[cauddyVab]

A MAZE ING

Eurovision surprise: Engelbert Humperdinck is UK entry
Engelbert Humperdinck in his heyday, as host of The Engelbert Humperdinck Show
Photo: ITV / Rex Feature
By Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor
Last Updated: 9:47PM GMT 01/03/2012

Engelbert Humperdinck, the 75-year-old crooner, is to represent the UK at the
Eurovision Song Contest.



It has become an annual television ritual: the UK’s humiliation at Eurovision.


Boy bands, pop flops, rappers and a former X Factor finalist have all bid for
glory, only to end up with egg on their faces and the ignominy of being
beaten by an Israeli transsexual or a Finnish heavy metal act.


This year, the brains behind the UK entry have taken a radical new direction.
Step forward Engelbert Humperdinck, the 75-year-old crooner who last had a
top 20 hit in 1972.


The man christened Arnold George Dorsey - but known to his admirers as The
Hump - will carry the hopes of the nation in Baku, Azerbaijan, on May 26.


After years of failure with young acts, it is hoped that Humperdinck’s decades
of experience will win over the 125 million viewers expected to tune in.


And when it comes to the murky political world of Eurovision voting,
Humperdinck could prove to be the UK’s secret weapon.


The septuagenarian singer of Release Me, The Last Waltz and Quando
Quando Quando remains popular in a number of the countries competing -
and voting - in the song contest. Last year he toured Belgium, Romania,
Russia, Israel and the Netherlands.


The BBC, which screens the contest, hinted at the tactical nature of the
choice. Derek McClean, the Corporation’s creative director of entertainment,
said: “Engelbert has an incredible musical history and heritage, especially
in the UK and Europe.”


There is no denying Humperdinck’s global status. Possibly the only
international music legend to divide his time between homes in Los Angeles
and Leicester, and definitely the only one named after a 19th century German
opera composer, he has sold over 150 million records.


His achievements include four Grammy nominations, a Golden Globe for
entertainer of the year, 63 gold and 24 platinum records, plus a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame.

His
first hit Release Me, topped the charts in January 1967 and he had a
further number one that year with The Last Waltz.


With his sideburns and smouldering good looks, Humperdinck became a
heart-throb. He was a close friend of Elvis Presley and hung out with Jimi
Hendrix.


He fell out of fashion in the late 1970s but continued to tour. His career is
now undergoing something of a renaissance and a new album is planned for
this year.


The Eurovision single, yet to be announced, has impressively cool credentials:
it will be written and produced by the team behind Adele, Mary J Blige and
Lana Del Rey.


Humperdinck, who turns 76 at the beginning of May, said: “It’s an absolute
honour to be representing my country for this year's Eurovision Song
Contest. When the BBC approached me, it just felt right for me to be a part
of an institution like Eurovision.


“I’m excited and raring to go and want the nation to get behind me.”


Katie Taylor, head of entertainment and events at the BBC, said: “Not since
the ‘70s have we had such an established international musical legend
represent the nation.”


That decade saw the likes of Cliff Richard and Olivia Newton-John sing for the
UK, followed in 1981 by winning act Bucks Fizz.


But the past 20 years have seen only one UK win - Katrina and the Waves in
1997 - and the recent record has been woeful.


In 2003, Jemini scored the dreaded “nul points”. Former X Factor finalist Andy
Abraham came last in 2008, and 19-year-old Josh Dubovie repeated the trick
in 2010.


Last year, the BBC ended the practice of the UK’s entry being chosen by public
vote, instead nominating the boy band Blue. They finished in 11th place.

[freeringtonesioo]

Well.

[Vomekayafboke]

Oh that's pretty brilliant!

[Vomekayafboke]

Boosting this thread, like a lot of other Swedes I have to admit that I do take this ridiculous event pretty seriously.....I wish it wasn't so...But the fascination with Eurovision was banged into my head at a very young age. Thought I'd grow out of it, but alas the gay in me can't STOP WATCHING......

Anyways the final of the Swedish national selection is in two weeks, and these songs are apparently the favourites:

[irrehoobe]

^ Every gay Eurovision fan I know was falling over themselves over Loreen's "Euphoria" song. It's so kitsch 90's eurodance crossed with some more modern pop.

[cauddyVab]

The race is on! Let's kick off a new thread for 2012 as the heats are already in full swing [can a friendly mod bring over the recent posts from the 2011 thread?]

Although I don't know if the UK is going to go back to bothering with heats... will Atomic Kitten really be it?

[irrehoobe]

Ireland had Eurosong last Friday. The entrants were AMAZING. So, obviously we're sending Jedward again. (no seriously, we're sending Jedward again.)

Jedward - Waterline:



Then again, it was against amazing songs like these:

Sean-nós meets low flute and 90's trip-hop-ish beats. But way worse than it sounds.



This utter cheeseball lovefest (LOOK AT HER DRESS!)



Donna McCaul (another former Eurovision contestant for Ireland with her brother. Now she's out and proud and looking like my mum.)



And someone thought that Eurovision was missing a U2 tribute act singing a lost Katy Perry b-side song:


Those were the 5 choices that Irish phone voters were presented with.

[cauddyVab]

Those were the 5 choices that Irish phone voters were presented with.

Wowzers. Why on earth did Jedward decide the one ingredient to add to their mix was dullness? If they aren't being lol/bonkers they're kind of abandoning their USP. But then, yeah, the others...

The first half a second of any of Ordbook's links up there immediately shames other Euro entries - Sweden deserves a win for sheer scale and effort!

[investor]

i actually like Turkey's entry this year! obviously, it's no musical masterpiece, but the singer's rather adorable. he looks like he's stuck in the '90s and doesn't care.

[Symnunidanimb]

ahhh, that is all peanuts compared to the netherlands' entry this year:



yes, seriously, that's our entry....

in an attempt to persuade the rest of the world that we actually do not all wear wooden shoes around here, we are now stealing traditional costumes from other countries.

[Vomekayafboke]

^ Every gay Eurovision fan I know was falling over themselves over Loreen's "Euphoria" song. It's so kitsch 90's eurodance crossed with some more modern pop.

And here's another one...I'm definitely in the Loreen camp

[Vomekayafboke]

Don't know why Ukraine didn't have a representative to give the votes.....

But....YES!!!! LOREEN IS THE WINNNER!!!!!!!!

already embed in this thread but here's the winning performance from the final....I agree with you Dollsbitches, for a competition like this it is shot soo well!

[Qahtwugc]

ok, my former lovely neighbours from Montenegro are sending this guy to Eurovision...He is actually very popular in former Yugoslavia, so...I don't actually know what to say about it

[assonomaf]

Euphoria is...well, it's like watching an advert for a 4CD set called 'EUPHORIA!!' I'm sure it'll do well and probably win, but...yeah.

Have we discussed France?



YES.

[assonomaf]

Hey guys! You know what cutting edge social media site is cool but also sort of dark and sexy? You know what I like to, erm, "play cybersex" on? Let me tell you! In my Eurovision song!



Thank you, San Marino.

[Stainditnew]

What's up with France and sending popular female singers from the 90ies to Eurovision. First Patricia Kaas, now Anggun
I really liked this back in the days

[cauddyVab]

Well, it's trying to be an oldtime ballad with simple lyrics, and it doesn't fail. As our sole objective now is avoiding abject humiliation, I think it will succeed at that. I hope.

May stand out admist all the eurotrance, which I love but which never wins. I wept for Hera Bjork!

The UK's best results post-expansion have been with slow songs - "Come Back" came third, and "It's My Time" was top ten.

Those are our straws. Let us clutch.

[cauddyVab]

Running order draw is taking place now. I AM EXCITED.

Oh boy, UK are on first in the final - the slot of death*. Even popular countries with show stopping entries manage to come last when they're on first. Le sigh.

Better news for Ireland with Jedward being on last in their Semi, acts in the second half of a semi are vastly more likely to make the final.

* I have been rudely accosted on twitter by a fanatic insisting that Slot Of Death TM can only be used to refer to 2nd place because it has never produced a winner. This is stupid 1980s orthodoxy because 1st place does worse recently. I have responded with a passive agressive smiley which means TWATFACE in my inner language, in this instance.

[irrehoobe]

So, we're all rooting for Russia this year, right?



And Norway are providing the token cute-ish gay-ish guy singing an electro dance song entry this year:





However, the most attractive one so far is Roman Lob representing German with a terrible soft-rock ballad that sounds like The Script or something.

[irrehoobe]

OMG.

"I was born in the distant 1980 - the year the Irish Johnny Logan won.."