![]() There is a distinct hint of Waterloo – still! Eleven years later! – about the galloping intro and sax-laden sound of Let It Swing, while the English lyrics offer the thought-provoking opening line “Look at me, I’m climbing up a ladder”. Bobbysocks! – Let It Swing (Norway, 1985) Boom Bang-a-Bang, selected by the British public in a vote that relegated a song by the then-unknown Elton John and Bernie Taupin to last place, apparently much to the duo’s relief, sounded, in John’s subsequent estimation, “like something pissed Germans would slap their knees to in a Bavarian beer hall”. No less than four countries had to share the prize in 1969. Lulu, whose song for the UK, Boom Bang-a-Bang, shared the winning slot with three other countries in 1969. Corry Brokken – Net Als Toen (Netherlands, 1957) ![]() Perhaps there was a reactionary backlash against early 80s pop’s synthesisers and makeup, similar to that which put Engelbert Humperdinck at No 1 at psychedelia’s height: how else to explain the UK popularity of Nicole’s winsome Ein bißchen Frieden (A Little Peace), which is essentially I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing without the tune? 60. Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta – A-Ba-Ni-Bi (Israel, 1978)īy now, Eurovision’s Abba tendency was beginning to look a bit clapped-out: witness the Alphabeta – three boys and three girls – and the cantering but club-footed cod-disco of A-Ba-Ni-Bi, its chorus catchy only because you are clobbered over the head with it about 7,000 times. It is startlingly pallid, although be thankful for small mercies: it originally had seven verses. The old Father Ted joke about Ireland deliberately entering a terrible song in Eurovision because it couldn’t afford to host the contest the following year had its basis in a persistent rumour about Rock ’n’ Roll Kids. Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan – Rock ’n’ Roll Kids (Ireland, 1994) It was hhistoric in some ways – Dave Benton was the first black performer to win Eurovision and it was the first entry from a former Soviet country to win – but not, alas, musically. Middling disco-house, like a less impactful version of Phats and Small’s Turn Around, with a cheesy chorus and a lot of irksome vocal ad-libbing. Tanel Padar, Dave Benton and 2XL – Everybody (Estonia, 2001) Obviously, no one was expecting Eurovision to come up with a winner that reflected 1979’s cutting-edge pop – Gary Numan, the Specials etc – but there are limits. ![]() Milk and Honey – Hallelujah (Israel, 1979)Ī song so weedy that a light breeze would knock it flat, sung by an ineffably annoying cabaret turn in sequinned braces. Perhaps it is kindest to say that there were evidently plenty of people who found Netta’s performance of the staccato Toy, replete with onomatopoeic vocalising, chicken noises, flapping arms and much self-consciously wacky gurning to camera, endearing rather than wildly infuriating and leave it at that. With their modern take on '60s surf rock making waves in indie circles, Jack and Eliza are proving themselves a must-see live act.Endearing or wildly infuriating? Israel’s Netta performs Toy at Eurovision in Lisbon in 2018. The release boasted production by Chris Zane (Mumford & Sons, The Walkmen, Passion Pit) and included catchy singles "Hold The Line" and "Secrets". They released their debut EP No Wonders in fall 2014 while in their sophomore year at college - Staffen as a political science and history major at New York University and Callahan as a visual art and creative writing major at Columbia University. After the group fizzled they began writing and playing together, eventually scoring a record deal with Yebo Music in 2013. The pair met in middle school when Callahan joined Staffen's garage band as a replacement drummer. Staffen grew up enthralled with rock and roll and idolized Kurt Cobain, while Callahan studied classical guitar and later became the youngest winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest "Song of the Year" award - an honor she nabbed at just 15 years old. Jack Staffen and Eliza Callahan grew up in Manhattan's West Village and started playing music at young ages. ![]() The result is an unforgettable live experience that treats ticket buyers to a sunny dose of sweet simplicity. They carry the weight evenly by singing and playing guitar on each song, emphasizing the interplay between their perfectly synchronized vocals while keeping production at a bare minimum. In concert the childhood friends-turned-collaborators carry their tunes to soaring heights with undeniable chemistry and easygoing stage presence. Standout singles "Hold The Line" and "Secrets" take cues from '60s psychedelia and doo-wop vocals, earning the duo comparisons to The Beach Boys and The Mamas and the Papas. It's endless summer with indie pop duo Jack and Eliza, whose layered harmonies and nostalgic lyrics evoke breezy drives down the coast.
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