What do others think on this point?