Eurovision - Katy Boyle

“Hello! If you’ve just tuned in, welcome to the Eurovision Football Song Contest being held this year in sunny Helsinki.

You have missed some splendid arrangements and who will forget Iceland’s entry with Bjirr Stoppenmajer and his roller skating tribute to mountain climbing… Or that delightful entry from Jimmy the Jump… at least I think it was…

Anyway here for you are some selected highlights…”

… Starting with Invgar ‘Tjotta’ Olsson, with the 1958 entry from Sweden:

» Ingvar ‘Tjotta’ Olsson – Rock & Roll With A Ball

Quick bio: Ingvar “Tjøtta” Olsen was a 1950s Swedish football legend. He scored 70 goals in 122 games. He was also a singer who released 20 albums and was one of Sweden’s most popular artists.

The nickname ‘Tjøtta’ was from when he was a kid. He used to say all the time: “I will Tjøtta ball”. [That word does not translate.]

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Ingvar 'Tjotta' Olsson

In a shock move which you may have seen last week, they have split up and there’s no longer the United Kingdom, they now have a representative from each country… so now, from England…the 1970 England Squad and their covers of Sandie’s and Cliff’s previous Eurovision entries:

» England 1970 Squad – Puppet On A String/Congratulations

Info: Before they flew out for the 1970 World Cup the England players went into the studio and recorded an album of cover versions.

This is pretty much nearly all the 1966 team with youngster Emlyn Hughes included. The album cover had the signatures of all the players on it, plus publicity photographs. It is now a very sought-after item.

» Read more…

…and because of the above split we now have Scotland out on their own and they have those lovable lights of children’s television…. The Krankies, who are looking forward to their holidays:

» The Krankies – We’re Going To Spain

Background info:   To those of you too young to remember The Krankies, consider yourself lucky.   (The quick version: A very short Scottish woman played a schoolboy (in uniform) and hung around with an older bloke.) Not creepy at all.  
In 1982 Scotland qualified for the Euro Championship Finals and the Scottish F.A. commissioned this as THE OFFICIAL SONG.
It gets worse: The terrible child-like drawing on the cover – that is the official Scotland ’82 mascot.

» Read more…

The Krankies - We're Going To Spain

…Yes thank you Jimmy, now please get off his lap.

Next up representing Germany we have an American expat, now living in Bavaria who is a bit of a local celebrity over there. Together with the early 90’s Bayern Munich squad they have done a number of cover versions and this is one originally from Tina:

» Andrew White/Bayern Munich Squad – Simply The Best

Background: Andrew White wouldn’t get recognised walking down the main street of his hometown, but in Bavaria he made a name for himself first as a piano lounge singer then as a singer of middle of the road tunes which the Bayern people lapped up. I remember it well because I was living in Munich at the time. This bloke was on the telly every five minutes.

He is like a crap version of The Hoff, always wore this big ridiculous leather jacket and had a pony tail.
» Read more…

Andrew White and Bayern Munich

… Ah thank you Andrew and Jean-Pierre Papin, Lothar Matthäus, Olli Kahn and yes is that… Giovanni Trapattoni…? Bellissimo…

So whilst the jury from each country decide on this contest, some time filler courtesy of a 1963 Eurovision entry from José Guardiola… no it’s not his Dad… at least I don’t think so… @weloveallthat tells us that he also wrote a team song for Spain…

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