R2OK!

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19335 Location: Cheshire

Anyone listening? A lot of the shows are to be on iPlayer so you can catch them later.

I'm currently listening to Johnnie Walker with Eurovision Sounds Of The 70s and it's not bad at all.

Check out the schedule as a lot of shows are repeated (Johnnie's being one of them).

Will try to catch Ken's Top 20 British entries tomorrow at 13.30. There is also a SOTS tomorrow at 1700.

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

Colin · Joined: 26 Sep 2013 Posts: 916

I tuned in for a couple of minutes earlier, but I lost my bottle when I realised that I might just hear Brotherhood of Man or Bucks Fizz!!!!

becky sharp · Joined: 01 Dec 2008 Posts: 6815

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19335 Location: Cheshire

I heard something about Kasper Juul presenting this year (I still miss Borgen Sad

) but I've not seen any of it.

Saw half of Brotherhood of Man and Bucks Fizz the other night, I'd hate it everyday but they were good entries back in their day!

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

Yes - 'Minding Your Make Up' had a great ring to it - it left a smile on many peoples faces at the time Smile

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Are you ready for a Ruddles?

Colin · Joined: 26 Sep 2013 Posts: 916

It was all that I disliked about "pop" music at the time! The whole Eurovision Song Contest was definitely naff among those in the circles in which I mixed - much exemplified by the likes of awful Bucks Fizz and the even more awful Brotherhood of Man!

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19335 Location: Cheshire

I can see why you thought that way Colin!

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19335 Location: Cheshire

Listening just now to Katrina's Favourite Eurovision song. It's an old recording that Ken did a few years ago but the songs so far are good, Volare has just been on.

To quote Katrina 'some of the best ones didn't win'.

For some reason I'm enjoying the bits of this station I'm picking out, maybe it's just a total switch off from the awful news etc and on Sunday you can put it all away for another year!

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19335 Location: Cheshire

Well just I Just learned something I never knew from Brian Matthew's Eurovision SOTS!

Apparently Matt Monro's 'Walk Away' was the Austrian entry by Udo Jurgens for 1964, the year Matt represented the UK. He liked it so much that he had some English lyrics written. It's a song I've always liked.

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

Colin · Joined: 26 Sep 2013 Posts: 916

gazmando · Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 560 Location: Huntingdon

Really enjoyed last nights show and as Colin said the voting seemed a lot less political.
I actually liked a lot of the songs this year but was hoping The Netherlands would win as I thought theirs was an excellent song.
Austrias was a good song too so not unhappy with the result, here's the winner pre beard haha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEK5jNKcMRQ

Lord Evan Elpuss · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 3415 Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land

There may have been less politics in the actual voting, but it hasn't gone from the show, I certainly noticed it every time the Russian entry was given votes, you couldn't not notice it really. As Graham Norton said the first time the 'Boos' from a section of the audience was heard 'It's not their fault'. To hear that must have upset the two girls who sang the song, and graham is right, what their leaders have done, isn't the girls' fault. It was clear that Graham wasn't at all impressed by it either, and quite rightly so.
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Lord Evan Elpuss, Your ideal job is a Lumberjack.

Colin · Joined: 26 Sep 2013 Posts: 916

I agree in that you cannot blame the contestants but it wasn't entirely unexpected. Apparently the Russian entourage had been getting some stick in the days running up to the event, too. And at least it draws the attention away from the one entrant who seemed to cop all the animosity previously - the UK!

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

I thought this year's event was one of the worst I have ever seen

The winner was absolutely abysmal and whilst Mollie did a reasonable performance the only songs in my view worth even being in the final were those from Sweden and Italy

There certainly was still political voting - it's just that not as much of it was directed against our country this year Smile

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Are you ready for a Ruddles?

Colin · Joined: 26 Sep 2013 Posts: 916

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19335 Location: Cheshire

I didn't watch it apart from Molly's performance - there was something wrong with the sound balance as you couldn't hear the verse of the song.

The voting was still as political as ever IMHO but as Ruddles said it wasn't so much against us.

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

Nickbucks · Joined: 30 Dec 2006 Posts: 100

I would like to see the BBC exit any interest in the Eurovision Song Contest. The money saved could be used for example to allow more 'live' Friday Night Is Music Night programmes and support the BBC Concert Orchestra rather than have the regular repeats we get now.

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19335 Location: Cheshire

I agree that it's time to call time on the contest by the BBC.

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

Schizoidman · Joined: 20 Sep 2010 Posts: 1140 Location: Rural West Sussex

I didn't see much of the contest (I always just watch the voting) but did see the Dutch entry and also voted for it. It was a fabulous song, sort of country and western/folk, and not the usual Euro pop rubbish.

I was genuinely disappointed it didn't win.

Ian Robinson · Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 10:58 pm Post subject:

The TV broadcast got it's highest rating for 3 years. Still value for money for the BBC.

Colin · Joined: 26 Sep 2013 Posts: 916

unclebuck · Joined: 19 Apr 2010 Posts: 276 Location: Warwickshire

I watched the whole thing also, and thought it was generally better than it has been in the past.
I thought the winner was OK, in a sort of blatant-Skyfall-rip-off kind of way. I must admit, I'd rather listen to it than have to watch it being performed!
I would have voted for the Netherlands entry, that I think came second, and the diabolical French entry (utter merde) came deservedly last, so no gripes there.
I noted also that the French are the only country clinging to their native tongue, despite everyone else adopting English - how very annoying for them! However, the days are now gone when the entire proceedings had to be conducted in both English and French (remember all those laborious repetitions of everything that was said?). Come on France - grittez les dents and get with the programme!
It has to be said that if anything spoils the show for us it is the fact that every year the UK entry simply does not get the votes that you might expect. Then there was the unprecedented singling out of Graham Norton for some special treatment - ostensibly in light of his making 'jokes' about the show, but this was obviously pre-arranged and rehearsed by the production team. There is definitely an agenda when it comes to the UK.
I say it every year, but I still think we could enter Paul McCartney, David Bowie and Elton John, backed up by Queen and Led Zep, and some countries still wouldn't vote for us.

Colin · Joined: 26 Sep 2013 Posts: 916

Schizoidman · Joined: 20 Sep 2010 Posts: 1140 Location: Rural West Sussex

And probably lots in this country as well!