Women's World Cup Semi Finals 2019: The Eurovision Twist
And then there were four! One of England, the United States, the Netherlands or Sweden will soon be champions of the biggest football tournament this summer! And of course, we have been waiting and ready to go with the best three Eurovision picks from each nation. Put your favourites in the comments below and feel free to vote along!
England vs. USA
1975
By the time the Shadows took to the stage in Stockholm, the United Kingdom had been waiting since 1967 for their first outright victory (discounting that fiasco in Madrid). The BBC's consequent decision to internally select The Shadows was not met with much popularity. In fact, 'Let Me Be the One' tallied the lowest published winning score for a British act in national selection history. Despite this, they ended up bucking the public perceptions to come second in Stockholm behind Teach-in's Dutch classic. Wess and Dori fly the Stars and Stripes again in Stockholm with their own brand of southern Mediterranean sultry and American soulful cool. Both artists were certainly ahead of their time and were part of influencing the music of Europe for years to come, but which wins your vote?
United Kingdom - 'Let Me Be the One' by The Shadows
USA (Italy) - 'Era' by Wess & Dori Ghezzi
1976
Almost poetically, the UK and Switzerland were the first two songs to take to the stage in The Hague and they are presented in the same order but with very different songs. Brotherhood of Man only pipped Co-co to the British ticket by two points in the national final but it wiggled its way into the hearts and mind of Europe with its sweet, charming lyrics complete with bouncy melody. I may be biased as a Brit but it is hard to listen to this song without wearing an ear-to-ear smile, especially when that last line gets sung and the group hold up three fingers in unison. Peter, Sue and Marc competed for the Swiss at four different contests in four different languages, a record that Valentina Monetta should consider having a go at. Peter, Sue and Marc were all from Bern but Sue was New York born, something that made their English attempt at Eurovision glory all the more palpable. Sue tells the story of old clown Djambo Djambo who is reflecting on former glories whilst feeding birds and looking at kids in the street. Again, the song is packed with charm and the imagery is so strong that you almost feel like you know the character explored in the song (something helped by the large puppet they brought on stage). This is definitely one of my favourite Swiss entries of all time, but is it enough to overcome the 1976 winners in Brotherhood of Man?
United Kingdom - 'Save Your Kisses for Me' by Brotherhood of Man
USA (Switzerland) - 'Djambo, Djambo' by Peter, Sue and Marc
1981
So I'll admit that it may seem unfair to put the American songs against some utter British classics but in my defence, I only have a small pool of American acts to choose from and I wasn't going to face Katrina and the Waves off against themselves. Five years on from 1976 saw Peter, Sue and Marc once again go up against an act who would also go on to be both a British winner and a British Eurovision classic. I maintain that you could have put Buck's Fizz in any year's Eurovision Song Contest and they would have done well. Such is the infectiousness of the excitement and energy that is so prominent and visible on stage and obviously translated down the lens to the voting jurors. By contrast, Peter, Sue and Marc brought an epic tale of love and feelings to the contest. Sung in full Italian, there is no denying the power of the vocals and the transportive nature of the pan flute at the beginning of the song (perhaps Celine Dion was inspired by the trio). This may have been the trio's last time performing at the contest but it certainly didn't take away from the quality of their music or how remarkable they were as a band. They were a true Swiss act, but does their 1981 entry get the nod over Buck's Fizz?
United Kingdom - 'Making Your Mind Up' by Buck's Fizz
USA (Switzerland) - 'Io senza te' by Peter, Sue and Marc
The Netherlands vs. Sweden
1974
It's 1974, it's Brighton and it's Mouth & MacNeal flying the Dutch flag. Everything about this entry has always felt unique. It is a love song that takes in astronomy and hints at the relationship between love and cannabis. Backed up by a barrel organ with puppets on it, Brighton's crazy Eurovision stage and hair that could only have belonged in this era, 'I See a Star' was simply put a classic 70s Dutch act. What stood in their way? Well, the most famous Eurovision act of all time truly needs no introduction. 'Waterloo' is a masterpiece both on and off the Eurovision stage but when the Swedish conductor's outfit was revealed right before the performance, it was clear that something special was about to take place. You could argue that one of these performances was more timeless however you could also argue that other was perfect for the era it was in. The vote is yours to cast!
The Netherlands - 'I See a Star' by Mouth & MacNeal
Sweden - 'Waterloo' by ABBA
1993
For all the discussion about Eurovision 1993 taking place "in a cowshed in Ireland", it certainly didn't disappoint not only in terms of quality but in terms of how contemporary and relevant the show felt compared to other recent editions (Rome, we're looking very firmly at you). More importantly, this was a year in which both the Dutch and the Swedes managed to find their feet and take a good aim at what their identity at the contest would look like for coming years. 'Vrede' had one of the best Dutch results at the contest with a song that was focused around the need for peace in the midst of all the other scientific breakthroughs at play. Then there was 'Eloise' which truly completed the other half of the Love, Love, Peace, Peace that is this duel. Is she more than a friend? Apparently it took all four of them to belt this one out and yet as last year's Melodifestivalen proved, they still have a decent cult following in Sweden and across Europe. Which one is getting your vote?
The Netherlands - 'Vrede' by Ruth Jacott
Sweden - 'Eloise' by Arvingarna
2014
I am very aware I may refer to this a lot, but 2014 really was one of my favourite contests of all time. Fortunately, this duel gives me an opportunity to talk even more about what went down in Copenhagen and specifically about two songs whose fortunes really contrasted over the course of the Eurovision fortnight. Nobody gave the Common Linnets a hope before the contest but their magical, intimate, dark staging stormed the Semi and then won over the hearts of many in the final to place in a surprising second place. Expected to take second place or even better was perennial Melodifestivalen contestant Sanna Nielsen. Having pipped Ace Wilder to the Swedish ticket in one of the tightest finishes yet, Sanna was certainly tipped for big things. Whilst third was certainly not a disappointment, she will certainly consider how Mans won the following year and wonder if there was more she could have done in Copenhagen to drag the hosting rights for the contest back over the Oresund. Whilst neither of them probably had much of a shot at beating Conchita, were the Dutch deservedly placed ahead in the final standings?
The Netherlands - 'Calm After the Storm' by the Common Linnets
Sweden - 'Undo' by Sanna Nielsen
By the time you read this, I will be in Lyon as I have traveled to the Semis and Final. I hope that you nevertheless enjoy the music and check out the two Women's World Cup Semis which both take place at 21:00 CET. England play the USA tonight before the Dutch take on Sweden tomorrow. I can't guarantee another post out for the final round of matches, but I will certainly give it a go. Vote for your favourites in the comments below and most importantly, whever you are, enjoy your summer!
England vs. USA
1975
By the time the Shadows took to the stage in Stockholm, the United Kingdom had been waiting since 1967 for their first outright victory (discounting that fiasco in Madrid). The BBC's consequent decision to internally select The Shadows was not met with much popularity. In fact, 'Let Me Be the One' tallied the lowest published winning score for a British act in national selection history. Despite this, they ended up bucking the public perceptions to come second in Stockholm behind Teach-in's Dutch classic. Wess and Dori fly the Stars and Stripes again in Stockholm with their own brand of southern Mediterranean sultry and American soulful cool. Both artists were certainly ahead of their time and were part of influencing the music of Europe for years to come, but which wins your vote?
United Kingdom - 'Let Me Be the One' by The Shadows
USA (Italy) - 'Era' by Wess & Dori Ghezzi
1976
Almost poetically, the UK and Switzerland were the first two songs to take to the stage in The Hague and they are presented in the same order but with very different songs. Brotherhood of Man only pipped Co-co to the British ticket by two points in the national final but it wiggled its way into the hearts and mind of Europe with its sweet, charming lyrics complete with bouncy melody. I may be biased as a Brit but it is hard to listen to this song without wearing an ear-to-ear smile, especially when that last line gets sung and the group hold up three fingers in unison. Peter, Sue and Marc competed for the Swiss at four different contests in four different languages, a record that Valentina Monetta should consider having a go at. Peter, Sue and Marc were all from Bern but Sue was New York born, something that made their English attempt at Eurovision glory all the more palpable. Sue tells the story of old clown Djambo Djambo who is reflecting on former glories whilst feeding birds and looking at kids in the street. Again, the song is packed with charm and the imagery is so strong that you almost feel like you know the character explored in the song (something helped by the large puppet they brought on stage). This is definitely one of my favourite Swiss entries of all time, but is it enough to overcome the 1976 winners in Brotherhood of Man?
United Kingdom - 'Save Your Kisses for Me' by Brotherhood of Man
USA (Switzerland) - 'Djambo, Djambo' by Peter, Sue and Marc
1981
So I'll admit that it may seem unfair to put the American songs against some utter British classics but in my defence, I only have a small pool of American acts to choose from and I wasn't going to face Katrina and the Waves off against themselves. Five years on from 1976 saw Peter, Sue and Marc once again go up against an act who would also go on to be both a British winner and a British Eurovision classic. I maintain that you could have put Buck's Fizz in any year's Eurovision Song Contest and they would have done well. Such is the infectiousness of the excitement and energy that is so prominent and visible on stage and obviously translated down the lens to the voting jurors. By contrast, Peter, Sue and Marc brought an epic tale of love and feelings to the contest. Sung in full Italian, there is no denying the power of the vocals and the transportive nature of the pan flute at the beginning of the song (perhaps Celine Dion was inspired by the trio). This may have been the trio's last time performing at the contest but it certainly didn't take away from the quality of their music or how remarkable they were as a band. They were a true Swiss act, but does their 1981 entry get the nod over Buck's Fizz?
United Kingdom - 'Making Your Mind Up' by Buck's Fizz
USA (Switzerland) - 'Io senza te' by Peter, Sue and Marc
The Netherlands vs. Sweden
1974
It's 1974, it's Brighton and it's Mouth & MacNeal flying the Dutch flag. Everything about this entry has always felt unique. It is a love song that takes in astronomy and hints at the relationship between love and cannabis. Backed up by a barrel organ with puppets on it, Brighton's crazy Eurovision stage and hair that could only have belonged in this era, 'I See a Star' was simply put a classic 70s Dutch act. What stood in their way? Well, the most famous Eurovision act of all time truly needs no introduction. 'Waterloo' is a masterpiece both on and off the Eurovision stage but when the Swedish conductor's outfit was revealed right before the performance, it was clear that something special was about to take place. You could argue that one of these performances was more timeless however you could also argue that other was perfect for the era it was in. The vote is yours to cast!
The Netherlands - 'I See a Star' by Mouth & MacNeal
Sweden - 'Waterloo' by ABBA
1993
For all the discussion about Eurovision 1993 taking place "in a cowshed in Ireland", it certainly didn't disappoint not only in terms of quality but in terms of how contemporary and relevant the show felt compared to other recent editions (Rome, we're looking very firmly at you). More importantly, this was a year in which both the Dutch and the Swedes managed to find their feet and take a good aim at what their identity at the contest would look like for coming years. 'Vrede' had one of the best Dutch results at the contest with a song that was focused around the need for peace in the midst of all the other scientific breakthroughs at play. Then there was 'Eloise' which truly completed the other half of the Love, Love, Peace, Peace that is this duel. Is she more than a friend? Apparently it took all four of them to belt this one out and yet as last year's Melodifestivalen proved, they still have a decent cult following in Sweden and across Europe. Which one is getting your vote?
The Netherlands - 'Vrede' by Ruth Jacott
Sweden - 'Eloise' by Arvingarna
2014
I am very aware I may refer to this a lot, but 2014 really was one of my favourite contests of all time. Fortunately, this duel gives me an opportunity to talk even more about what went down in Copenhagen and specifically about two songs whose fortunes really contrasted over the course of the Eurovision fortnight. Nobody gave the Common Linnets a hope before the contest but their magical, intimate, dark staging stormed the Semi and then won over the hearts of many in the final to place in a surprising second place. Expected to take second place or even better was perennial Melodifestivalen contestant Sanna Nielsen. Having pipped Ace Wilder to the Swedish ticket in one of the tightest finishes yet, Sanna was certainly tipped for big things. Whilst third was certainly not a disappointment, she will certainly consider how Mans won the following year and wonder if there was more she could have done in Copenhagen to drag the hosting rights for the contest back over the Oresund. Whilst neither of them probably had much of a shot at beating Conchita, were the Dutch deservedly placed ahead in the final standings?
The Netherlands - 'Calm After the Storm' by the Common Linnets
Sweden - 'Undo' by Sanna Nielsen
By the time you read this, I will be in Lyon as I have traveled to the Semis and Final. I hope that you nevertheless enjoy the music and check out the two Women's World Cup Semis which both take place at 21:00 CET. England play the USA tonight before the Dutch take on Sweden tomorrow. I can't guarantee another post out for the final round of matches, but I will certainly give it a go. Vote for your favourites in the comments below and most importantly, whever you are, enjoy your summer!
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