Ten Eurovision covers from the early years

The Eurovision season is approaching, but I like to look back on the old days. Back in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, many great songs entered the Eurovision stage. However, the story of a song doesn't end after Eurovision as many songs get covered. Over and over again, people make covers of all sorts of songs. When making this list, I was surprised at some of the names who did these covers. So it was definitely time to dedicate an article to covers of Eurovision songs from the 50s, 60s and 70s! On the next ten pages, you'll find my personal ten favourites from these early years. 10. Farrah Fawcett & Jean-Paul Vignon - You (Toi) Cover of: Gigliola Cinquetti - Sì Here's perhaps the first surprise on this list: American actress Farrah Fawcett. She was perhaps best known as one of Charlie's Angels or for her record-breaking poster in 1976, but she also did this. If you know Serge Gainsbourg's Je T'Aime, you'll know where the inspiration for this one came from. Farrah was not a singer, Jean-Paul Vignon is, however. They covered this Italian Eurovision entry in a bilingual version: French for the sung parts and English for Farrah's spoken parts. I think it works quite well and it's definitely way different than the original, which was pretty much just a ballad... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD9baWisvxo 9. Marju Kuut & Aleksandar Rjabov - Tantsulaul Cover of: Grethe & Jørgen Ingmann - Dansevise Behind the Iron Curtain, Eurovision was seen as a Western thingy, nothing they wanted to be part of. Except for Yugoslavia, yes. But sometimes, songs managed to get their way across the borders... This is one of them: Estonia, back then part of the Soviet Union, got a little piece of the brilliance the Ingmann couple brought to the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest. Their own Marju Kuut, together with Aleksandar Rjabov, turned Dansevise into Tantsulaul. The song keeps all of its charm and class, no matter the language, but Marju's voice suits the song very well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qYzYPnzrKA 8. Bles Bridges - Glo In Die Lewe Cover of: Vicky Leandros - Après Toi South Africa is a country of Eurovision covers. In recent years, we've seen plenty of South African artists covering Eurovision or even national final songs. But it's not a phenomenon of the past few years. South Africa has always had a thing for Eurovision. Also covered was Après Toi, the Vicky Leandros classic. There are loads and loads of covers around for this, in all sorts of languages (Vietnamese, Japanese, Greek - you name it), but somehow I like this a lot. To hear this being sung by a man is already quite the change and Bles has a nice, clear voice. Really a voice for the 60s and 70s, I'd say. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvt33jOv7pE 7. Mike Preston - My First Love Affair Cover of: Isabelle Aubret - Un Premier Amour You have cases where the cover outclasses the original by a lot of miles. When making this list, I saw a cover of Un Premier Amour and skipped it. I love French music, I love Isabelle Aubret's second entry, I love the 60s chansons, but that 1962 winner just never appealed to me. And if I don't like the original, fat chance that I'll dislike the cover too. I somehow went back to it though and listened to it. I think Mike's version is miles better than Isabelle's. The lyrics just work and Mike puts a bit of power in it, the power Isabelle Aubret just couldn't deliver for me... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OexNsVI8QWY 6. Grethe Ingmann - Den Er Din, Denne Jord Cover of: Katja Ebstein - Diese Welt One of the best German Eurovision entries getting covered by one of Denmark's finest entrants. Sounds like a recipe for success to me and I think it is exactly that. The Danish language just fits the song like a glove. Somehow Grethe Ingmann also brings a lot of class and charm to the song, exactly what she did to Dansevise as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TmyxrZ2t9s 5. Earl Wilson Jr. - Please Speak To Me Of Love Cover of: Raphael - Hablemos Del Amor Perhaps another surprising one for me. As some people may know, I'm not the biggest fan of Spanish language music (sorry, it's just not my thing), so I never paid much attention to Hablemos Del Amor. I only noticed the greatness of the music when I was introduced to this version by Earl Wilson Jr. Wilson Jr. covered the English version of the song, so Raphael must also have done this version, but I like Wilson Jr.'s powerful voice, it really helps the song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QdB-j49qd4 4. Rita Reys & Rob de Nijs - New Old Fashioned Way Cover of: L. Lindfors & S. Thuresson - Nygammal Vals Two legends in the Netherlands team up to cover one of the most hilarious, yet amazing, Eurovision songs of the 1960s. Rita Reys, who sadly died in 2013, was titled Europe's First Lady of Jazz and she does it well in this song. This song doesn't work with class and charm, it only works with attitude and humour. Rob de Nijs is one of the leading figures in Dutch music in the 60s and 70s, so we're dealing with quite duet here... The lyrics in this version are just hilarious. Let me give you an example: They can step aside, this body is mine, you miserable old. The story of a princess and someone who either is a drum teacher or someone who sells pots and pans... Yep, that's what I like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkaIGkxTq8o 3. Teddy & Henk Scholten - Zing, Kleine Vogel Cover of: Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson - Sing Little Birdie Back in 1959, Teddy Scholten witnessed how she managed to beat the UK couple of Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson. Her Een Beetje got the victory over their Sing Little Birdie. Teddy must however have liked the song quite a lot as she then asked her husband, Henk Scholten, to sing the song with her. The song is charming in any version you'd sing it in and I really enjoy it in Dutch as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TT4Jln845s 2. Julie Andrews - Tom Pilibi Cover of: Jacqueline Boyer - Tom Pilibi I hope this might be the next big surprise for you. British legendary film star and singer and dancer and all that she's done Julie Andrews did a cover of Tom Pilibi. She did this right after Eurovision as this record came out in June 1960, only a few months after Jacqueline Boyer conquered the hearts of Europe with her performance. That means this song was released way before Julie Andrews got the worldwide fame for her parts in Mary Poppins or The Sound of Music. Julie Andrews has a voice you can never mistake for anyone else. This song fits her like a glove, no doubt about it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yRk_Iv7F_8 1. Vera Lynn - This Is My Prayer Cover of: Gigliola Cinquetti - Non Ho L'Età I was in shock when I discovered this one. The Forces' Sweetheart, one of Britain's finest singers of all time, did a Eurovision cover? When she was already insanely famous? Yes. The woman who received worldwide fame and applause for her song We'll Meet Again heard Gigliola Cinquetti, sixteen years of age, sing Non Ho L'Età and thought: Let's cover that one. And she does a great job at it. It's classy, but oh so different from the original. I think it's fair to say that this is indeed my favourite cover of the early Eurovision years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEYuKAX_y-0 Next week... Next week, I'll be diving into the 80s and 90s. What kind of gems do we find there? Which stars did covers and where on this earth did some songs land? I hope you enjoyed these ten and I hope some of you have some more covers you'd like to share! Please comment below if you have any comments!

Ten Eurovision covers from the early years

Next week…

Nick van Lith

Next week…

Nick van Lith

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