Mary Ann - Mary Ann

One more ESC finnpick after last nights ESC 2011 ... Seppo Närhi recorded "Mary Ann" for his album "Vieraat huoneet" in 1979. It wasn't released as a single and it is one of the lesser known Närhi songs. The Finnish lyrics were provided by Juha Vainio. The original "Mary Ann" was the British entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979, performed by pop group Black Lace. It placed 7th in a field of 19. The writer of "Mary Ann", Peter Morris wanted the group to sound like chart-topping band Smokie. And obviously they did, because Smokie's publishers, RAK Music, insisted that Mary Ann was a rip-off of Smokie's song "Oh Carol" and threatened to take legal action. You can see Black Lace's ESC performance, here. 


Here's the pair: