Elle était si jolie

"Elle était si jolie" (English translation: "She Was So Pretty") was the French entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1963, performed in French by Alain Barrière.

"Elle était si jolie"
Eurovision Song Contest 1963 entry
Country
Artist(s)
Language
Composer(s)
Alain Barrière, A. Migiani
Lyricist(s)
Alain Barrière, A. Migiani
Conductor
Finals performance
Final result
5th
Final points
25
Entry chronology
◄ "Un premier amour" (1962)   
"Le chant de Mallory" (1964) ►

The song was performed eleventh on the night (following Switzerland's Esther Ofarim with "T'en va pas" and preceding Spain's José Guardiola with "Algo prodigioso"). At the close of voting, it had received 25 points, placing 5th in a field of 16.

The song is a ballad, with Barrière reminiscing about a girl he used to know and how pretty she was. Her beauty was apparently so much that he could not love her. Barrière also recorded the song in German and Italian, as "Du gingst fort ohne Abschied" and "Era troppo carina" respectively. The song was well received in Latin America, particularly in Chile.[1]

It was succeeded as French representative at the 1964 Contest by Rachel with "Le chant de Mallory".

Dragan Stojnić version

Dragan Stojnić, a Yugoslav chanson singer, released a cover version of the song in 1965 with lyrics in Serbocroatian language, entitled "Bila je tako lijepa". The song was released on the EP of the same name.[2] This version was a great hit in all former Yugoslavia.

Pekinška Patka version
"Bila je tako lijepa"
Single by Pekinška Patka
B-side"Bumba, rumba"
Released1980
Recorded1980
Meta sound studio, Novi Sad
GenrePunk rock
Length3:24
LabelJugoton
SY 23756
Songwriter(s)A. Barrière, B. Stojadinović, N. Čonkić
Producer(s)Pekinška Patka
Pekinška Patka singles chronology
"Bolje da nosim kratku kosu"
(1980)		 "Bila je tako lijepa"
(1980)

"Bila je tako lijepa", a cover version of the Dragan Stojnić version of the Alain Barrière song "Elle était si jolie", was the third and last single by the Serbian punk rock band Pekinška Patka, released in 1980.

Track listing

  1. "Bila je tako lijepa" (A. Barrière, B. Stojadinović, N. Čonkić) (3:24)
  2. "Bumba, rumba" (N. Čonkić, S. Kovačević) (2:24)

Other versions
  • Croatian punk rock band Hladno Pivo recorded a cover version of the song, mainly relying on the Pekinška Patka version.
  • German punk rock band Autozynik recorded in 2000 a cover version of the Pekinška Patka 1980 version.[3]
  • In Vietnamese, the song is known as "Em Đẹp Như Mơ".[4]
  • Israeli singer Daklon recorded a cover version of the song in Hebrew, called Benativ Meurpal (On a Foggy Path), in 1998.[5]
  • Israeli poet David Avidan wrote a parody based on the song in Hebrew, performed by Arik Lavie. The parody is about a prostitute and her pimp.[6]
  • Israeli Singer Rika Zarai recorded a cover version of the song.
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References
  1. Billboard - 23 Jan 1965 Vol. 77, n° 3- Page 18 "Chile Industry Suffers Loss in 1964: .....Last year was a good year for European artists in Chile. Gilbert Becaud, Alain Barriere, Rita Pavone and Michele were best sellers, and they are new sinking idols for the young set. "Natalie," the best seller in the singles market for Odeon, "Elle etait si jolie" and "Ma Vie," by Alain Barriere have created a great demand for European hits."
  3. "Autozynik - Bing (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-10-16.
  4. "Em Đẹp Như Mơ (Elle Était Si Jolie)". Đặc Trưng. Archived from the original on May 13, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
  5. "Benativ Meurpal". Hebrew Songs. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  6. "אריק לביא - בסיבוב הרצליה". YouTube. 2011-03-10. Retrieved 2016-10-16.
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