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Hold Me Now (Johnny Logan song)

"Hold Me Now" is a song written and recorded by Irish singer-songwriter Johnny Logan. It represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1987 held in Brussels, resulting in his second win at the contest, as well as the country's third victory.

"Hold Me Now"
Single by Johnny Logan
from the album Hold Me Now
B-side"Living a Lie"
Released1987
GenrePop
Length3:00
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)Seán Sherrard
Producer(s)Bill Whelan
Johnny Logan singles chronology
"Sara Smile"
(1986) 		"Hold Me Now"
(1987) 		"I'm Not in Love"
(1987)
Eurovision Song Contest 1987 entry
Country
Artist(s)
Seán Sherrard
As
Language
English
Composer(s)
Seán Sherrard
Lyricist(s)
Seán Sherrard
Conductor
Finals performance
Final result
1st
Final points
172
Entry chronology
◄ "You Can Count on Me" (1986)
"Take Him Home" (1988) ►
Official performance video
"Hold Me Now" on YouTube

Background

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Conception

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"Hold Me Now" was written, composed, and recorded by Johnny Logan. Lyrically, It is a ballad sung from the point of view of a man whose love interest is leaving him for someone else ("from now on you'll be with someone else instead of me"). The singer pleads with his girlfriend to "touch, touch [him] the way you used to do" in order to leave him with good memories of their relationship, even as they "fill this memory / for the last time". The chorus then tells the girl "don't say a word", as they prepare to part. Despite the sad nature of the parting, the singer says "I will know / though we're apart / we'll always be together", which implies some sort of optimism on his part. The music is a typical power ballad, with the final chorus being introduced by a choir of backing singers –Joan Lea, Karen Black, and Alain Pentony–.[1]

Eurovision

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Logan had previously won the Eurovision Song Contest with "What's Another Year" in the 1980 contest and had written "Terminal 3" for Linda Martin, placing second in the 1984 contest, both representing Ireland.

On 8 March 1987, "Hold Me Now" performed by him competed in the national selection organised by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) to select its song and performer for the 32nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. The song won the competition so it became the Irish entrant –and Logan the performer– for Eurovision.[2]

On 9 May, the Eurovision Song Contest was held at the Centenary Palace in Brussels hosted by the Radio-télévision belge de la Communauté française (RTBF), and broadcast live throughout the continent. Logan performed "Hold Me Now" twentieth on the evening, following Denmark's "En lille melodi" by Anne-Cathrine Herdorf & Bandjo and preceding Yugoslavia's "Ja sam za ples" by Novi Fosili. Noel Kelehan conducted the event's live orchestra in the performance of the Irish entry.[3]

At the close of voting, it had received 172 points, placing first in a field of twenty-two, winning the contest.[4] After Logan, had been proclaimed the winner with this song, he was overcome with emotion during the reprise and was unable to reach the high notes in this part of the song. As he had when he won in 1980 with "What's Another Year", he shouted "I still love you, Ireland". It was succeeded as winner in 1988 "Ne partez pas sans moi" sung by Céline Dion representing Switzerland. It was succeeded as Irish representative at the 1988 contest by "Take Him Home" sung by Jump The Gun.

Aftermath

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Logan would go on to write the winner song of the 1992 contest, "Why Me?" performed by Linda Martin.

"Hold Me Now" is regarded as one of the high points of the contest history, it was one of fourteen songs chosen by Eurovision fans and a European Broadcasting Union (EBU) reference group, from among the 992 songs that had ever participated in the contest, to participate in the fiftieth anniversary competition Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest held on 22 October 2005 in Copenhagen,[5] where it was voted the third-best song in Eurovision history behind "Waterloo" and "Nel blu dipinto di blu". On 31 March 2015, in the Eurovision sixtieth anniversary concert Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits held in London, Logan performed the song as part of a medley with "Why Me?" and "What's Another Year".[6][7]

Later versions

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2001 version

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"Hold Me Now 2001"
 
Single by Johnny Logan
from the album Reach for Me
B-side"Hold Me Now 2001 (Instrumental)"
Released2001
Recorded2001
GenrePop
Length3:35
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)Johnny Logan
Johnny Logan singles chronology
"Music"
(2000) 		"Hold Me Now 2001"
(2001) 		"No One Makes Love Like You"
(2001)

In 2001, Logan released the album Reach for Me, with the first two tracks being revamped versions of his Eurovision winning songs which are titled in the album as "What's Another Year 2001" and "Hold Me Now 2001" in a revamped up-beat version. "Hold Me Now" from the album had a limited chart success in Denmark where it made it to #9 in the Hitlisten chart. It also made it to #54 in Swedish Sverigetopplistan Singles Chart.

Track list
  1. "Hold Me Now 2001" (Radio Edit) (3:33)
  2. "Hold Me Now 2001" (Instrumental) (3:33)

2010 version

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A decade later, Johnny Logan recorded yet a new version of both winning songs now titled "What's Another Year 2010" and "Hold Me Now 2010" in his studio album Nature of Love without releasing either as a single.

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications and sales for "Hold Me Now"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Belgium (BEA)[33] Gold 25,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Legacy

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The song is usually sung by Bohemians at home matches in Dalymount Park.

Covers

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The song has been covered by several performers, including a reggae version by Tanya Stephens. It has also been updated by Belgian rapper Kaye Styles as "Don't Cry". This cover also features Logan performing the chorus of the song at a slightly faster tempo than the traditional version. The late Macedonian superstar Toše Proeski covered this song during his concerts.[34]

McDonald's advertising

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The song was also used in an Irish advertising campaign launched by McDonald's toward the end of 2007. These ads feature Logan bursting into the room with a McDonald's bag in an effort to cheer a series of teens in humorous predicaments. Logan interrupts his singing to pose the question "Twisty Fries?" (among other products offered by McDonald's).

References

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  1. ^ "Hold Me Now - lyrics". The Diggiloo Thrush.
  2. ^ "Irish Selection 1987". Eurovisionworld.
  3. ^ "Eurovision Song Contest 1987". Eurovision Song Contest. 9 May 1987. RTBF / EBU.
  4. ^ "Official Eurovision Song Contest 1987 scoreboard". Eurovision Song Contest.
  5. ^ Bakker, Sietse (16 June 2005). "The 14 songs for Copenhagen". ESCtoday.
  6. ^ Johnny Logan medley on YouTube at Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits
  7. ^ "Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits". Eurovision Song Contest. 3 April 2015. BBC / EBU. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  8. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 180. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  9. ^ "Johnny Logan – Hold Me Now" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  10. ^ "Johnny Logan – Hold Me Now" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  11. ^ Danish Singles Chart. 19 June 1987.
  12. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 25. 27 June 1987. p. 14.
  13. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Johnny Logan". Sisältää hitin – 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 150. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  14. ^ "Top 3 in Europe". Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 29. 25 July 1987. p. 1 (of PDF).
  15. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Hold Me Now". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 24, 1987" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  17. ^ "Johnny Logan – Hold Me Now" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  18. ^ "Johnny Logan – Hold Me Now". VG-lista.
  19. ^ "Johnny Logan – Hold Me Now". Singles Top 100.
  20. ^ "Johnny Logan – Hold Me Now". Swiss Singles Chart.
  21. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  22. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Johnny Logan – Hold Me Now" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  23. ^ "Johnny Logan – Hold Me Now 2001". Tracklisten.
  24. ^ "Johnny Logan – Hold Me Now 2001". Singles Top 100.
  25. ^ "Australian Music Report No 701 – 28 December 1987 > National Top 100 Singles for 1987". Australian Music Report. Retrieved 11 December 2019 – via Imgur.
  26. ^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1987". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  27. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1987". Ultratop. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  28. ^ "European Charts of the Year 1987: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 5, no. 11. 26 December 1987. p. 34. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  29. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1987". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  30. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1987". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  31. ^ "Gallup Year End Charts 1987: Singles" (PDF). Record Mirror. January 23, 1988. p. 36. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  32. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  33. ^ "Music & Media" (PDF). Americanradiohistory.com. 1987-07-18. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  34. ^ Eurocovers. "Jamaica, can I have your votes please? pt. 2". Retrieved 2007-04-13.
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Preceded by Eurovision Song Contest winners
1987 		Succeeded by
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