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Eurovision

Might not be a bad idea to go with the "grey vote", after all there's more of them than the rest of us, or so the media keep saying. Although I do wonder if Cliff was fully booked that weekend.
 
That was ... special.

So you pick the artist first and then get to pick the song for the artist?

Why not ask Leonard Cohen instead?
 
SameOldVardoger said:
That was ... special.

So you pick the artist first and then get to pick the song for the artist?

Why not ask Leonard Cohen instead?
Click to expand...

He's not European.
 
Mythopoeika said:
SameOldVardoger said:
That was ... special.

So you pick the artist first and then get to pick the song for the artist?

Why not ask Leonard Cohen instead?
Click to expand...

He's not European.
Click to expand...

Canadian Celine Dion won for Switzerland in 1988.
 
Sounds like she cheated...unless she had residence in Switzerland?
 
It's the songwriter who has to be from the nation the song is representing, the performer can be from anywhere.
 
Last time the UK won it was with the American Katrina and the Waves who performed the song.
 
Katrina herself is American.
 
Katrina certainly had an American accent when she used to do her late night Radio 2 show.
 
BBC faces backlash over Humperdinck choice
6:30AM GMT 07 Mar 2012

The selection of the singer - who will be 76 by the time he performs in the competition in Baku, Azerbaijan, in May - provoked a number of complaints on the corporation's website.
One asked whether it was "April Fool a month early" while another suggested that it was like a "bad dream".

Another user wrote: "This proves once and for all that the contest is a joke. The BBC are going to throw a load of money at this again and have put an act in that will barely trouble the scorers."
Joseph Leather called the move "absolutely shocking", the Daily Mail reported.
He added: "With the Olympics and Diamond Jubilee this year, it's the perfect occasion to show the UK as a young hip place to be not stuck in the past which you have clearly done."

A post by another user wrote: "What sort of message does this send to the world? That in 2012 there are no up and coming performers that can represent the UK?
"Or maybe the strategy is to win by gathering the middle-aged women vote from all across Europe."

However there was backing from a user called Andy, who said: "I was astonished at first, but EH will stand out from the crowd of 19-year-old Euro-Pixies and is well known across Europe.
"While the votes for the usual Euro-pap will be fragmented, big old EH could well unite the over-50s vote and steal a win."

A BBC spokesman said that the choice of Humperdinck had been "the subject of much heated debate", adding: "We are deliighted by the overwhelming and largely positive response."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvan ... hoice.html
 
Interesting choice, though, considering the recent debate concerning BBC presenters "of a certain age" being ousted by younger ladies.
 
Someone complaining about the BBC? I never thought I'd see the day!
 
Let's boycott Armenia in support of Eurovision. A pity politics had to get in the way of the fun.
 
Uh oh - Russia's going down the oldie route too:

Eurovision 2012: 'Buranovo Grannies' to represent Russia

Folk group the "Buranovo Grannies" will compete in the Eurovision Song Contest, after winning a televised contest in Moscow to represent Russia.
The six grandmothers beat 24 other acts - including a duet between 2008 winner Dima Bilan and Tatu's Yulia Volkova - with song Party For Everybody.

Buranovskiye Babushki, from the Udmurt Republic, say they will use any cash raised to build a church in Buranovo.
"Grandmothers do not need glory and wealth," a member told Vesti news.
The singer, named only as "Grandmother Olga", said building the village church was their "only goal".

Their winning song, which begins as a traditional folk tune before a modern dance beat kicks in, features the refrain, "party for everybody, come on and dance".

The lyrics to the song, which feature a mixture of English and Udmurt - a language related to Finnish - were written by the grandmothers.

Buranovskiye Babushki became known in Russia with covers - sung in Udmurt - of classics including the Beatles' Yesterday and the Eagles' Hotel California.

In 2010, they came third in the Russian Eurovision qualifying contest with their song Dlinnaya-dlinnaya beresta i kak sdelat' iz neyo aishon, which translates as "long, long birch bark and how to make a hat of it". 8)

The UK will also be represented by a pensioner at the 57th Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan when 75-year-old singer Engelbert Humperdinck will perform the British entry.

The Russian singers will take part in the first qualifying heat on 22 May. The Eurovision Song Contest takes place on 26 May.

...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17297443
 
gncxx said:
Let's boycott Armenia in support of Eurovision. A pity politics had to get in the way of the fun.
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I was being tongue in cheek. But if there is a serious risk to the safety of the armenian delegation then its up to the Azeris to deal with it.
 
ramonmercado said:
gncxx said:
Let's boycott Armenia in support of Eurovision. A pity politics had to get in the way of the fun.
Click to expand...

I was being tongue in cheek. But if there is a serious risk to the safety of the armenian delegation then its up to the Azeris to deal with it.
Click to expand...

I wasn't entirely serious myself, but I stand by the second part.
 
Engelbert Humperdinck unveils UK's Eurovision song

[Video: Humperdinck's song entry revealed]

A ballad called Love Will Set You Free is the UK's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest, it has been revealed.
Sung by veteran crooner Engelbert Humperdinck, it premiered on the the BBC's Eurovision website on Monday.

The 75-year-old singer, best known for 1967 hit Release Me, is hoping to reverse the UK's fortunes at the show, which is being held in Azerbaijan.
Last year, reformed boy band Blue came 11th, while Josh Dubovie took last place in 2010.

This year's song has been written by Grammy award-winning producer Martin Terefe and Ivor Novello winner Sacha Skarbek, who co-wrote James Blunt's You're Beautiful and Lana Del Rey's Born To Die.
Love Will Set You Free is a tale of heartbreak with a simple, sparse arrangement of plucked Spanish guitar and melancholy strings.

"The more you listen to it, the stronger it gets," said Humperdinck. "It's not a one-time listen."

"It's a really good song," added Lee Sheriden, who won the Eurovision in 1976 with the group Brotherhood of Man.
"There's nothing to be down about. It's very well-constructed and it lifts in the right places. I can't wait to see how it goes at the Eurovision."

Humperdinck - who was born Arnold George Dorsey - will not be the only septuagenarian at this year's contest.
Russia has selected a group called Buranovskiye Babushki (The Buranovo Grannies) to represent it in the annual competition.
Their disco-tinged tune, Party For Everybody, is second-favourite to win, with bookmakers offering odds of 6/1.

etc...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17429151

Hump's song is quite good - to my one working ear...
 
Was the UK TV audience not even allowed to vote for a song?
It was justed picked by BBC?
 
As someone who has never seen EuroVision, and is mystified by it all, isn't it just a competition to see who can come up with the worst possible song?
 
DrWhiteface said:
As someone who has never seen EuroVision, and is mystified by it all, isn't it just a competition to see who can come up with the worst possible song?
Click to expand...

Its one of those psychological experiments which provide amusement for our Alien Lizard Overlords.

May They Reign for Aeons.
 
DrWhiteface said:
As someone who has never seen EuroVision, and is mystified by it all, isn't it just a competition to see who can come up with the worst possible song?
Click to expand...

Well, sort of, but it is more about finding out, or, more like, re affirming which countries other countries like or dislike.
We could ditch the singing altogether and get to the real comedy straight away, the voting. :)
 
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