"Elle était si jolie" (French pronunciation: [ɛl etɛ si ʒɔli]; "She Was So Pretty") was the French entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1963, performed in French by Alain Barrière.
 "Elle était si jolie" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Eurovision Song Contest 1963 entry | |
| Country | |
| Artist(s) | |
| Language | |
| Composer(s) | Alain Barrière, A. Migiani |
| Lyricist(s) | Alain Barrière, A. Migiani |
| Conductor | |
| Finals performance | |
| Final result | 5th |
| Final points | 25 |
| Entry chronology | |
| ◄ "Un premier amour" (1962) | |
| "Le Chant de Mallory" (1964) ► | |
The song was performed eleventh on the night (following Switzerland's Esther Ofarim with "T'en va pas" and preceding Spain's José Guardiola with "Algo prodigioso"). At the close of voting, it had received 25 points, placing 5th in a field of 16.
The song is a ballad, with Barrière reminiscing about a girl he used to know and how pretty she was. Her beauty was apparently so much that he could not love her. Barrière also recorded the song in German and Italian, as "Du gingst fort ohne Abschied" and "Era troppo carina" respectively. The song was well received in Latin America, particularly in Chile.[1]
It was succeeded as French representative at the 1964 contest by Rachel with "Le Chant de Mallory".
Dragan Stojnić version
editDragan Stojnić, a Yugoslav chanson singer, released a cover version of the song in 1965 with lyrics in Serbian, entitled "Bila je tako lijepa". The song was released on the EP of the same name.[2] This version was a great hit in all former Yugoslavia.
Pekinška Patka version
edit| "Bila je tako lijepa" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Pekinška Patka | ||||
| B-side | "Bumba, rumba" | |||
| Released | 1980 | |||
| Recorded | 1980 Meta sound studio, Novi Sad | |||
| Genre | Punk rock | |||
| Length | 3:24 | |||
| Label | Jugoton SY 23756 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | A. Barrière, B. Stojadinović, N. Čonkić | |||
| Producer(s) | Pekinška Patka | |||
| Pekinška Patka singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Bila je tako lijepa", a cover version of the Dragan Stojnić version of the Alain Barrière song "Elle était si jolie", was the third and last single by the Serbian punk rock band Pekinška Patka, released in 1980.
Track listing
- "Bila je tako lijepa" (A. Barrière, B. Stojadinović, N. Čonkić) (3:24)
- "Bumba, rumba" (N. Čonkić, S. Kovačević) (2:24)
Other versions
edit- Croatian punk rock band Hladno Pivo recorded a cover version of the song, mainly relying on the Pekinška Patka version.
- German punk rock band Autozynik recorded in 2000 a cover version of the Pekinška Patka 1980 version.[3]
- In Vietnamese, the song is known as "Em Đẹp Như Mơ".[4]
- Israeli singer Daklon recorded a cover version of the song in Hebrew, called Benativ Meurpal (On a Foggy Path), in 1998.[5]
- Israeli poet David Avidan wrote a parody based on the song in Hebrew, performed by Arik Lavie. The parody is about a prostitute and her pimp.[6]
- Israeli Singer Rika Zarai recorded a cover version of the song.
References
edit- ^ Billboard - 23 Jan 1965 Vol. 77, n° 3- Page 18 "Chile Industry Suffers Loss in 1964: .....Last year was a good year for European artists in Chile. Gilbert Becaud, Alain Barriere, Rita Pavone and Michele were best sellers, and they are new sinking idols for the young set. "Natalie," the best seller in the singles market for Odeon, "Elle etait si jolie" and "Ma Vie," by Alain Barriere have created a great demand for European hits."
- ^ "Dragan Stojnić - Bila Je Tako Lijepa at Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 28 June 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ "Autozynik - Bing (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-10-16.
- ^ "Em Đẹp Như Mơ (Elle Était Si Jolie)". Đặc Trưng. Archived from the original on May 13, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
- ^ "Benativ Meurpal". Hebrew Songs. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
- ^ "אריק לביא - בסיבוב הרצליה". YouTube. 2011-03-10. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved 2016-10-16.
External links
edit- Official Eurovision Song Contest site, history by year, 1963
- Detailed info & lyrics, The Diggiloo Thrush, "Elle était si jolie".
- Pekinška Patka single at Discogs
- EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960-2006, Janjatović Petar; ISBN 978-86-905317-1-4