Eurovision Song Contest Reviews - 1988
Over on our 50 States of Song Tumblr page, we spent a little time last year going through each edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, and ranking our favorites. Why? Well, if you can’t tell, we love music contests. We borrow a lot of inspiration from the European counterpart, and I guarantee you’ll hear something you love. Now that we are blogging directly from our website, we’re going to incorporate our reviews as an ongoing series. We last left off in 1987, so let’s start off with 1988!
Okay. So. The latter half of the Eighties were generally life-changing for Europe. As many history buffs would know, political landscapes were changing, and several marks of Communism would collapse in the coming years. Germany would reunite, and Eastern Europe would warm up to the fun of Eurovision in a few years’ time. Until then, we had 1988, and we had two presenters for the first time in many years: a former Miss Ireland model with an Italian surname, and a stoic, cringe-worthy red-haired Irish joker*. In a roundabout way, the contest was changing with the times. I don’t think this change happened progressively, nor did it really show in one contest more than another. But Ireland claimed that the '88 contest changed a few subtle things to attract a younger crowd. It was that younger audience that ESC certainly needed to be more interested than it had in the last fifteen years. Watching the program now, I don't notice much; maybe the formalities were cut down a bit. Their “attempt” at some dry humor intertwined with the introduction of the contest, and between entries: I didn’t get any of it, but maybe the European twenty-year-olds of the 80’s were more mature than I am.
They headed to Dublin for the first time since 1980, thanks to the same singer, and it would certainly not be the last time they'd thank Johnny Logan for his efforts. Terry Wogan introduced the British crowd tuning in by stating about the contest, “Who said it wouldn’t last?” Well, given how this contest would go for the United Kingdom, they may have wished it hadn’t! More on that later. It’d be hard to argue it, though, considering who won...
In terms of production, professionalism, excitement, and frustration, this is a definite candidate for the youth of today to look back at with interest. So, without further ado, let’s get to listening to the music from the 33rd outing.
And just a heads-up: I say “80’s-tastic” far too many times in this blog for anyone’s good.
1. ICELAND - Beathoven - Þú og þeir (Sókrates) (16th place - 20 points)
This is traditionally one of my favorites from 1988, if only because it’s a bit of a quirky entry. This was only Iceland’s third entry, and nothing they were entering at this time had a good chance at winning, but the songs always fit well with current pop music trends. This one has a lyrical Billy Joel vibe to me, and a singable chorus - with threads to die for. Mustachioed Bob Ross’ microphone should have been turned down, though, and the execution of the song from studio to stage is not good (perhaps due to no conductor?) Lead singer Stefan was running out of breath by the end of it. By the time the contest is over, there’s just more “quality” from the other artists and songs.
2. SWEDEN - Tommy Körberg - Stad i ljus (12th place - 52 points)
I think this is a good effort! Tommy is certainly a legendary singer in Sweden (from what I can tell), and it had been nearly twenty years since he had last sung at Eurovision. For whatever reason this fell flat on the voting juries that night. The build-up is great, it’s a sturdy, hearty voice and balance… His voice broke, like, once or twice (this was due to him being severely sick in the week leading up to the contest), and someone should have given him a different jacket to wear. Other than that, I like it. Certainly in my top ten, and back when Sweden rarely entered ballads.
3. FINLAND - Boulevard - Nauravat silmät muistetaan (20th place - 3 points)
Laughing eyes are the eyes you’ll remember, apparently. In a practical world, the eyes I remember most are my own, since I look at them in the mirror every day, and if I had a mirror to look into while listening to this song, I’d see a lot of boredom. Finland went the schlager route that year, but it’s really hard to enjoy the fun. The lead singer needs to learn a new dance move. I’ve certainly experienced worse songs - and this song is not “bad” - but it’s not a winner, as the experience of the song itself just falls flat.
4. UNITED KINGDOM - Scott Fitzgerald - Go (2nd place - 136 points)
So we have come to this. I remember my first impression of this being “This is outdated poop,” and to a degree it is. Scott looks like he walked straight out of 1976, which doesn’t exactly help the Irish fester a young and hip atmosphere. I don’t imagine anyone nowadays cares much or thinks much about what’s been said and done, but this song probably should have won, and we’d be singing male-led ballads forever and ever beyond. The song itself is written well and I really love the last 30 seconds; the pause and falsetto at the end are brilliant. I just don’t know how great of a singer Scott was; in this case, the strength of the song certainly carries the load. But people would certainly remember this performance, and it showed in the voting. So, who beat the UK?
5. TURKEY - MFÖ - Sufi (15th place - 37 points)
Another returning artist! And I like this one, too. Certainly a better entry than the year before, and depending on the day you ask me, I may say I prefer 1985 over 1988, or vice-versa. “Sufi” is a mid-tempo pop tune with certainly Turkish orchestral elements. During this song, and several that come after, there are audio problems with balancing the voices and the instrumentation (and that squeaky horn at the beginning!), but hopefully this is only with the broadcast. I thoroughly enjoy Turkey’s offering, and it’s certainly a song I come back to every now and then. Also I LOVE that arm-carriage-dance thing they do. We need more arm dances.
6. SPAIN - La Década - La chica que yo quiero (Made in Spain) (11th place - 58 points)
“MADE IN A SPAIN!” times one thousand! I understand the transliteration is only verbal, but in English that extra syllable is something extra, not intentional. Spain’s method for most of the late 80’s was to trend with the music on pop radio, which always provided corny Eurovision excitement. Additionally, this contains that special Spanish flavor and flare that was surely to gain votes! I’ve tried to do that step-by-step dance, I swear, but to no avail. I really like this one as well. Again… not a winner, in that the entries are good songs but not stand-out contenders. It’s hard to explain. The front end of this contest, though, is chalk full of different pop music tastes. On top of that, really odd song names...
7. NETHERLANDS - Gerard Joling - Shangri-la (9th place - 70 points)
Like the Netherlands. Referencing 1930s British fiction locations? Miss Rocca notes that the man turned 28 in the week following up to the contest, but the man looks like he could be 38. I’m not sure what to think of this one; it’s certainly 80’s, and it’s certainly … interesting. The man’s vocal talent stands on its own, but his stage presence could do with some inspiration. So I’m going to blame the song as just breezing by, I guess.
8. ISRAEL - Yardena Arazi - Ben Adam (7th place - 85 points)
Same here - I’m just going to break away from the trend! This is the first example I can think of, by the way, where a previous presenter comes back as a contestant! Yardena co-presented in 1979. That being said, this extremely ethnic number is tough to perform, and I give props to the team around her for not messing anything up (!) towards the end when it gets extremely hectic. The preciseness requires a deep technical understanding and respect to the music. But it’s just not my favorite kind of music. I’d throw it a point, maybe, when it’s all said and done. By the way, this is the first song in the contest to feature a lead female! We’re eight songs in… what is this madness?
9. SWITZERLAND - Céline Dion - Ne partez pas sans moi (1st place - 137 points)
And here we are. Why is she at Eurovision, you ask? What is she wearing, you ask? Doesn’t she have golden blonde hair, not brunette… you ask? It’s a great mystery how exactly Switzerland plucked Celine from Canada to bring her to Europe for this shindig, or how this seemingly important milestone in her life is all but a secret to America after she went global. But here we are. And look! All the elements of Celine were there in 1988 for the taking. Now, I understand that it may be hard, but you have to take yourself to a time and place when Celine was an unknown - nobody knew who she was at this time. Regardless, any British fans who were originally grumpy that Scott Fitzgerald didn’t get that extra point, they can take solace in losing to someone “worth losing to.” And if that doesn’t fix you straight, how about Terry Wogan saying in the introduction how Switzerland were the favorites all along? Apparently she was sick that night, too! So, really, let’s move on to the song itself. It’s sweet, it’s upbeat, and it’s spectacularly Céline. Her technical and vocal talent shines brilliantly here. There had been a lot of theatrics in the performances leading up to hers, and very few female lead vocals. I like it for being so inspirational, and for erasing any doubt that Eurovision couldn’t be a launchpad for artists. But she’s still the last major international star we’ve gotten from the thing, nearly 30 years later. One final point: I actually think she looks cute here.
10. IRELAND - Jump the Gun - Take him home (8th place - 79 points)
The home team. And God damn it, I really like this one, too! It’s a bit of an odd construction, likely due to being cut down from its album version, but this is really the kind of music I would have gone for if I were a teenage boy back in the late 80’s. The mixture of rock, pop, and soul - and a heavy reliance on piano - makes a music good. Both men are great vocalists. This deserves a spot in my Top Ten, too… along with the other 8 or 9 songs thus far. Darn, I’m gonna have to cut something I like from my list, won’t I?
11. GERMANY - Maxi & Chris Garden - Lied für einen Freund (14th place - 48 points)
Ralph Siegel wrote it. And I had to leave Youtube entirely to find the television recording of it… so you don't get any video recording of it. Which seriously, Germany, just share your music with the world. We want to hear it, and listen, and enjoy with you. You can, ahem, *make money* by sharing your life. Think about it! (This may be a future blog topic.) Anyway, this was a favorite prior to the contest, but I think the team missed out on execution, as well. I’m okay with both singers behind their instruments (if Ireland ‘94 can do it, why not here?) but they’re both amateur singers, at best, and the lyrical content and structure doesn’t help to sell much. It feels much like a happy lullaby comes and passes you by. The bright piano sounds friendly and cheerful, but that’s about all I got here. Moving on. Also… is that a boy or a girl? I can’t tell with the 80’s-tastic hair.
12. AUSTRIA - Wilfried - Lisa, Mona Lisa (21st place - 0 points)
Oh, the pain. The purebred, Austrian pain this inflicts. Treading lightly, it’s just out of tune about half the time, and I’m not sure why lisp-singing was the chosen option for the stoic lady in pink. They spend a bit of time introducing him as a jack of all trades, which rubs me the wrong way - people like Wilfried probably feel they can do anything and be good at it, and I’m hoping that the big fat zero he received at the end of that night told him otherwise. I’d be tempted to give him the same mark, but I have that reserved for something even more putrid; something low-class. If anything could be said about this song, at least it was “on trend” with 1988.
13. DENMARK - Kirsten & Søren - Ka' du se hva' jeg sa'? (3rd place - 92 points)
These days, I’d bet if you were pregnant, you’d use that as an excuse to pass on Eurovision! But Kirsten (i.e. “Hot Eyes”) didn’t go down so easy. On her third try for the throne, she donned a now-classic turquoise ensemble and high-stepped her way around stage, dodging go-go girls with guitars - one of which flies off stage at the conclusion of the song and gonking the conductor on the head! Denmark were in the middle of their successful run with sending schlager-infested pop songs, so why stop doing what works? Well, this song sounds basically the same as her first attempt in 1984. I can’t say anything more about the song, really. But seriously, major props on performing while pregnant.
14. GREECE - Afroditi Frida - Clown (Κλόουν) (17th place - 10 points)
Here. From Austria I was referencing this one. I hate this. I hate it with every inch of my being. That “Ha ha ha HAAAA!” … who thought that would make for a winning performance? Yes, we get it: the song’s name is “Clown.” You are certainly so clever for writing a laugh into the chorus. You brought the most unfunny, classy Greek woman to sing it for you. I like seeing Afroditi adjust her position on stage as the “clown” runs out. I like watching her step around awkwardly on stage during the random 20-second instrumental interval after the first chorus. Up until this particular year, Greece had never been so bottom-of-the-barrel, which makes this all the more strange for me. Who thought this was good? Eurovision had never shied away from goofy entries (see Israel ‘87), but… I dunno, you have to own it. Choosing a Top Ten will still be hard, but this bust made it certainly easier.
15. NORWAY - Karoline Krüger - For vår jord (5th place - 88 points)
Going into this re-watch of the entries, I didn’t remember this one. It’s unfortunate, because this is as contemporary as you could ask for in 1988, and if you wanted more 80’s Eurovision ballads in your life, there is always For vaar jord. Norway’s fortunes shifted after their win in 1985, and this song is a testament to that. This maybe has the best chorus of all entries that year. I really like the staging, as well: red and black, with the backup singers stepping up to main stage at the second chorus. Karoline got drowned a bit in the audio department, at which I’m blaming Ireland’s crew, but it is a solid performance, all in all.
16. BELGIUM - Reynaert - Laissez briller le soleil (18th place - 5 points)
This is my guilty pleasure. In fact listening and writing about this song has got it firmly launched into my head again after lying dormant in a mind-cave somewhere in my brain. They absolutely destroyed the instrumental translation from the studio version, and … again with these backup vocalist microphones being way too loud?!? Or it sounds too wrong without reverb? I just don’t understand how this is happening. But yeah, I would have digged this, too, as a teenager. That Eurythmics-style, synthetic, emotion-laden mystique that I yearn for in modern music is intertwined through new wave constructed verses. We don’t even end on a chorus. I also love the name of the song - “Let the sun shine.” Now, vocally, Reynaert is shaky here, and you see it in the microphone he’s holding. He did much better in the national final version. So, like I said, the execution on the night killed their chances of hoping for a Top Ten placing, at best... But I love it. I even looked for more of Reynaert’s music, since I loved it so much, but he disappeared into obscurity after Eurovision, likely due to seemingly nobody but me caring about this song.
17. LUXEMBOURG - Lara Fabian - Croire (4th place - 90 points)
Yes: she’s here, too! Americans won’t know her, but most of Europe and parts of the rest of the world should. Lara went on to have a mildly successful career of her own, and adopted what I could only describe as a “Dion-esque” voice later in her career. Coincidence, I think not! She definitely deserved her placing here - the vocals are spot-on, and I dig me more 80’s-tastic electric piano and orchestration. Deliver me from evil, and take me to your heaven! In some ways I like it more than Celine’s song, I think. I just wish it were a *bit* longer - there was still thirty seconds to fill when it’s said and done. The last good placing the small micro-nation ever got, and deservedly so.
18. ITALY - Luca Barbarossa - Vivo (Ti scrivo) (12th place - 52 points)
This song is farrrrr too upbeat for Luca to just be standing there center-stage singing the lyrics, stoic as a statue. And for what I can only imagine is the oddest, weirdest way to subject yourself to the three-minute rule in Eurovision history… the song crossfades out at the end! Other than that… it’s just okay. It fits to the mold of what soft rock at the end of the late 80’s sounded like. It’s nothing to write home about.
19. FRANCE - Gérard Lenorman - Chanteur de charme (10th place - 64 points)
Well, now I’m second-guessing the feedback I just gave Italy. But this is more of a mid-tempo ballad with some really strong orchestration - and Gerard just has the voice. France looked to return glory to their nation with the types of songs that did them well 15-20 years prior. And while it’s an admirable idea to fall back on what worked for you before, nearly everyone else has moved on and forgotten about your winning strategy. It’s an unique little ballad, and despite an adoring crowd, the only shock moment France could provide would come at the end of the voting itself. In other words, this song is not that shocking or life-changing, either.
20. PORTUGAL - Dora - Voltarei (18th place - 5 points)
Death to all ears who didn’t vote this one on the night! It should have at least been… uh… well… maybe 11th? That was the placing she got in Bergen two years earlier, with a song that I feel isn’t as good. She at least sings in tune on this song. But there’s … man I’m a repeating record tonight … there’s some backup singer with a really horrible-sounding voice that pierces through your skull during the high “Voltarei” moments. Like, some kind of feminine Kermit the Frog voice. Get her out of there, or turn her damn microphone down! It’s unfortunate because I’ll bet this killed her career in the suckiest way possible. I don’t know if it will receive points at the end of the voting from me, though, so maybe it was missing that extra something.
21. YUGOSLAVIA - Srebrna Krila - Mangup (6th place - 87 points)
You know what sold it for me? And it’s completely lame, but it the trick - that little break-down dance that she does after the first chorus. I’m like, “She’s on some next-level stuff here,” owing to their local country credibility as ten-year veterans in the rock music industry. And it’s very earwormy - “Mangup” sounds slightly ridiculous to say in English, and I’d imagine so in most other languages, as well. But despite the hard-cut beat and construction of orchestra mixed with 80’s drum machine, it didn’t turn out bad! They certainly took their participation seriously, and I think it helped their score at the end. Definitely worth a couple of points.
It came down to the final votes, and in probably the most exciting moment in Eurovision history, the winner wasn’t known until the very last set of douze points were read. 1993 would provide similar excitement, but this was literally a come-from-behind win for Switzerland, and one point was all the difference. I give Scott Fitzgerald credit for holding it together in front of the televisions. Two years ago I remember watching some kind of post-Eurovision program in Britain where people called in to the programme and wanted so much to believe this was some kind of political statement from Yugoslavia - because goddamnit, they deserved that point, it was theirs! (If they had tied with Switzerland, it would have been a similar situation to 1991 - both had the same number of 12’s, but the UK had one more 10-point score than Switzerland.) Celine Dion would capture the crown for the Swiss for the first time since the contest’s beginning edition, and rightfully so. Perhaps now the song seems rough and unfinished because everything she created since had that magic touch to it. In retrospect, it would have been more hilarious if she had lost and went on to her international career… but alas.
My scores for 1988 largely reflect my personal tastes, save for the douze points, which have Celine’s name written for her. Switzerland needs to catch up in my rankings anyways, so I’m sure they don’t mind!
My votes:
12 – Switzerland 10 – Belgium 8 – Luxembourg 7 – Spain 6 – Iceland 5 – Turkey 4 – Sweden 3 – United Kingdom 2 – Norway 1 – Yugoslavia (Croatia)
The “Big Fat 0” award: Greece Honorable Mention: France, Ireland Worst Dressed: Denmark
And at the end of the blog, I post the updated cumulative scores for the countries. I add the points from each contest’s blog (from 1980 till now) - we’re going to find out which country makes my favorite music in Europe! Belgium regains a solid first place lead, and Turkey rejoins the Top 5. Otherwise, not much movement at the top - a good chance for the other countries to get caught up in points. How would your rankings look?
1st - 55 – Belgium (1986) 2nd - 44 – Germany (1982, 1983)
3rd - 36 – Israel
4th - 35 – Ireland (1980, 1987)
5th - 32 - Turkey
31 - Austria
28 – Luxembourg
26 – Norway (1985)
24 – Sweden
23 – Spain 21 – Portugal
20 – Italy (1984)
18 – Finland
18 – Greece (1981)
18 – Switzerland (1988)
17 – France
17 - Iceland
17 – United Kingdom
12 – Netherlands 11 – Denmark
10 – Croatia 9 – Cyprus
