The group was originally founded in Munich by producers and songwriters Sylvester Levay and Michael Kunze. "Silver" is actually Sylvester Levay's nickname. Using female session vocalists for their first recordings, they scored a hit single in the United Kingdom in 1974 with the song "Save Me", and realised they would need to find a public face for what was at the time only a studio group.
They recruited vocalists Linda Thompson (real name Linda Übelherr, who would be billed on her solo records as Linda G. Thompson), Penny McLean (real name Gertrude Wirschinger) and Ramona Wulf (real name Ramona Kraft). As "Silver Convention" they scored two major U.S. hit singles. "Fly, Robin, Fly" whose complete lyrics consisted of only six words, spent three weeks at number 1 in 1975, and won the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance. Their follow-up hit "Get Up and Boogie" spent three weeks at number 2 in 1976. Michael Kunze actually wrote the lyrics on the two first albums under the pseudonym Stephan Prager. During this time the three singers released their own solo work. McLean and Thompson achieved hit singles with "Lady Bump" and "Ooh What a Night" respectively. Wulf's solo effort was only a moderate success.
Silver Convention represented Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977 with a song entitled "Telegram", finishing 8th, just after Dream Express. The entry had only English lyrics, but was allowed to enter in spite of the language rule being reintroduced this year, because the song was chosen to represent Germany before the reintroduction was announced.
With a new producer (John Davis) and a revised line-up of singers (Suzie McClosky aka Zenda Jacks, Rhonda Heath and Ramona Wulf) Silver Convention hit it big in the clubs in 1978 with the LP "Love in a Sleeper". The 12" single release from the LP was "Spend the Night With Me" backed with "Mission to Venus".
The further singles released by the trio attempted to duplicate the sound that had made them briefly successful, but the singles "Tiger Baby" and "No No Joe" were only minor hits.
Levay also worked with Giorgio Moroder, and Kunze went on to work with Jim Steinman. The solo careers of the three singers faded quickly and they left the music business.
Telegram
Silver Convention Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just can't make it on my own - Stop
Operator, did you get the line
Rush a cable for I've got no time -
Gotta send a Telegram
Telegram to my baby
Yes
I'm gonna send a
Telegram
And then maybe
He won't keep me yearnin'
Tonight he'll be on his way
Tomorrow he'll be here to stay
Help me
Ma'am
I can't wait another day
Please forgive the things I said - Stop
Didn't mean to make you sad - Stop
Operator, I'll pay any rate
If my message will not be too late
Gotta send a Telegram
I was such a fool to let him go
Too proud to show that I love him so
Gotta send a Telegram
Help me, Ma'am
Gotta send a Telegram
The lyrics to Silver Convention's "Telegram" reveal a story of heartbreak, loneliness, and attempts to reconcile a relationship. The singer addresses an operator, requesting a telegram be sent to their lover asking them to come back. The singer admits they were wrong to let their lover go and that they were too prideful to express their love. They appeal to the operator to hurry and send the telegram, willing to pay any rate. The chorus expresses the urgency and desperation behind the request, as the singer hopes the telegram will bring their lover back and end their yearning for them.
The song captures the pre-digital era when telegrams were a common mode of communication. The lyrics convey the impotence of the singer in the absence of their lover, and the title "Telegram" makes sense in that context. The song is a catchy and upbeat disco tune, while the lyrics convey a sense of melancholy and desperation, creating an interesting contrast. Overall, "Telegram" is a classic disco song that tells a relatable story of love and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Since you've gone - I'm all alone - Stop
I feel lonely since you left me, and I want to convey it with urgency
Just can't make it on my own - Stop
I am struggling to cope alone after you left me
Operator, did you get the line
I am trying to confirm if the communication line is open
Rush a cable for I've got no time -
I need my message to reach my intended recipient immediately, and I am willing to pay extra for it
Gotta send a Telegram
I am determined to use this means of communication to reach my lover
Telegram to my baby
I am sending this Telegram to my lover, who I affectionately call 'baby'
Yes
I am confirming that I want to send a Telegram
I'm gonna send a
I have decided to send the Telegram at all costs
And then maybe
I hope that my Telegram will achieve my desired outcome
He won't keep me yearnin'
I hope that my Telegram will prompt my lover to return to me and stop me from feeling lonely and yearning for him
Tonight he'll be on his way
I am optimistic that my lover will start his journey to come back to me tonight
Tomorrow he'll be here to stay
I believe that my lover will stay with me once he returns the next day
Help me
I am pleading for assistance from the operator to make sure my Telegram reaches my lover as soon as possible
Ma'am
I am addressing the operator, a woman
I can't wait another day
I am feeling impatient and can't bear to wait another day alone
Please forgive the things I said - Stop
I am asking for forgiveness from my lover for anything I may have said or done to upset him
Didn't mean to make you sad - Stop
I did not intend to cause my lover any sadness or pain in our relationship
Operator, I'll pay any rate
I am willing to pay any amount to ensure that my Telegram reaches my lover on time
If my message will not be too late
I want to make sure that my message arrives in time, and I am seeking the operator's assurance
I was such a fool to let him go
I regret my decision to end the relationship and let my lover go
Too proud to show that I love him so
I was too proud to express my true feelings of love to my lover before, but I now realize my mistake
Contributed by Chloe S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.