Like TV ballroom dancing, the Eurovision Song Contest survived ridicule by becoming ridiculous. However, it has thrown up some talented winners. Remember Diggi-loo Diggi-Ley by Herreys?
France Gall was French but won in 1965 when representing Luxembourg. This track wasn't her winning effort but is superior and has a great video, 20 years before MTV. It was written by Serge Gainsbourg, last week's Song of the Week artist.
Serge is probably best known outside France for 'Je t'aime', but he was responsible for many other and better works across various media including film and prose and especially via 16 albums.
This track is from 1968. It is based on an English language poem written by 'Bonnie' Parker, one half of the 1930s outlaw couple after whom the song is named. Brigitte shares the vocals with Serge.
To the untrained ear, like your Song of the Week editor's, this piece sounds as though it might have been written in 1582. In fact it was written in 1982. John Tavener was one of the leading composers of choral religious music in the 20th century. The Lamb, a setting to music of the William Blake poem of 1789, is featured in the soundtrack for Paolo Sorrentino's Oscar-winning film The Great Beauty.
You may also be interested to know that John Taverner (sic) was a sixteenth century writer of choral music.
Some of us have a jukebox (see wiki if under 40) in our heads. You know how it is, someone speaks and a song is already playing.
So when Maria and Beth from the Events team were discussing whether a black sculpture could sit on a black tablecloth (it couldn't) the song was ready and waiting in your editor's head. He suspects he had the (inferior) disco version in mind, but just in case here are both well-known versions, the first by the Spanish band Los Bravos, the second by French disco divas Belle Epoque.
Revising work isn't just for mathematicians. Charles Dickens edited his novels for new editions, Henry James rewrote many of his novels late in life and musicians from Gustav Mahler to Joni Mitchell have revised or re-recorded their work as their perspectives changed.
Jonathan Richman recorded several versions of Road Runner including this one without his usual band, The Modern Lovers (despite what YouTube claims below). Richman described it as an ode to Massachusetts Route 128.
Bill Evans sounds like the name of someone running a haulage company, but this Bill Evans was a pianist and one of the most influential figures in modern jazz. Peace Piece, from 1958, will you send you peacefully in to the weekend.
Forgive a cliché, but musician. political exile and government minister Gilberto Gil's life certainly throws some light on Brazilian culture and politics from the 1960s. Musically he is a mix of Samba and wider African and Caribbean beats as well as Rock Music (he likes punk as well). Andar com fé (walk with faith) is one of his most popular songs.
Dance away the heartache.