THESSALONIKI WELCOMES EUROPE

Kalispera Europa

ERT and Greece is now ready to welcome Europe for United Song Contest 2007 Autumn Edition. With this video the Autumn Edition starts for real. This Friday the 2nd of November at 20:00 we will have the official USC Draw show from Thessaloniki. (Directly after there will be results of the USC 1990 history contest as video show). After the draw show we are set to start receiving the votes for the 18 competing countries in the semifinal (To be sent before November 11th).

Semifinal Friday 16th of November.
Final voting period: 17th Nov - 25th Nov
Final Saturday 1st of December.

Dutch song for 2007 Autumn is known!

The winner of the dutch national final is known:

Kees Kraayenoord - God of the moon and stars 43
Wolter Kroes - Niet normaal (Not normal) 38
Sharon Kips - Is it love you're after 34
Delain - See me in shadow 31
Valensia - Millennium 30
Nick & Simon - Kijk Omhoog (Head up) 30
Jan Smit - Boom Boom bailando 29
Anita Meyer - Idaho 27
Sarah - Ik laat me gaan [akoestische versie] (I let myself go) 27
Ps. Voor Nu - Wat hou ik van uw huis (How I love your home) 16


As Wolter Kroes refused to go to 2ndC (overall he's considered a bad loser) Sharon Kips will represent the Netherlands with her song "Is it love you're after"


In the meantime preparations for the Winter edition are at full speed.
see also: http://netherlands2007usc.blogspot.com/

LAST PERFORMANCE OF TOSE

In honour of Toše Proeski we give you his last performance live. Toše Proeski - Igri bez granici - Gradski Stadion. He is representing FYROM in USC Autumn Edition as a celebration to his contribution to the art of music.

UBU in trouble over Thessaloniki

UBU Team flight to Thessaloniki yesterday was a bit dangerous due to bad weather. One engine stopped working but landing was without any major trouble. The bad weather in Thessaloniki is very surprising one of the UBU members said and was wondering if this can really be good for greek tourist industry to have USC here in late autumn. "Well", Mr Babis said as he welcomed the inspection delegation at the airport, "We will have the USC Autumn final in beginning of the winter actually, December 1st so it is not so hot here by then. But no matters, we are ready"- The inspection tour around teh Arena and teh artists facilities will continue during the next days. It is said that once the inspection arrives in an USC town everything has already been at a stage of "Ready steady go" for a while. No major concerns are to be revealed this time either USC News believes but you never know. This is the first time Thessaloniki organise a Contest of this size. Welcome to Thessa all.

Dutch Preselections 1997 & 2007-4 final

These ten songs are selected to compete in NL NF for the 2007 autumn USC:


01 Jan Smit - Boom Boom bailando
02 Valensia - Millennium
03 Sarah - Ik laat me gaan [akoestische versie]
04 Wolter Kroes - Niet normaal
05 Ps. Voor Nu - Wat hou ik van uw huis
06 Kees Kraayenoord - God of the moon and stars
07 Anita Meyer - Idaho
08 Nick & Simon - Kijk Omhoog
09 Delain - See me in shadow
10 Sharon Kips - Is it love you're after

voting is 12-1 esc style
via rollercoasterslow@hotmail.com
deadline to vote 27th of October
http://netherlands2007usc.blogspot.com/


1997 preselection:

The 1997 preselection is filled with 15 very different songs. From the rocky Anouk (pictured), via the infamous danceroutine hype called 'gabber' from the Party Animals to ballads like "World without you" and the say-farewell-to-grantdad-Schlager (debut) by Jan Smit (then called little Jan in dutch: Jantje)


2 Brothers on the 4th floor - I'm thinkin' of U
Anouk - Nobody's wife
B.Z.N. - Mother
Close 2 You - Baby Don't Go
Close 2 You - Nice And Nasty
Frans Bauer en Marianne Weber - De regenboog
Guus Meeuwis & Vagant - Verliefd zijn
Jan Smit - Ik zing dit lied voor jou alleen
Katja Schuurman - Wereldmeid
Marco Borsato & Trijntje Oosterhuis - Wereld Zonder Jou
Party Animals - Have you ever been Mellow
Ruth Jacott - Hartslag
T Spoon - Sex on the beach
The Sunclub - Fiesta
Volumia! - Het is over

http://hebbuzz.blogspot.com/
Voting procedure is ESC-style, votes to be cast by email (rollercoasterslow@hotmail.com) or in the soulseek chatroom.

ITALIAN SONG READY

The quick cancellation of the Italian voting process has caused a tremendous outcry within RAI and some high executives has claimed in public that Mr GeorgieFree has seen his last day at RAI television and that he is no longer welcome there.

- "We would cancel the whole National final if it wasn't for the winning artists, whom we respect the deepliest, and to respect to teh International jurys that did vote in Italian final. We could not embarrass ourself like Greece do. So we will send The winners to Thessaloniki and the runner up to USC 2nd chance."

- "So who did win?"

- "We must go make preparations for a new manager for Italy in USC. Bye bye"

- "But what if you do not find one?"

- "Then Italy will not be in USC. It is simply unbelievable that such a thing could happen. All these fantastic ballads now can not go out to Europe...it is ....too much"

After this the Italian delegation held a press conference where they interviewed one of the winners. Here is the short video exstact from that interview:
INTERVIEW RAI 1



THE WINNING PERFORMANCE - LIVE RAI 1



Full results and individual votings can be read about HERE

Christina Stürmer wins Austrian NF with "Nie genug"

Christina Stürmer has won the Austrian national final for USC Autumn with her song "Nie genug". She got an amazing amount of 87 points, which is 31 points more than the runner-up Excuse Me Moses with "Butterfly Tree" (56 points). You can see the complete results as well as the winning reprise here.
We wish Christina Stürmer good luck at USC Autumn in Thessaloniki, Greece, where she will participate in the final directly. Mr. Austria wants to thank all 9 USC-members that voted!

IMPORTANT MESSAGE from USC Management

To: USC participants
From: USC Management

Dear United Song Contest Players,
We, the USC Management has an announcement to make. Each and every one of us will write to you individually as well as together. Georgie will start, then Liza and Greg. At the end we have a common message.


“We have been playing for almost two years now and it has been a great pleasure to discover all the fantastic music from all around Europe I have had a great time chatting with all of you over trivial things, and more serious matters or simply just about USC, ESC, and music. But it is time for me to move on to new adventures in life. I will miss this great online game, especially the USC history section, but from January 1st 2008 I will not be in USC Management anymore.”
Jörgen


“Each thing has its own time and it is now time for me to leave USC and hopefully hand over to new enthusiasts.” I also think it has been a pleasure to meet so many new friends and I hope we can still have contact on soulseek in the future.
Liza

“I love USC and will continue to organize and since Liza and Jörgen is leaving I will try to go on on my own for now but I would like to have other people in management also. Send in the application form and contact me personally when I am online again.”
Greg

So,
To conclude, in January the 1st 2008 USC is run by Greg alone, unless a new team can be found to continue to organise and build new contests on the USC history and/or the Editions. Jörgen and Liza would love USC to continue and would of course follow USC but without playing. Simply fill in the application form that can be found here and send to us so we can try to form a new team or simply just talk with greg. Four contests that are up running, USC 1990, Autumn Edition 2007, Song of the year 2007 and USC 1997 will of course be organised by us together and we sincearly hope that all of you will take part in these contests and stay and play under a new management.

Greg, Liza and Jörgen
USC Management

1997: Udo Jürgens returns to USC after 29 years!

The Austrian delegation confirmed that Austria will participate at USC 1997. After weeks of negotiations ORF has finally found a suitable entry for the contest. None other than Udo Jürgens, who came 8th back at USC 1968, will return to the contest after 29 (!) years. Together with the singer Jocelyn B. Smith he will perform the beautiful ballad "Never give up - Gib niemals auf", sung in English and German. Mr. Austria Michael explained that this song perfectly fits to Austria's attitude, because "Austria never gives up, especially not at United Song Contest".

You can listen to a sneak preview (1 minute) here:

Edurne will represent Spain

Edurne will represent Spain in USC Autumn Edition after she won the Spanish National Final Starlife. The song 'Amores Dormidos' (Slept loves) had the 40% of the votes. The song that will compete in Second Chance will be 'Tu peor error' from La Quinta Estación. Marta Sánchez, the favourite for the Spanish Delegation before Starlife, was the last and Era will try again in a USC History Edition.

RESULTS

EDURNE - 40%
LA QUINTA ESTACIÓN - 27%
ERA - 20%
MARTA SÁNCHEZ - 13%

Dutch 1990 entrant: Henk Wijngaard

Henk Wijngaard won the dutch 1990 preselections end will be the dutch entrant with the song "He Suzie" a song in which he sings about his love to come and shelter allthough the thunderstorm is over.

Henk was really glad he won the 1990 edition of the dutch National Final with 26 points

Angela (ex-Dolly Dots) & The Rude came 2nd with 20 points
Lois Lane ended in 3rd position (16) while both Sandra Reemer and Hessel received 15 points. Marco Borsato just finished outside the top 5 with 13 points

7th both Mildred Douglas & René Froger (9)
Anita Meyer and Van Alles We completed the top 10 (8 points)
11th Candy Dulfer (7)
12th BB Queen (6)
Frank Boeyen Groep, De Dijk and Twenty 4 Seven ended with the infamous nil-points

SWEDISH VOTES - RIGA 2007

Do you remember the spring voting and winner?

SVT Production