Song by Juste Kriauzaite — a.k.a. Michael Jackson — submitted to contestVILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — One of this year’s entries for Lithuania’s spot in the annual Eurovision Song Contest sported a familiar hook and memorable tune. That’s not surprising, considering it was recorded by Michael Jackson more than 30 years ago.
The song, You, which sported spirited beats and engaging melodies, and the performer, Juste Kriauzaite, were both fakes, Lithuania’s National Commission said Wednesday.
Two DJs from Vilnius, who haven’t been identified, said they fabricated a brief bio about Kriauzaite and sent in a fake picture, along with an MP3 version of the song, a remixed version of Jackson’s 1972 hit Ben, an ode to a friendly rat.
“We wrote her bio in 10 minutes and used a photo from the Internet to test the panel’s vigilance,” the DJs said in a statement. “It’s hard to believe they swallowed the bait.”
The commission is a group of musicians, composers and performers who pick the entries for the Baltic state’s song contest, the winner of which represents the country at Eurovision. After the song was selected for the national contest, the DJs told the commission they had created it.
Commission chairman Jonas Vilimas said the song didn’t strike a chord for the panel.
“We feel sorry about the fact some people use Eurovision for these strange purposes,” he said, adding that You won’t now be used in the contest, which is set for Feb. 26.
This year’s Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled for May in Kiev, Ukraine, and some 40 countries are participating.
― Huk-L, Wednesday, 19 January 2005 20:29 (twenty-one years ago)