Kategori: Chart Spotlight

Avicii’s Featured Vocalist Salem Al Fakir Snubbed on Eurovision Song Contest Final in 2010

The Swedish singer Salem Al Fakir is the voice on Avicii’s hits ‘Silhouettes’ and ‘You Make Me.’ He also sang on ‘Hey Brother’ on a Avicii by Avicii remix and is one of the masterminds behind the Swedish DJ’s latest hit ‘Waiting for Love.’ The latter song is co-written by Salem Al Fakir, Vincent Pontare, Martin Garrix and Simon Aldred. Aldred also sings on the track and is the lead singer of the group Cherry Ghost.

An established artist in Sweden, Salem Al Fakir released his debut in 2006 with the album This Is Who I Am. His breakthrough came in 2010 when ‘Keep On Walking’ became a No.3 hit, finishing as a runner-up on the Swedish leg of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Salem Al Fakir – Keep On Walking (Melodifestivalen 2010)

READ: WILL DARIN MANAGE TO BEAT TIMOTEIJ AND BERGENDAHL?

With 183 points in the Melodifestivalen final, he was beaten by Anna Bergendahl’s 214 points for ‘This Is My Life.’ Anna Bergendahl, a top five Idol finalist, is the only artist ever to not qualify for the Eurovision Song Contest final. The singer-songwriter did not benefit from Idol fame and did not go well with the international audience in the Oslo semi-final.

Anna Bergendahl – This Is My Life (Melodifestivalen Winner 2010)

READ: NO SWEDISH JURY IN THIS YEAR’S MELODIFESTIVALEN

In addition to Avicii’s collaboration, Salem Al Fakir is working closely with Axwell and Ingrosso. Al Fakir has co-written ‘Something New’ as well ‘Sun Is Shining.’ He also provided vocals on ‘Sun Is Shining,’ which was featured in a recent H&M TV ad. As the music blog Planet Salem points out, the track has been around online for quite a while and hopefully it will break internationally this summer.

H&M Summer 2015: Summer Starts Now! (Axwell and Ingrosso feat. Salem Al Fakir & Vincent Pontare – Sun Is Shining)


According to the news daily Expressen, Salem Al Fakir and Vincent Pontare claims that the Axwell and Ingrosso tracks ‘Sun Is Shining’ and ‘On My Way’ are inspired by Simon and Garfunkel.

READ: EUROVISION SONG CONTEST POSTS ON WELCHEMUSIC.COM

Will Måns Zelmerlöw’s Heroes Beat Loreen’s No.3 Peak in the UK?

The Eurovision Song Contest is by no means synonymous with UK chart success. While Loreen’s ‘Euphoria’ reached the top 3, the 2013 and 2014 winners only managed to reach the top 20 with their entries. Look no further as Måns Zelmerlöw is on his way to at least break the top ten. Currently sitting at No.5 on the Official Singles Chart Update Top 100, ‘Heroes’ previously reached No.3 on an earlier sales flash. While Italy’s Il Volo was positioned at No.79 in the earlier sales flash, ‘Grande Amore’ is nowhere to be seen in the update (!).

READ: THE DARK SIDE BEHIND MÅNS ZELMERLÖW’S HEROES

Belgium’s Loic Nottet’s ‘Rhythm Inside’ currently sits at No.31, while Polina Gagarina’s Russian entry ‘A Million Voices’ takes the No.44 position. Aminata of x sits at No.62 with ‘Love Injected,’ while Electro Velvet’s ‘Still in Love with You’ claims a disappointing No.67 position. It could go either way, the tally is final on Sunday but we shouldn’t get our hopes up. The earlier sales flash all indicated better positions (even for Måns).

READ: DID MÅNS ZELMERLÖW BORROW FROM DAVID GUETTA?

Earlier ESC peaks:

READ: SWEDEN TAKES TOTAL ESC LEAD AS MÅNS ZELMERLÖW WINS

2012: Loreen – Euphoria (No.3)

2013: Emmelie De Forest – Only Teardrops (No.15)

2014: Conchita Wurst – Rise Like a Phoenix (No.17)

2015: Måns Zelmerlöw – Heroes (?)

READ: CONGRATS MÅNS ZELMERLÖW, BUT ITALY ACTUALLY WON

 

Five Things You’d Forgotten About Dirty Dancing

I find it hard to believe that you’d forgotten about Dirty Dancing. The 1987 blockbuster movie not only spawned giant hits from Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes, Eric Carmen and even Patrick Swayze.

 

ALSO READ: 5 THINGS ABOUT ROXETTE

‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life’ Won an Oscar

Selling well over 36,000,000 copies – the former Righteous Brother singer Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes’ Hot 100 No.1 hit racked up several awards. The song won a Grammy for Best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal as well as the Academy Award for Best Song. The track charted twice in the UK. It reached No.6 in 1987 and returned to No.6 in January 1991 following a national TV screening.

Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes – (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life

Songwriter Franke Previte Had Just Been Ditched by His Record Label

The movie’s producer Jimmy Lenner Franke Previte approached songwriter Franke Previte just after he had been dropped by his label MCA. He was asked to submit a song for the movie, not knowing that he was one of more than 100 artists to have been asked. Previte was the lead singer of the band Franke and the Knockouts. Previte not only wrote ‘The Time of My Life’ but also ‘Hungry Eyes.’ Both songs were also recorded by the group, and were included on the re-issue of The Sweetheart Collection (1999) after the band had folded.

Franke and the Knockouts – (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life

 

More Dirty Dancing Was Released a Year Later

The original motion picture soundtrack Dirty Dancing was initially released in 1987. A year later, More Dirty Dancing hit the shelves. It wasn’t faved by the critics as Rolling Stone called it “instrumental idiocies.” The set included tracks from The Four Seasons and The Drifters, however lacked of any new material. The John Morris Orchestra performed two short instrumental version of ‘The Time of My Life,’ and no singles were lifted off the album.

ALSO READ: 30 YEARS SINCE ALPHAVILLE TOPPED SINGLES CHART WITH FOREVER YOUNG THIS WEEK

The 20th Anniversary Edition Included a DVD

In October 2007, a 20th anniversary set was released featuring a promotional DVD with videos and photos. The tracklisting differed from the original and there were additional tracks included. A few of them were taken from aforementioned More Dirty Dancing set.

‘Hungry Eyes’ Was Never Released Commercially in the UK

Despite becoming such a huge success across the world, ‘Hungry Eyes’ with Eric Carmen was denied an official release in the UK. It, however, charted based on import sales and peaked at a disappointing No.82 position. It was a top ten hit in Sweden, Canada, the US and Belgium.

ALSO READ: BANGLES’ ETERNAL FLAME TURNS 25 THIS WEEK

Eric Carmen – Hungry Eyes

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Roxette’s It Must Have Been Love

25 years have passed since the premiere of Pretty Woman, which took the then unknown Julia Roberts to level of an international super star. The soundtrack included Roxette’s ‘It Must Have Been Love,’ which rose to No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 back in June 1990.

While many people listened and have grown to love the track, these facts might be new.

1 Pretty Woman was named 3 000 Dollars

Roxette couldn’t have asked for a better timing. Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson had suddenly reached international stardom when ‘The Look’ climed to the top of the US chart during the spring of 1989. Disney/Touchstone Pictures approached the duo and asked them to write a song for the movie 3 000 Dollars, a romantic comedy about a rich business man falling in love with a charming and carefree hooker.

2 ‘It Must Have Been Love’ Was an Old Christmas Hit

As ‘Listen to Your Heart’ rose to No.1 and the whole world was screaming for Roxette in the summer of 1989, there was simply no time for the duo to pen another song. Instead, they offered the studio the three year old yuletide song ‘It Must Have Been Love (Christmas for the Broken Hearted).’ The song was released in Sweden in December 1987, finally peaking at No.4 in January 1998. While ‘Listen to Your Heart’ was a hit during the fall of 1989, director Garry Marshall realized that Roexette had delivered the key theme to the movie – if only he could get rid of the Christmas references in the lyrics.

Roxette – It Must Have Been Love (Christmas for the Broken Hearted)

 

3 The Song and the Movie Changed

Roxette was tempted to be included in a big Hollywood production, re-writing the lyrics and recorded a new version of the track. An updated version was sent to L.A. as the movie changed its name to Pretty Woman. On the 13th June, 1990, Roxette topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a third time. That’s within a year! In addition, both ‘Dangerous’ and ‘Dressed for Success’ peaked at No.2.

Roxette – It Must Have Been Love (Theme from Pretty Woman)

 

4 ‘It Must Have Been Love’ Passed the 5m Mark in 2014

Last year, Per Gessle received the “Million Air Award,” since ‘It Must Have Been Love’ passed more than 5m radio airplays in the US. This had previously been performed by ‘Listen to Your Heart.’

5 Parlophone/Warner Re-issues a Digital Version of ‘It Must Have Been Love’ Today

A digital version of ‘It Must Have Been Love’ is re-iussed today (23rd March) and a newly pressed 7 inch single (limited edition) will be released on 6th May. During the US tour in 1992, Roxette re-recorded ‘It Must Have Been Love’ in Los Angeeles. It was then mixed with a live recording and included on the ‘Tourism’ album in 1992. This is the first time it will be available in an edited version as a bonus track on the album. And as Roxette continues touring across the world, we sure know that love – is by far not over.

 

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