Wir Geben 'Ne Party
Encyclopedia
"Wir geben 'ne Party" was the German
entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1994
, performed in German
by Mekado
. Mekado were backed on stage by Rhonda Heath, formerly of Silver Convention
, who had themselves represented Germany
in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977
, placing 8th.
The song was performed fourteenth on the night, following the Netherlands
' Willeke Alberti
with "Waar is de zon?" and preceding Slovakia
's Tublatanka
with "Nekonečná pieseň
". At the close of voting, it had received 128 points, placing 3rd in a field of 25. According to The Official History of The Eurovision Song Contest by John Kennedy O'Connor
, the group struggled with the complex choreography during rehearsals, but the performance was faultless on the night.
The song - written and composed by prolific duo Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger
- is an up-tempo number (quite in contrast to the duo's traditional schlager
-style offerings), so much so that recordings of the BBC
broadcast feature commentator Terry Wogan
describing it as "a bit of rock 'n' roll". The trio describe their plans for a party, specifically the "guys" they expect to see there and the fact that, for one of them at least, "I need a kick to have a successful evening". The song ends with a particularly rapid-fire section in which the three give one guy at the party the once-over (arguing about who he was looking at), before deciding "Better we forget them, come on let's dance".
In a pre-emptive move before the "free language rule" was reinstated, the song features a series of Anglicisms, particularly in the chorus. The girls sing such lyrics as "So rock me, Baby, heut ist alles egal" ("So rock me, baby, today everything is the same"). Of particular note is the remark by one singer to another that "Ich hab genau so'n Hip-Hop Feeling wie du" ("I have exactly the same hip-hop feeling as you"), a line which marks the first inclusion of any reference to that style of music in the Contest.
While the performance itself remained relatively static (the Contest was still conducted in a room of music professionals, rather than the general-admission Contest of more recent years), a series of high-fives brought some movement to proceedings.
An English-language version of the song was also recorded, bearing the title We're Givin' A Party, an accurate - if less idiomatic - translation of the original title.
It was succeeded as German representative
at the 1995 Contest
by Stone & Stone with "Verliebt in Dich
".
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1994
Eurovision Song Contest 1994
The Eurovision Song Contest 1994 was the 39th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 30 April 1994 in the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. The presenters were Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and Gerry Ryan. The pair hosted the evening in French, English and Irish...
, performed in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
by Mekado
Mekado
Mekado was a German girl group that represented Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest 1994 with their song Wir Geben 'Ne Party. The group consisted of Melanie Bender, Kati Karney and Dorkas Kiefer....
. Mekado were backed on stage by Rhonda Heath, formerly of Silver Convention
Silver Convention
Silver Convention was a German euro disco recording act of the 1970s. The group was originally named Silver Bird Convention, or Silver Bird.-Career:...
, who had themselves represented Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977
Eurovision Song Contest 1977
The Eurovision Song Contest 1977 was the 22nd edition series, and was held on 7 May 1977 in London. With Angela Rippon as the presenter, the contest was won by Marie Myriam who represented France, with her song "L'oiseau et l'enfant" . This was France's fifth victory, a record, which was equalled...
, placing 8th.
The song was performed fourteenth on the night, following the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
' Willeke Alberti
Willeke Alberti
Willeke Alberti is a Dutch singer and actress, the daughter of entertainer and singer Willy Alberti.-Biography:...
with "Waar is de zon?" and preceding Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
's Tublatanka
Tublatanka
Tublatanka is a Slovak rock band formed in the fall of 1982 in Bratislava, Slovakia best known for the hits Pravda víťazí and Dnes. The classic lineup consisted of Maťo Ďurinda , Palo Horváth, and Ďuro Černý from 1982-1992. In 1992, Palo left the band leaving Martin and Ďuro to record their 1993...
with "Nekonečná pieseň
Nekonecná Piesen
"Nekonečná pieseň" was the Slovak entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1994. The first Slovak entry, it was sung by rock band Tublatanka in the Slovak language....
". At the close of voting, it had received 128 points, placing 3rd in a field of 25. According to The Official History of The Eurovision Song Contest by John Kennedy O'Connor
John Kennedy O'Connor
John Kennedy O'Connor is an author, entertainment and political commentator, based in the United States. Born in North London, United Kingdom, he has written, reported and broadcast for numerous media organizations, as well as writing, creating and producing media events for a number of...
, the group struggled with the complex choreography during rehearsals, but the performance was faultless on the night.
The song - written and composed by prolific duo Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger
Bernd Meinunger
Bernd Meinunger is a German lyricist and record producer who frequently works with Ralph Siegel and David Brandes...
- is an up-tempo number (quite in contrast to the duo's traditional schlager
Schlager
Schlager music is a style of popular music prevalent in Central and Northern Europe and the Balkans and also in France and Poland. In Portugal, it was adapted and became pimba music...
-style offerings), so much so that recordings of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
broadcast feature commentator Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
describing it as "a bit of rock 'n' roll". The trio describe their plans for a party, specifically the "guys" they expect to see there and the fact that, for one of them at least, "I need a kick to have a successful evening". The song ends with a particularly rapid-fire section in which the three give one guy at the party the once-over (arguing about who he was looking at), before deciding "Better we forget them, come on let's dance".
In a pre-emptive move before the "free language rule" was reinstated, the song features a series of Anglicisms, particularly in the chorus. The girls sing such lyrics as "So rock me, Baby, heut ist alles egal" ("So rock me, baby, today everything is the same"). Of particular note is the remark by one singer to another that "Ich hab genau so'n Hip-Hop Feeling wie du" ("I have exactly the same hip-hop feeling as you"), a line which marks the first inclusion of any reference to that style of music in the Contest.
While the performance itself remained relatively static (the Contest was still conducted in a room of music professionals, rather than the general-admission Contest of more recent years), a series of high-fives brought some movement to proceedings.
An English-language version of the song was also recorded, bearing the title We're Givin' A Party, an accurate - if less idiomatic - translation of the original title.
It was succeeded as German representative
Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest
Germany has participated in every Eurovision Song Contest since its beginning in 1956, although its entry in 1996 did not qualify past the pre‐selection round, and therefore was not seen in the broadcast final. No other country has been represented as often. France and the United Kingdom come in a...
at the 1995 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1995
The Eurovision Song Contest 1995 was the 40th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 13 May 1995 in the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. The presenter was Mary Kennedy. This contest broke the chain of victories that Ireland enjoyed in 1992, 1993, and 1994...
by Stone & Stone with "Verliebt in Dich
Verliebt In Dich
"Verliebt in Dich" was the German entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1995, performed in German by Stone & Stone.The song was performed third on the night, following Ireland's Eddie Friel with "Dreamin'" and preceding Bosnia and Herzegovina's Davorin Popović with "Dvadeset prvi vijek"...
".