Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

ABBA - Waterloo (Eurovision Song Contest 1974 First Performance)

Steph, Destroyer of Words @avwoman.bsky.social · 5h

Dodo is Ace.

8

Steph, Destroyer of Words @avwoman.bsky.social · 6h

🇸🇪 cont.
Of course, "Take Me To Your Heaven" is drawing from a deeper well: a history book repeating itself. I could be too cool for school and dismiss Abba (I certainly wouldn't put them first in '74), but come on...

ABBA: "Waterloo"
youtu.be/4XJBNJ2wq0Y

#EUrOcktober #EUr0cktober #Eurovisioctober

YouTube video by AbbaVEVO

Steph, Destroyer of Words @avwoman.bsky.social · 6h

🇸🇪 cont.
Sweden have a sheen of professionalism which hinders them somewhat for me. They have to really be delivering something good for me to buy it. Like the tight routines of the Herreys in 1984, or the Brummy glam stomp of 1999's "Take Me To Your Heaven".

The Herreys are three guys with matching blonde hair, white trousers, and golden boots. Their shoet-sleeved shirts and belts are all that differ: blue, red, and turquoise respectively. They stand mid-dancemove in front of three mic stands (which they'll engage with later). Behind are steps to some elaborate lightbox backdrop sculpture that forms two diagonal bars punctuated by a red triangle at the top. The best version of this song is the winning reprise with the English second verse. Cracking stuff.

Charlotte Nilsson with long straight blonde hair and a Denise van Outen smirk. She's in a pink and beige bodystocking and is singing a song that might as well be by Wizzard.

Steph, Destroyer of Words @avwoman.bsky.social · 6h

🇸🇪
Sweden are one of the two strongest Eurovision nations in terms of wins. Alas, Petra Mede's not able to qualify for my selection here. Also pictured are Lill-Babs with arguably the first onomatosingalong in Eurovision. Plus a couple of women looking for the lightswitch and finding only earworms.

Lill-Babs rocking the Jackie-O helmet hair but puncturing it with a cheeky pout. Her song is "April April", combining the joyous whistling of recent UK entries with the kooky bounce of the Scandinavian sound and certain internationally recognised word-forms such as "ring-a-ding".

Hold me closer, tiny Cornelia Jakobs. She stands in front of a large green disc. So we could put all sorts of things behind her with the magic of CSO. She has Jodie Whittaker's hair, a stringy silver croptop, and wide trousers. Her right arm points left to the nearest exit.

Loreen gets Euphoric on the latest series of The Traitors. The lighting is terrible but she's wearing some sort of floaty dressing gown in yellow and black.

Petra Mede in a white furry bolero and flower garland crown. Moose antlers poke in from the left, being held by a backing performer. All of Petra's musical contributions have been brilliant. She's the best thing about Sweden's recent flurry of form.

THAMES TELEVISION LATE EVENING IDENT 1977 ITV LONDON HD 1080P

Steph, Destroyer of Words @avwoman.bsky.social · 15h

On tonight's episode of #CallMyBluff was apparently Victoria Coren-Mitchell's dad, Nick Drake's sister, Oona King's auntie, and the Wife of Bath's fifth husband. Despite it being Tuesday.

2 16

Reposted by Steph, Destroyer of Words

Caleb Dume @thacalebdume.bsky.social · 15h

I was on the internet back when AOL and MSN had chatrooms. Finding someone to talk dirty with on the internet has NEVER been that fucking hard a task!

1 3 11

Reposted by Steph, Destroyer of Words

Matinee Mode @matineemode.bsky.social · 18h

Take a few minutes to appreciate Drew Struzan creating the original artwork for THE PHANTOM MENACE. Truly a master at work.

24 1.5K 3.6K

Reposted by Steph, Destroyer of Words

Gemma Arrowsmith @mmaarrow.bsky.social · 20h

What’s your favourite TV ident? It’s tough cos there are so many gorgeous ones but I love the rare Thames Television night time ident. 🦇👻

youtu.be/FoTjzF59TeU?...

YouTube video by IainLucey1972

Finland 🇫🇮 - Eurovision 1983 - Ami Aspelund - Fantasiaa

9 10 54

Steph, Destroyer of Words @avwoman.bsky.social · 1d

That reminds me... I'm way overdue an update to my avatar...

3

Steph, Destroyer of Words @avwoman.bsky.social · 1d

🇫🇮 cont
"Cha cha cha" is glorious. But pipped this morning by its spiritual mother: Ami Aspelund's "Fantasiaa" has a number of features echoed by Käärijä (albeit a tad more restrained). And it's also got that Crystal Maze bit. Mon Ami!

youtu.be/his_Os3J1Yk

#EUrOcktober #EUr0cktober #Eurovisioctober

YouTube video by Library of Eurovision

1 4

Steph, Destroyer of Words @avwoman.bsky.social · 1d

🇫🇮 cont.
I'd love to be able to select Juice Leskinen's "Ilomantsi" or Erika Vikman's "Cicciolina" (far superior to this year's still quite cracking "Ich Komme") but alas they didn't qualify. Not that Finland routinely deny us. They let through utterly batshit Käärijä: another serious contender today

Juice: bald on top with a cascade of blonde around the edges. He wears tinted glasses like an IT specialist, and an open white shirt beneath a black jacket. He's singing an absolute classic.

Erika Vikman sits on her low poly heart-shaped throne, petting her two tame bears. Her low poly heart scepter rests to her right. She has fringed dirty-blonde hair cascading down over her shoulders and wears a pink plastic bodystocking and a pink crystal crown. She's also singing an absolute classic.

It's crazy. It's party. Käärijä peers out of his Evri-delivered crate. He's got a severe Norman haircut with a short black basin of hair and a goatie. His green puffball bolero is decorated with spikes at the cuffs.

Steph, Destroyer of Words @avwoman.bsky.social · 1d

🇫🇮 cont.
Two further names synonymous with Finnish Eurovision need mention: perennial conductor Ossi Runne (who also penned Ann Christine's slinky "Playboy"), and, of course, Aspelund... Sisters Monica and Ami giving us two truly legendary performances. Either might win my selection today.

Anne Christine Nyström bears her teeth nervously. A tidy helmet of black hair is fringed above her eyes with slight ringlets at the cheeks. No other details to report from this close-up.

Monica screaming through 1977's haunting Lapponia. She has a bob of blonde hair and wears a white kaftan-esque poncho affair with dark blue stripe forming a V near its border. A chunky necklace and less chunky bracelet. Her right arm is up to her ear. Her left is held outwards. Her eyes are closed, beshadowed in silver-blue.

Ami Aspelund rocking out in front of the fireplace in 1983. She has a thatch of brown-blonde hair, centrally parted, and wears black opera gloves with a bracelet on the right arm which holds aloft a mic. She's in a black-piped white peplum dress, overstarched so that the unstrapped points of the bodice provide sufficient coverage. A black belt completes the look.

Steph, Destroyer of Words @avwoman.bsky.social · 1d

🇫🇮 cont.
Finland were quick to tag onto the Nordic trend of cheery songs with nonsense lyrics everyone in Europe can sing along to. Meet Marion Rung and her two glorious entries: 1962's "Tipi-tii" and 1973's "Tom tom tom". Also playing this game in style: Fredi & Friends with arse-bumper "Pump-pump".

Marion cosplaying as Barbara from Doctor Who with her Jackie O dome of brown hair. A sleeveless white dress with white corsage on the shoulder. A hand is raised to her ear as she pulls a listening face.

Marion again, now blonde with a fringe. She wears a crossover black dress with red trim and a stylised four petal flower on the sleeve. Flower garlands hang behind in vertical stripes along with an empty microphone.

Fredi, a square of a man in black jacket with sequin piping. He wears grey trousers, a black polo-neck and medallion. Either side are two female friends in salmon pink: the left, with black Winklefringe, has a black-piped strappy top and trousers; the right, who seems to be Jilly Goulden, has blonde curls and a choker. Her outfit is an all in one bodystocking with different black piping. A grand piano behind.

Steph, Destroyer of Words @avwoman.bsky.social · 1d

🇫🇮
We all have our favourites. My home team may be the UK but I'm very much supporting Finland: the country who clocked their first (shockingly only) win with Roy Wood after a particularly aggressive acid peel. And what a song that was. Before we make today's choice, there's other greats to consider.

1 2

Steph, Destroyer of Words @avwoman.bsky.social · 1d

It's easy to forget, now she's so successful, that before she went into acting, Jodie Whittaker was a backbench Labour MP. #dreamtweet

4

Steph, Destroyer of Words @avwoman.bsky.social · 1d

Leeds 448199
01 811 8055 / 0(8)1 811 8181
0800 1111
0800 1066
999
118 [+ any three digits at random]
1471
111
123
100
My mobile
My work extension
The parents' landline
Several childhood friends' 1980s numbers
01904 433841 (University Radio York)
0891 50 50 50
0482 26262 (Viking FM)
Beechwood 45789
M

Paul F. Tompkins @pftompkins.bsky.social · 1d

The only phone numbers I know by heart anymore:

- mine
- my wife’s
- my landline number from when I first moved to LA
- my childhood home
- a Philadelphia community helpline that advertised on local TV with the jingle “CALL for ACT-ION! GREENwood SEVen five THREE one TWO!”

bleary @bleary.off-the-records.com · 1d

If anyone needs me I will be in the museum, lying down next to the bog bodies.

2

Reposted by Steph, Destroyer of Words

Lawrence Miles @lawrence-miles.bsky.social · 1d

I still have this pic on my hard drive, because it looks like a modern-dress Dickens where Madame Waddingham is trying to tempt young gentlemen with her scandalous coquettes.

Teya & Salena - Who The Hell Is Edgar? (LIVE) | Austria 🇦🇹 | Grand Final | Eurovision 2023

Steph, Destroyer of Words @avwoman.bsky.social · 2d

Of course, all of this was in an old episode of Miss Marple on BBC4. And did the Radio Times list the director? Did it buggery. #dreamtweet

3

Reposted by Steph, Destroyer of Words

jaythechou.bsky.social @jaythechou.bsky.social · 2d

I Photoshop Paddington into a movie, TV show, or pop culture until I forget: Day 1673

8 170 590

Steph, Destroyer of Words @avwoman.bsky.social · 2d

🇦🇹 cont.
Yes, Schmetterlinge's "Boom Boom Boomerang" has been supplanted by literal spiritual successor "Who the Hell is Edgar?" by Teya & Salena. I just love this little song. Europe placed it 15th. Nothing changes.

Merci.

youtu.be/8uk64V9h0Ko

#EUrOcktober #EUr0cktober #Eurovisioctober

YouTube video by Eurovision Song Contest

2 5

Steph, Destroyer of Words @avwoman.bsky.social · 2d

🇦🇹 cont.
Their best entries for me are more the latter than the former and I'm faced with a tough decision for my selection here. Cos one of my top two has long been established as my canonical Favourite, while the other is relatively new. Both are comedic digs at the music industry...

Steph, Destroyer of Words @avwoman.bsky.social · 2d

🇦🇹
Post-Maastricht, now, and we've hit some real class. Austria have given us the sublime — like Bond anthem "…Phoenix", and the dreamy "Merci, Chérie" — and also the ridiculous — like Goscinny & Uderzo's Waterloo & Robinson, and, not our first Smack the Pony sketch, Mess singing about Sundays.

Conchita Wurst with long wavy black hair and a tidy beard. She sings for the dentist, wearing a golden spangly number with long sleeves. The background is a firey yellow.

ECU on Udo Jürgens as he painfully recalls his O-Level French. Or whatever the Austrians have instead of O-Levels. He's in black and white in both senses. He's got a very French New Wave sort of look, but then it IS 1966.

Waterloo & Robinson, like Obelix and Asterix if they'd gone to Woodstock. The one on the left is in tight denim trousers that reveal he dresses to our left, and a piped denim overcoat. There's also a blue (possibly triple-denim) waistcoat, white shirt, and a large brown belt buckle. Plus the guy's got long brown hair. He looks like if Laurence Llewellyn Bowen raided Karel Gott's wardrobe to dress as a pirate. The other fella is in darker jeans with an almost normal sized belt. He wears a red and white striped shirt with white collar and cuffs, and a white waistcoat, plus a long, loose red tie. His hair is dirty-blonde curls and he has a pointed moustache. Both have their arms out as they imagine holding their little world. Cyc backdrop in sky blue.

Mess. Robert Mitchell and Sarah Alexander. He's in a white shirt and trousers with turquoise waistcoat. She's in a dress consisting of blue scalloped bustier and pink skater skirt. He spoons her as they dance.