HISTORY OF THE ESC. Part 4: 1965. Continues: tomorrow.

THE HISTORY OF THE

EUROVISION

SONG CONTEST

Caffé Latté  looks back on the key moments of Europe’s annual competition.

1965

 

By the mid-Sixties, Eurovision had struggled from year to year. Despite the advent of rock 'n roll, ESC entries maintained the traditional sound that had existed since its inception. 

In 1965, Eurovision marked its 10th anniversary. Having secured its first win the previous year, Italy hosted the contest. Naples was the location where a record 18 countries - including the debut of Ireland- competed. The 1965 event marked a new shift: some songs reflected youth-oriented pop. The Top 2 songs were contemporary: Kathy Kirby's British pop "I Belong" (2nd place) and the Serge Gainsbourg-penned modern pop hit "Poupée De Cire, Poupée De Son" won.

TOP 45 ESC SONGS THAT WERE CULLED AT THE SEMI-FINALS.: #44. More: tomorrow.

Caffe` Latte` presents…

THE TOP

EUROVISION SONGS

THAT FAILED TO QUALIFY

 AT THE SEMI-FINALS

As more countries wished to participate in the  Eurovision Song Contest, Semi-Finals became necessary by 1993 in order to limit the duration of the Grand Final. This countdown looks back on 45 culled – but worthy- entries that failed to progress from a Semi-Final and therefore missed out on competing in the Grand Final:

44

LOVE POWER

The KMGs

2007 BELGIUM

In Helsinki, Belgium was represented by The KMGs with the catchy "Love Power". It was performed in English. This entry finished 26th during the Semi-Final out of a field of 28 countries.

To get you in the mood for Eurovision in Kiev, check out Caffé Latté’s special ESC playlist on Spotify.

https://open.spotify.com/user/alanrosscaffelatte

spotify:user:alanrosscaffelatte

200 MOST ESSENTIAL DANCE SONGS: #10. Continues tomorrow.

PART XX #10-1 DANCE MUSIC has encompassed a myriad of genres, including: techno, disco, EDM, funk, trance and house. Here are 200 key dance tracks, spanning the decades since the 1960s to the present day. Among them are floor fillers; dance crazes such as The Twist and The Hustle; and groundbreaking tracks to lift any party.

THE CAFFE` LATTE` 200 MOST ESSENTIAL DANCE SONGS

10 DON’T STOP ‘TIL YOU GET ENOUGH Michael Jackson Michael Jackson, child star, wowed the public with his vocal skill and choreography. If the mainstream reckoned the talented youngster would see his talent diminish once adulthood set in, MJ certainly proved them all wrong. When he unleashed his 1979 'Off The Wall' album, Jackson blasted off to a whole other level. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" contained elements of R&B, disco and funk with a super dollop of cool. For the next decade, he owned the dancefloor.

HISTORY OF THE ESC. Part 3: 1958. Continues: tomorrow.

THE HISTORY OF THE

EUROVISION

SONG CONTEST

Caffé Latté  looks back on the key moments of Europe’s annual competition.

1958

 

The first 2 years of Eurovision did not launch any significant hit songs. The British, disappointed with their debut entry finishing 7th, declined to return. Sweden joined the contest and kept the number of participating countries an even 10. 

After a Dutch victory in 1957, the practice of the winning nation hosting the ESC began. Hilversum, in The Netherlands, was the host city in 1958, where Eurovision launched an international smash. 

Italy was represented by Domenico Modugno and the irresistible "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)". Lys Assia, who won in 1956, finished in 2nd position. Inexplicably, the French emerged victorious with the forgettable "Dors, Mon Amour". 

Although Italy finished 3rd, "Volare" soon fared well on charts across Europe and Britain. The Italian classic proved popular even in territories unfamiliar with Eurovision. It topped the chart in Australia and the USA. Billboard Magazine declared it America's #1 single of 1958. The song collected both the inaugural Record and Song of the Year Grammy Awards. To this day, it is the most covered Eurovision song, having been recorded by the likes of Dean Martin, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Petula Clark, The Platters, David Bowie, Cliff Richard and The Gipsy Kings.

TOP 45 ESC SONGS THAT WERE CULLED AT THE SEMI-FINALS.: #45. More: tomorrow.

Caffe` Latte` presents…

THE TOP

EUROVISION SONGS

THAT FAILED TO QUALIFY

 AT THE SEMI-FINALS

As more countries wished to participate in the  Eurovision Song Contest, Semi-Finals became necessary by 1993 in order to limit the duration of the Grand Final. This countdown looks back on 45 culled – but worthy- entries that failed to progress from a Semi-Final and therefore missed out on competing in the Grand Final:

45

CELEBRATE

Piero & The MusicStars

2004 SWITZERLAND

This entry finished in last position during the Semi-Final despite its cheerful and basic message. It was performed in English by Piero Esteriore & The MusicStars.

To get you in the mood for Eurovision 2017 this May, check out Caffé Latté’s special ESC playlist on Spotify.

https://open.spotify.com/user/alanrosscaffelatte

spotify:user:alanrosscaffelatte

200 MOST ESSENTIAL DANCE SONGS: #20-11. Continues tomorrow.

PART XIX #20-11 DANCE MUSIC has encompassed a myriad of genres, including: techno, disco, EDM, funk, trance and house. Here are 200 key dance tracks, spanning the decades since the 1960s to the present day. Among them are floor fillers; dance crazes such as The Twist and The Hustle; and groundbreaking tracks to lift any party.	THE CAFFE` LATTE` 200 MOST ESSENTIAL DANCE SONGS
	20 JACK YOUR BODY Steve 'Silk' Hurley Steve Hurley was a fundamental figure in the introduction of Chicago house to the masses. "Jack Your Body" became the 1st #1 house single in 1987 when it reached the top in Britain.
	19 ONE MORE TIME Daft Punk French house duo Daft Punk's sound refuses to stagnate. "One More Time", issued in 2000, encapsulates progressive house. The track topped the European, British and Canadian charts.
	18 HEY BOY HEY GIRL Chemical Brothers In 1999, big beat duo The Chemical Brothers dropped the alluring "Hey Boy Hey Girl". With its electronica / house sound, the track made #3 in the UK.
	17 JIVE TALKIN' Bee Gees In 1975, "Jive Talkin'" was among disco's earliest hit songs. Barry Gibb had discovered his falsetto and started putting it to effective use on tracks by The Bee Gees. The single reached #1 in America and Canada.
	16 VOGUE Madonna Madonna kept her music sounding cutting edge at the dawn of the new millennium. She and Shep Pettibone came up with "Vogue". Doing so, Madonna raised the profile of 'voguing' among the public and scored a 1990 #1 in America, Britain, Europe, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
	15 LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY Donna Summer The album version of "Love To Love You Baby" occupied an entire side of the vinyl. It was a landmark recording in mid-1975, helping to usher in the Eurodance version of disco. Donna Summer can be heard groaning throughout the sultry single which made the Top 5 in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and parts of Europe.
	14 BEAT DIS Bomb The Bass Tim Simenon (aka Bomb The Bass), a British producer, created the dance underground track "Beat Dis" in 1988. The single was constructed using samples from songs and TV programs. The disc peaked at #2 in Britain and fused house, techno, acid house and electronica.
	13 GOOD TIMES Chic In mid-1979 disco/ funk band Chic delivered an upbeat new groove for "Good Times". The track topped the American chart and spent time in the Top 10s of Britain, Canada and New Zealand. It has been sampled on several recordings, most notably "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang.
	12 SEX MACHINE James Brown James Brown's rhythms and beats influenced funk and hip hop. James Brown's incessant groove on "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine", released in 1970, predated disco.
	11 PUMP UP THE VOLUME M/A/R/R/S The sample-based acid house/ hip house classic "Pump Up The Volume" marked a turning point in the direction of dance music. The English outfit threw in modern electronic effects, samples and scratches to take underground dance to a wider audience. In 1987, the track flew to #1 in the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada and New Zealand.

200 MOST RECOMMENDED ALBUMS: #3. Continues next week.

THE CAFFE` LATTE`

200

MOST RECOMMENDED ALBUMS

Some are the best selling, while others may be obscure, but the albums listed here are all worthy of a listen. No compilation/ best of sets. Only exceptional live albums included. This is a personal listing of the albums I enjoy the most to this day.

#3

SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE:

 STEVIE WONDER

 

 [1976] 

Precious few artists ever record a body of work as influential and multi-layered as the opus 'Songs In The Key Of Life'. Not only was it an ambitious double album from the extraordinarily talented musician Stevie Wonder, but it also included an E.P. featuring 4 more tracks. The tracks cover an astonishing range of themes and styles. Wonder contributed to the writing of all the songs as well as producing them. This LP serves career staples "Sir Duke", "I Wish" and "Isn't She Lovely". The album primarily contains jazz, soul, disco, Latin rhythms and funk. Its tracks have influenced almost every trend in R&B since its release. Coolio's worldwide hit "Gangsta's Paradise" is based around the song "Pastime Paradise". Many tracks are empowering for the African-American community; most notably "Black Man". But Wonder does address social issues, on "Love's In Need Of Love Today" and most effectively on the confronting "Village Ghetto Land".  Bonus track "Saturn" is a visionary ballad that imagines an idyllic and advanced existence on the distant planet. "Summer Soft" revisits the heartache covered on "Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)". There is something for everyone to enjoy on this masterwork from Wonder at the zenith of his genius.

Highlight tracks:

* Knocks Me Off My Feet

* As

* Another Star

* Sir Duke

* I Wish

* Isn't She Lovely

* Summer Soft

* Village Ghetto Land

* Ngiculela - Es Una Historia - I Am Singing

The 200 ESSENTIAL 90s Songs.  Today: #150-141. More next week.

Caffe` Latte` presents…

200

 ESSENTIAL SONGS

 of the  

1990s

Many new sub-genres were launched during the 1990s as hybrids of various styles were fused to create innovative new sounds. Females infiltrated the once misogynistic world of rap as it evolved into hip-hop. New Jack Swing gave way to New Jill Swing. Grunge exploded around the world. The music industry grappled with dwindling sales and the threat of piracy. Here are the 200 songs that mattered most -in terms of lasting impact, influence and enduring quality- in the final decade of the previous millennium.

150

ZOMBIE The Cranberries

Irish alternative rock outfit The Cranberries served up the protest song "Zombie" in 1994. It was a major hit in Europe and Australia.

 

149

SELLING THE DRAMA Live

Live's sound was a bridge between the angry grunge of Pearl Jam and alt-rock of R.E.M. The group had emerged out of shows at the infamous CBGB's and, by 1994, had developed its own approach to  post-grunge rock. On Live's thrilling 1994 'Throwing Copper' album, the band hit its creative pinnacle. "Selling The Drama" was its lead single.

148

WHY DOES MY HEART FEEL SO BAD? Moby

Built around a sample of the 1963 gospel song "He'll Roll Your Burdens Away" by The Banks Brothers, Moby's "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?" is creatively transformed into a cathartic electronic ballad from his 1999 album 'Play'.

147

POISON Bell Biv Devoe

BBD was a splinter group from 80s boyband New Edition. The trio helped pioneer new jack swimg with hits such as "Gangsta", "Do Me!" and "Poison". The latter was Bell Biv Devoe's debut single. Later in the 1990s, the trio steered Boyz II Men to global success.

146

ALL THAT SHE WANTS Ace Of Base

Ace Of Base broke through globally with "All That She Wants". The single contained hints of reggae, Eurodance and pop. Released in 1992, the track reached #1 in the UK, Canada and Australia. It peaked at #2 in Europe and the USA. 

145

EVERY YOU, EVERY ME Placebo

PLacebo's sound was sprinkled with elements of glam, punk, Britpop, alt-rock and new wave. The 1999 single "Every You, Every Me" remains an enduring pop classic from the British group.

144

WHAT'S UP? 4 Non-Blondes

Female-dominated rock group 4 Non Blondes enjoyed only a brief time in the spotlight. The band topped the European Chart in 1993 with "What's Up?". In Britain and Australia, the single peaked at #2. Linda Perry, the group's lead vocalist and main songwriter, has since penned several major hits for other artists. These include: "Get The Party Started" (Pink); "Beautiful" (Christina Aguilera) and "What You Waiting For?" (Gwen Stefani).

143

IRIS Goo Goo Dolls

"Iris" remains a radio staple from the 1990s. The Goo Goo Dolls' 1998 single was featured in the film 'City Of Angels'. The alternative rock / pop crossover track topped the Canadian and Australian charts.

142

LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX Salt-n-Pepa

Salt-n-Pepa shattered rap's misogyny and male domination in the late 1980s. Females passed through the floodgates into the hip hop genre in their wake. With the 1991 single "Let's Talk About Sex", rap was used to address a social cause: safe sex and the risk of HIV/ A.I.D.S. The single peaked at #2 in Britain and topped the Australian chart. Only a few months later, Queen's lead singer Freddie Mercury joined the extensive list of casualties from A.I.D.S.

141

BOOMBASTIC Shaggy

In 1995, "Boombastic" raised Shaggy's international profile. The Jamaican- American recording artist evolved his reggae / pop/ funk sound for the title track from his latest album release. In Britain, Europe and Australia, the single reached #1. On the US chart, it peaked at #3.

1990s