Russia hosted the Eurovision a couple of years ago. They put on a fabulous (and very expensive) show, but it looks like they’ve decided it’s far too costly to ever take the chance of winning again – there surely can’t be any other reason that explains why they picked the truly dreadful Lost and Forgotten by Peter Nalitch, and the equally bad Get You by Alexej Vorobjov this year.

Anyway, what better way is there to celebrate Russia’s decision to never again host Europe’s premier singing contest than to take a run through the YouTube videos of every single Russian Eurovision Song Contest entry – ever! That’s nearly two decades’ worth of top notch Russian Europop – t.A.t.U, Mumy Troll, Alsou, Dima Bilan, Peter Nalitch and now Alexej Vorobjob – we’ve got them all!

No – there’s no need to thank me. Really. No need at all.

2010 – Alexey Vorobyov – Get You – (Place: TBC)

Alexey Vorobyov (also known by the English translation of his name as Alex Sparrow) has tried to win Eurovision Song Contest qualification for a few years now, and with Get You he’s finally made it. Sadly, I’m not sure if the ladies are going to swoon for his dashing good looks or in horror at hearing the song…

2010 – - Lost and Forgotten – (Place: 11th)

Peter Nalitch, some of you will remember is the Russian architect who had a massive viral hit in 2007 with his cheesy song Gitar. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Peter Nalitch Eurovision video ‘Lost and Forgotten’, possibly the dullest, sleepiest ballad to grace Eurovision since, well, since last year probably.

2009 – Anastasia Prikhodko – Mamo – (11th)

Mamo, Russia’s 2009 Eurovision song has already proved controversial. Sung partly in Ukrainian, by a Ukrainian singer who only entered after she had failed to win the Ukrainian Eurovision contest – what could there possibly be to complain about?

2008 – Dima Bilan – Believe (1st)

Russia’s first Eurovision victory came courtesy of Dima Bilan’s Belive. Already a successful pop star back home in Russia, Dima Bilan won the competition on his second attempt – beating his second place finish in Eurovision 2006.

2007 – Serebro – Song #1 (3rd)

Serebro – which means Silver in Russian – were a previously unknown three girl band. They’ve translated their third place finish in Eurovision 2007 into some limited success in Russia – although it’s taken them until April 2009 to release their first full album.

2006 – Dima Bilan – Never Let You Go (2nd)

Dima’s first stab at Eurovision glory was mostly memorable for his wearing of a white tank top. A true crime against fashion.

2005 – Natalia Podolskaya – Nobody Hurt No One (15th)

A rockin’ little anti-American anti war ditty (Hello sweet America / Where did our dream disappear? / Look at little Erica / All she learns today is the fear”). About the best that can be said is that it inspired Russia to take the contest seriously again the following year.

2004 – Yulia Savicheva – Belive Me (11th)

Possibly Russia’s dullest Eurovision entry. Nuff said.

2003 – t.A.t.U – Ne ver’, ne boisya, ne prosi (3rd – robbed!)

Russia’s most controversial (and best publicised) Eurovision effort by far. All you need to know is that controversy kicked off with a formal enquiry to the Eurovision board ahead of the contest that asked whether performers had to wear clothes, and finished with claims that the faux-lesbian duo, who were beaten by just three points, had been robbed by “unlikely low points” given by other countries.

2002 – Prime Minister – Northern Girl (10th)

Another one of those dull songs that Eurovision throws up from time to time. Take my advice, and don’t waste your time listening.

2001 – Mumiy Troll – Lady Alpine Blue (12th)

Russia took the brave decision in 2001 to send rock band Mumiy Troll to Europe’s premier pop song contest. The veteran rock band were formed back in 1983 (so far back into Soviet history that Gorbachev wasn’t even the boss) and, although I like the song, I don’t think it’s a moment they’ll consider their finest…

2000 – Alsou – Solo (2nd)

After the 1998-99 debacle (see ‘interlude’ below) Russia decided to get serious and send a real contender to the 2000 contest. Alsou’s Solo hit all the Eurovision buttons – sexy lady in skimpy costume, catchy tune, sung in English – and was unfortunate not to pull off Russia’s first victory. It had the misfortune to come up against that rarest of things – a decent ballad from Denmark that stormed to victory.

Alsou, by the way, will be hosting the 2009 Eurovision contest in Moscow.

Interlude: 1998-1999

Russia selected Tatyana Ovsienko as their entrant for the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest, only to be informed that, because they’d been so rubbish over the past few years – also called having a low average score – they weren’t eligible to actually send an entrant.

Naturally, Russian TV channel ORT decided – on the entirely sensible grounds that no-one in Russia would watch a four hour song contest if no-one from Russia was singing – not to show the contest live.

Fatal mistake.

Russia would have been able to send an entrant to the following contest, in 1999, but because they’d failed to televise the 1998 contest, under Eurovision’s rules, Russia was barred from sending an entry.

Lesson learned, Russia duly televised the 1999 contest, even though there wasn’t a Russian entrant.

1997 – Alla Pugachova – Primadonna (15th)

Alla Pugachova is one of the true survivors of Soviet music. An icon in Russia, she was the last artist to win the prized “People’s Artist of the USSR” award.

Unsurprisingly, the rest of Europe were not impressed by this hearty ballad.

1996 – Andrei Kosinskiy – I am what I am (did not qualify for final)

For the second time in three years, Russia failed to make it to the final. Here’s the video anyway – Michael Bolton eat your heart out.

1995 – Philip Kirkorov – Lullaby for a Volcano (17th)

Apparently, according to a Eurovision historian (yes, there are such things), Kikorov’s entry is most interesting because Russian TV implied that he had won by ending transmission after his performance and not bothering to show the voting. In reality, Lullaby for a Volcano finished a disappointing 17th out of 23.

1994 – Youdipph – Vechni Strannik (9th)

Russia’s first Eurovision entry also marked the first time that a Eurovision song had been sung in Russian.

A solid if unspectacular debut, Wikipedia regards it as being notable for the red cape worn by singer Maria Kats. I have to say, it is very cool – she looks like a kind of Soviet Batman…

Note: This post is a rewritten version of a post from 2007 – which is why you will see some very old comments below.

Every Russian Eurovision video – ever is a post from: Siberian Light

This is one of my favourite Tiger Lillies songs – you can probably guess why.

The Tiger Lillies are a very… unusual… band. I can’t think of an adequate description, so I’m going to shamelessly steal from their Wikipedia profile:

Their surreal style has been described as dark, darkly humorous, strangely humorous, Brechtian, and gypsy cabaret. They are also notorious for singing controversial songs involving bestiality, prostitution and blasphemy.

If you’re a fan of Leningrad (who I’ve written about before), I think you’ll like the Tiger Lillies. They both share the same, slightly deranged sense of humour, and both bands’ frontmen have very off the wall singing voices.

(The Tiger Lillies and Leningrad collaborated on an album once, by the way, a collection of Tiger Lillies songs translated into Russian and performed mostly by Leningrad. The album is called Huinya, which if you speak Russian probably tells you everything else you need to know).

I’ve seen the Tiger Lillies a few times now, and I really can’t recommend them highly enough. I think I’m pretty much safe in guaranteeing that you’ll probably have never seen anything like the Tiger Lillies before, and you’ll probably never see anything like the Tiger Lillies again.

For your listening and viewing pleasure, I’ve picked out a few more videos, including some from their previous Moscow gigs (not great quality video, I know). If you’re listening in public, be warned – some of the lyrics could be considered offensive.

Tiger Lillies – Bully Boys

Tiger Lillies – Banging in the Nails (Moscow)

(PS – this is the last couple of minutes of Banging in the Nails. If you’re easily offended don’t go seeking out the full version. And definitely don’t seek it out if you like Jesus.)

Tiger Lillies – Crack of Doom (Moscow)

Tiger Lillies – Angry (Moscow)

Tiger Lillies Russia Concert is a post from: Siberian Light

The controversy?  Well, Prikhodko is Ukrainian, and Mamo is sung partly in Russian and partly in – gasp – Ukrainian. Oh yes, and Prikhodko only entered the Russian qualification contest after she’d been kicked out of the Ukrainian qualification contest.

The biggest complaints about Prikhodko’s victory came, not too surprisingly, from Yusif Prigozhin the husband of the singer who finished second.

“It’s a disgrace… A song performed in Ukrainian can’t have anything to do with Russia.”

Given that his wife’s song (along with most of the other contestants’) was sung in English, so I’m not entirely sure how he came to this conculsion.

Anyways, personally I think it’s a bit of a coup for Russia.  They not only get to put one over arch enemies Georgia, who have entered a grumpy song about how they don’t like Putin – they get to claim that in Russia, music is all about peace and goodwill between neighbours.  Oh, and that they like Ukrainians, really.

And, actually, I think the song’s ok – it’s not great, but Russia certainly won’t be disgraced in May.

PS – you can see the full history of Russia’s Eurovision experience here – Every Russian Eurovision VIdeo, Ever.

Russian Eurovision – Mamo song creates controversy is a post from: Siberian Light