"Gwendolyne" (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡwendoˈlin]), sometimes spelt "Gwendoline", is a song composed and recorded by Spanish singer Julio Iglesias, co-written by Leo Johns. It represented Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 1970, held in Amsterdam.
| "Gwendolyne" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Julio Iglesias | ||||
| from the album Gwendolyne | ||||
| Language | Spanish | |||
| B-side | "Bla, bla, bla" | |||
| Released | 1970 | |||
| Genre | Ballad | |||
| Length | 2:39 | |||
| Label | Columbia Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Julio Iglesias, Leo Johns | |||
| Julio Iglesias singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Eurovision Song Contest 1970 entry | ||||
| Country | ||||
| Artist(s) | ||||
| Language | ||||
| Composer(s) | Julio Iglesias, Leo Johns | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Julio Iglesias, Leo Johns | |||
| Conductor | ||||
| Finals performance | ||||
| Final result | 4th | |||
| Final points | 8 | |||
| Entry chronology | ||||
| ◄ "Vivo cantando" (1969) | ||||
| "En un mundo nuevo" (1971) ► | ||||
Iglesias released the song in five languages: Spanish, English, French, German, and Italian. The single was also one of the final records to be issued in the by then obsolete 78 RPM format, only being released in that format by Columbia.
Background edit
Conception edit
The song is a ballad, with both music and lyrics co-written by Iglesias himself and Leo Johns, written about his first girlfriend, the titular Gwendolyne, a French girl whom he met at the age of twenty while still a law student and a goalkeeper for Spanish football team Real Madrid Castilla. In 1963, Iglesias was involved in a near-fatal car accident, which ended his football career, left him in rehabilitation for considerable time and indirectly led him to start learning the guitar, as a means of physical therapy.[1]
Iglesias began composing his own music; in 1968 he entered and won the Benidorm International Song Festival with the song "La vida sigue igual" and shortly thereafter he signed with the Spanish branch of Columbia Records.
Eurovision edit
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On 12–14 February 1970, "Gwendolyne" performed by both Julio Iglesias and Rosy Armen competed in the national final organized by Televisión Española (TVE) to select the song and performer for the next Eurovision Song Contest. The song won the competition so it became the Spanish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 1970, to be held in Amsterdam. As Rosy Armen was a French singer, Julio Iglesias became automatically the performer for Eurovision.[2][3] He released "Gwendolyne" in five languages: Spanish, English, French, German, and Italian.[4]
On 21 March 1970, the Eurovision Song Contest was held at the RAI Congrescentrum in Amsterdam hosted by Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS), and broadcast live throughout the continent.[5] Iglesias performed "Gwendolyne" ninth on the night accompanied by Trío La La La –María Jesús Aguirre, María Dolores Arenas, and Mercedes Valimaña Macaria– as backing singers,[6] following Luxembourg's "Je suis tombé du ciel" by David Alexandre Winter and preceding Monaco's "Marlène" by Dominique Dussault. Augusto Algueró conducted the event's live orchestra in the performance of the Spanish entry.
At the close of voting, it had received eight points, placing fourth in a field of twelve.[7] It was succeeded as Spanish entry at the 1971 contest by "En un mundo nuevo" by Karina.[8]
Aftermath edit
His participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 1970 was his first major international television appearance. "Gwendolyne" went on to become his first number 1 single in Spain and was also a modest commercial success in a few other countries in Europe and South America.[9] His international breakthrough single "Un canto a Galicia" followed in 1972.[10]
The song was also the title track to his second studio album, released in Spain in 1970, and subsequently also included on his eponymous international debut album in 1972.
Legacy edit
Cover versions edit
The song was subsequently covered many times and released by different singers:
- Rosy Armen also released the song in 1970.
- Lola Flores covered the song in 1970.
- Salomé covered the song in 1970.
- Junco covered the song in his 1997 album De amor ya no se muere.
- Pitingo covered the song for the 2006 film Cándida.
- Rosario Flores covered the song in her 2009 album Cuéntame.
Other performances edit
- José Mercé performed the song in the show Europasión, aired on La 1 of Televisión Española on 21 May 2008 to choose by popular vote the best song that Spain has sent to Eurovision.[11]
- In the show La mejor canción jamás cantada aired on La 1 of Televisión Española to choose by popular vote the best Spanish song ever sung, Carlos Right performed "Gwendolyne" in the episode dedicated to the 1970s, aired on 22 March 2019.[12]
References edit
- ^ "Julio Iglesias official chronology". julioiglesias.com. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- ^ "Spain National Final 1970". natfinals.50webs.com.
- ^ ""Gwendolyne" at the official Eurovision Song Contest site". eurovision.tv. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- ^ ""Gwendolyne" lyrics and detailed info". The Diggiloo Thrush. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- ^ "Eurovision Song Contest 1970". Eurovision Song Contest. 21 March 1970. NOS / EBU.
- ^ "Info on "Gwendolyne"". The Diggiloo Thrush.
- ^ "Official Eurovision Song Contest 1970 scoreboard". eurovision.tv. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- ^ ""En un mundo nuevo" at the official Eurovision Song Contest site". eurovision.tv. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- ^ "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 82, no. 23. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1970-06-06. p. 80. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
- ^ "Julio Iglesias discography". rateyourmusic.com. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- ^ ""Bailar pegados", elegida mejor canción española de Eurovisión". elDiario.es (in Spanish). 22 May 2008.
- ^ "'Mediterráneo', interpretado por Andrés Suárez, elegido mejor tema de los 70 en 'La mejor canción jamás cantada'". RTVE (in Spanish). 23 March 2019.
External links edit
- "Gwendolyne" at Discogs (list of releases)