(Part 1) Pop Songcraft & Eurovision at the Hague

Switched on Pop, ABBA:
https://switchedonpop.com/episodes/why-abba-songs-just-hit-different

Switched on Pop, Last Christmas:
https://switchedonpop.com/episodes/wham-op-84-last-christmas-with-chilly-gonzales

ABBA, Waterloo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FsVeMz1F5c&list=RD3FsVeMz1F5c&start_radio=1

Tame Impala, Elephant:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnKUD_OztRE

ABBA, Honey Honey:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnjzEsKM95I

The Beatles, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J9NpHKrKMw

DJ BoBo - Vampires Are Alive (Switzerland) 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9YTasUpAjw

Måns Zelmerlöw - Heroes (Sweden) 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sGOwFVUU0I

Emmelie de Forest - Only Teardrops - (Denmark) 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k59E7T0H-Us

Verka Serduchka - Dancing Lasha Tumbai (Ukraine) 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfjHJneVonE

Netta, Toy (Israel) 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzipT_doLho

Celine Dion Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1CwpCNThO4

Don Norman Books, Industrial Design
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=don+norman+books&crid=1OE4L7WY7UXZ2&sprefix=don+norman+b%2Caps%2C168&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_12

Rules on ESC National Juries:
https://eurosong-contest.fandom.com/wiki/National_Jury

On Waterloo:

The original title of the song was "Honey Pie". "Waterloo" was originally written with simultaneous rock music and jazz beats (unusual for an ABBA song).

Recording of the song commenced on 17 December 1973, with instrumental backing from Janne Schaffer (who came up with the main guitar and bass parts), Rutger Gunnarsson, and Ola Brunkert. The song's production style was influenced by Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound": prior to recording "Ring Ring", engineer Michael B. Tretow had read Richard Williams' book Out of His Head: The Sound of Phil Spector, which inspired him to layer multiple instrumental overdubs on the band's recordings, becoming an integral part of ABBA's sound. Furthermore, ABBA had also originally cited the song "See My Baby Jive", by English glam rock band Wizzard, as a major influence (it was produced in the same style); in the wake of their Eurovision victory, they were quoted as saying that it would not surprise them if artists such as Wizzard would consider entering the Eurovision in the future.

Subsequently, German and French versions were recorded in March and April 1974 respectively: the French version was adapted by Alain Boublil, who would later go on to co-write the 1980 musical Les Misérables.

Rednex, Cotton Eye Joe, 1995:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOYZaiDZ7BM

The Rednex version of the song (using "Eye" instead of "Eyed"), along with a dance-mix version, was very successful in Europe, where it remained at number-one in Norway for 15 weeks, Switzerland for 13 weeks, Germany for 10 weeks, Sweden for 8 weeks, Austria for 7 weeks, and for 3 weeks on the UK Singles Chart. In the latter, the single reached the top spot in its fifth week on the chart, on 8 January 1995.

Cotton Eyed Joe, Classic version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3Wi5qok-AY

I'll Tell Me Ma, Modern Version and Classic Version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5-jKJ-QDEY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcWkykzcQhQ

New tradition! Taking ESC songs that are metaphors and adding a preamble to them, like Waterloo. This edition: Conchita's Rise Like A Phoenix.

To rise like a phoenix means to face the worst,
Yet from adversity, one's spirit is nursed.
From challenges and pain, a new self is born,
Stronger and wiser, against all odds, reborn.

Articles of Interest, American Ivy (prep clothing):
https://articlesofinterest.substack.com/p/american-ivy-chapter-1

Max, Our Audio Editor (He does video too!)
https://www.fiverr.com/its_prosha?source=inbox

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: ESCconteXt