Introducing the 2009 entries: Switzerland

All entries in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest are known, but the actual contest is still six weeks away. As a warm-up, we introduce one of the entries every day in random order. Part twenty is dedicated to the entry from Switzerland.

Basic information

The song

The highest heights is a mid-tempo song whose style could be described as soft rock or britpop. The lyrics are rather abstract and could be interpreted in various different ways. The singer asks if he will be caught when he falls from the "highest heights" he has climbed up to:

I climb this tree
The highest heights
From beneath the stars
I see little lights
The dreams I dream
Demand their rights

Will you catch me when I fall?
From the highest heights of all?

The band

Lovebugs originate from Basel and the band was founded in the early nineties, when the members found each other through an ad in a record store. After a change in the line-up, their first album Fluff was released in 1994 to minor success. In 1995, they went on tour through Switzerland and other European countries and also recorded their second album, which did not reach the album charts. The year after, their third album was the first one to reach the charts, where it peaked at number 44. However, their major breakthrough came not before 2000, when their fourth album Transatlantic flight reached number two. It was followed by Awaydays, their first of three number one albums, the year after.

While the albums by Lovebugs were major successes from 2000 onwards, the band had only minor success on the single charts. However, this changed in 2006 when the band released the song Avalon with Norwegian singer Lene Marlin. It was their first top ten hit and it also peaked at number 13 in Norway. Shortly after, they took a break and lead singer Adrian Sieber released his first solo album, which reached the top ten in Switzerland.

The band returned to the spotlight with the announcement that they would represent Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. The song that was chosen was the title track of the new album The highest heights, which had been released in the mean time. The album peaked at number two in the charts while the single has just entered the charts this week at number 74. Currently, the band consists of Adrian Sieber (vocals), Thomas Rechberger (guitar), Florian Senn (bass guitar), Stefan Wagner (keyborads) and Simon Ramseier (drums).

The national selection

For the fifth year in a row, the Swiss entry in the Eurovision Song Contest was chosen internally. Again, the broadcaster had demanded that the entrants have to be experienced musicians with success on the charts.

Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest

Switzerland took part in the first edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1956 and has never deliebrately missed an edition since, but was relegated in 1995, 1999, 2001 and 2003. Lys Assia won the 1956 on homeground and it would take another 33 years until Céline Dion managed to bring the victory to Switzerland again. Since 1993, when the country achieved its last top three placing to date, they were in the top ten only once. The last two years, Switzerland was eliminated in the semi finals.

Wir wünschen der Schweiz und den Lovebugs viel Glück und eine gute Platzierung in Moskau!
Nous souhaitons bonne chance à la Suisse et aux Lovebugs. Avez un bon résultat à Moscou!
Auguriamo alla Svizzera e Lovebugs buona fortuna ed un buon risultato a Mosca!
Nus giavüschains a la Svizra ed als Lovebugs bgera furtüna ed ün bun resultat a Moscau!

Videos

The preview video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-V85Bqm5YE&rel=0

Performing another song live on Swiss television:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5Mdr8EVf64&ap=%2526fmt%3D18&rel=0

Avalon with Lene Marlin:

Other parts of this series

1. France
2. Portugal
3. Romania
4. Denmark
5. Netherlands
6. Cyprus
7. Latvia
8. Ireland
9. Malta
10. Armenia
11. Germany
12. Serbia
13. Belgium
14. Greece
15. Croatia
16. Poland
17. Czech Republic
18. Iceland
19. Moldova

Tomorrow, we will take a look at the Slovene entry.

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