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Merci, Chrie
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Wikipedia article
"'Merci, Chrie'" (; "Thank you, darling") was the winning song in the Eurovision Song Contest 1966, performed for by Udo Jrgens with lyrics in German and partially in French. It is an earnest ballad in which the singer, as he leaves her, thanks his lover for good times and positive memories.
The song was performed ninth on the night, following 's Madalena Iglsias with "Ele e ela" and preceding 's Lill Lindfors and Svante Thuresson with "Nygammal vals". The final points tally for "Mercie, Chrie" was 31, securing it first place at the head of an 18-entry field.
The song was succeeded as contest winner in by Sandie Shaw singing "Puppet on a String" for the United Kingdom, and as the Austrian entry in that year by "Warum es hunderttausend Sterne gibt", performed by .
This was also the only time that Austria would win the Eurovision Song Contest until when Conchita Wurst won with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix".
Jrgens was the last solo male pianist to win the contest until Duncan Laurence won in with "Arcade".
Udo has recorded the song also in French, Japanese ( 'Merush sher'), English, Italian (adapted by Vito Pallavicini) and Spanish (adapted by Arturo Kaps-Schnfeld).
Chart performance
Cover versions
* The song was covered by the English singer Vince Hill. Baker Cavendish wrote the English lyrics, with musical arrangement by Johnny Arthey. Released on EMI Columbia, Hill reached number 36 in the UK Singles Chart with it in June 1966.
* Matt Monro (who had competed against Jrgens in the 1964 Eurovision Song Contest and who had a major hit with the English version of "Warum nur, warum?") included an English version of the track on his 1966 album 'This Is The Life', releasing the track as a single that failed to chart.
* Gunnar Wiklund with Nisse Hansn's orchestra recorded it for the Swedish market in 1966. Al Sundstrm wrote the Swedish lyrics but kept the French title. The song was released on the EP 'Sjunger Eurovisionsschlager 1966' on His Master's Voice.
* In 1967, Bent Fabric released an instrumental version of the song on his album 'Operation Lovebirds'.
* In 2007, American pop star Belinda Carlisle recorded a French version of the song and included it on her album of standards, 'Voila'.
* Violinist Lidia Baich, winner of the Eurovision Young Musicians 1998, performed an excerpt of the song live on stage during the opening act of the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 held in Vienna.
References
Category:Songs about parting
Category:Eurovision songs of Austria
Category:Eurovision songs of 1966
Category:Songs written by Udo Jrgens
Category:Eurovision Song Contest winning songs
Category:Disques Vogue singles
Category:1966 singles
Category:1966 songs
Category:1966 in Austria
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