Eurovision Song Contest

[muzzer]

Fwiw I find Eurovision nauseating. And a colossal waste of money. Shameful actually.

[cloughie]

Fwiw I find Eurovision nauseating. And a colossal waste of money. Shameful actually.

eg Madonna’s obscene fee for an awful cameo appearance. The worst Tchaikovsky cover ever!

[BBMmk2]

I saw bits of it last night. It's all about the event isn't it. I know a few people who make a real celebration out of it.

If Elton John or Rod Stewart when in their prime were to perform one of their hit songs for Britain they still wouldn't win.

Indeed not. It’s a political charade.

[Richard Tarleton]

The 1997 contest, which the UK won, took place two days after the landslide Labour victory in the General Election, a result which was popular in Europe as well as here. It may have been a coincidence, or it could have been that the UK won on a wave of European goodwill. It doubtless helped that it also had a half-decent entry (by Eurovision standards), by an Anglo-American group. I can't remember when, in Eurovision terms, the UK became an international pariah, or what prompted it.

[kernelbogey]

....I can't remember when, in Eurovision terms, the UK became an international pariah, or what prompted it.

Puppet on a string.

[muzzer]

The 1997 contest, which the UK won, took place two days after the landslide Labour victory in the General Election, a result which was popular in Europe as well as here. It may have been a coincidence, or it could have been that the UK won on a wave of European goodwill. It doubtless helped that it also had a half-decent entry (by Eurovision standards), by an Anglo-American group. I can't remember when, in Eurovision terms, the UK became an international pariah, or what prompted it.

Yes, Love Shine A Light, by Katrina and the Waves, written by Kimberley Rew, erstwhile of the Soft Boys, and a proper musician ;)

[LMcD]

The 1997 contest, which the UK won, took place two days after the landslide Labour victory in the General Election, a result which was popular in Europe as well as here. It may have been a coincidence, or it could have been that the UK won on a wave of European goodwill. It doubtless helped that it also had a half-decent entry (by Eurovision standards), by an Anglo-American group. I can't remember when, in Eurovision terms, the UK became an international pariah, or what prompted it.

The UK won in 1967, 1969 (tied), 1976, 1981 and 1997. It previously came bottom in 2003 (no points), 2008, and 2010.

[cloughie]

The UK won in 1967, 1969 (tied), 1976, 1981 and 1997. It previously came bottom in 2003 (no points), 2008, and 2010.

So we have not won it for three years longer than the Owls have not been in the Premier League.

[Serial_Apologist]

Well maybe, SA....

But Ohhh for a bit of melody.

And while they're about it, not the same short phrase repeated fifty times in three minutes.....

Well the Beatles and many other bands partly influenced by their expansion of the musical language created some memorably melodic pop tunes, so it isn't a matter of melodic deficit, just paucity. If you're agreeing with what I'm thinking, the Dutch winning item was played this morning on a chat show, immediately followed by the losing British entry. From what I could discern, both were in the same idiom that surely must have bored at least two generations of pop music heel-draggers: a pentatonic theme, never departing from the same five pitches limited to within the same octave; and the same repeated descending Baroque-derived harmonic cliché.

Hey, I just had a thought: maybe this is the source of the oft-claimed attention deficit among the younger generations? They just have got p*ssed off with the same old same old being repeated ad mortem, decade after decade, but, being, for all sorts of understandable reasons in insecure times, the conformist lot we certainly weren't, it would be more than self-defeating to prospects and "fitting in" to admit to the musical diet being the utter naffness it is.

Herbert Marcuse wrote an excellent book characterising the obedient conformist consumer of late capitalist culture as long ago as the early 1960s, when one still held out hope for change, and titled it "One Dimensional Man". In all likelihood he would probably have been advised to re-title it "One Dimensional People" had he been writing it today, but otherwise it's a succintly apt description. I must get it down from the shelves for a re-read, sometime.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

And while they're about it, not the same short phrase repeated fifty times in three minutes.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NNy289k6Oc

[cloughie]

Once upon a time a pop song told a story. In the 21st century a pop song just goes on and on - no story - a few unconnected words thrown together - if it does tell a story the diction is so poor that you would never know. Also at one time singers were able to hit a note - not any more - they warble annoying around it. Pop music used to be melodic, now it is just noisy - and it is everywhere. In recent years I have come to appreciate silence, or the atmosphere in a restaurant that is the buzz of conversation - no music in many circumstances is just right.

[cloughie]

The Brotherhood of Man won it for the UK in 1976 - but if our European colleagues' judging panels had looked more closely at the closing lyrics, they might have thought twice...



Might have been more apt coming from a Gary Glitter song?

But in 1976 there was an innocence which has been shattered by the Savilles, Harrises and Glitters of this world. Few then would have thought the song was in any way about paedophilia. Gilbert O Sullivan’s Clair was about an uncle babysitting, perfectly innocent in its time, but I guess no one would cover it now! Times change in terms of what is acceptable.

[Serial_Apologist]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NNy289k6Oc

Please don't fly off the Handel, but he's right, you know!

[Boilk]

But in 1976 there was an innocence which has been shattered by the Savilles, Harrises and Glitters of this world. Few then would have thought the song was in any way about paedophilia. Gilbert O Sullivan’s Clair was about an uncle babysitting, perfectly innocent in its time, but I guess no one would cover it now! Times change in terms of what is acceptable.

Agreed - society, aided and abetted by the instant judge and jury of social media, has become hyper-sensitized in this whole area. Fortunately the comments on YouTube for O'Sullivan's Clair all seem to hit the right note of appreciation.

[MrGongGong]

Once upon a time a pop song told a story. In the 21st century a pop song just goes on and on - no story - a few unconnected words thrown together - if it does tell a story the diction is so poor that you would never know. Also at one time singers were able to hit a note - not any more - they warble annoying around it. Pop music used to be melodic, now it is just noisy - and it is everywhere. In recent years I have come to appreciate silence, or the atmosphere in a restaurant that is the buzz of conversation - no music in many circumstances is just right.

What do YOU mean by "pop song" ?