We are getting close to Eurovision so I thought I’d share some guilty pleasures with you over the next weeks. Erm…

 Various Artists – Die Liebe ist ein seltsames Spiel

Schlager is a bit like the German version of Chanson or Neil Diamond. In case you wondered why Germans like to clap on 1, Schlager is very likely the answer to that… This fantastic record has been produced in the former GDR. If you went to a Dance back in those days, only a certain amount of songs from the West were allowed to be played so it was a lot easier to simply re-record some of the hit songs of the time. This amazing Schlager record features “Die Liebe ist ein seltsames Spiel” (Love is a strange game), originally performed by Connie Francis and arranged by (Eurovision dinosaur) Ralph Siegel, “Mister Patton aus Manhattan”, a German language version of “See you Later, Alligator” and a wonderful version of “Oh, oh, Rosi”. Marvelous.

The Delightful Nana Mouskouri

Oh I should’ve gone and see Nana Mouskouri this week… Just killer, no filler on this record; “White Roses of Athens”, “Bridge over troubled Water”, “The Last Rose of Summer” and many, many more. Fabulous. By the way, in 1963 Nana Mouskouri entered the Eurovision Song Contest with “À force de prier” for Luxembourg. Please Nana, come back to the ESC one more time.

Pepe Jaramillo – Carnival in Mexico

Pepe Jaramillo presents his Latin American Rhythm. Pepe chose piano playing over his destined dentist career, an unpopular choice with his family at the time… This fun-filled record does not disappoint and presents versions of “Carnival in Mexico”, “Cactus Polka”, “Mexican Hat Dance” and “La Bamba”. Highly recommended for your hip brunch party or any rainy day.

 New Kids on the Block – Step by Step (Single)

I believe this record does not need descriptions of any kind…

So, who was your favorite New Kid?