Eurovision 2010

[davethesailor]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8487072.stm

[WhiteCrowNZ]

UK to win Eurovision 2010? We should be so lucky ... lucky lucky lucky.

[Si Hunt]

This is awful news.

Those of us that know a bit about Pete know that he was a hugely successful pop music entrepeneur with PWL/SAW, but he has had an extremely variable career since and done nothing for at least 15 years! After PWL he sort of helped launch Steps, and that was it. Worse, he's also become a bit of a joke; like a senile old uncle, he regularly overstates his impact on the music industry and claims to have invented everything from the Beatles to disco and the 12" record!

Worst of all, he didn't actually write any of his PWL hits! He was the businessman part of the trio, with Mike Stock and Matt Aitken doing the music/writing side. Has someone been taken in by a combination of a big mouth/selective memory/the past performance of his company, of which he WASN'T a songwriter. Read the article carefully and it even says he PRODUCED hundreds of hits. Produced, yes, but not wrote. So quite what this is going to be like is anyone's guess. It's a bit like when they got Andy Abraham to write the entry two years ago, based on the fact he'd won a singing competition! That came last, and he had songwriting help - we can hope Pete has the same.

Bad news!

Si.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

So just so I know how the Si Hunt pop barometer blows ...

Pete Waterman = Bad

Simon Cowell = Good

???

[Si Hunt]

No, read my post again Mike. Pete was a great producer but not really a writer. These days it's a bit different and Timbaland and Red One will "produce" a song and shape most of the sound; in Pete's day, as far as I can make out from Mike Stock's autobiography (and also Pete's), Pete organised the acts and promoted the company but didn't actually do much in the studio. He's incredibly proud of the fact that he came up with the title for "I Should Be So Lucky" by using the phrase in a phone conversation with the writers, who then came up with the song.

If Simon Cowell announced he was writing the Eurovision entry, I'd be equally scared!

So it's more complicated than "= Bad" and "= Good" I'm afraid. I love Delia Smith to bits, but I wouldn't want her to write this years Eurovision entry either.

Si.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

I can't think of Delia Smith these days without thinking of her drunken tirade at Norwich City. Maybe something like that would be enough of a novelty act to get us to win!

I hope NZ shows the song for Europe. I checked several times, and NZ isn't in Europe. But then is Israel really?

[Paul Monk]

Maybe it'll be about trains?

[Si Hunt]

Or Koy.

Si.

[Paul Monk]

Or both.

[davethesailor]

Commenting on last years process of the viewers voting for their singer on a "How Do You Find A" style programme, I'm sure it was Mr Hunt how suggested that actually, what we should be voting on is the song and not the singer. I could not agree more! I mean, it's the song that is all important. So if we are going to have a competition, lets either vote for the song, or even better, the song and the singer! Maybe the show could start of with different writers submitting their song, then once that has been chosen, we then move onto round 2 and get the singer! It's gotta be a winner!

[Si Hunt]

That's way too obvious though Dave!

Si.

[P-Bal]

But we are voting for the singer, just as we did last year!

I would also defend Mr Abraham co-writing, not least because his co-writers were Watkins/Wilson who co-wrote pop gems such as Stop Right Now (Thank You Very Much) and Too Much Of Something with The Spice Girls.

I'll reserve judgement on whether it's a good move or not once we've heard the song. What we don't want is some crap camp pop Sheila Wheels trash poo. But then we must also remember Mr Waterman is fifty percent responsible for Finer Feelings, so he can do mature!

[Simon R]

Meanwhile...

The Irish broadcaster RTÉ, announced the five finalists for the national final to select their representative at the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo. The Irish national final is due to be held on March 5th.
These are the five hopefuls competing to win the ticket to Oslo:

•Leanne Moore - Does Heaven Need Much More? - Written by Tommy Moran & John Waters
•Monika Ivkic - Fashion Queen - Written by Marc Paelinck & Mathias Strasser
•Lee Bradshaw - River Of Silence - Music: R. Siegel Lyrics: J. O'Flynn / José Santana
•Mikey Graham - Baby Nothing Is Wrong - Music & Lyrics by Michael Graham, Scott Newman & Yann O'Brien•Niamh Kavanagh - It's For You - Music: Niall Mooney, Marten Eriksson & Jonas Gladnikoff
Lyrics: Lina Eriksson

Alert! Alert! Get the pump in!

[P-Bal]

Niamh Kavanagh - It's For You

Alert! Alert! The Kettlewitch who stole Sonia's glory in '93 returns!

This can mean only one thing... Miss Evans needs to sing Waterman's song! It's grudge match time!

[Simon R]

The more I think of it, the more I think Rick Astley should do it. Or a super group featuring Sonia, Hazell Dean, Sinitta and Kakko.

[P-Bal]

Kakko can't because she is now the biggest actress in the history of Japanese television.

[Simon R]

I have a nasty in your tummy feeling that we'll get Sheila's bloody Wheels or some old crap like that.

[Simon R]

Today, on the BBC Eurovision Twitter page, it was confirmed that Mike Stock would be a co-writer to the United Kingdom Eurovision entry for 2010. It was previously announced by the BBC that Pete Waterman would be writing the UK song this year, and this announcement will reunite one of the key combinations in UK songwriting history.
Mike Stock became a household name in the 1980’s for being a part of the Stock Aitken Waterman songwriting and producing trio, and has written songs for Cliff Richard, Bananarama, Robson and Jerome and Kylie Minogue.

Speaking about Mike to the BBC, Pete Waterman said the following: “We haven't worked together recently, but we've remained friends and there was no question that I would be willing as long as he was prepared to do it with me. Mike is the musician and he interprets my ideas – a trouble shared is a trouble halved, as they say.”

Other news has been released by the BBC about the UK Eurovision selection. It has been announced officially that the UK final will take place over one night and will contain 6 acts. The expert panel in the studio will whittle this down to 3 before they sing the Stock/Waterman written Eurovision entry where the viewers will decide who to send to Oslo. In addition it has been revealed that Alexander Rybak and Jade Ewen, who is now singing with the Sugababes, will be performing at the UK Final.

However, news has not yet been announced of the date for the UK Final, and this is waiting for ‘BBC Scheduling.’ News from Alexander Rybak's website suggests he is performing on the UK final on the evening of Friday 12th March, but this date for the UK final being broadcast has not yet been made official. News on this is expected shortly

Remained friends?! I think not Stackyard!

[Si Hunt]

and has written songs for Cliff Richard, Bananarama, Robson and Jerome

Seeing as how every one of their singles was a cover, I presume this is a Robson and Jermome album track. A Robson and Jerome Album Track.

Mike is the musician

I don't want to crow, but this harks back to what I said above. Pete Waterman is a not a songwriter. Further hinted at here. So what DOES he bring to proceedings?

he interprets my ideas

Hmmmm. WHAT?

a trouble shared is a trouble halved, as they say

A miss is as good as a mile. Look before you leap. A drowning man clutches at straws.

Still, I did originally suggest that they'd have to get a "proper" songwriter on board, so there is some hope. But, much as I love S/A/W, it's a retro thing. Their time has past.

This is the songwriting partnership that brought you "Sheila's Wheels"!

Si.

[Simon R]

This doesn't bode well either...

http://www.angelstages.com/castings/...n=185009-feb19

Casting for one more MALE vocalist to complete a five piece group which will be one of the acts competing to be the UK entrant at Eurovision 2010.

He should be attractive and confident performer and an EXCELLENT singer, with a whopper sausage, aged 17 to 21. All ethnities welcome.

BBC Equity standard contract.

Madam, this revelation should halt this trial immediately!

[Si Hunt]

You added the "whopper sausage" bit didn't you?

Why audition anyway, when there is a potentially chart-busting male vocal duo just waiting to step up to the challenge?



I'd love to see a version of this photo without any clothes in it.

Si.

[Simon R]

They wouldn't sing too well with something in their mouths.

[P-Bal]

They both look very small.

[Simon R]

In other PWL news...Demon (home of Bernie Nolan and Debra Stephenson) are releasing fancy pants 2 disc versions of Rick Astley's SAW/PWL albums....

http://www.demonmusicgroup.co.uk/Pro...ProductID=5000

All the remixes in the world!

[Milky Tears]

That nose is DOOOOOOOOOOMED!!