Switzerland - You And Me - Takasa

New digital release image

13 - 41 pts in semi 2

Heilsarmee (now Takasa, see below), the band from and named after the Swiss section of the Salvation Army have won the Swiss selection with their song You And Me.
The song is written by Georg Schlunegger from HitMill.

The song is available at iTunes CH under the name of The Salvation Army Switzerland.(Hitmill records). You can watch the official video here at Glanz und Gloria.

The song is available at iTunes (most territories) under the name Heilsarmee and the release also includes an instrumental version.

A cdrom (in a press folder) with audio, video and info is issued for Malmö promotion.

Together We're One
Hitmill and Takasa have teamed up with Salvation Army musicians and choirs from all over Europe for an album released on May 17.
The album includes two versions of You And Me, one the original by Takasa, the other by singers from all over Europe. (see tracklist below). Out on Dom. Artis / Universal Switzerland (0602537395828).
See full traclist below.
The CD is available at ExLibris.ch, the digital version is available through all your well known digitessen.
Missed opportunity: The Takasa's should have added a coverversion of Long Live Love, Olivia Newton Johns trubute to the Salvation army band from 1974 (4th place in the Brighton Eurovision).

original digital release image

Off with those uniforms!
EBU have decided that the name Heilsarmee and the uniforms are against the rules of Eurovision participation. (the bit about not allowing political, religious and commercial messages).
The band has agreed  to perform in other gear and change their name. One statement: "The band didn't really have a name anyway". Another: "If they change the rules again we're out"
The new bandname is Takasa, said to be Swahili for cleansing but also short for The Artists Known As Salvation Army. They also shot a new video.
sources: Blick.ch 20min.ch, SRF

press folder

versions:
You And Me - Original
- on the Malmö 2CD
You And Me - Instrumental
- digital release
You And Me - Karaoke
- on official karaoke collection, digital release
You And Me - Europe United version
- On CD Together We're One
The vocal arrangement as performed at the contest (with female solo) was not released in a studio version.

Update: Check out an inspired coverversion in Estonian, Ikka Jääd Sa Minuga here at Eurocovers.

Charts:
In the first week of 2013 (there was no chart in week 52 of 2012) You And Me enters the Swiss charts at #21 but falls out the next week. It re-enters at 69 after Eurovision.
Switzerland top 75: 21, - re: 69, 32, -

CD Together We're One tracklist
1. Takasa - You And Me (Switzerland)

2. Takasa and Salvation Army - Lay My Love On You (England)

3. Takasa and Frelsens Hær - In Your Arms (Denmark)

4. Takasa and Pelastusarmeija - Kingdom Of The Free (Finland)

5. Takasa and Frelsesarmeen - Where You Find Love (Norway)

6. Takasa and Salvation Army - Nothing Like Your Love (Ireland)

7. Takasa and Armée du Salut - Shining Star (France)

8. Takasa and Heilsarmee - Father (Germany)

9. Takasa and Frälsningsarmén - Salvation (Sweden)

10. Takasa and Armée du Salut - Walk With Me (Belgium)

11. Takasa and Üdvhadsereg - If You Believe (Hungary)

12. Takasa and Ejército de Salvación - Heaven On Earth (Spain)

13. Takasa and Leger des Heils - Don't You Worry Now (Netherlands)

- Takasa with Amsterdam Staff Songsters, solo by Nathan Sudmeier

14. Takasa and Heilsarmee / Armáda spásy - Where We Belong (Austria and Czech Rep.)

15. Takasa - You And Me (Europe United)

links and sources
Glanz und Gloria
Takasa website (new)
Swiss Heilsarmee pages.
Thanks to Michaela Leuenberger at SRF
Thanks to Lior
Thanks to Frank



2013: The Swiss Selection
The Swiss were the first to have songs available to hear for the Malmö Eurovision selection and the second to pick their entry.

The Finalists
You can still listen to the he 9 finalists here at Glanz Und Gloria.
The finalists came from several regional selection, more info and links below.

SF
Here is the place to go to listen to the songs uploaded to the SF selection.
Please note, this selection is only from SF (the German language broadcaster).

RSI
The Italian broadcaster RSI has also uploaded the songs for their regional selection.
You can listen to all seven here.
Only one name we know, Chiara Dubey, with the same song as entered in the SF selection (see below).
Two songs were chosen to proceed to the Swiss final. Chiara Dubey's Bella Sera and Catch Me by Ally.
Last years winner Sinplus was from the selection of Italian lanuage broadcaster RSI.

RTS
RTS (The French language broadcaster) have presented their three songs for the Swiss final. You can listen to them here.


Some remarkable entries from the SF selection:
Here are a few entries and artists in the SF selection that caught my eye / ear.

Lys Assia and NewJack
It's here, the new attempt from the first ever Eurovision winner Lys Assia. This time she roped in some streed cred rap persons NewJack to complement All In Your Head. Check it out here.
Lys Assia had two songs in the 1956 contest: Das Alte Karussell and Refrain and the latter was declared the winner.
In 1957 her song L'Enfant Que J'Etais didn't fare as well and ended only 8th. In 1958 Assia finished second with the most evergreen-ish song by her: Giorgio.
In the 2012 season (actually december 2011) she reached the Swiss national final with C'Etait Ma Vie and eventually ended 8th.

Dutch ex-Topper (Eurovision 2009) Gordon also wants a slice of the Swiss gateau. His current musical outfit LA The Voices had a three song pre-pre-pre thingy in the Netherlands to decide which song to upload to the SF selection.
Wild White Horses won, but they also sent in the runner up Change Is Gonna Come .
Another Dutchie is Eric Dikeb who was one of the creators behind the 2003 Dutch finalist / piss take Blue Skies Are For Free (7th). His Swiss attempt is Mesmerizing Glances.

Magdalena Tul didn't get out of the Eurovision semi's in 2011 when she sang the quite excellent Jestem for Poland. Her song for Switzerland 2013 is Give It Up.

Chiara Dubey was third in last years Swiss final with Anima Nuova, this time she tries again with Bella Sera. Update: Chiara already won her place in the Swiss final through the RSI selection.

Another song worth checking out is Sultan Hagavik by Männerchor steili Kressä. I don't know what they were on, but it's a funny tribute to one of Swedens most known franchises. And of course it breaks the rules!

Mariella Farré
A Swiss Eurovision star among the fold is Mariella Farré.  She entered twice for Switserland: Io Cosi Non Ci Sto (15th in 1983) and Piano Piano (with Pino Gasparini) was 12th two years later.
Her song is titled One Of A Kind and you can check it out here.
The song by Farré with Pasquale Ricamato M'innamoro De Ti, has been withdrawn from the selection.

Man Meadow are a Swedish duo (Fredrik Olofsson and Niklas Vestberg) who have participated in the Polish national final on two occasions. Viva La Musica was shared 3rd in 2008 and Love Is Gonna Get You was 6th in 2009. Now they try in Switzerland with How Does It Feel.

Virginia Trujullo has two songs. She ended 5th in the Spanish selection in 2009 with True Love. Avid Eurovision followers know her as the demo singer of several entries written by her brother Rafael Artesero Herrero. (English demo of Spain 2011, Andorra 2005, 2006 and also 2007 pre-song Ley Le Lee). Her songs for Switzerland are Power and Original Sin. My guess is that bro Rafael wrote these songs too, but I haven't found any details to confirm that yet.

Salvation
Almost 40 years after Olivia Newton John's tribute to the Sally Ann Band, Heilsarmee,  the Swiss Salvation Army are having a go. Their song You And Me is actually quite catchy and nothing like the bell ringing christmas pot chanting. I would be surprised if this didn't make it to the final in Switzerland.

Also Jam Sherrif is trying again in Switzerland. He did before but his best known effort is probably the 2005 Russian NF song No More War which won one of the semi's in Russia. In 2008 he entered the Russian final with Who Am I Without Your Love (with Pier Narciss)

Max And The Ducks and Konichiwa Panda have the best names. My Body Has Legs has one of my favorite tunes, Flagstaff Paradise, going all 80's retro on us.

There's also Deuce, but don't wet your pants, it's not THE Deuce.

I Still Remember by Constantinos Christoforou. (Κωνσταντίνος Χριστοφόρου)
Eurovision fans already know Constantinos from three entries for Cyprus. There was Mono Yia Mas in 1996 (9th place) and Ela Ela (Come Baby) in 2005 (18th).
And his best result was the 2003 entry Gimme (6th) by Manboy Band One of which Constantinos was the lead singer.
Oh well, it's withdrawn from the competition

LINKS AND SOURCES
SF Eurovision platform, SF Eurovision Facebook
RSI Eurovision website (Italian language broadcaster)
RTS Eurovision pages

Lest we forget:
Switzerland in 2012 - Sinplus
2011 - Anna Rossinelli
2010 - Michael von der Heide
2009 - Lovebugs