1973, Belgian Comics: “De belevenissen van Jommeke” “De vruchtenmakers”

In 1973 a new "De belevenissen van Jommeke" (translation: "The Adventures of Jommeke") album is published: "De vruchtenmakers" (translation: "The Fruit Makers"). The comic series was created by Jef Nys in 1955, it was first published in "Kerkelijk Leven" (translation: "Religious Life"). In 1959 the first full length adventure appeared in the newspaper "Het Volk". After the bankrupcy of "Het Volk" in 2010, the stories were published in the newspapers "Het Nieuwsblad", "De Gentenaar" and "De Standaard". The main character is "Jommeke", an 11-year-old boy.

No 56 "De vruchtenmakers"

No 56: "De vruchtenmakers"

• black and white
• story and drawings by Jef Nys
• published by "Het Volk"
• republished in colour, 1980 by "Het Volk"

The main characters in this story are Jommeke, Flip (his parrot), Filiberke (his best friend), Theofiel (his father), Marie (his mother), professor Gobelijn, Annemieke, Rozemieke, and Choco.

Choko and Rozemieke or Annemieke

Filiberke, Flip and Jommeke

Synopsis

Marie (Jommeke's mother) plants a palm tree in her garden, but Filiberke (Jommeke's best friend) cuts it accidentally down. To restore the tree Jommeke calls the help of Professor Gobelijn. The professor discovers a timber growing substance...

Flip, Jommeke, Annemieke and Rozemieke

Professor Gobelijn, Jommeke and Flip

Trivia

• Jommeke has been translated into French as "Gil et Jo", in English as "Jeremy and Frankie", in German as "Peter und Alexander" and in Swedish as "Peter och Alexander".
• The name of the main character "Jommeke" is based on a folk figure from Wilrijk (near Antwerp), the village where Jef Nys lived. 

Jommeke, Flip, Theofiel and Marie

1973, News: Coach from Soignies ends up in river

On 18 July 1973 a Belgian coach from Soignies carrying 49 tourists from Soignies, Braine-le-Comte and Tubize crashed on the Rampe de Laffrey near the small town of Vizille, Isère, France. Shortly after nine o'clock the brakes of the coach, driven by Albert Lechien also the owner of the firm, failed. The coach missed a curve at the base of the RN85 aka route Napoléon, near its intersection with the bridge over the Romanche, and overturned into the river. 43 people were killed and 6 injured.

At the same place there have been coach accidents in 1946 (18 deaths), 1956 (7 deaths), 1970 (5 deaths), 1975 (29 deaths), and 2007 (26 deaths).

Memorial Stone

1973, Music: ABBA, “Ring Ring”

On March 26, 1973 the Swedish group "Björn Benny & Agnetha Frida", who would later become famous as ABBA, release their first album "Ring Ring" through "Polar Music". The Album was released in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Australia, South Africa, Mexico, Belgium and The Netherlands.

The first song "People Need Love" was recorded in 1972. The 1973 album opens with "Ring Ring (Bara du slog en signal)", the Swedish version of the track, and places the English-language version as track four on side two.

In 1973 the band participates at Melodifestivalen (Swedish preselection to the Eurovision Song contetst) with the song "Ring Ring". Manager Stig Anderson arranged an English translation of the lyrics by Neil Sedaka and Phil Cody. The song came third on 10 February 1973, thus never reaching the Eurovision Song Contest.

Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog in 1973

Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog in 1973

Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad in 1973

Songs (original 1973 album)

All songs were written and composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, except "Disillusion", "Ring Ring" (English version) and "I Am Just a Girl".

Side one

1."Ring Ring (Bara du slog en signal)" (Swedish version)

2."Another Town, Another Train"

3."Disillusion" (Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus)

4."People Need Love"

5."I Saw It in the Mirror"

6."Nina, Pretty Ballerina"

Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad,
Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog in 1973

Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad,
Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus in 1973

Side two

1."Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)"

2."Me and Bobby and Bobby's Brother"

3."He Is Your Brother"

4."Ring Ring" (English version) (Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson, Björn Ulvaeus, Neil Sedaka, Phil Cody)

5."I Am Just a Girl" (Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson, Björn Ulvaeus)

6."Rock'n Roll Band"

"Ring Ring" - Live at Melodifestivalen 1973


"Ring Ring" official video 1973

1973, Music: Demis Roussos

In 1973 The Greek singer Demis Roussos, real name Artemios Ventouris-Roussos (15 June 1946 – 25 January 2015), scored 4 number 1 hits in the European charts: "Goodbye, my love, goodbye" (number 1 in Germany and Switzerland), "Forever and Ever" (number 1 in Belgium), "My Friend the Wind" (number 1 in Belgium and The Netherlands) and "Schönes Mädchen aus Arcadia" (English: "Lovely Lady of Arcadia") (number 1 in Belgium and The Netherlands).

Demis Roussos with "Aphrodite's Child"

Demis Roussos holding gold records for his single and album "Forever and Ever" (Paris, 1973)

"Goodbye, my love, goodbye"

"Forever and Ever"

"My Friend the Wind"

"Schönes Mädchen aus Arcadia"

Demis Roussos was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in a Greek family. His father, Yorgos Roussos, was a classical guitarist and an engineer and his mother Olga was a singer. He studied music and sang in the Greek Byzantine Church choir in Alexandria. During the Suez Crisis (1956) he moved with his parents to Greece. In Greece he met Evangelos Papathanassiou (aka Vangelis) and Loukas Sideras, together they formed the progressive rock band “Aphrodite's Child” (1967). After “Aphrodite's Child” disbanded Roussos started a solo career in 1971 with with the song "We Shall Dance" in 1971, which was a top ten hit in both The Netherlands and Belgium.

Video: "Goodbye, my love, goodbye"


Video: "Forever and ever" 


Video: "My friend the wind" 


Video: "Schönes mädchen aus Arcadia"

1973, Film: Westworld

The American science fiction western-thriller "Westworld" is released on 21 November 1973. The film was directed and written novelist Michael Crichton. Main stars are Yul Brynner as an android in a futuristic amusement park, and Richard Benjamin and James Brolin as visitors of the park. The musical score was composed by Fred Karlin. “Westworld” was the first film directed by Michael Crichton, it was also the first film to use 2D computer generated images (2D-CGI).

Synopsis

Delos is a high-tech adult amusement park divided into three zones: Westworld, Medieval World and Roman World. The entertainment in the park is provided by androids programmed to interact with human guests. Delos's guests pay $1,000 a day for the experience. Peter Martin (Richard Benjamin) visits the park for the first time and his friend John Blane (James Brolin), who has visited previously, come to the Westworld zone...

Richard Benjamin as Peter Martin

Richard Benjamin as Peter Martin and James Brolin as John Blane

James Brolin as John Blane and Richard Benjamin as Peter Martin

Yul Brynner as The Gunslinger

Main Cast

• Yul Brynner as The Gunslinger
• Richard Benjamin as Peter Martin
• James Brolin as John Blane
• Norman Bartold as the Medieval Knight
• Alan Oppenheimer as the Chief Supervisor
• Victoria Shaw as the Medieval Queen
• Dick Van Patten as the Banker
• Linda Scott as Arlette, the French prostitute
• Steve Franken as the Delos Technician
• Michael Mikler as the Black Knight
• Terry Wilson as the Sheriff
• Majel Barrett as Miss Carrie, madam of the Westworld bordello
• Anne Randall as Daphne, the serving-maid who refuses the Medieval Knight's advances

James Brolin as John Blane, Richard Benjamin as Peter Martin and
Yul Brynner as The Gunslinger

Yul Brynner as The Gunslinger and James Brolin as John Blane

Westworld Trailer

1973, Belgian Comics: “Robert En Bertrand”

In 1973 Belgian comics artist Willy Vandersteen creates a new comic "Robert En Bertrand". Two albums were published in 1973 by the "Standaard Uitgeverij": "Mysterie op Rozendael" (translation: "Mystery Rozendael") and "Het opgejaagde weeskind" (translation: "The hunted orphan").

"Robert En Bertrand" is set during the 19th century, in Belgium, The Netherlands and France. Vandersteen was inspired by the main characters in a 19th-century play written by Benjamin Antier and Fréderick Lemaitre and the novel by Koen Ravestein (Raf Verhulst) from 1890.

The main characters, Robert and Bertrand, are two tramps chased by a policeman/detective "Number 17" (probably based on Marty Feldman). Other characters are Moldavian Prince Joeki and protégé of Robert and Bertrand, and Magistrate Mangin.

No 1 "Mysterie op Rozendael"

- full-colour

- never published in English

- story and drawings by Willy Vandersteen

No 1 "Mysterie op Rozendael" ("Mystery Rozendael")

The story was pre-published in the newspapers "De Standaard" and "Het Nieuwsblad". The main characters are Robert, Bertrand, Number 17, Magistrate Mangin, Mrs. Magnin, Liza, Baroness Cammo Milje, Joekof and Prince Joeki.

Bertrand and Robert

Bertrand, Robert and Liza

Baroness Cammo Milje

Synopsis

Head of the Office Mangin ask Robert and Bertrand to protect Baroness Cammo Milje at the Castle Rozendael. In secret the Baroness hides Prince Joeki after he was driven out of his country by rebels...

Magistrate Mangin

Robert and Mrs. Magnin

Number 17

Prince Joeki

Cars

- Berliet no 2 (1897)

- 2 unidentified cars

Berliet no 2 (1897)

Robert, Bertrand and Joeki in an unidentified car

Joekov in an unidentified car

No 2 "Het opgejaagde weeskind"

- full-colour

- never published in English

- story and drawings by Willy Vandersteen

No 2 "Het opgejaagde weeskind" ("The hunted orphan")

The story was pre-published in the newspapers "De Standaard" and "Het Nieuwsblad". The main characters are Robert, Bertrand, Number 17, Prince Joeki. Baron Van den Keske de Jevoe, Clara Frikrijk, Miss Lepelaer, Notary Frikrijk and Pieter the painter.

Baron Van den Keske de Jevoe and Bertrand

Clara Frikrijk, Joeki and Miss Lepelaer

Number 17

Synopsis

Robert and Bertrand send Joeki to a boarding school. The school is run by Ms. Lepelaer, a cousin of the original principal. Joeki is mistreated by Miss Lepelaer and tries to escape…

Clara and her father Notary Frikrijk

Pieter the painter and Clara Frikrijk

Prince Joeki, Robert and Bertrand

Prince Joeki and Clara Frikrijk

Cars

- 1 unidentified car

Bertrand, Prince Joeki and Robert in an unidentified car