Source: ESCDaily.com
Image Source: ESCDaily.com

Following on from her project with German artist Mave O’Rick, ESCDaily.com got the exclusive opportunity to interview the 1973 winner of the Eurovision Song Contest -- Anne Marie David.

In 1973, Anne Marie David made her debut in the Eurovision Song Contest by representing host country of that year Luxembourg. That year, a close race was fought between Luxembourg, Spain and the United Kingdom with only six points separating the top three. Anne Marie David came out on top and won the contest for the consecutive year for Luxembourg with her now classic entry “Tu te reconnaîtras”. She returned six years later to the contest in Jerusalem, where she represented her native country France with the song “Je Suis L’enfant Soleil”. Once again it was a tight finish and Anne Marie David finished in third place behind winners Israel and runners up Spain. After taking a break in 1987, Anne Marie David returned to music in 2003 and brings us her new re-release of her Eurovision winning entry in 1973, “Tu te reconnaîtras”, in 2011.

Read what Anne Marie David had to say to ESCDaily.com below;

ESCDaily.com: Greetings Anne Marie, first we feel very privileged to be interviewing you! First tell us about your victory in the contest back in 1973. How did it feel and did it give you the hunger to return to the contest 6 years later?

Anne Marie David: Well, when you win the ESC, forever you keep this winning title for the concerned year. So even if you don’t win again, it will never change the 1973 score! I love challenges, so for me it was not complicated to try again to compete in 1979. And of course as I was competing at that time for France, my country, and as “Je suis l’enfant soleil” was for me a fantastic song, there was no reason at that time, for me, not to enter ESC again.

ESCDaily.com: What have your major projects been since your career took off after the contest?

Anne Marie David: My first idea was to continue to have as much contact as possible with those who loved me and wanted to see me… So touring was my deepest wish… I’ve never been a strong record seller, compared to other winners or singers but, my sympathy with my fans has always been there.
And still today after all these years, I feel that they still love me, as if it was yesterday, and my only way to thank them for this love is to carry on, trying to perform on stage as much as possible, to exchange strongs emotions and feelings with them.
First of all I’m a show woman

ESCDaily.com: Tell us about your new collaboration with Mave O’Rick on the remake of “Tu te reconnaîtras”. How did the collaboration come about and how was the song remade?

Anne Marie David: As I told you, I travel a lot, singing, being president of some song contest. I was in Cyprus in February where Mave O’Rick was competing. I really appreciated his style and performance. As President of the jury, of course I couldn’t talk with him during the contest, but later, we met, discussed and I told him that I loved what he did. We discussed, and I’ve discovered a crazy but very professional person. As I’m myself a kind of crazy person, and as I love new musical experiences, I immediately accepted to cooperate with him on his project. He was more than a fan of my song and me… We just enjoy being together and that’s the main point for me. Actually I must say that working with such a person like Mave has been more than a pleasure… We did understand each other very quickly, and he works exactly the way I love to work! He is precise in his requets, simple to deal with, quickly reacting and for me the “MUST” in show business: He says what he does… but does what he says! Mave’s idea was something very precise. He wanted me to sing again my 1973 song in French and German. So it was a real new production he proposed to me and that’s why it was exciting to try it! It was also his idea to sing DU BIST DA in duet with me. He has prepared the new backing tracks, and sent them to my sound engineer in France. I’ve recorded my voices on and then returned all the recordings to Mave to mix and add effects etc.. I trusted him completely, and I ‘m glad to have done it. The result up to me is genious!

ESCDaily.com: We heard there will also be a German duet version of “Tu te reconnaîtras”? Tell us about that.

Anne Marie David: Du bist Da was a huge success in 1973 in Germany. At that time I did lots of songs in German and I’ve not forgotten how nicely and friendly Germans welcome me. Making a duet with Mave has been fantastic… He is a real professional. And to be honest I prefer the German version, so may be we’ll try also a French duet… as he sings perfectly in French (listen to the French vocals!)

ESCDaily.com: Do you still watch Eurovision on an annual basis? Was there any songs that you likes in particular in recent years?

Anne Marie David: Yes I do as much as I can. Well my favorite song has been MILIM sung by Harel SKAAT ( Israel) in 2010 … I’ve written the French lyrics for him and I’m going to try to record that song myself soon. Then also “ALGO PEQUENITO” from Daniel DIGES (Spain) 2010; I’ve made the French lyrics and I’ve recorded that song too for my next 5 titles single, to be released soon. I also loved Alexander RYBAK… and others

ESCDaily.com: The first ever Eurovision winner, Lys Assia, has returned to the Eurovision preselection in 2011. Would a Eurovision comeback be on the cards for you as well?

Anne Marie David: Well, you know, every year composers and writers ask me to returm once more to ESC. I’m not frightened with this idea, but I just think that ESC is a fantastic time for an unknown artist to show what he is or can be, and I would much more appreciate to be the coach of a young singer. I think I could be more useful there. I’m quite experienced on this matter even if nowdays, things have changed a lot, but a good performer is like a good sportman, he needs a good trainer to reach the first place! That’s what I would love to be…

ESCDaily.com: What are your future plans?

Anne Marie David: In 2012 I’ll celebrate my 40th year of my career. So Mave’s project arrives at the right time. We plan to re-record a Spanish, Italian, English and Turkish version of “Tu te reconnaitras”. I plan to make two 5 song singles for 2012 and maybe more if I have time. I’ll be in a very small theater in Paris all weekends of March 2012. I’ll give 2 concerts on Saturdays at 3PM and 5Pm and the same on Sundays… So a total of 20 concerts in March in Paris. Just a little time to share with my all around ESC fans and others.. I will be singing on cruises also and give concerts here and there (I will contact directly cities and organizers and deal with them then…). Show business has changed and so do I. I’m the manager of my personal company!

ESCDaily.com: Finally, do you have a message for the ESCDaily.com readers?

Anne Marie David: Yes. Live your life without regrets, live your dreams thinking that each one of them has a price, but no matter how high the price is, nothing will give you more pleasure than to achieve them! And keep going on loving me as much as I love you. Without your love I’m nobody.
Anne Marie David

Listen to a sample of the remake of “Tu Te Reconnaitras” and “Du Bist Da” below;

You can purchase the new releases here!