How to cheat in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest singers are meant to perform live with backing track. But is it cheating for the backing track to have a double or multiples of the lead? Or is it cheating for live backing singers to double the lead? Watch this video and listen for yourself.
Transcript
This is just my opinion and I might have imagined the whole thing in my head. So no lawsuits please because I'm just making it up.
So - how to cheat at Eurovision
It depends what you count as cheating. Any Formula 1 team boss will tell you that it isn't cheating if you stick within the rules. But if you examine the rules under microscopic detail you will probably find a loophole that you can exploit and gift a world championship to a mediocre driver.
And so yes, the Eurovision song contest has rules. You can read them online...
Six people on stage
No dogs
No live instruments
Etc.
So basically it's a live vocal sung to a pre-recorded backing track. There can be live backing vocals performed on or off stage.
So how do you account for this...
CLIP
It's the Norwegian entry for the 2021 contest, 'Fallen Angel' performed by TIX. If I heard this and I had been told it was a studio recording, one of my thoughts would be, how amazing it is that a fairly weak singer can sound so good with double tracking.
And in this, and many other cases, it isn't double tracking, it sounds to me like more like multiple tracking. That's OK. It's a time-tested studio technique.
So how many multiples should there be? The trick is to find the number that suits the singer best, without it sounding like a choir. Just keep going until you hit gold. You can of course mix and process the double or multiples any way you like to get the best effect. Keeping them just under the lead can work well.
Let's listen to Eurovision again...
CLIP
There's no way this is a single live vocal. There are multiple double tracks.
Just to get a sense of perspective, let's listen to a real solo vocal, from the same show...
CLIP
Chalk and cheese.
So is it cheating? Here's what the rules say...
"The Backing track in question shall not contain (i) Lead Vocals, (ii) Lead Dubs and/or (iii) any other vocals that would have the effect of, or aim at, replacing or unduly assisting the Lead Vocal(s) during the live performance on stage."
Come on. There's no way this performance complies.
But the double or multiples don't necessarily have to be in the backing track, where presumably they would be found out. Live backing singers can help.
I thought it might be interesting to compare the TV audio with the same song on Eurovision's YouTube channel. This is the same song with the same staging, but it's clearly a different video recording. But the audio will be from the original music recording session, from which the backing track is extracted for the competition.
Recording the vocal in studio conditions, they would benefit from a studio mic, studio preamp, multiple takes comped together, all the processing and effects they need, and of course don't forget Auto-Tune!
So yes, we expect the vocal to be different. But listen to this bit...
AUDIO COMPARISON
Do you hear the other difference. I'll play it again.
AUDIO COMPARISON
In the YouTube version there's a harmony in the backing track that doesn't appear in the audio from the competition.
AUDIO COMPARISON
So might it be the case that at this point in the live performance, and perhaps at other points or all the way through the song, a live backing singer 'accidentally' doubled the lead?
Hey this is all speculation, and I just made it up inside my head. But it's an interesting listen, and an interesting perspective to compare what I believe is the studio vocal recording with the live version.
You know, I don't think I'll be putting this song in my playlist, but I do quite like it, and despite my comments the end result does sound good.
And by the way, Norway came 18th out of 26 songs in the final with 75 points. The UK came last, with null points. (That's French)
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David Mellor
David Mellor is CEO and Course Director of Audio Masterclass. David has designed courses in audio education and training since 1986 and is the publisher and principal writer of Adventures In Audio.
@patboywalton2277 replies to @patboywalton2277: Why not more on this intriguing topic? You'll also find interesting videos here:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd27J82-r77jUnGpKCg1H1A3d-s3-GKov
@creepPOL: They're even doing that at Junior Eurovision, check Armenia 2021, highly overproduced. The girl actually won, cried during her winning performance but the song pretty much went on. Kinda sad. Paraphrasing Pink Floyd: Adults, leave those kids alone!
@My_dog_is_my_heart: The moment I saw Tix, the most genuine guy there is (who you probably know nothing about), is mentioned in a «how to cheat at Eurovision» video..I didnt bother watching more. Is this a joke?
@AudioMasterclass replies to @My_dog_is_my_heart: This video may have a light-hearted tone but it contains a reasoned analysis of whether or not double tracking is used in Eurovision, against the rules. TIX's performance was, to my ears, the most obvious example of this. I have no disrespect for TIX as an artist and, as you suggest, I know nothing more about him than what I saw in the contest. So no, this video is not a joke; it is a commentary on what I heard. DM
@DragonboltBlastter replies to @My_dog_is_my_heart: There's a time to be a Tix fangirl and not. This is not the time to be a Tix fangirl.
The video was observative, about if Tix cheated (or not). No punches were dealt
@abbasahmedlp: Did he just call Jenson a mediocre driver???? What the fuck
@some_g333: Jensen Button got burned.
@jonathandidley5262: As a Yankee, I am only slightly aware of Eurovision. Apparently, there is a big deal being made over the Italian band possibly being under the influence of cocaine for this year’s competition. Why is that a big deal? Is it seen as a chemical enhancement like steroids in sports? I am no advocate for cocaine, but I find that this scandal is a bit of a stretch. 🤔🤔 ❄️
@AudioMasterclass replies to @jonathandidley5262: Not a lawyer but I think it's illegal in the Netherlands https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_the_Netherlands and probably considered unsuitable for consumption on TV anywhere in Europe. It all rather depends on what people consider it looks like is happening https://youtu.be/_UUte9rMVlU?t=51 DM
@muddyfeet69 replies to @jonathandidley5262: The members of the Italian band are now official tested negative on drugs. That is confirmed by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).