jcjeff@ihlpg.UUCP (Richard Jeffreys) (05/04/85)
> Has anyone anywhere heard of the UK vocal group, Bucks Fizz? I've been as > active a fan as is possible (here in America, Bucks Fizz records are > unavailable), and would like to know if anyone else out there likes or has > even heard of this group. Please post replies...our mail doesn't work > all that successfully. > > - Bill Pitzonka Once a year the European Countries get together and have a song contest, and show it live on tv all across Europe. Bucks Fizz was the British entry in this contest and happened to win, I cannot at the moment remember the song title or year though. The tv ratings for this contest are getting lower and lower each year thankfully. The songs that are entered are written specifically to appeal to most of the voting pannels (one from each country), so tends to be "bubble-gum" type music. The group members were brought together for the contest and then name Bucks Fizz was given to them (name was taken from a coktail consisting of champagne and orange juice). They were then also given the song. Bucks Fizz stayed together after winning the contest and travelled widely through Europe for tv appearances and to promte the winning song. (I was flying to Holland shortly after they had won the contest and the two women members of Bucks Fizz were sitting behind me). Fortunatly they decided to get rid of, as soon as possible, their "bubble-gum" image and decided to go for a fairly radical change. They began writing their own songs which were a great improvement on the first one. Some of the titles that they did after the Eurovision Song Contest were Mirror Mirror The Camera Never Lies London (?) The list should be a lot longer, but I was never an avid fan of theirs. Maybe some one else could come up with a discography?? The last I heard of them was that they were travelling to a concert in their bus when it crashed throwing 2 of the 4 band members out of one of the windows causing, I belive quite serious injuries. This was quite a few months ago now, so they may have recovered and be back working and recording, but I don't know for sure. At the moment I can only remember two of the band members names: Cheryl Baker (she was one of the ones hurt in the accident) Mike Nolan Just came to me, *their* winning song was titled "Make your Mind up" Just as an aside, Abba, already a well know group in their home country, shot to European fame after winning the Eurovision Song Contest with "Waterloo" Abba and Bucks Fizz are exceptions. Most groups these days who are entered by their country are formed just to sing in the contest. It is generally accepted that to sing in this contest, and win, will guarentee a number one record in several countries and also seal your doom within a few months. They just seem to disappear never to be heard of again. Peolpe, already well established in the music business, avoid the contest like the plague. I only hope that by the time I get back to England, the Eurovision Song Contest will be no more :-) -- [ Why pander life's complexities, when the leather runs smooth on the passenger seat - The Smiths ] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ || From the keys of Richard Jeffreys ( British Citizen Overseas ) || || employed by North American Philips Corporation || || @ AT&T Bell Laboratories, Naperville, Illinois || ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ || General disclaimer about anything and everything that I may have typed || ------------------------------------------------------------------------------