Ralph Siegel is the real Copycat

This is a song from the Maltese semi finals 2009 called "Innocent heart" sung by Ruth Portelli. Written by uncle Ralph Siegel. Does it sound familiar in any way?



The answer can be found HERE!

Posh on Malta

Chiara – What if we 3/5
I was never a fan of “Angel” or “The one that I love” so for me this is Chiara’s best attempt. The voice doesn’t seem to be quite as nasal as before even if it’s still cold and sharp. No matter what she’ll sail through the semi – maybe based on her previous record in the contest (2nd and 3rd). Oh, and I understand why the Maltese changed the LEDs from the first rehearsal… Aquarium = made Chiara look like Ursula after stealing Ariel’s voice. Not a flattering sight!

Drop Out?

The final hasn't even been held yet, and still it seems silly season just started. In Malta, the question has been risen whether the tiny nation should continue to take part in the ESC or not. Times of Malta conducts a survey, and so far the majority seem to be for Malta dropping out for next year.

How sensitive can you get? Malta just sent in three of their weakest entries ever in a row, of course they score badly. Go back to contributing quality songs, and you will be surprised...

Or drop out, if you so prefer. But who will miss you? How many people missed Austria this year?

Posh on Malta

Morena - Vodka 2½/5
Not really sure what to think of this. Could go either way. Fun idea on paper to write a song about vodka and Russian spies but the result is uneven and somewhat shouty in the last minute. Morena is better than the song and where’s the key-change?!

Becks on Malta

Morena - Vodka 2/5

I don't know what to say, really. This entire thing always leaves me speechless as there are more pros and cons than I could possibly handle on three minutes.

Plus: it is a lively number.
Minus: it is a complete mess.
Plus: Morena is a great singer.
Minus: the lyrics are incomprehensible.
Plus: the whole thing is not too serious.
Minus: the arrangement gives you a headache.
Plus: Morena really seem to believe in it.
Minus: the whole thing is so silly that had it been a Monty Python sketch, Graham Chapman would walk in and interrupt it before the first chorus.

Basically, I don't hate it, but I don't like it either. I believe Malta is having yet another go at the old Vertigo-trick, to take a weak song and overload it to the point of self-conbustion. Many people like this, but I think more people will sweat and wish for it to end.

In the final?
No. I think they will mess the whole thing up and scare voters off. Again. Let Borg/Vella have a few years of rest and let someone else write for Malta for a while.

Especially for you Malta

Checked some statistics over at statcounter.com and it turns out we've had an enormous invasion of readers from Malta this weekend. Yay! Many of you are searching for lyrics. Sorry, we don't have them but please stay around and make yourself at home.

Posh & Becks of Eurovision love Malta! And we love Claudette Pace over everything else in the world. If you see her walking the streets of Valletta say hi from us, ok. :-) I have once been sitting opposite Claudette in a press room during Eurovision week. Her, me, with only two computers between us. It was magic and I almost pissed myself from the excitement. Well, almost! ;-) She IS a true schlager-icon after all!

Claudette's rehearsal in Stockholm 2000 was the very first rehearsal I saw on a ESC-stage. She was belting it out like if there was no tomorrow. Goosebumps. I spoke briefly with her at some of the parties during the week and she was lovely.

So, dear readers from Malta. I raise my glass (Vodka, of course!) and welcome you all to our new home in cyberspace. Cheers!


Claudette Pace - "Desire" (ESC 2000)

ps. Lyrics for "Vodka" and all ESC-entries 1956-2008 are found over at The Diggiloo Thrush,

Malta: Vodka

Just as I suspected, the Devil left his door slightly un-shut tonight, and Malta voted Morena into first place in the Song for Europe contest.

I can't shake the feeling that this musical cocktail will dizzy the audience more than delight them and that the thing the Maltese believe to be a Russian knockout will be nothing more than a Maltese hiccup.

However, this is a song that will get noticed, that will stand out from any crowd whatever it looks like and that benefits from a seriously impressive singer. Let's hope team Vella/Borg won't mess up the presentation like last year, but to keep it as simple as it is.

Many people will love this, but it mainly does the same thing for me as the drink in question would: it makes my mind spin and my head ache. But maybe that is the key to success?



Morena - Vodka - Malta 2008

Good luck, Malta!

I think I was 11 or so, when I realised that the tiny state of Malta had been taking part in Eurovision in the past. I was intrigued! I was trying to find out anything about it: What were their songs like? How many time did they participate? Why did they give the contest up? I even wrote the SVT and asked why Malta did not sing at Eurovision anymore, but didn't get any useful answers back.

My fascination for Malta grew and I even had a penfriend from there (if anybody knows André from Lija, then tell him I said hi!) for a few years. And then, in 1991, I almost fell off my chair when a Swedish newspaper published the running order for Eurovision and Malta was on the list. They were back!

And so I always had a soft spot for the Maltese, and kept my fingers crossed, especially during the first years, when they did surprisingly well. Since then, me and Malta have had our ups and downs, and I sometimes find the offerings from the sunny island to be a bit too plastic and predictable for my taste.

But I am still very happy to have them around. Best of luck for tonight's selection. To celebrate the occasion, I share the Maltese preview clip from 1994. I have never kept my fingers crossed and believed so much in Malta as I did that year. The live version left a lot to be desired, but I ached for this song. And I still do.



Chris & Moira - More Than Love - Malta 1994
5/25

Malta Song for Europe

Saturday will also see Malta select their hopeful candidate for Belgrade. The tiny island has been a bit shakey lately, placing at the very bottom of the final in 2006 and close to the very bottom in last year's semi.

To be frank, I'd say a Maltese victory in Belgrade would be nothing less than a first class sensation. I am not poking fun at Malta here - it is impressive that a tiny nation with such a small population has done so well in the past, but you can't expect them to do well every year. And this year, I doubt they will.

Anyway, I did lend an ear to all eight finalists, and since I haven't seen any established running order, I review them in alphabetical order after song title:

1. CLAUDIA FANIELLO - Caravaggio 3/5
Claudia's brother represented Malta twice and spent a short time being a sufficiently successful pop pin-up on the German market. Now his little sister wants to better his performance, and she gives all lovers of True Eurosongs real value for money. The tempo, the arrangement, the silly lyrics about a historical person... This song had never been written if there had been no Eurovision. Pleasant enough, but songs like these did better in the past. Just like Caravaggio himself.

2. MORENA - Casanova 1/5
I must admit that I have grown tired of the songwriting team of Vella/Borg, and find their songs too calculated and antiseptic. It seems I am not alone, given the failure of "Vertigo" last year. This one would not fare better at all. Morena is a sweet girl and an energetic performer. But nobody would be able to save this anti-song with it's unsingable anti-chorus.

3. ELEANOR CASSAR - Give Me A Chance 2/5
Eleanor Cassar is a good singer and secures a solid vocal performance on this belter. But the song in itself is almost ridiculously dull. Songs like this took part in every UK and Irish national final back in the early 90's. We yawned already then and time did the genre no favours. Good night.

4. KLINSMANN - Go 2/5
Young Klinsmann is sweeter than candy and sings well enough, with a voice reminiscing of Herman's Hermits (google them, kids) and a song that desperately wants to be last year's Andorran entry. Only this song needs a walking aid to be able to move forward and before its three minutes in the sun are over, your mind has surely drifted elsewhere.

5. ROSMAN PACE - Love Is Just The Way 0/5
Had pathetic lyrics been considered a crime towards humanity, then Rosman would find himself on the way to The Hague rather than Belgrade. Drivel with extra cheese, just as bad as any "Millenium of Love" or "Why Angels Cry". Meant to make you feel warm and hopeful, but it just makes me fuming mad. Which in a way is good, since it takes my mind of the sopoforic melody. Scary stuff.

6. PETRA ZAMMIT - Street Car Of Desire 2/5
By far the most musically interesting song in the Maltese selection: bluesy and slightly seductive, it stands out by a mile. Petra is yet another good singer who delivers her number with conviction, but one good idea alone does not make a hit song. A good try, but not remarkable enough to make it big in Belgrade.

7. CLAUDIA FANIELLO - Sunrise 3/5
Claudia tries her luck with two songs in the final and "Sunrise" is clearly the more sophistacated of her ditties. Easy going, with a few pleasant ideas in the arrangement. Well sung. Most people will like this, but this is not the song that makes anyone reach for their phones to televote.

8. MORENA - Vodka 1/5
No. No no no no no. No. Enough is enough. This could have been funny, great, happy, clappy stuff that I would have somehow loved. But no. It is just too much and too fabricated. And too silly. And just not clever enough. Poor Morena, can't anyone just write her a decent song instead? This could have been a classic, now it is just headache set to music.

My prediction:
Claudia Faniello - Caravaggio
Because it is easy and catchy with a hook. Nothing that will get even remotely close to winning in Belgrade, but nothing that will disgrace the sunny little island either. But if the Devil forgot to shut his door properly, then it is Vodka for everyone at the after party.

Vodka

Goodness gracious, is this allowed? This song is a participant in the Maltese pre-selection and I can't quite make my mind up whether this is appalling or brilliant.

A little bit of both, maybe?

But is a diplomatic crisis with Russia really what Malta wants? Top marks for offensiveness, but isn't this too absurd for words?



Morena - Vodka - Maltese NF 2008