Lopez Blogs

Our monthly "Hall of Fame" feature is taking a break until January 2008. In the meantime I will be going through my collection and will choose some more future contenders for artist of the month. Got a few ideas already.

Another month brings another artist into our Hall of Fame. This month's featured artist is due to release a greatest hits compilation, "e2" this autumn so what better time than to feature Eros Ramazzotti.

He's an Italian singer/songwriter whose fame has gone beyond his country's borders. Eros came to my attention in 1996 when his "Dove c'e Musica" album was out. Back in those days MTV featured European artists and his "Piu Bella Cosa" video was on the channel regularly.

Fast forward to 1997 and whilst on holiday I bought his "Eros" CD which was his first greatest hits compilation. This album featured a new interpretation of one of his biggest hits "Cose Della Vita/Can't Stop Thinking Of You" in a duet with Tina Turner. Eros duetted on subsequent albums with Cher and Anastacia, and his forthcoming single will feature Ricky Martin.

Since that 1997 compilation, Eros has released a live album and DVD (I've got the DVD, recorded in Rome, very good) and three studio albums "Stilelibero", "9" and "Calma Apparente". If I'm honest, I haven't liked the last two albums as much as "Stilelibero", but I still enjoy his music. Eros' music has wide appeal and he has a worldwide fan base. And how many times have you visited an Italian restaurant and his music has been playing in the background? (Just last week, as it happens, in my favourite local Italian restaurant whilst out for my birthday meal!).

Coming soon: my Eros Ramazzotti playlist.

Haven't forgotten about the Hall of Fame - but it's getting near the end of the month already so better get cracking with my Clouseau playlist!
Daar Gaat Ze: One of their early legendary ballads which also got them known in the Netherlands.
Louise: live version of crowd-pleasing anthem.
Gefluister en Geschreeuw: nice cover of Elvis Costello's "From a Whisper to a Scream".
Find them on: "Het Beste van Clouseau" (1990)

Geef Het Op: Belgium's 1991 Eurovision Song Contest entry, and deserved a better placing than 18th out of 22.

Live Like Kings: Clouseau released two English-language albums in an unsuccessful attempt to break the international market. This is a good uptempo pop/rock tune.
Find it on: "In Every Small Town" (1993)

Voorbij/Swentibold/Waterdrager/Keer Op Keer/Cara Lucia: "Oker" was for me their defining album, and they have never made a better one. Grown-up, commercial and although it was made 12 years ago, it has worn very well.
Find them on "Oker" (1995)

Nobelprijs/Je Bent Niets: By this time Clouseau for me were in "ballad hell" but these were the two best ones from an otherwise disappointing follow-up to "Oker".
Find them on "Adrenaline" (1996)

Heb Ik Ooit Gezegt/Zo Mooi/Ik, Jij, Hij of Zij: "In Stereo" provided a welcome return to form, led by their excellent cover of Van Morrison's "Have I Told You Lately".
Find them on "In Stereo" (1999)

Ik Geef Me Over/En Dans/Brandend Avontuur: First single from this album was a cover of an obscure Robbie Williams track from his 'Supreme' CD-single; the "En Dans" album was proof that Clouseau were back, back, back.
Find them on "En Dans" (2001)

Clouseau. No, not the bumbling inspector from The Pink Panther films, but a Flemish band which has now been around for 20 years. What better celebration than an induction into our Hall of Fame.

Once upon a time Clouseau had five members, then their line up reduced to three. Today, Clouseau is a duo made up of two brothers, lead singer Koen Wauters and his brother Kris. When Koen and Kris aren’t making music, they can be found rally driving, or presenting hit Belgian TV shows like "Idol". (Belgium’s answer to Ant and Dec!!)

I became aware of Clouseau during the late 80s. They came to my attention again in 1991 when they represented Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest with the excellent "Geef Het Op". Clouseau recorded a couple of albums in English (I’ve got "In Every Small Town" which is actually very good), but their attempts to break into the international market sadly failed.

My next encounter with Clouseau’s music was in 1995 on my first trip to Belgium. They had just released "Oker" which I still consider their best album. One hearing of "Swentibold" and I was hooked. A brassy treat from a hot summer, and for me it’s Clouseau at their very best. "Oker" was a grown-up collection of upbeat songs and ballads, and there is hardly a bad track on it. "Passie" became a massive hit in the Netherlands, but this turned out to be an albatross around their neck as in that country they are viewed differently, more
as a ‘ballad band’.

"Oker" was the last album to feature founder member Bob Savenberg, whom many viewed as the heart and soul of the band. On the follow-up "Adrenaline" his absence was clearly felt. There were more and more ballads, and only "Nobelprijs" and "Je Bent Niets" stood out for me.

By 1999’s "In Stereo" the formula was working once again. Crowd-pleasing middle of the road pop, with more uptempo songs but the album’s defining song was another ballad, a Dutch-language cover version of "Have I Told You Lately".

Rather than mellow in their ‘old age’, Clouseau found a harder edge on 2001’s "En Dans" but it was a lot more playful too, and is possibly my second favourite album of theirs after "Oker".

A further two albums have been released since then: "Vanbinnen" and this year’s "Vonken & Vuur", both of which continue to see Clouseau go from strength to strength with their mix of uptempo songs with anthemic choruses, and swaying ballads. Their musical formula is simple, but it has certainly worked in Belgium for the last 20 years, and there’s no reason why they can’t keep on doing it for a long time yet.

Check out the blog in a couple of weeks for my recommended Clouseau playlist.

Ooh this month is flying by and it will soon be time for the next artiste(s) to be revealed for our EuropeCrazy Hall of Fame.

But in the meantime I haven't forgotten our Artist of the Month - Tomas Ledin, so here are 15 songs which I recommend you have a listen to if you're not familiar with his music.

Just Nu - perhaps his best known song outside Sweden thanks to his participation at the 1980 Eurovision Song Contest. IMHO this song was too good for the contest anyway!
Not Bad At All - the first time I heard him sing in English, this is disco-tastic.
Mademoiselle - short and sweet mid-70s pop song which is very catchy.
En Del Av Mitt Hjärta: the song that resurrected his career.
En Vind Av Längtan: 11 minute epic from the "Sanger Att Alska Till" compilation, building, brooding and wonderful.
Bla Bla Känslor: Another one from that album, this is a re-recording of one of his earlier songs and IMHO is a much improved version.
Helt Galen I Dig: One of the crowd-pleasing guitar anthems which he seems to have specialised in, over recent years.
Sommaren Är Kort: this is not so much a song, more an alternative Swedish national anthem.
En For Att Sova: From the otherwise patchy 'jazz album', this is an easy going jazz-soft-rock song (not sure how to categorise!)
Festen Har Börjat: If Carlos Santana was Swedish he'd have made records like this in the early 70s.
Vi Ar Pa Gång: Made this list only for the reason it was the official Swedish World Cup football song from 2006.
Det Ligger I Luften: One of the songs which he did in Melodifestivalen but didn't win.
Take Good Care Of Your Children: this was covered by Agnetha from Abba don't you know!
Det Blir Inte Alltid Som Man Har Tankt Sig: very nice song from "Djavulen Och Angeln" with a sweet acoustic vibe.
Sanger Att Alska Till: almost Latin-jazzy in its approach, and still sounds very fresh today.

There are many more songs I could have added to this list!

Our artist of the month first came to my attention via the airwaves of Radio Sweden. Back in the late 1970s it was the only place to hear Swedish music: one night I heard them play a song by a Swedish singer named Tomas Ledin. In 1979, when disco was everywhere, "Not Bad at All" was very much of its time: even more surprisingly it managed to creep onto British radio although it wasn’t a hit here.

I heard no more about him until the spring of 1980. In that year he was selected to sing the Swedish entry to the Eurovision Song Contest. The stomping rocker "Just Nu" ("Right Now") immediately became my favourite song in that year’s contest, helped along by Tomas’ performance which was very reminiscent of Rod Stewart. It was probably too good to win (although we had no disagreement with that year’s winner, the classic "What’s Another Year" by Johnny Logan), but I wanted to know more about this singer. Sadly, in those pre-internet days, that would be hard to come by. As a result I lost touch with Tomas Ledin’s career for several years: it would be several years until I got the full picture...

In 1972 he began making records as a young singer-songwriter, clearly influenced by acts like Bob Dylan and the other folk-rockers of that era. In the coming years he was to prove himself to be a very versatile and prolific artist. I mentioned Rod Stewart earlier: many of his songs of the 1970s were very reminiscent of Rod’s pop-rock style. What I always liked about Tomas Ledin was his voice: distinctive, rich and warm.

One other distinctive thing about Tomas Ledin is the Abba connection. Not only did he perform as support act and backing singer on their 1979 tour, but he also ended up marrying Marie Andersson, the daughter of Abba’s manager - they are still together today and have two sons.

In the 1980s Tomas continued to go from strength to strength, recording in both Swedish and English. Sadly, as with many European acts, he failed to make an international breakthrough outwith Sweden, Norway and Finland. It was during this decade that he made "Sommaren Ar Kort": this song became an anthem for the (short) Swedish summer. However, by the end of the 80s it appeared that his career was going through a bit of a decline.

That was until the release of "En Del Av Mitt Hjarta", the song which was to turn his whole career around. Gone was the lightweight, English language pop. In came a more mature, rockier, sincere sound. The single immediately became a massive hit in Sweden and is still one of his best loved songs. This was the blueprint for his music over the next 16 years: crowd-pleasing rock n’roll with big anthemic choruses.

The crowd-pleasing bit is vital: his live summer tours are legendary in Sweden, but he has always been an easy target for the critics who don’t seem to like anything or anyone who’s popular. And his popularity continues to endure: he’s still making records and playing live in 2007. Later this month I’ll be going back in time and choosing some of my favourite Tomas Ledin records. In the meantime we’re very happy to welcome him into our Hall of Fame.

This month our Hall of Fame is featuring France's most unique female singer of recent years. If you haven't heard her music before, check these out.

Libertine / Tristana (from Cendres de Lune): even at this early stage of her career it was clear that her mixture of dark lyrics and breathy vocals set to cracking electronic beats would be an unique musical blueprint.

Pourvu Quelles Soient Douces / Sans Logique (from Ainsi Soit-Je): by her second studio album the words just got more controversial...and the music more beautiful.

Desenchantee / Je T’Aime Melancolie / Beyond My Control / Que Mon Coeur Lache / Regrets / Pas de Doute (from L’Autre) : the first Mylene album I bought, and she was arguably at the peak of her career at this time. "Desenchantee" is, to many of her fans (including me) her finest moment.

Vertige / California / Comme J’Ai Mal / XXL / Et Tournoie... (from Anamorphosee) : For a long time this was my favourite Mylene album. Influenced by the time she spent living in America, more rock-influenced but still distinctively Ms Farmer.

L’Ame-Stram-Gram / Dessine-Moi Un Mouton / Je Te Rends Ton Amour (from Innamoramento): It took me a long time to warm to this album. Less uptempo and a bit more wistful than previous offerings, but there are still those wonderful sounds. A couple of the tracks are maybe below par IMHO, but the whole of it is still way better than "Avant Que L’Ombre".

L’Histoire d’une Fee, C’est (from Les Mots) : stand-alone single from, bizarrely, the Rugrats in Paris soundtrack! It wouldn’t be the first time she was involved with the movie world, as she starred in Laurent Boutonnat’s "Giorgino" and later lended her voice to the French version of the animated film "Arthur and the Invisibles".

F*** Them All (from Avant Que L’ombre) : Mylene’s most recent album was OK by anyone else’s standards, but disappointing as we’ve come to expect an impeccably high standard from her. What it did prove was that she still had the ability to shock: even if she had to resort to using a well-worn English word to do so.

Other things we like about Mylene:

Her blazing red hair (and its occasional extensions): short, long, straight, curly, spiky.
She’s reclusive and mysterious: never (or extremely rarely) gives interviews, doesn’t even have an official website. Perfect fodder for the rumour machine which never stops.
Creative control: no-one ever tells her to do anything - she’s in control of every aspect of her career.
Her live extravaganzas: Mylene doesn’t just do a live show, it’s an event. Dance routines, costume changes and excellent musical backing from some of the best musicians in the business. Check out the "Live A Bercy" DVD which to me is one of the best concert DVDs I’ve ever seen.

As I promised a few posts ago, every month I will be featuring an act from Europe who will be inducted into our very own European Music Hall of Fame.

With a successful music career going back to 1984, our first inductee has continued to enjoy massive success in her native France since that time. Over the years she’s reinvented herself with almost every album, whilst retaining a distinctive sound that’s all her very own. Her music is unique and original, and so is her image.

She’s no puppet either - she’s the one in control of her career. She writes lyrics which have always varied between mysterious and outrageously provocative. Her videos, which are more like small scale movies, have often been banned, so shocking are they!

She redefined live performance with shows which are always an event. In recent years you could say she’s mellowed....why she’s even written a children’s book! - but don’t be fooled.

She is notoriously private and has very rarely given any interviews, therefore a mystique has grown up around her. This singer’s fans are often very obsessive too - lots of fan websites have been set up in the absence of an official one.
She is not the most prolific artists - so whenever she does release an album it’s always long-awaited, and the results have, on the whole been very rewarding.
Looking at some of the above info, this singer has a lot in common with a more famous superstar who came to prominence around the same time - Madonna. Indeed this singer has often been referred to as "The French Madonna".

Ladies and gentlemen...I am very happy to induct Mylene Farmer into our European music hall of fame. I first heard Mylene Farmer in 1991, back in the days when Radio Five (before it became Five Live) had a Saturday night French chart show. Mylene’s duet with Jean-Louis Murat, the haunting and delicious "Regrets" blew me away. Who was this singer? I had to find out more.

As I began travelling to Europe from the mid-90s I took the opportunity to buy her albums and now I have all of them in my collection. My favourite Mylene albums are "Live A Bercy" (I’ve also got the DVD - what a great, theatrical, unique live show!), and "Anamorphosee", the album influenced by the time when she lived in California.

As you know, this blog is very much devoted to my love of European music and I thought it was about time that I honoured some of my all time favourite European artists. Over the next twelve months, an artist (or group) will be selected every month and will be inducted into our hall of fame.

I have already selected twelve acts, most of whom have made music for at least 10 years - however there are a couple of more recent acts which have been selected just because we love them and can see them having long careers.
The European Music Hall of Fame begins in July 2007 and will end in June 2008. I’m looking forward to this and hope you enjoy my choices.