The English Sides - Sweden and The Netherlands
Updated November 4th
In the next few weeks and months this page will change to give you the chance to meet again the stars of the 1997 contest.
Sweden: Bara hon Älskar Mej - Blond
BLOND is made up of Jonas Karlhager (22), Patrick Lundström (25) and Gabriel Forss (22). Jonas studies at the Academy of Music in Stockholm and sings gospel with the 'Master Voice Choir'; Patrick starred in The Buddy Holly Story and Hair in Stockholm, and sings with the gospel choir One Voice; Gabriel studied Afro-American music and directs the choir One Voice.
This is STEPHAN BERG's seventh entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. He came second in 1990 with "Mitt i ett äventyr", and his composition Fångad av en stormvind won the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest in Rome. Stephan is a full-time songwriter, producer, arranger and musician.
Download the English version 60 seconds MPEG-3 (450K)
"BABY I'LL DIE FOR YOU"
Music & lyrics: Stephan Berg
I see a lady dancing in the twilight
Taking every step with passion
They say I just want too much of the good life
You are more than my fixation...
Another, fuller, biography:
Blond is Jonas, Patrik and Gabriel.
Jonas Karlhager, 22, once had a flirtation with the saxophone, but nowadays he prefers singing. Earlier he sang classical choral music, but in recent years he has primarily devoted himself to singing gospel with The Master Voice Choir. He is currently studying at the Academy of Music in Stockholm and his goal is to become a teacher and a singing pedagogue. Musical influences are soul and funk from the 70's.
Patrik Lundström, 26, of the three, the one with the longest list of qualifications. In 1993-1994 Patrik starred in the musical The Buddy Holly Story at the Göta Lejon theatre in Stockholm and received a Golden Mask award. The following summer he toured as special guest to The Boppers. Then in 1994-1995, he played one of leading parts in Hair at the China theatre in Stockholm. Since 1994, Patrik has also sung tenor in the gospel choir One Voice.
Gabriel Forss, 22, studied Afro-American vocal music at the age of 19. He was soon recruited as choir director for the gospel choir One Voice, where he also met Patrik. He still directs the choir, which has performed in several televised galas, including the 1996 Grammy Award. Gabriel has also been trained as a television host by Swedish Television.
Composer Stephan Berg, lyricist and composer, first entered the Song Contest arena in 1990, with his song "Mitt i ett äventyr"/"You Are My Destiny"/sung by Carola (placed second). The following year his song "Fångad i en stormvind"/"Captured By A Lovestorm"/sung by Carola not only won the Swedish Song Contest but also the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest in Rome. For several years Stephan now has worked as a full-time song writer, producer, arranger and musician. His entry in the 1997 Song Contest with "Bara hon alskar mig"/"Baby, I'll Die For You" is his seventh in a row.
Conductor Curt-Eric Holmquist, conductor, is a professional musician with many years of television experience. He is also a veteran of The Eurovision Song Contest. He conducted the orchestra when the Herreys won for Sweden in 1984 and was the chief conductor for The Eurovision Song Contest in 1985, when it was telecast from Gothenburg, Sweden.
The Netherlands: Niemand Heeft Nog Tijd - Mrs Einstein
MRS EINSTEIN was formed in 1990 by Saskia van Zutphen, Paulette
Willemse and Suzanne Venneker and in 1996 Marjolein Spijkers and
Linda Snoeij joined the all-girl singing group. In 1988, as the
three-strong group De Meisjes (The Girls) they represented the
Netherlands at the Knokke Festival. They also went on a theatre tour
winning a 'Silver Harp' award for their show Stuck with a Fantasy.
Every Sunday evening in April 1994 they sang a love song composed
especially for various politicians including Prime Minister Kok and
the Minister of Foreign Affairs Van Mierlo on the current affairs
television programme Brandpunt. The song was then adapted and
sung for the Dutch football team during a television special
broadcast in 1994. Mrs Einstein confesses one of the reasons they
decided to take part is they were extremely curious about the
controversial, much maligned, but nevertheless famous song festival!
They
have released an album, "Mrs Einstein Goes Europe",which
contains a number of famous Eurovision Song Contest entries, plus
some of their songs from this year's Dutch national final that didn't
make it. There's an especially pleasing version of the Russian 1994
song, "Eternal Wanderer".
Although a host of songs have flowed from his pen in the past few years, Nobody Has Time Anymore makes a milestone in the colourfiil career of producer-songwriter ED HOOIJMANS, who was born in 1953 in Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands. One of his early successes was Deveny, which catapulted singer Marc Daniels into the headlines. The title was later changed to Emily, a reference to Prince Willem-Alexander's girlfriend. Says Ed Hooijmans': "I had no intention of submitting a song, but when I heard Mrs Einstein was going to be representing the Netherlands, it seemed like a good idea after all. And so I wrote Nobody Has Time Anymore up in my attic."
There's a fuller biography of Mrs Einstein in my pages at this link.
Download the English version 60 seconds MPEG-3 (450K)
"NO-ONE HAS TIME ANYMORE"
Music/Lyrics: Ed Hooijmans
Where can you go with
all your questions of if
nobody wants to listen?
What do you do with
your empty days?
If only you could stop time for a while