La det swinge
| "La det swinge" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"La det swinge" ("Let it swing") is a song in Norwegian, sung by the pop duo Bobbysocks!. It was the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1985 – Norway's first victory in the contest.
Composition and production
The song is a tribute to dancing to old rock 'n' roll heard on the radio. Befitting the subject matter, the song itself is written in an old-fashioned style, with a memorable saxophone melody starting the song. The melody arrangement is in retro style, containing elements of contemporary 1980s music and throwbacks to the 1950s.
Background
The song entered, and won Melodi Grand Prix 1985, and was therefore selected to represent Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 1985. For the performances, the two members – Hanne Krogh and Elisabeth Andreassen – appeared in sparkling, bright purple jackets, worn over black and white outfits; Krogh sported a black-and-white striped floor-length gown.
At the Eurovision Song Contest, the song was performed thirteenth on the night, following Italy's Al Bano and Romina Power with "Magic Oh Magic" and preceding the United Kingdom's Vikki Watson with "Love Is". At the close of voting, it received 123 points, placing 1st in a field of 19.
 | This section may be confusing or unclear to readers. (April 2015) |
This was the second appearance for both Andreasson and Krogh in the Eurovision Song Contest; in 1982 Andreassen had represented Sweden in the duo Chips with Kikki Danielsson singing "Dag efter dag", and in 1971 Krogh had finished 17th (second from last) in the contest, with the song "Lykken er". (Danielsson also competed in the 1985 contest, finishing third after Bobbysocks and West Germany's Wind, with the song "Bra vibrationer", again representing Sweden.)
Andreasson went on to appear in the contest on two more occasions – she finished sixth in 1994, performing a duet with Jan Werner Danielsen, entitled simply, "Duett" and in 1996, she appeared as a solo artist, finishing second to Ireland's Eimear Quinn. Krogh also returned to the Contest in 1991 as part of the group Just 4 Fun, finishing 17th with "Mrs. Thompson".
"La Det Swinge" was succeeded as Norwegian representative at the 1986 Contest by Ketil Stokkan with "Romeo".
Following their win, the single "La det swinge" peaked at #1 in the Norwegian and Belgian singles chart, and entered the charts in Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, United Kingdom to name a few.
Track listing
- "Let it Swing" – 2:50
- "La det swinge" – 2:50
Charts
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austria | 14 |
| Belgium | 1 |
| Denmark | 2 |
| Germany | 47 |
| Ireland | 8 |
| Netherlands | 13 |
| Norway | 1 |
| Sweden | 4 |
| Switzerland | 30 |
| United Kingdom | 44 |
Cover versions
- Ingela "Pling" Forsman wrote lyrics in Swedish, as "Låt det svänga", which was recorded by artists and groups as Stefan Borsch, Ingmar Nordströms och Jan Welander, all of them 1985.
- Swedish heavy metal group "Black Ingvars" covered song on their 1998 album "Schlager Metal".
References
- ^ Vem e de´du vill ha entry at Svensk mediadatabas, retrieved 11 July 2010
- ^ Let it swing entry at Svensk mediadatabas, retrieved 11 July 2010
External links
- "Let It Swing/La det swinge" at the Austrian singles chart
- "Let It Swing/La det swinge" at the Norwegian singles chart
- "Let It Swing/La det swinge" at the Swiss singles chart
- "La det swinge" at the Swedish singles chart
