Showing posts with label Merci Cherie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Merci Cherie. Show all posts

Monday, October 21, 2019

Mamma Mia, It's Udo, Again!



Udo Jürgens would have been 85 last month. But he died. Five years ago.
He’s probably the most prolific songwriter ever to appear on the Eurovision stage. He wrote about a 1000 songs, sold 100 million records and represented his home country Austria three times at the Eurovision Song Contest. The 3rd time he won, with Merci Cherie (1966).
It is said that even Sir Elton John has expressed his envy toward Jürgens’ songwriting talent.

In 2007 his songs were forged into a musical Ich War Noch Niemals In New York and your Eurocovers wrote a bit about that here.

Now there’s a movie of the musical, again drenched in Udo’s music. Ich War Noch Niemals In New York the Movie is in German and now playing in theaters in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg. 
The Philip Stölzi directed movie stars Heike Makatsch, Moritz Bleibtreu, Katharina Thalbach, Uwe Ochsenknecht, Michael Ostrowski, Pasquale Aleardi, Marlon Schramm and Mat Schuh.
Reviews are mixed, from raving to raging. 
I haven’t seen it but I can’t wait for the DVD with subtitles (expected in June 2020, also on Blu Ray if you're into that).


The Soundtrack
One Eurovision song made it to the film, Merci Cherie is performed by the ever gorgeous Moritz Bleibtreu. (but a very short version at 1.38).

The music from the film is out on CD and deluxe 3CD set. Disc one has the songs from the movie, the bonus discs have all kinds of tributes and coverversions featuring artists like Pepe Lienhards orchestra (Jürgens’ touring band leader for 37 years!), Matt Monro (the amazing If I Never Sing Another Song), Nana Mouskouri, Heino, Caterina Valente, Milva and many more. (see image below for tracklist)
Digital?, not so much, it seems Spotify doesn't want us outside the German speaking countries to hear it. Same for Apple music, maybe iTunes has it but it doesn't show up here.


Links
Mamma Mia It's Udo! (2007 post about the original musical)
You can find out about Udo Jürgens Eurovision entries and their versions on page three and four of the Eurovision Collectors Guide (via our facebook page, open to all).

IWNNINY, der Film has a Facebook page



Thursday, February 08, 2007

VII: Melodifestivalen - Anne-Lie Rydé

Swedish songstress Anne-Lie Rydé teams up with a Eurovision veteran for this years Melodifestivalen in the Göteborg heat this weekend.
Rydé participated in the Swedish selection of 2004 with Säg att du har ångrat dig and with Så nära in 2005 and now she's trying again with Svante Thuresson, who's 1966 duet with Lill Lindfors Nygammal vals resulted in a 2nd place, back then the best result for Sweden ever.
The song is called Första gången and considering the Swedish public just (or only?) love the big names, a place in the final awaits.
Go! Anne-Lie! Go! Svante!

For Eurovision covers fans there's two Anne- Lie CDs of interest.
First up there's the 1992 LP/CD Stulna Kyssar which features a jazzy interpretation of the 1963 winner Dansevise (In a Swedish Danish mix) and a lovely version of the 1963 entry from Sweden En gång I Stockholm*, originally by Monica Zetterlund. The album also includes a version of Zetterlunds När min vän (1962)

The 1994 CD Primadonna has two winners: Poupée de cire, poupée de son (Luxemburg 1965) and Merci Cherie (Austria 1966) and especially the first one is a slice of fantastic energetic super pop.

Stulna Kyssar - EMI 4750252 - 1992
Primadonna - EMI 4751012 - 1994

Denmark 1963 - Drömdans / Dansevise - LP/CD Stulna Kyssar
Sweden 1963 - En gång i Stockholm - LP/CD Stulna Kyssar
Luxembourg 1965 - Det kan väl inte jag rå för (Poupee de cire) - CD Primadonna
Austria 1966 - Merci Cherie (in Swedish) - CD Primadonna

Denmark 1963 - Sweden 1963 - Luxembourg 1965 - Austria 1966


* For Grethe & Jörgen Ingmanns version of this personal favorite go here