FANTASY EUROVISION SONG CONTEST 1974

EUROPEAN POP LYRICS

This year it’s the fiftieth anniversary of ABBA’s famous win at Eurovision. For my fantasy version I’ve retained ABBA and the other two acts who placed in the top three. However, there are plenty of new acts as well as some unexpected countries.

01: United Kingdom: Queen – Killer Queen

Eurovision and glam rock seems like a natural combination in retrospect, so I’ve invited Queen to start the party.

02: France: Dani – La Vie à 25 ans

Dani was one of the coolest yé-yé girls in the 1960s. In 1974 she was due to perform this song at Eurovision, but France withdrew from the contest when President Pompidou died. To make up for this she was scheduled to perform in 1975, singing the Serge Gainsbourg song “Comme un boomerang”. However, it was banned for being too raunchy and she missed out again. Dani died in 2022, having never performed at Eurovision.

03: West Germany: Udo Lindenberg – Jonny Controlletti

Moving away from their customary schlager, Germany send in Udo Lindenberg, who was the first person to really sell rock records singing in German.

04: Spain: Morena Y Clara – No Llores Mas

The actual Spanish entry this year (by Peret) had a bit of a flamenco flavour, but this track is much cooler. In 1976 Morena y Clara entered the selection contest to represent Spain at Eurovision, but they weren’t chosen. After this indignity they faded from view.

05: Italy: Gigliola Cinquetti – Si

This is from the actual contest and it finished second. Cinquetti had already won Eurovision, back in 1964 aged just 16. This song was banned in her home country as people though it might influence a referendum on divorce.

06: Ireland: Horslips – Dearg Doom

Folk rock was also popular at this time, so it would have been cool if the Irish had sent in Horslips. NB The original single release was in 1973.

07: East Germany: Nina Hagen – Du hast den Farbfilm vergessen

This year I’ve spiced things up by having both East and West Germany compete. Hagen would get a lot wilder later on, but here she is reasonably Eurovision friendly.

08: Netherlands: Mouth & MacNeal – I See a Star

From the original contest. They were favourites to win but ended up in third place.

09: Portugal: Raul Seixas – Gita

The Portuguese recruit the Brazilian singer Raul Seixas. He was into mysticism at this time, and the title is a reference to Hinduism. Plus, he’s wearing a Santa outfit!

10: Andorra: Jeanette – Porque te vas

Here Jeanette represents Andorra (well, I had to get another Spanish language song into the contest somehow). This Eurovision friendly song could give ABBA a run for their money.

11: Belgium: Michel Polnareff – Tibili

Here the legendary Polnareff represents Belgium. He’s rocking that glam look and singing Eurovision friendly gibberish lyrics won’t harm his chances.

12: Poland: Anna Jantar – Tyle słońca w całym mieście

Poland must have crept under the iron curtain when in I let East Germany in. The title translates as ‘So Much Sun in the Whole City’.

13: Greece: Demis Roussos – Forever & Forever

This was the first year that Greece took part in the contest. Here they send in Roussos, already an international star. NB The song was originally released in 1973.

14: Sweden: ABBA – Waterloo

It seems natural to end with ABBA. Can they win both the real and fantasy contests?

NB Seven of these artists have previously featured on this blog and translations of four of the songs are available (in red).

LA BURBUJA ANTIRREACCIÓN by MIGUEL RÍOS

Spanish Rock in the Seventies Part 6: An MOR Star Goes Prog

Miguel Ríos had a huge hit in 1970 with ‘Himno de la Alegría’ and his ‘Rock and Ríos’ LP from 1982 was one of the biggest Spanish records of all time. However, in between these commercial peaks he had a much less successful prog-rock phase.

‘La Huerta Atómica’ (1976) is a concept album about the human race being wiped out in a nuclear explosion. One man survives in a mysterious bubble that is created at the centre of the blast, but he realises his fate has merely been postponed…

This song was written by Ríos with Mariano Diaz, the keyboard player on the album, formerly of Los Que Vivimos. Other tracks on the album feature the former yé-yé singers Massiel and Jeanette.

LA BURBUJA ANTIRREACCIÓN No encuentro la explicación no sé quién fue, ni quién pulsó el botón atómico. No sé quién os mató. Y siento no estar ahí, ser uno más sin porvenir, sin tener que presenciar la espantosa realidad. A raíz de la explosión todo cambió y comprendí que la burbuja antirreacción tan sólo aplazará mi fin. Testigo accidental me convertiré en la postal del desastre universal. Qué caótico final. Y la vida bajo la cúpula se hace irreal. Entre transparencias de almendros. Polvo de cristal.

THE COUNTER REACTION BUBBLE I can't find the explanation I don't know who it was, or who pressed The atomic button. I don't know who killed you. And I feel sorry that I wasn't there, To be one more without a future, Without having to witness The frightening reality As a result of the explosion Everything changed and I realized That the counter reaction bubble Would only postpone my fate Accidental witness I will become the postcard Of universal disaster Such a chaotic end And life under the dome Becomes unreal. Between transparent almond trees Broken glass.

PORQUE TE VAS by JEANETTE

Jeanette (formerly singer with the 60s group Pic-Nic) released this single in 1974. It became a hit two years later when it was memorably used in the film “Cría Cuervos”.

PORQUE TE VAS * Hoy en mi ventana brilla el sol Y el corazón se pone triste contemplando la ciudad Porque te vas * Como cada noche desperté pensando en ti Y en mi reloj todas las horas vi pasar Porque te vas * Todas las promesas de mi amor se irán contigo Me olvidarás, me olvidarás Junto a la estación lloraré igual que un niño Porque te vas, porque te vas * Bajo la penumbra de un farol se dormirán Todas las cosas que quedaron por decir se dormirán * Junto a las manillas de un reloj esperarán Todas las horas que quedaron por vivir esperarán

BECAUSE YOU’RE LEAVING * Today the sun is shining in my window And my heart becomes sad contemplating the city Because you’re leaving * The way I woke up every night Thinking about you And I say all the hours passing on my watch Because you’re leaving * All my promises of love will leave with you You’ll forget me, you’ll forget me Next to the station I’ll cry like a child Because you’re leaving * Below the half-light of a street lamp They’ll fall asleep All the things that were left to say They'll fall asleep * Next to the hands of a clock they’ll wait All the hours that were left to live they’ll wait

Guitar Chords:

Verse:

Gm – Cm – Gm

Cm – Gm – D7 – Gm

Chorus:

Eb – Gm – Bb – D7 – Gm (x2)

D7 – Gm

*

Grammar:

Many verbs in Spanish can be used in both ordinary and reflexive form.

Sometimes the meaning is slightly different, sometimes completely different.

Ir – to go. Irse – to leave.

Dormir – to sleep. Dormirse – to fall asleep.

Poner – to put / to give etc. Ponerse – to put yourself / to become.