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BWO: "UK can win if they put in more effort!"
"I miss good songwriting." Alexander says when asked if he misses ABBA and the Roxette, "Pop music today tends to be too focused on the production being hip and with it, but what really counts at the end of the day is the quality of the songwriting. If you want to have a lasting quality to do what you do, and you want to get up onstage ten years later and not have people say, 'That's terribly dated, get off the stage!' you have to focus on the songwriting. BWO is very much about the joy of good pop songwriting."
Does he feel there is a chance for BWO to be successful in the demanding UK market? "I've absolutely no idea. Someone asked me the other day if they thought we could 'crack the market'. That's the sort of expression I expect to hear from a cynical A&R man at a major label - I don't expect that to come out the mouth of a fan or a journalist. I'm not cynical about making music and the fans aren't cynical about our music. These days it's interesting because you can have a really good niche following in lots of countries if you use the internet wisely and you don't have to worry about being top ten this week or top ten next week." Alexander Bard says.
Radio 2 does not often play BWO music, but still this time they make an exception, what was it that mad that possible? "I think what they like is that we're not manufactured. We've had too many Idol winners and too many boybands and too many girl bands. I hate manufactured music, I like music that's organic and real. With BWO it's obvious we're real because a major record company would never put together a group featuring a 47-year-old man, a 43-year-old woman and a 26-year-old guy who looks like he's brought mum and dad on stage with him."
"You're confessing on the dance floor, you betray your heart when looking my way" sings Martin Rolinski, the band's lead singer, in Lay your love on me, a line that is a clear reference to Madonna's Confessions on the dancefloor album, was that deliberate? "Of course it was! I did a track for Alcazar called Crying At The Discotheque and Madonna mentioned once in an interview that she loved it so much she wanted to make her own Crying At The Discotheque - that's how she came up with Hung Up. I thought, 'If Madonna's stealing from me, I might as well be inspired by her and name-check one of her songs'. 'Lay Your Love On Me' has nothing to do with 'Hung Up' as a song, but obviously when you listen to the production there are similarities. It has that same filter-disco feel." he says.
BWO are ardent fans of the Eurovision Song Contest. They have already tries three times to represent Sweden by competing in Melodifestivalen since 2005. They were also once invited to compete to represent the UK but refused as they were not allowed to enter with a song of their own: "They sent us these really crappy songs written by second-rate British songwriters and we said, 'Why would we do this? It would be suicide to perform this crappy song."
Alexander Bard believes that the UK stands a fair chance to win the Eurovision Song Contest if they put in more of an effort : "I love Eurovision - I call it the gay soccer tournament! What you need to do is get rid of the rule that the UK entry has to be written by UK songwriters. If you allow foreign songwriters to submit entries, you'll have much, much better songs competing. Andy Abraham placed last this year because he had an awful, awful song. The reason he got to be the UK's entry is because the other songs were even worse."
"If you put in more of an effort you can win it. If you put in a good song with a good performer you have a chance. You can't put in a second-rate artist like Andy Abraham singing a really crappy song and expect people to vote for it. Come on, that song was so, so awful." he concludes.
Bodies without organs- Lay your love on me
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It's not every act, you're exaggerating. If we examine the countries in the semis, in the 1st semi Montenegro, Israel, Moldova, San Marino, Belgium, Norway, Poland, the Netherlands, Finland, Romania and in the 2nd semi Iceland, Sweden, Turkey, Lithuania, Albania, Switzerland, Portugal, Denmark, Hungary plus Serbia, Uk, Germany didn't have anything that looked like circus or even a choreography.
And I don't think that Russia, Ukraine, Greece and Armenia did either...they just had a choreography...something that Eurovision always had, just in a less polished way.
Entries I would call 'circuses' would be Bosnia, Ireland, Latvia, Spain, and Estonia.
Even as recently as 2001, it wasn't that nearly every act was filled with circuses and gimmicks
But in 1979, dschingis kahn was a rarity. it seems that now EVERYONE uses a show, sometiems really stupid and pointless (eg. france 2004, ukraine 2006 with skipping rope wtf??)
Well, in 1979, there was no Madonna either..lol. And there were much less countries. These days with so many countries in the contest, everyone looks for ways to stand out, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
But in 1979, dschingis kahn was a rarity. it seems that now EVERYONE uses a show, sometiems really stupid and pointless (eg. france 2004, ukraine 2006 with skipping rope wtf??)
I love Sweden, but this guy just pisses me off. He is sooo arrogant the UK doesn't need Swedish song writers or song writers of any other nation to do well, it just needs enthusiasm and the want so that decent song writers have a go. I think we have many better songwriters then this so called Bard guy if thats what he's thinking. Oh he really annoys me.
I wasn't sure where to put this video, I found it today, it's Dima singing never let you go on some russian show but it's very funny..you'll see why 
....go to the 2nd minute.
http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=7CZVanMQpgc
Mina
Yes, Dschingis Khan is a true classic but I also think it's classy. LOL
Jonathan, ofcourse it would still be a good song but can you imagine the German guy who sang Dschinghis Khan just standing there, dressed in a normal suit and singing?
Some songs 'need' the show when they are presented..they just wouldn't be the same without it. I'm sure that at the time of that contest 'serious' eurofans had said 'pffffffffft it's all about show these days'...LOL
Mina
Dschingis Khan is my all-time favourite ESC song 
Much as I like Hallelujah I think Germany should have won in 1979.
I like dschingis khan, too! very catchy - with or without a stage show!
Stockholm, I loved Hallelujah but if it was up to televoting back then I'm sure Dschinghis Khan would have won easily. It's such a catchy song! We even had a greek version of it, I was hearing it the other day on a tv show...it's what I would call (this is from another thread but anyway ) 'classic'.
I wasn't criticising you personally or even Greek entries. I know full well Fotis or Fokas is not the only culprit regarding "visual entries"! Just one example I was giving. But I do hate with a passion the fact that the majority of focus is own visuals than songs.
As you pointed out before, many countries do indeed focus more on the visuals to impress. Which is very much a fact but a fact that I loathe to face. What kind of a song contest is it if all the talk is about shows and gimmicks? I was there in 2006 and that really did seem to be the more important topic.
Goodbye Eurosongfestival, I have better things to do.
Jonathan,
show was always important in Eurovision....do you remember Dschinghis Khan? One of my favourite Eurovision shows/songs and it was in 1979! Germany was 4th that year. A video for those who don't know/remember:
http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=KhqQcYYyY7I
So, let's not act like show is a newfound theme in Eurovision.
Yeah, shows are more professional today, with better choreographies but that's the only difference.
Unfortunately, most Greek entries seem to be all about the show especially with that Fotis Watsisname choresographing lots of entries. I wish people like him would p!ss off because I do not care if you are triyng to win voters over with "shows"
First of all it's not just Greece or Fokas. Fokas had nothing to do with Latvia 2002 (which, I agree with you, was a turning point). Fokas had nothing to do with Armenia or Azerbaijan this year or Spain...or Ukraine last year..there are many shows every year, and you seem to only notice Greece.
Ofcourse it's a song contest, you don't have to tell me that and I never vote according to show (I don't even like shows much.........but I did like Latvia 2002) but the conversation was about 'how can a country put in more effort'...it wasn't about my personal preferences.
I don't care much for shows but others do. And when there are so many songs, something impressive helps a song to be remembered.
These are 2 different things: what I like and what I think can score well in Eurovision(again, friendly votes aside)...not whether I agree with it or not.
I couldn't give a f*** about impressive shows because it is supposed to be a SONG CONTEST. Unfortunately, most Greek entries seem to be all about the show especially with that Fotis Watsisname choresographing lots of entries. I wish people like him would p!ss off because I do not care if you are triyng to win voters over with "shows". It is a SONG CONTEST, but since about 2002 or 2003 it became more about stupid retarded choreography shows like those bloodsucking spackers with angel wings that inexplicably came 7th or 8th this year.
Anyways, I couldn't care less about this stoopid circus any more, you can all go watch it next year and tell us who has the "best show" and deserves to win because of a "great show". Eurovision can burn in hell and I wouldn't care a thing any more.
Turning point was 2002. Song from Latvia not that memorable (and remains the leats commercially successful winner ever) but i cannot deny it had a clever show. But that is no reason why it should win just because of a show. And so, many performers try to emulate that ever since.
Adios Eurovision
You know, maybe the whole "Western Europe should put in more effort"-thing is a bit of a vicious circle. Sending A-list material will not magically put an end to the nauseating annual televoting fraud
Problems with televoting aside, putting in more effort means coming up with a good song and a good presentation that will appeal to the public. You used France as an example..France did send a good song but they presented it very badly..people 'see' songs for those 3 minutes, they don't listen to them again and again like we do.
That's why many countries try to come up with impressive shows...because people remember them easier.
You know, maybe the whole "Western Europe should put in more effort"-thing is a bit of a vicious circle. Sending A-list material will not magically put an end to the nauseating annual televoting fraud. And as long as certain countries are being systematically ignored, no top artist in their right mind are going to even consider entering the contest anymore.
By the way, how much more is "much more effort" supposed to be anyway? France had an excellent and original entry this year: failed on the night, but did manage to chart here and there - unlike Dima Bilan. Germany had really nice, well-performed songs in 2006 and 2007: ignored. As for the Greek "effort" this year... I wonder which place that American non-talent would have ended in had she represented Ireland, Belgium or San Marino...
Yes, countries like the UK, the Netherlands or Spain need to stop sending dull or downright crappy entries if they want to score again. But on the other hand, why would perfectly decent songwriters and A-list artists from these countries waste their time and material if they're going to be screwed over by televoting? What's to be gained for them by entering a competition they're guaranteed to fail miserably in?
Some cheesy bubblegum pop groups from the UK/Ireland (boyzone, spice, steps et al), was what I am referring to - not necessarily eurovision related, but the marketing of English language stuff easier than any other lingo. Hey presto, they get their break.
@ Jonathan R
How are some UK and Ireland acts lucky? Because they speak English? I don't think that is how acts become successful.
Antonis Remos, Haris Alexiou, Despina Vandi......
And all of whom have NOTHING to do with eurobloodycrapovision whatsoever!
Murieanne, stop being rude about Greek singers. They have plenty good singers with nothing to do with the ESC whatsoever, so what if UK and Ireland dominate the usually Anglophone global charts? Just coz someone is from the so-called motherlands of popular music, doesn't mean they are great, in some cases lucky.
Not being rude... I simply can't think of any Greek singer besided Nana Mouskouri. I honestly don't.
Murieanne, stop being rude about Greek singers. They have plenty good singers with nothing to do with the ESC whatsoever, so what if UK and Ireland dominate the usually Anglophone global charts? Just coz someone is from the so-called motherlands of popular music, doesn't mean they are great, in some cases lucky.
Andy Abraham, the former binman, flopped in his country's charts! His album didn't enter the albums chart and the single peaked only at #67! lowest peak for years!
But i don't blame him but stupid BBC and of course Mr Freak Wogan!
LOL, maybe they were in a bad mood today 
Mina:
No, we don't know for sure if these figures are correct. Funny thing is that I copied them from another post two weeks ago. That post was not deleted
Oooops Stockholm had posted those jury results earlier but they disappeared..it's a miracle..LOL..anyway I'm not sure those results are correct since they weren't given by an official source. I think they were posted somewhere on the Net but for all we know they could very well be not real.
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