As this year's Swiss Eurovision Song Contest representative Michael von der Heide exclusively revealed in an interview with esctoday.com, an English and a German version of Il pleut de l'or (It's raining gold), his song for Europe, will also be released. The latter is now available for listening: In German, Il pleut de l'or becomes Es regnet Gold.
Es regnet Gold, the German version of the 2010 Swiss Eurovision Song Contest entry:
Music video of Il pleut de l'or, the Swiss song for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest:
Original version of Il pleut de l'or, presented at SwissAward 2010:
Von der Heide presents Il pleut de l'or at the Latvian national final:
Il pleut de l'or has been released in Switzerland on March 19th. The world- wide release is expected to follow soon.
In a recent interview in a Swiss television show, Michael von der Heide admitted that he is already quite nervous about his performance in Oslo: "I'm used to giving concerts with my band, two hours long. It's different to just have three minutes on stage. I can only do the best I can and that's it." Asked about the bad placings Switzerland had to endure in recent years, he states: "When journalists told me to go to the Eurovision Song Contest five years ago, I said: No way! Growing up, I was a big fan of the contest, when it was still called Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson, with the big orchestra and the conductors." But when Patricia Kaas entered for France last year, some of the former glamour von der Heide had missed, came back, which encouragedhim to enter himself: "Patricia is such an experienced performer. I've talked to her and she told me that she had never thought that she would be this nervous." Which placing is the chansionnier aiming for? "For me and for Switzerland it would be great to even make the final. I am Swiss, I am modest and realistic. However, I have got a good feeling." Talking about the formula of success, the television host, who is not very familar with the contest himself, meant it might best "to be blind, a transvestite and from an Eastern country", whereupon von der Heidereplied: "I canstill do all that in the remaining six weeks."How are the preparations for Oslo going? "It's all about the staging. We won't be doing anything absurd. There will be an explosion though. My clothes might be golden but I will be taking a bigger selection with me, just in case." About creating the right song for his Eurovision Song Contest adventure, von der Heide remembers: "Last year, in summer, I thought of it again and how it would be a childhood dream of mine to take part once in my life, as a composer, lyricist or backing vocalist. After I had seen Paola singing Cinéma (1980 Eurovision Song Contest entry from Switzerland, editor's note), I fell in love with her and kept watching the competition in the years to come. Then came a time when I wasn't that interested anymore. But when I was watching Eurovision last year, I felt that I want to be a part of it too. I intended to write a song and started looking for a singer in my circle of friends. I was looking for someone young, sexy and modern. But my friends encouraged me to sing myself. So I went into the studio with Pele Lorriano and the rest is history." Von der Heide also clarifies that it is not about the money: "When I got the contract I was like: What? There must be a few zeros missing.", clearing up the rumour that the Swiss Eurovision hopefuls are getting paid a lot for their engagement in the competition. With his civil occuption being a male nurse, he was also asked whether he has any other elixirs besides orange blossom tea in case of emergency: "No. I was thinking about that too. But then I would have to bring everything with me for this big moment. I have been singing for such a long time already, there's not much that can happen to me. I might be an inveterate optimist in that case, but I still hope that people will listen to the song and vote." As a hint about the lack of support for Il pleut de l'or in Switzerland, von der Heide jokingly replies: "I've been on four television shows in Romania, I've been to Latvia, where the song has been received very well and is being played on the radio. But the Swiss cannot for their own entry anyway, so it's a good thing they are playing it in Latvia instead."
Meanwhile, the Swiss postcard, the intro before the stage performance, was filmed by the Norwegian television last Saturday at the Bundesplatz in Bern, the capital of Switzerland. The whole procedure took about 90 minutes and the people present were asked to show up with Swiss flags and golden caps.
Click here to read the interview Michael von der Heide has kindly given to esctoday.com.
Click here to read the Swiss part of our series Introducing 2010.
Michael von der Heide will by trying to get Switzerland into the final of the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time since 2006. He will be participating with Il pleut de l'or on spot number five in the second final, to be held on May 27th.
