#15: The Curtains Falling by Vicky Leandros

City: Fredericton, NB
Radio Station: CFNB
Peak Month: April 1968
Peak Position in Fredericton ~ #1
Peak position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ did not chart
YouTube: “The Curtains Falling”

Vasiliki Papathanasiou (Greek: Βασιλική Παπαθανασίου) was born in Greece in 1949. She took Vicky Leandros as her stage name. She is a Greek singer living in Germany. Leandros is the daughter of singer, musician and composer Leandros Papathanasiou (also known as Leo Leandros as well as Mario Panas). In 1965, she released a single titled “Messer, Gabel, Schere, Licht” which climbed to #16 in West Germany. In 1967 she achieved worldwide fame after gaining fourth place for the country of Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “L’amour est bleu”, which became a worldwide hit. It reached the Top 20 in Austria and Japan. Her album, L’amour est bleu, was a number-one selling album in 1967 in the French-language market in Quebec. As was the album Le temps des fleurs the following year again in Quebec.

In 1968, she released on the RCA label “The Curtains Falling” in Canada.

The origin of the idiom – the curtain falls – can be traced back to traditional theater performances where a large curtain would be lowered at the end of a show to signal its completion. The act of lowering the curtain became synonymous with ending a performance and gave rise to this popular expression. In popular culture, the curtain can fall on a sports teams quest to win a championship, or signal the end of a relationship. Vicky Leandros in “The Curtains Falling” sings of two people who were both in love, but couldn’t be “true.” Now that their relationship has come to an end there are “two people that are blue.”

“The Curtains Falling” charted to number-one in Fredericton (NB). It got some airplay elsewhere in Canada, but no significant chart action.

In 1971, Leandros received the Bronze Rose von Montreux for the TV show Ich Bin. That year she also was awarded the Bronze Lion of the Radio Luxembourg. She further established her career by winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1972 with the song “Après Toi”, again representing Luxembourg. The single peaked at #1 in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, South Africa and Switzerland, #2 in Ireland, Norway, and the UK, #3 in Malaysia, and #11 in West Germany. Her next single, “Come What May”, reached #2 in both Ireland and the UK. As well, in 1972 “Ich hab’ die Liebe geseh’n” was a #1 hit in Austria and the Netherlands, #2 in Switzerland and West Germany, and #4 in Belgium. In the winter of 1972-73, her single “Auntie” was a Top Five hit in Greece and the Netherlands. While “The Love in Your Eyes” made it to #6 in Ireland at the end of 1972.

Her self-titled album, Vicky Leandros, reached #2 in the Netherlands pop album chart and #7 on the album chart in West Germany. She won a Best Selling Artist award in Europe in 1972. The following year, her album Meine Freunde sind die Träume reached the Top Ten in Austria. Her single “Die Bouzouki klang durch die Sommernacht” reached #2 in Switzerland, #4 in West Germany, #5 in the Netherlands, and #9 in Austria. And in 1973 “St. Tropez – Gitarren bei Nacht” was a #7 hit in the Netherlands. While in 1974, her album Mein Lied für dich climbed to #4 on the pop album chart in West Germany. Her single “Theo, wir fahr‘n nach Lodz” reached #1 in West Germany, and #5 in Switzerland.

In 1976, her single “Tango d’amor” climbed to #3 in the Netherlands, #4 in Belgium, and #7 in Switzerland. In 1977, her album V.L. was a Top Ten selling album in the Netherlands. The single “Auf dem Mond da blühen keine Rosen” peaked at #5 in Switzerland, and #9 in the Netherlands and West Germany. As well, in 1977 “Sur la lune il n’y a pas de roses” was a number-one hit in the French-language record market in Quebec. She had another number-one single in Quebec in 1984 with “À l’est d’eden”.

In 2001, she was awarded a Goldene Stimmgabel for record sales in the German pop record market. In 2005, Vicky Leandros was named Woman of the Year in Greece.

On October 15, 2006, Vicky Leandros was elected town councillor of the Greek harbour town of Piraeus on the Pasok list. She was put in charge of the Cultural and International development of Piraeus. She was also Deputy Mayor of Piraeus. It was announced in June 2008 that Leandros decided to leave her position in Greek politics immediately. Leandros stated that she’d underestimated the work load and time needed to fulfill her political obligations. With that work load, it had become impossible to combine those duties with her singing career. In 2011, Leandros was awarded the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

Between 1966 and 2015, Vicky Leandros released over 70 studio albums.

April 12, 2025
Ray McGinnis

References:

CFNB 550-AM Fredericton (NB) | Top 20 of 1968
with “The Curtains Falling” at #17