Euphoria for Thomas G:son

From Zack: At ESC UNITED, we want to put the focus back on the totality of the entries.  That means we want to honor everyone involved, particularly the composers.  After asking our readers for their thoughts on the composers that we should retrospectively cover, we got some great feedback and will be featuring some of them in the upcoming week.  In the meantime, please enjoy Roy’s latest post on THOMAS G:SON, composer of the winning EUPHORIA and the 10th place entry QUEDATE CONMIGO.  

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Swedish composer Thomas G:son finally found “Euphoria” in 2012 in Baku when the song by Loreen called “Euphoria” won the Eurovision song contest for Sweden.

Thomas Gustafsson first had his hand at Eurovision when in 1999 he composed Cleo Nilsson’s Melodifestivalen entry “Natten ar min van,” which finished in 8th.

Now 15 years later and with over 60 songs, Thomas ranks as one of the most successful Eurovision composers. It has to be added that several songs he composed in conjunction with other composers, but still, he had a hand in many Eurovision songs.

2013 already looks like a special year for Thomas with the fact that he has been chosen to write to Georgia entry. He will, therefore, be in Malmo with yet another country to his credit. Maybe it is time he also tries his hand at SWITZERLAND or THE NETHERLANDS to help these two countries getting back to their hay days of success.  His 2013 National Selection entries are:

SWEDEN
Pernilla Wahlgren, Jenny Silver & Hanna Hedlund: “On Top of the World”
Eddie Razaz: “Alibi”
Martin Rolinski: “In and Out of Love”
Sylvia Vrethammar: “Trivialitet”
Ulrik Munther: “Tell the World I’m Here”

DENMARK
Daze: “We Own The Universe”

MALTA
Jessika: “Ultraviolet”

Thomas is also fast becoming a household name in South Africa with many of his songs being covered here – on the last count it was over 20.

Thomas, despite his success, is not someone for the spotlight and he always hides somewhere in the back during press conferences. We at OGAE Rest of the world salutes him and hope for even more success.

We will now look at all the songs he has written for Eurovision and the many National Selections.

 

EUROVISION

Friends: “Lyssna till ditt hjärta” (“Listen To Your Heartbeat”)
2001 ESC –  Sweden – 5th Place
This was his first step into the Eurovision area when this song went to Copenhagen – of course just across the bridge from Malmo.

Carola: “Evighet” (“Invincible”)
2006 ESC – Sweden – 5th Place
One of the favourites in the 2006 Eurovision song contest in Athens, but Lordi of neighbouring Finland caught everybody by surprise.

D’NASH: “I love you mi vida”
2007 ESC – Spain – 20th Place
In Helsinki, Thomas had two entries but they did not do too well, although this song by D’Nash was such a typical Eurovision song and should have done better.

Guri Schanke – “Ven a bailar conmigo”
2007 ESC – Norway – 18th Place (Semi-final)
Guri was not so successful in Helsinki.

Chanée & Tomas N’evergreen – “In a Moment Like This”
2010 ESC – Denmark – 4th Place
Thomas’s first hand at writing for Denmark and a great success. This was actually a discarded song from Sweden. This song has also become the biggest cover in South Africa of all Eurovision songs with it appearing on no less than 3 CD’s and all three CD’s went platinum (40 000 copies).

Loreen: “Euphoria”
2012 ESC – Sweden – 1st place
The favorite and the winner of 2012 Eurovision, which currently holds the record for most “12-points” from voting (18 countries)

Pastora Soler: “Quédate conmigo”
2012 ESC – Spain – 10th Place, 2012
Finally some good success for Spain in Baku, who had their highest placement since 2002. Pastora has been a favourite of many fans and they were all disappointed with the 10th position.

 

MELODIFESTIVALEN (SWEDEN)

Cleo Nilsson: “Natten är min vän”
1999 Melodifestivalen – 8th Place

Kikki, Lotta, and Bettan: “Vem é dé du vill ha?”
2002 Melodifestivalen – 3rd Place

Barbados: “Världen utanför”
2002 Melodifestivalen – 4th Place

Arvingarna: “Ingenting är större än vi”
2002 Melodifestivalen – 6th Place (Semi-final)

Poets: “What Difference Does It Make?”
2002 Melodifestivalen – 5th Place (Semi-final)

Sanna Nielsen: “Hela världen för mig”
2003 Melodifestivalen – 5th Place

Petra Nielsen: “Tango Tango”
2004 Melodifestivalen – 4th Place

Hanson, Carson & Malmkvist: “C’est la vie”
2004 Melodifestivalen – 10th Place

Anne-Lie Rydé: “Säg att du har ångrat dig”
2004 Melodifestivalen – 4th Place (Semi-final)

Katrina and the Nameless: “As If Tomorrow Will Never Come”
2005 Melodifestivalen – 3rd Place (Semi-final)

Mathias Holmgren: “Långt bortom tid och rum”
2005 Melodifestivalen – 4th Place (Semi-final)

Anne-Lie Rydé: “Så nära”
2005 Melodifestivalen – 5th place (Semi-final)

Kikki Danielsson “Idag & imorgon”
2006 Melodifestivalen – 10th place

Roger Pontare: “Silverland”
2006 Melodifestivalen – 4th place (Semi-final)

Östen med Resten: “Ge mig en kaka till kaffet”
2006 Melodifestivalen -6th place (Semi-final)

Kayo: “Innan natten är över”
2006 Melodifestivalen – 6th place (Semi-final)

Jessica Folcker: “When Loves Coming Back Again”
2006 Melodifestivalen – 7th place (Semi-final)

Jimmy Jansson: “Amanda”
2007 Melodifestivalen – eliminated in Second-Chance Round

Anna Book: “Samba Sambero”
2007 Melodifestivalen – 9th Place

Lili and Susie: “Show Me Heaven”
2009 Melodifestivalen – eliminated in Second-Chance Round

Mikael Rickfors: “Du vinner över mig”
2009 Melodifestivalen – 5th place (Semi-final)

Maja Gullstrand: “Här för mig själv”
2009 Melodifestivalen – 8th place (Semi-final)

Lovestoned: “Thursdays”
2010 Melodifestivalen – 6th Place (Semi-final)

Sanna Nielsen: “I’m In Love”
2011 Melodifestivalen – 4th place

Linda Bengtzing: “E det fel på mej”
2011 Melodifestivalen – 7th place

Jenny Silver: “Something In Your Eyes”
2011 Melodifestivalen – eliminated in Second-Chance Round

Anders Fernette: “Run”
2011 Melodifestivalen – 8th place (Semi-final)

Thorsten Flinck & Revolutionsorkestern: “Jag reser mig igen”
2012 Melodifestivalen – 8th place

Dynazty: “Land of Broken Dreams”
2012 Melodifestivalen – eliminated in Second Chance Round 1

 

MELODI GRAND PRIX (NORWAY)

Kikki, Lotta & Bettan: “Din hånd i min hånd”
2003 Melodi Grand Prix – 4th place

Ingvild Pedersen: “Anyway you want it”
2003 Melodi Grand Prix – 8th place

Queentastic: “Absolutely Fabulous”
2006 Melodi Grand Prix – 3rd place

Jannicke Abrahamsen: “Rocket Ride”
2007 Melodi Grand Prix – 2nd place

Reidun Sæther: “High on Love”
2012 Melodi Grand Prix – eliminated in Final
DANSK MELODI GRAND PRIX (DENMARK)

Le Freak: “25 Hours a Day”
2011 Dansk Melodi Grand Prix – 4th place

Jenny Berggren: “Let Your Heart Be Mine”
2011 Dansk Melodi Grand Prix – did not qualify to Final

 

EUROVIISUT (FINLAND)

Ressu: “Say You Will, Say You Won’t”
2002 Euroviisut – 4th place

Johanna: “Who Cares About A Broken Heart?”
2002 Euroviisut – 5th place

Arja Koriseva “Till The End Of Time”
2004 Euroviisut – 10th place

Kirsi Ranto: “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
2004 Euroviisut – 10th place (Semi-final)

Swedish artists have covered both “Who cares about a broken heart” and “Say you will say you won’t.”  Both are indeed great songs. They have also been covered in Afrikaans.

 

DZIESMA (LATVIA)

Elina Furmane: “Heaven in Your Eyes”
2006 Dziesma – 8th Place

 

SELECTIA NATIONALA (ROMANIA)

Indiggo: “Lovestruck”
2007 Selectia Nationala – disqualified
Thomas’s first Romanian entry sadly did not have a happy ending.  Indiggo did not turn up on time for a rehearsal, and an instrumental version of the song was not sent in time to the TV Company.  Thus, they were disqualified.

 

PIOSENKA DLA EUROPY (POLAND)

Man Meadow: “Viva la musica”
2008 Piosenka Dla Europy – 3rd place

Man Meadow: “Love Is Gonna Get You”
2009 Piosenka Dla Europy – 6th place

 

EUROSONG (BELGIUM)

Tanja Dexters: “Addicted to you”
2008 Eurosong – 5th place (Semi-final)

 

SPANISH SELECTION (SPAIN)

Arkaitz: “I am as I am”
2007 – non-qualified.

Coral Segovia: “Todo está en tu mente”
2008 – 2nd Place

Anael: “Piénsame”
2008 – eliminated in Online-Voting

Baltanás: “Te prefiero”
2008 – eliminated in Online-Voting

Mirela: “Nada es comparable a ti”
2009 – 4th place

Rebeca: “Amor radical”
2009 – eliminated in Online-Voting

Venus: “Perfecta”
2010 – 4th place

Coral Segovia: “En una vida”
2010 –  2nd place

Samuel & Patricia: “Recuérdame”
2010 – 5th place

José Galisteo: “Beautiful Life”
2010 – 7th place

Lucía Pérez “Abrázame”
2011 – 2nd place