ry4n's Eurovision reviews - 2010 SF2!

[ry4n]

1969:
Salomé - Vivo cantando
Lulu - Boom Bang-a-Bang
Lenny Kuhr - De troubadour
Frida Boccara - Un jour, un enfant

Countries: Spain, United Kingdom, Netherlands, and France
Points: 18 (each) (12.0% of highest score possible)
Languages: Spanish, English, Dutch, and French

Host: Madrid, Spain
Participants: 16
Voting method: Ten-member juries distributed ten points among their favourite songs

(I will post links and lyrics in individual reviews)


General Overview

The outcome of the 1969 contest was a real jump-the-shark moment that could have destroyed Eurovision's credibility. The organizers never implemented a tie-breaker rule. It was a massive oversight. Ties are rare... a 4-way tie is just ludicrous, but yet it happened. So they had no choice but to declare 4 winners for 1969. This would have ramifications seen in the next couple of contests. 5 countries boycotted 1970 and the voting system was overhauled in 1971.

The hosting Spain embraced a bigger, more open stage – a permanent fixture moving forward. Many countries took advantage by featuring a group of backing singers or an instrumentalist off to the side. The main artists mostly stood in one spot, though. The stage also featured a metal sculpture designed by Salvador Dalí. Some hosts really love to impress. Spain hosting wasn't without controversy, though. Austria boycotted the contest because of Franco. So much for Eurovision rising above politics. The vote reveal is expectedly crazy. And it leads to an awkward moment when 4 countries receive a medal, followed by 4 winner's reprisals.

1969 was the year of “go big or go home”. Seriously, so many entries are loudly screaming for attention. I suppose that's the new winning formula. Spain, Monaco, Ireland, Switzerland and Norway are particularly chaotic. There's many tempo changes, random instruments coming into focus, and acceleration into top speed. Fun but exhausting. This orchestra needs to chill.

The Entries

Yugoslavia: Ivan & 4M - Pozdrav svijetu
Yugoslavia opens the show by saying "hello" in multiple languages. The performance is otherwise unremarkable.

Luxembourg: Romuald - Catherine
A standard vocal ballad.

Spain: Salomé - Vivo cantando
WINNER (see below)

Monaco: Jean Jacques - Maman, Maman
Monaco's has impressive vocals for a 12-year old boy and I dig the carnival atmosphere. More cohesive than the other bombastic entries.

Ireland: Muriel Day & The Lindsays - The Wages of Love
Ireland breaks from blandness. "The Wages of Love" isn't the most interesting of entries, but it's passable.

Italy: Iva Zanicchi - Due grosse lacrime bianche
A passionate, heartfelt, melodic vocal ballad. Iva's performance sells this.

UK: Lulu - Boom Bang-a-Bang
WINNER (see below)

Netherlands: Lenny Kuhr - De troubadour
WINNER (see below)

Sweden: Tommy Körberg - Judy, min vän
Forgettable but tolerable.

Belgium: Louis Neefs - Jennifer Jennings
Belgium finds the middle ground – a booming chorus with an organized song structure.

Switzerland: Paola Del Medico - Bonjour, Bonjour
It's melodic enough, but the orchestra gives me a headache on this one.

Norway: Kirsti Sparboe - Oj, oj, oj, så glad jeg skal bli
Copy and paste my comment from Switzerland. Kirsti's vocals on the "oj, oj, oj" refrain are grating.

West Germany: Siw Malmkvist - Primaballerina
Melodic with dark carnival instrumentation, and an atmosphere of anticipation.

France: Frida Boccara - Un jour, un enfant
WINNER (see below)

Portugal: Simone de Oliveira - Desfolhada portuguesa
Traditional elements mixed with Simone's despairing angsty vocals. She gives a captivating performance.

Finland: Jarkko & Laura - Kuin silloin ennen
A male/female duo channelling the Vaudeville era.

The Winners

4 posts coming up to analyze the 4 winners!


My points go to....
TBA to avoid spoilers


Leo ✔ 𝐒 𝐨 𝐮 𝐧 𝐝 𝐜 𝐥 🕤 𝐜 𝐤 born fearlessarrow kimberly

[ry4n]

1969 (1): Salomé - Vivo cantando

Country: Spain
Points: 18 (12.0% of highest score possible)
Language: Spanish

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics (Spanish)}(Pa para para papa...)
(Pa para para papa...)

¿Cuántas noches vagando
Por mil caminos sin fin?
¿Cuántas noches callando
Cuánto te quise decir?
Una profunda esperanza
Y un eco lejano me hablaba de ti

Hoy que volviste a mi vida
Ya solo canto por ti

Desde que llegaste ya no vivo llorando
Vivo cantando, vivo soñando
Sólo quiero que me digas qué está pasando
Que estoy temblando de estar junto a ti

Desde que llegaste ya no vivo llorando (hey)
Vivo cantando (hey), vivo soñando (hey)
Pero me pregunto que tu amor hasta cuándo
Podré guardarlo muy dentro de mí

(Pa para para papa...)
(Pa para para papa...)

Desde que llegaste ya no vivo llorando (hey)
Vivo cantando (hey), vivo soñando (hey)
Sólo quiero que me digas qué está pasando
Que estoy temblando de estar junto a ti

Desde que llegaste ya no vivo llorando (hey)
Vivo cantando (hey), vivo soñando (hey)
Pero me pregunto que tu amor hasta cuándo
Podré guardarlo muy dentro de mí

Desde que llegaste ya no vivo llorando (hey)
Vivo cantando (hey), vivo soñando (hey)
Sólo quiero que me digas qué está pasando
Que estoy temblando de estar junto a ti
Que estoy temblando de estar junto a ti

(Pa para para papa...)
(Pa para para papa...)

(Hey, hey)

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics (Translated)}(Pa para para papa...)
(Pa para para papa...)

How many nights I wandered
Through a thousand endless paths?
How many nights I kept silent
About what I wanted to say?
A deep hope
And a faraway echo was talking about you

Today that you came to my life
I only sing for you

Since you arrived, I don't live crying
I live singing, I live dreaming
I just want you to tell me what's happening
Because I'm trembling when I'm by your side

Since you arrived, I don't live crying (hey)
I live singing (hey), I live dreaming (hey)
But I wonder how long I could keep
Your love deep inside of me

(Pa para para papa...)
(Pa para para papa...)

Since you arrived, I don't live crying (hey)
I live singing (hey), I live dreaming (hey)
I just want you to tell me what's happening
Because I'm trembling when I'm by your side

Since you arrived, I don't live crying (hey)
I live singing (hey), I live dreaming (hey)
But I wonder how long I could keep
Your love deep inside of me

Since you arrived, I don't live crying (hey)
I live singing (hey), I live dreaming (hey)
I just want you to tell me what's happening
Because I'm trembling when I'm by your side
Because I'm trembling when I'm by your side

(Pa para para papa...)
(Pa para para papa...)

(Hey, hey)

So Spain is technically the first country to win in consecutive years. "Vivo cantando" fits into the chaotic group of 1969 entries. It opens with a downbeat, introspective verse about staying silent for too long. Then the tempo steadily increases as the song progresses - that's the gimmick. Salomé, in her iconic baby-blue wet-mop dress, sells the hell out of this. She performs with the biggest smile while her body movements lose all control. "Vivo cantando" is about letting everything go and jumping into whatever you love. For Salomé, it's singing. The "hey"'s are quite catchy as well.

The studio version on Spotify doesn't reach the same climax for some reason.


Verdict: YASSSSS tier. It's a silly song, but it puts a smile on my face.





Leo ✔ 𝐒 𝐨 𝐮 𝐧 𝐝 𝐜 𝐥 🕤 𝐜 𝐤 born fearlessarrow kimberly

[born]

Can't believe you're doing separate write-ups for these 4 songs! That's so cool!

[Leo ✔]

YAAASSSSS Vivo Cantando is ICONIC. I do agree with the live is way better than the studio.

[ry4n]

1969 (2): Lulu - Boom Bang-a-Bang

Country: United Kingdom
Points: 18 (12.0% of highest score possible)
Language: English

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics}Come closer, come closer and listen
The beat of my heart keeps on missin'
I notice it most when we're kissin'
Come closer and love me tonight
That's right
Come closer and cuddle me tight

My heart goes
Boom bang-a-bang, boom bang-a-bang
When you are near
Boom bang-a-bang, boom bang-a-bang
Loud in my ear
Pounding away, pounding away
Won't you be mine?
Boom bang-a-bang-bang all the time

It's such a lovely feeling
When I'm in your arms
Don't go away
I wanna stay my whole life through
Boom bang-a-bang-bang
Close to you

Your smile is so warm and inviting
The thought of your kiss is exciting
So hold me and don't keep me waiting
Come closer and love me tonight
That's right
Come closer and cuddle me tight

My heart goes
Boom bang-a-bang, boom bang-a-bang
When you are near
Boom bang-a-bang, boom bang-a-bang
Loud in my ear
Pounding away, pounding away
Won't you be mine?
Boom bang-a-bang-bang all the time

It's such a lovely feeling
When I'm in your arms
Now you are near
I wanna hear your heartbeat too
Boom bang-a-bang-bang
I love you

It's such a lovely feeling
When I'm in your arms
Now you are near
I wanna hear your heartbeat too
Boom bang-a-bang-bang
Boom bang-a-bang-bang
Boom bang-a-bang-bang
I love you

The UK followed the success of Sandie Shaw and Cliff Richard by sending another established artist – Lulu. She had recently topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “To Sir With Love”, and starred in the eponymous movie. “Boom Bang-a-Bang” is another bright, boisterous, jaunty affair in the same vein as “Puppet on a String” and “Congratulations”. The UK nearly won three years in a row with this proven formula.

Honestly, this is most obnoxious of the three. Basic lyrics, annoying pounding chorus, and overly cutesy. It's too straightforward and childish. “Boom Bang-a-Bang” tries too hard to recreate the magic of “Puppet on a String”. Right down to the carnival instrumentation.

Still, the “It's such a lovely feeling” bit is a good hook. And Lulu performs this with enthusiasm and pure delight. But the song is so annoying that it easily gets stuck in your head.


Verdict: MEH. OBNOXIOUS. Worst winner of the 1960's.





Leo ✔ 𝐒 𝐨 𝐮 𝐧 𝐝 𝐜 𝐥 🕤 𝐜 𝐤 born fearlessarrow kimberly

[ry4n]

1969 (3): Lenny Kuhr - De troubadour

Country: Netherlands
Points: 18 (12.0% of highest score possible)
Language: Dutch

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics (Dutch)}Hij zat zo boordevol muziek
Hij zong voor groot en klein publiek
Hij maakte blij melancholiek
De troubadour
Voor ridders in de Hoge Zaal
Zong hij in stoere, sterke taal
Een lang en bloederig verhaal
De troubadour
Maar ook het werkvolk uit de schuur
Hoorde zijn lied vol avontuur
Hoorde bij 't nacht'lijk keukenvuur
De troubadour, de troubadour
En in de herberg van de stad
Zong hij een drinklied op 't nat
Voor wie nog staan kon en wie zat
De troubadour, de troubadour
La lalala lala lajlala lajlala...
La lala lajlala la...
La lalala lala lajlala lajlala...
La lala lajlala la...
Hij zong in kloosters stil zijn lied
Van een mirakel dat geschiedt
Ook als geen mens het wonder ziet
De troubadour
Van vrouwen in fluweel of grijs
Zong hij de harten van de wijs
Zijn liefdeslied ging mee op reis
De troubadour
Hij zong voor boeren op 't land
Een kerelslied van eigen hand
Hij was van elke rang en stand
De troubadour, de troubadour
Zo zong hij heel zijn leven lang
Zijn eigen lied, zijn eigen zang
Toch gaat de dood gewoon zijn gang
De troubadour, de troubadour
Toen werd het stil, het lied was uit
Enkel wat modder tot besluit
Maar wie getroost werd door zijn lied
Vergeet hem niet
Want hij zat zo boordevol muziek
Hij zong voor groot en klein publiek
Hij maakte blij melancholiek
De troubadour
Oh oh... la lalala lala lajlala lajlala...
La lala lajlala la...
La lalala lala lajlala lajlala...
La lala lajlala la...
Oh... ala lalala lala lajlala lajlala...
La lala lajlala la...
Ala lalala lala lajlala lajlala...
La lala lajlala la...
Ala ho ho ho...

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics (Translated)}He was bursting with music
He sang for large and small public
He changed happiness to melancholy
The troubadour
For knights in the Knight's Hall
He sang in tough, strong language
A long and bloody story
The troubadour
But also the workmen in the barn
Heard his song full of adventure
Heard nearby the nightly kitchenfire
The troubadour, the troubadour
And in the inn of the city
He sang a drinking song on the dampness
For those who could still stand and those who sat
The troubadour, the troubadour
La lalala lala lailala lailala...
La lala lailala la...
La lalala lala lailala lailala...
La lala lailala la...
He silently sung his song in monestries
About a miracle that occurs
Even if nobody sees the wonder
The troubadour
Women dressed in velvet or grey
Whose hearts he sang into confusion
His love song was brought along on trips
The troubadour
He sang for farmers on the land
A fellow song he wrote himself
He was from all walks of life
The troubadour, the troubadour
Like this he sang his whole life long
His own song, his own singing
But still death just goes its way
The troubadour, the troubadour
Then it went quiet, the song was ended
Only some mud in conclusion
But those who were comforted by his song
Don't forget him
Because he was bursting with music
He sang for large and small public
He changed happiness to melancholy
The troubadour
Oh oh... la lalala lala lailala lailala...
La lala lailala la...
La lalala lala lailala lailala...
La lala lailala la...
Oh... ala lalala lala lailala lailala...
La lala lailala la...
Ala lalala lala lailala lailala...
La lala lailala la...
Ala ho ho ho...

La lalala lala lailala lailala

The Netherlands notch their third win, and their first since 1959. The Dutch cap off a decade of unique entries with “De troubadour” - a folk ballad narrating the life of a Medieval troubadour, lead by Spanish guitars. It certainly stands out from the crowd of typical Eurovision entries.

The titular troubadour sang a wide variety of songs for a wide variety of people – an action-packed epic for the King, a drinking song for the pub patrons, spirituality for the church crowd, romanticism for the women, relatability for the working class. He touched many lives. And even in death his legacy remains.

But there's a tragic atmosphere to “De troubadour”. Lenny Kuhr sings it with such sorrow intensity, especially after mentioning the man's death. The line “He changed happiness to melancholy” sticks out.

The La lalala lala lailala lailala part is catchy, but it also paints the image of frolicking in a grassy meadow. The Spanish guitars accentuate this. It's probably a melody the troubadour would sing. And it contrasts the brooding verses.


Verdict: YASSS tier. My favourite of the 4





Leo ✔ 𝐒 𝐨 𝐮 𝐧 𝐝 𝐜 𝐥 🕤 𝐜 𝐤 born fearlessarrow kimberly

[Leo ✔]

De troubador is good as well. I do also like Boom Bang A Bang

[ry4n]

1969 (4): Frida Boccara - Un jour, un enfant

Country: France
Points: 18 (12.0% of highest score possible)
Language: French

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics (French)}Un jour se lèvera sur trois branches de lilas
Qu'un enfant regardera comme un livre d'images
Le monde autour de lui sera vide, et c'est ainsi
Qu'il inventera la vie à sa première page:

En dessinant la forme d'une orange
Il donnera au ciel son premier soleil
En dessinant l'oiseau, il inventera la fleur
En cherchant le bruit de l'eau, il entendra le cri du cœur

En dessinant les branches d'une étoile
Il trouvera, l'enfant, le chemin des grands
Des grands qui ont gardé un regard émerveillé
Pour les fruits de chaque jour et pour les roses de l'amour

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics (Translated)}A day will dawn upon three branches of lilac
That a child will watch like a picture book
The world around him will be empty, and it's like this
That he'll invent life on his first page:

Drawing the shape of an orange
He'll give the sky its first sun
Drawing the bird, he'll invent the flower
Looking for the sound of water, he'll hear the heartfelt cry

Drawing the rays of a star
The child will find the road of grown-ups
Grown-ups who kept a surprising look
For everyday fruit and for the roses of love

France becomes the first country to win 4 times. “Un jour, un enfant” is a passionate French-language female vocal ballad. An archetype that will also win in '72 and '73.

“Un jour, un enfant” does not follow conventional song structure. There's no chorus, for instance. It's more poem than song. The lyrics describe a child's innocent view of the beauty in the world. And how adults still search for this beauty even after learning the harsh realities. The main draw of “Un jour, un enfant” is Frida's intense vocal performance. I say that because I don't find the song itself particularly memorable.

That said, the orchestra (the string section in particular) does a good job of elevating the dramatic atmosphere.


Verdict: I like it. Beautiful song but I prefer stronger melodies/hooks.


My points go to....
12 pts Lenny Kuhr "De troubadour" (Netherlands)
10 pts Siw Malmkvist "Primaballerina" (West Germany)
08 pts Salomé "Vivo cantando" (Spain)
07 pts Jean Jacques "Maman, Maman" (Monaco)
06 pts Frida Boccara "Un jour, un enfant" (France)
05 pts Louis Neefs "Jennifer Jennings" (Belgium)
04 pts Iva Zanicchi "Due grosse lacrime bianche" (Italy)
03 pts Simone de Oliveira "Desfolhada portuguesa" (Portugal)
02 pts Muriel Day & The Lindsays "The Wages of Love" (Ireland)
01 pts Jarkko & Laura "Kuin silloin ennen" (Finland)

Bubblin' Under:
#11: Tommy Körberg "Judy, min vän" (Sweden)
#12: Lulu "Boom Bang-a-Bang" (UK)
#13: Paola Del Medico "Bonjour, Bonjour" (Switzerland)
#14: Ivan & 4M "Pozdrav svijetu" (Yugoslavia)

Nah:
#15: Kirsti Sparboe "Oj, oj, oj, så glad jeg skal bli" (Norway)
#16: Romuald "Catherine" (Luxembourg)




Leo ✔ 𝐒 𝐨 𝐮 𝐧 𝐝 𝐜 𝐥 🕤 𝐜 𝐤 born fearlessarrow kimberly

[ry4n]

And with that, I say goodbye to the 60's

Winner ranking so far:

G.O.A.T.
01 France Gall - “Poupée de circe, poupée de son” (Luxembourg – 1965)
02 Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann - “Dansevise” (Denmark – 1963)

YASSSS
03 Lys Assia - “Refrain” (Switzerland – 1956)
04 Isabelle Aubret - “Un premier amour” (France – 1962)
05 Gigliola Cinquettie - “Non ho l’età” (Italy – 1964)
06 Lenny Kuhr - “De troubadour” (Netherlands – 1969)
07 Jacqueline Boyer - “Tom Pillibi” (France – 1960)
08 Salomé - “Vivo Cantando” (Spain – 1969)
09 Teddy Scholten - “Een beetje” (Netherlands – 1959)

I like it
10 Sandie Shaw - “Puppet on a String” (UK – 1967)
11 Massiel - “La, la, la” (Spain – 1968)
12 Frida Boccara - “Un jour, un enfant” (France – 1969)
13 Jean-Claude Pascal - “Nous les amoureux” (Luxembourg – 1961)

It's Ok
14 Udo Jürgens, “Merci, Chérie” (Austria – 1966)

Meh
15 Lulu - “Boom Bang-a-Bang” (UK – 1969)
16 André Claveau - “Dors, mon amour” (France – 1958)
17 Corry Brokken, “Net als toen” (Netherlands – 1957)



My favourite Eurovision entries of 1960-1969 (rough ranking)
(I will do one at the end of each decade)

G.O.A.T.
01 Vicky Leandros - “L'amour est bleu” (Luxembourg – 1967)
02 France Gall - “Poupée de circe, poupée de son” (Luxembourg – 1965)
03 Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann - “Dansevise” (Denmark – 1963)

YASSSS
04 Isabelle Aubret - “Un premier amour” (France – 1962)
05 Gigliola Cinquettie - “Non ho l’età” (Italy – 1964)
06 Lenny Kuhr - “De troubadour” (Netherlands – 1969)
07 Siw Malmkvist - “Primaballerina” (West Germany - 1969)
08 Esther Ofarim - “T'en va pas” (Switzerland – 1963)
09 Isabelle Aubret - “La source” (France – 1968)
10 Jacqueline Boyer - “Tom Pillibi” (France – 1960)
11 Kirsti Sparboe - “Karusell” (Norway – 1965)
12 Françoise Hardy - “L'amour s'en va” (Monaco – 1963)
13 Åse Kleveland - “Intet er nytt under solen” (Norway – 1966)
14 Tonia - “Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel” (Belgium - 1966)
15 Salomé - “Vivo Cantando” (Spain – 1969)
16 Anneke Grönloh - “Jij bent mijn leven” (Netherlands – 1964)
17 Jean Jacques - “Maman, Maman” (Monaco – 1969)

I like it
18 Inger Berggren - “Sol och vår” (Sweden – 1962)
19 Dubrovački trubaduri - “Jedan dan” (Yugoslavia – 1968)
20 Louis Neefs - “Ik heb zorgen” (Belgium – 1967)
21 Sandie Shaw - “Puppet on a String” (UK – 1967)
22 Massiel - “La, la, la” (Spain – 1968)
23 Conny van den Bos - “Het is genoeg” (Netherlands – 1965)
24 Frida Boccara - “Un jour, un enfant” (France – 1969)
25 The Allisons - “Are You Sure?” (UK – 1961)
26 Wyn Hoop - “Bonne nuit ma chérie” (West Germany – 1960)
27 Thérèse Steinmetz - “Ring-dinge-ding” (Netherlands – 1967)
28 Marion Rung - “Tipi-tii” (Finland – 1962)
29 Lill Lindfors & Svante Thuresson - “Nygammal vals” (Sweden – 1966)
30 Los TNT - “Caracola” (Spain – 1964)
31 Greetje Kauffeld - “Wat een dag” (Netherlands – 1961)
32 Wenche Myhre - “Ein Hoch der Liebe” (West Germany – 1968)
33 Jean-Claude Pascal - “Nous les amoureux” (Luxembourg – 1961)
34 Sergio Endrigo - “Marianne” (Italy – 1968)
35 Louis Neefs - “Jennifer Jennings” (Belgium – 1969)
36 Madeleine Pascal - “Ne vois-tu pas?” (Switzerland – 1966)
37 Kirsti Sparboe - “Dukkemann” (Norway – 1967)
38 Udo Jürgens - “Warum nur, warum?” (Austria – 1964)
39 Kathy Kirby - “I Belong” (UK – 1965)
40 Bryan Johnson - “Looking High, High, High” (UK – 1960)
41 Emilio Pericoli - “Uno per tutte” (Italy – 1963)
42 Hugues Aufray - “Dès que le printemps revient” (Luxembourg – 1964)



Onto the 1970's! From what I remember, it's one of the best decades of Eurovision.

[ry4n]

1970: Dana - All Kinds of Everything

Country: Ireland
Points: 32 (29.1% of highest score possible)
Language: English

Host: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Participants: 12
Voting method: Ten-member juries distributed ten points among their favourite songs

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics}Snowdrops and daffodils, butterflies and bees
Sailboats and fishermen, things of the sea
Wishing wells, wedding bells, early morning dew
All kinds of everything remind me of you

Seagulls and aeroplanes, things of the sky
Winds that go howling, breezes that sigh
City sights, neon lights, grey skies or blue
All kinds of everything remind me of you

Summertime, wintertime
Spring and autumn too
Monday, Tuesday, every day
I think of you

Dances, romances, things of the night
Sunshine and holidays, postcards to write
Budding trees, autumn leaves, a snowflake or two
All kinds of everything remind me of you

Summertime, wintertime
Spring and autumn too
Seasons will never change
The way that I love you

Dances, romances, things of the night
Sunshine and holidays, postcards to write
Budding trees, autumn leaves, a snowflake or two
All kinds of everything remind me of you
All kinds of everything remind me of you

General Overview

The controversial 4-way tie of 1969 lead to two significant complications. First, 5 countries boycotted the 1970 contest – Finland, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and Austria (who protested 1969 as well), reducing the number of participants to 12. All the Nordic countries were out. The shortened card is noticeable, and the 1970 contest feels underwhelming because of it. The other complication was determining the host country. The UK and Spain were ruled out of contention as they literally just hosted. So that left France and the Netherlands to flip a coin. The latter won, proving “De troubadour” is the rightful winner of 1969!

To compensate for a shorter runtime, the 1970 contest played vignettes before each performance. This tradition, known as postcards, remains today. Also, a tie-breaker was finally introduced. The tied countries would re-perform and the juries would re-vote. I'm glad they ditched that idea quickly.

I haven't been commenting on the interval acts. The early ones are very of their time. Austria had a children's choir singing classical, the UK had some bicycle acrobatics in '63, and Luxembourg had a comedic mime in '62. The 1970 interval act has some fun choreo.

The Entries

Netherlands: Hearts of Soul - Waterman
The Dutch entry features a girl group seeking a fellow Aquarius. It's an unusually soulful song for Eurovision. The melody is dreamy, but I wish the tempo was faster.

Switzerland: Henri Dès - Retour
The bouncy Swiss entry involves a squeaky duck beat and a bunch of “babababa”'s. It's interesting I suppose.

Italy: Gianni Morandi - Occhi di ragazza
An average, albeit sophisticated, offering from Italy.

Yugoslavia: Eva Sršen - Pridi, dala ti bom cvet
A sweet, innocent delivery from Eva. But the song never takes off.

Belgium: Jean Vallée - Viens l'oublier
A standard male ballad with an intense chorus.

France: Guy Bonnet - Marie-Blanche
France's pianist has the dullest entry of the night.

UK: Mary Hopkin - Knock, Knock Who's There?
The UK land in second place for the 7th time. They selected Mary Hopkin for 1970. She had a huge international smash with the pub singalong “Those Were The Days” (#1 UK / #1 all over Europe / #2 US) in 1968. Mary's ESC entry is a sugary, bubbly fantasy. She yearns for love to knock on her open door. The “knock knock” parts are catchy.

Luxembourg: David Alexandre Winter - Je suis tombé du ciel
Forgettable.

Spain: Julio Iglesias - Gwendolyne
The moment that launched Julio Iglesias's illustrious career. His performance is quite heartfelt and charming with the facial expressions.

Monaco: Dominique Dussault - Marlène
Dominique gives a seductive nightclub performance.

West Germany: Katja Ebstein - Wunder gibt es immer wieder
Germany achieves their highest placing yet (3rd) with a feelgood song about miracles. I like the laidback nature of the verses and the organ-y bits. The song is leagues above the ballad sludge of 1970.

Ireland: Dana - All Kinds of Everything
WINNER (see below)

The Winner

So Ireland achieves their first win of 7. Most of which are meh or terrible. “All Kinds of Everything” channels “My Favourite Things” from the Sound of Music. Both are list songs with similar melodies. Here, Dana lists the things that remind her of her love interest. But the songwriting sticks to surface level observation without any introspection. The song doesn't say anything interesting. While Dana's voice is overly cutesy. Like a 5 year old on Christmas. Factor in the fairytale instrumentation, and “All Kinds of Everything” is way too sugary sweet for my liking.


Verdict: TRASHHHH. Not sorry


My points go to....
12 pts Katja Ebstein "Wunder gibt es immer wieder" (West Germany)
10 pts Mary Hopkin "Knock, Knock Who's There?" (UK)
08 pts Henri Dès "Retour" (Switzerland)
07 pts Hearts of Soul "Waterman" (Netherlands)
06 pts Dominique Dussault "Marlène" (Monaco)
05 pts Julio Iglesias "Gwendolyne" (Spain)
04 pts Gianni Morandi "Occhi di ragazza" (Italy)
03 pts Eva Sršen "Pridi, dala ti bom cvet" (Yugoslavia)
02 pts Jean Vallée "Viens l'oublier" (Belgium)
01 pts David Alexandre Winter "Je suis tombé du ciel" (Luxembourg)

Nah:
#11: Dana "All Kinds of Everything" (Ireland)
#12: Guy Bonnet "Marie-Blanche" (France)




Leo ✔ 𝐒 𝐨 𝐮 𝐧 𝐝 𝐜 𝐥 🕤 𝐜 𝐤 born fearlessarrow kimberly

[ry4n]

1971: Séverine - Un banc, un arbre, une rue

Country: Monaco
Points: 128 (75.3% of highest score possible)
Language: French

Host: Dublin, Ireland
Participants: 18
Voting method: Two-member juries (one aged 16 to 25 and the other 25 to 55) rated songs between one and five points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics (French)}On a tous un banc, un arbre, une rue
Où l'on a bercé nos rêves
On a tous un banc, un arbre, une rue
Une enfance trop brève

Un jour ou l'autre il faut partir
Pour se construire un avenir, un avenir
Et c'est l'inoubliable instant
Où l'on rend ses habits d'enfant, d'enfant

Chacun s'en va, rempli d'espoir
Sur le chemin qu'il s'est choisi, qu'il s'est choisi
Vers la richesse ou vers la gloire
Pourtant quelle que soit notre vie, notre vie

On a tous un banc, un arbre, une rue
Où l'on a bercé nos rêves
On a tous un banc, un arbre, une rue
Une enfance trop brève

Chacun, dans son coin d'horizon
Ne défend que ses ambitions, ses ambitions
Mais si nous ne partageons rien
Que nous reste-t-il en commun, en commun?

On a tous un banc, un arbre, une rue
Où l'on a bercé nos rêves
On a tous un banc, un arbre, une rue
Une enfance trop brève

Lalala lala...
Lala lala lala...
Lalala lalala lala...

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics (Translated)}We all have a bench, a tree, a street
Where we cherished our dreams
We all have a bench, a tree, a street
A childhood that has been too short

One day or another we have to leave
To build a future, a future
And it's the unforgettable instant
When we return our child clothes, child clothes

Everyone goes, filled with hope
On the road that they chose, that they chose
To the richness or to the glory
Yet what our life will be, our life

We all have a bench, a tree, a street
Where we cherished our dreams
We all have a bench, a tree, a street
A childhood that has been too short

Everyone, in his corner of the horizon
Only defends their ambitions, their ambitions
But if we share nothing
What will be left for us in common, in common?

We all have a bench, a tree, a street
Where we cherished our dreams
We all have a bench, a tree, a street
A childhood that has been too short

Lalala lala...
Lala lala lala...
Lalala lalala lala...

General Overview

The 1971 contest is one of the more weak/forgettable ones imo. It lacks a memorable, stand-out moment. That said, there is diverse instrumentation, strong melodies, upbeat pace, and big vocals. It's also the year of uplifting messages.

This year sees Malta debut and the 5 protesters return, which pushed the number of participating countries back to 18. The “max 6 people on stage” rule was instated. And the hosting Ireland introduced the first digital scoreboard.

The biggest change in 1971 was the new voting system – each country had two jurors (from different age brackets) rate the songs on a scale of 1 to 5. This is the oddest and worst voting system in Eurovision history. Yes, it created transparency, but it allowed jurors to tank certain countries (Luxembourg gave two 1/5's to THIRTEEN songs). And it's the most boring vote reveal – literally 20-30 minutes of jurors flipping numbers. This voting system would remain for 1972 and 1973, and all three years produced a French ballad winner.

The Entries

Austria: Marianne Mendt - Musik
Excellent busy, bombastic instrumentation with the whistles and drums. Marianna meanwhile delivers powerful vocals.

Malta: Joe Grech - Marija l-Maltija
Malta finishes in dead last in their debut year. Aside from Joe's hand movements, this entry just blends in with everything else.

Monaco: Séverine - Un banc, un arbre, une rue
WINNER (see below)

Switzerland: Peter, Sue and Marc - Les illusions de nos vingt ans
Switzerland channels Peter, Paul & Mary with a folk tune reflecting on the illusions of being in your 20's.

West Germany: Katja Ebstein - Diese Welt
Katja attains consecutive #3 placements for Germany. Germany and Monaco have the strongest melodies of the night. "Diese Welt" is an inspirational anthem about protecting the world's beauty.

Spain: Karina - En un mundo nuevo
The song begins as a pensive ballad, but soon increases in tempo and intensity. Towards the end, it suddenly switches to a drumming march. "En un mundo nuevo" lands in 2nd place.

France: Serge Lama - Un jardin sur la terre
An exhausting, over-the-top vocal ballad.

Luxembourg: Monique Melsen - Pomme, pomme, pomme
A cute, bouncy bop; especially the refrain of "pomme, pomme, pomme". But Monique sounds bored singing it.

UK: Clodagh Rodgers - Jack In The Box
The UK selected a Northern Irish singer to smooth tensions during The Troubles. The song is another jaunty affair. The stop/start drum bangs are catchy, but the UK is becoming formulaic.

Belgium: Lily Castel & Jacques Raymond - Goeiemorgen, morgen
So dated.

Italy: Massimo Ranieri - L'amore è un attimo
Massimo delivers an insanely huge vocal performance, while the verse instrumentation inserts a Mediterranean boat ride feel.

Sweden: Family Four - Vita vidder
Switzerland and Sweden's folky offerings are the uniquest performances of '71. Family Four creates a sunny vibe in the verses.

Ireland: Angela Farrell - One Day Love
Angela Farrell confronts her cheating man. She sings with appropriate protest and bitterness.

Netherlands: Saskia & Serge - Tijd
The Netherlands provide a melancholic Medieval atmosphere.

Portugal: Tonicha - Menina do alto da serra
Portugal's entry also contains folky/traditional elements, while Tonicha sings with despair.

Yugoslavia: Krunoslav Slabinac - Tvoj dječak je tužan
A standard, intense vocal ballad.

Finland: Markku Aro & Koivistolaiset - Tie uuteen päivään
Forgettable.

Norway: Hanne Krogh - Lykken er
The parasol-spinning girl serves a cute bop.

The Winner

“Un banc, un arbre, une rue” is the first of the French ballad trio. The main draw is the anthemic, singalong chorus. It's elevated by Séverine's commanding vocals and the backing singers. Those backing singers reinforce the melody by “la la la”-ing the verses. There's also a key change. “Un banc, un arbre, une rue” is about the uncertainties of growing up and cherishing childhood memories. But the arrangement is celebratory and reassuring. The opening bit even sounds like a TV jingle.


Verdict: On the verge of I like it / YASSS. I think it accomplishes its job, so bottom of YASSSS tier. I like it. Upon reflection, this kinda tedious to get through.


My points go to....
12 pts Katja Ebstein "Diese Welt" (West Germany)
10 pts Peter, Sue and Marc "Les illusions de nos vingt ans" (Switzerland)
08 pts Saskia & Serge "Tijd" (Netherlands)
07 pts Marianne Mendt "Musik" (Austria)
06 pts Massimo Ranieri "L'amore è un attimo" (Italy)
05 pts Séverine "Un banc, un arbre, une rue" (Monaco)
04 pts Angela Farrell "One Day Love" (Ireland)
03 pts Hanne Krogh "Lykken er" (Norway)
02 pts Family Four "Vita vidder" (Sweden)
01 pts Tonicha "Menina do alto da serra" (Portugal)

Bubblin' Under:
#11: Karina "En un mundo nuevo" (Spain)
#12: Clodagh Rodgers "Jack In The Box" (UK)
#13: Monique Melsen "Pomme, pomme, pomme" (Luxembourg)
#14: Krunoslav Slabinac "Tvoj dječak je tužan" (Yugoslavia)

Nah:
#15: Serge Lama "Un jardin sur la terre" (France)
#16: Markku Aro & Koivistolaiset "Tie uuteen päivään" (Finland)
#17: Joe Grech "Marija l-Maltija" (Malta)
#18: Lily Castel & Jacques Raymond "Goeiemorgen, morgen" (Belgium)




Leo ✔ 𝐒 𝐨 𝐮 𝐧 𝐝 𝐜 𝐥 🕤 𝐜 𝐤 born fearlessarrow kimberly

[Mylo13 💜]

Tag me please!

[ry4n]

1972: Vicky Leandros - Après toi

Country: Luxembourg
Points: 128 (75.3% of highest score possible)
Language: French

Host: Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Participants: 18
Voting method: Two-member juries (one aged 16 to 25 and the other 25 to 55) rated songs between one and five points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics (French)}Tu t'en vas, l'amour a pour toi le sourire d'une autre
Je voudrais, mais ne peux t'en vouloir
Désormais, tu vas m'oublier
Ce n'est pas de ta faute, et pourtant tu dois savoir

Qu'après toi, je ne pourrai plus vivre
Non plus vivre qu'en souvenir de toi
Après toi, j'aurai les yeux humides
Les mains vides, le cœur sans joie

Avec toi, j'avais appris à rire
Et mes rires ne viennent que par toi
Après toi, je ne serai que l'ombre
De ton ombre, après toi

Même un jour, si je fais ma vie
Si je tiens la promesse qui unit deux êtres pour toujours
Après toi, je pourrai peut-être donner de ma tendresse
Mais plus rien de mon amour

Après toi, je ne pourrai plus vivre
Non plus vivre qu'en souvenir de toi
Après toi, j'aurai les yeux humides
Les mains vides, le cœur sans joie

Avec toi, j'avais appris à rire
Et mes rires ne viennent que par toi
Après toi, je ne serai que l'ombre
De ton ombre, après toi

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics (Translated)}You go away, love has for you the smile of another
I would want to, but can't be mad at you
From now on, you'll forget me
It's not your fault, but still you should know

That after you, I couldn't live anymore
I would only live remembering you
After you, I'll have wet eyes
Empty hands, a joyless heart

With you, I've learnt to laugh
And my laughs only came by you
After you, I'll only be the shadow
Of your shadow, after you

Even if I settle down one day
If I keep the promise that unites two beings for always
After you, I could perhaps give my tenderness
But not my love anymore

After you, I couldn't live anymore
I would only live remembering you
After you, I'll have wet eyes
Empty hands, a joyless heart

With you, I've learnt to laugh
And my laughs only came by you
After you, I'll only be the shadow
Of your shadow, after you

General Overview

Monaco, the little underdog, actually snatched a win in 1971. However, the country lacked the resources to host the damn contest. So the UK assumed hosting duties yet again; albeit in Scotland this time. No change in the participating countries and no change in the voting system. So another boring reveal of jurors flipping numbers. The interval act was a Scottish marching band. Neat.

The 1972 contest is the year of male/female duets. There's six of them.

Malta places dead last in their first two years participating. They promptly quit in 1973.

The Entries

West Germany: Mary Roos - Nur die Liebe läßt uns leben
Germany finishes in 3rd for the 3rd consecutive year. Two of which with the same artist (Katja Ebstein). Their 1972 entry is a melodic, uplifting, tribal drum anthem; with powerful orchestral bombast.

France: Betty Mars - Comé-comédie
A standard French ballad. The title phrase provides a sufficient hook, however.

Ireland: Sandie Jones - Ceol an Ghrá
Ireland submits a song in Irish. A refreshing move, and the song is quite dreamy.

Spain: Jaime Morey - Amanece
This vocal ballad is tedious, grandiose, and over-the-top.

UK: The New Seekers - Beg, Steal or Borrow
The UK finish in second place for the 8th time. The UK again relied on a proven hit-maker – The New Seekers. The wholesome folk group recently smashed with “I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing” (UK #1 / US #7) and “Never Ending Song of Love” (UK #2). And yes, there was an old Seekers – they topped the UK charts with “The Carnival Is Over”. “Beg, Steal or Borrow” is a joyous folky affair with a chorus that's catchy as f**k. It's a refreshing UK entry after 5 straight years of jaunty/carnival songs.

Norway: Grethe Kausland & Benny Borg - Småting
Male/female duet #1. This one is cute and romantic, and the performance involves intimate glances. The repetition of "Småting" has a nursery rhyme charm.

Portugal: Carlos Mendes - A festa da vida
Carlos Mendes provides a professional performance.

Switzerland: Véronique Müller - C'est la chanson de mon amour
Switzerland offers a stripped back, quaint, acoustic number with gentle vocals.

Malta: Helen and Joseph - L-imħabba
Male/female duet #2. Malta's performance encompasses chemistry and I like the instrumental “wah”'s.

Finland: Päivi Paunu & Kim Floor - Muistathan
Male/female duet #3. This one employs tempo switches, especially at the end when it becomes a sprint.

Austria: Milestones - Falter im Wind
Austria submits a folk group playing guitars, flute and a grand piano. The breezy song paints the image of floating peacefully in the wind.

Italy: Nicola di Bari - I giorni dell'arcobaleno
Italy surprisingly goes for a subdued, restrained male ballad. Nicola's delivery contains the sufficient emotions.

Yugoslavia: Tereza Kesovija - Muzika i ti
A melodic showstopper. The exclamations of "MUZIKA I TI" are infectious.

Sweden: Family Four - Härliga sommardag
Family Four represents Sweden for the second consecutive year. Their 1971 entry was better. This one is like a TV jingle.

Monaco: Anne-Marie Godart & Peter MacLane - Comme on s'aime
Male/female duet #4. Monaco's entry is just dull. I suspect they did not want to win again.

Belgium: Serge & Christine Ghisoland - À la folie ou pas du tout
Male/female duet #5. Serge & Christine engage in romantic interactions on stage but Serge comes off creepy. The song is forgettable.

Luxembourg: Vicky Leandros - Après toi
WINNER (see below)

Netherlands: Sandra & Andres - Als het om de liefde gaat
Male/female duet #6. The best of the bunch. The jumpy chorus and bouncy dancing is the kind of whimsical Eurovision performance that makes me smile.

The Winner

So French ballad winner #2 of 3 belongs to Luxembourg. Vicky Leandros is vindicated after “L'amour est bleu” was robbed 5 years prior. She wins the 1972 contest with “Après toi” (“After You”). It's dramatic power ballad. The chorus is an emotional outpouring, while the verses are introspective. The lyrics offer a mature, self-aware perspective. Vicky's ex left her for someone else. She's deeply hurt (so she cries out in the chorus), but she accepts the break-up. There's no anger or pleading. Vicky is able to hold her emotions in a healthy way. The orchestral flourishes are top notch, especially the drum pounds. And there's something about Vicky's enunciation of the French language that works well.


Verdict: G.O.A.T. tier. Well-written and excellent arrangement. Possibly my favourite ballad winner, but we'll see.


My points go to....
12 pts Vicky Leandros "Après toi" (Luxembourg)
10 pts Mary Roos "Nur die Liebe läßt uns leben" (West Germany)
08 pts The New Seekers "Beg, Steal or Borrow" (UK)
07 pts Sandie Jones "Ceol an Ghrá" (Ireland)
06 pts Sandra & Andres "Als het om de liefde gaat" (Netherlands)
05 pts Milestones "Falter im Wind" (Austria)
04 pts Tereza Kesovija "Muzika i ti" (Yugoslavia)
03 pts Carlos Mendes "A festa da vida" (Portugal)
02 pts Nicola di Bari "I giorni dell'arcobaleno" (Italy)
01 pts Päivi Paunu & Kim Floor "Muistathan" (Finland)

Bubblin' Under:
#11: Véronique Müller "C'est la chanson de mon amour" (Switzerland)
#12: Betty Mars "Comé-comédie" (France)
#13: Helen and Joseph "L-imħabba" (Malta)
#14: Grethe Kausland & Benny Borg "Småting" (Norway)
#15: Family Four "Härliga sommardag" (Sweden)

Nah:
#16: Jaime Morey "Amanece" (Spain)
#17: Serge & Christine Ghisoland "À la folie ou pas du tout" (Belgium)
#18: Anne-Marie Godart & Peter MacLane "Comme on s'aime" (Monaco)




Leo ✔ 𝐒 𝐨 𝐮 𝐧 𝐝 𝐜 𝐥 🕤 𝐜 𝐤 born fearlessarrow kimberly Mylo13 💜

[born]

Amazing winner. Deserves the GOAT tier placement.

PS: Greece is debuting soon! Curious to see if you’re gonna rank my favorite Greek entry of the ‘70s (which is also my favorite Greek entry pre-2000)👀

[ry4n]

Mar 26, 2020 20:09:30 GMT -5 born said:

Amazing winner. Deserves the GOAT tier placement.

PS: Greece is debuting soon! Curious to see if you’re gonna rank my favorite Greek entry of the ‘70s (which is also my favorite Greek entry pre-2000)👀

Probably! They brought freshness to the contest imo. Same with Turkey and Israel, who are debuting soon too.

[ry4n]

1973: Anne-Marie David - Tu te reconnaîtras

Country: Luxembourg
Points: 129 (80.6% of highest score possible)
Language: French

Host: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Participants: 17
Voting method: Two-member juries (one aged 16 to 25 and the other 25 to 55) rated songs between one and five points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics (French)}Dans les rêves de l'enfance
Dans l'élève que le maître a puni
Dans la gare où commence
La première aventure de la vie

Dans celui qui doute
Dans celui qui croit

Tu verras, tu te reconnaîtras
À chaque instant dans chaque joie, dans chaque larme
Tu verras, tu te reconnaîtras
Dans cet enfant, parmi ces gens, tous comme toi

Dans les rêves de l'artiste
Que la gloire n'a jamais couronné
Dans ce monde égoïste
Qui renie ce qu'il a adoré

Dans ceux qui ont peur
Dans ceux qui ont froid

Tu verras, tu te reconnaîtras
À chaque instant dans chaque joie, dans chaque larme
Tu verras, tu te reconnaîtras
Dans cet enfant, parmi ces gens, tous comme toi

Tu verras, tu te reconnaîtras
Dans cet amour que j'ai pour toi
Oui, tu verras, tu te reconnaîtras

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics (Translated)}In the dreams of childhood
In the student that the teacher has punished
In the train station where
The first adventure of life begins

In the one who doubts
In the one who believes

You'll see, you'll recognise yourself
At every moment in each joy, in each tear
You'll see, you'll recognise yourself
In that child, surrounded by those people, just like you

In the dreams of the artist
That glory has never awarded
In that egoistic world
That denies what it has loved

In those who are scared
In those who are cold

You'll see, you'll recognise yourself
At every moment in every joy, in every tear
You'll see, you'll recognise yourself
In that child, surrounded by those people, just like you

You'll see, you'll recognise yourself
In that love that I have for you
Yes, you'll see, you'll recognise yourself

General Overview

Early 1970s music is a difficult era to define. A real hodgepodge caught between the psychedelic era and the disco era. Easy listening, soft rock, funk, soul, glam rock, singer-songwriters... it's all there. Eurovision also seems to be caught between eras. It's less stuffy than the 50s, but the fun years are yet to arrive. The contest wasn't about chasing trends at the time. The songs were stylistically older/safer than the likes of “Superstition” or “Crocodile Rock” (both chart hits in '73). Still, this year's orchestra embraces guitars and drums, which is a step in the right direction.

The 1973 contest has a noticeably intimate stage design – with the camera angles, the open floor space, and the orchestra situated on raised platforms behind the performers. It's a neat aesthetic. The older Swiss juror is quite animated. The interval act (a clueless clown) is awkwardly unfunny though. Also of note: Israel debuts, while Austria and Malta are out.

The language rule was dropped for 4 years starting in 1973. Mostly the Nordic countries took advantage this year, due to the obscurity of their languages.

The Entries

Finland: Marion Rung - Tom Tom Tom
Finland's entry is in English. The song is bright and booming with a clap-a-long hook of “tom tom tom”.

Belgium: Nicole & Hugo - Baby, Baby
The purple outfits and dance moves are iconic. This couldn't be more 70's.


Portugal: Fernando Tordo - Tourada
Infectious vibe of hyping up a bull fight.

West Germany: Gitte - Junger Tag
Begins with a ballady introspective verse, and progresses into a marching anthem of optimism.

Norway: Bendik Singers - It's Just A Game
A jazzy English/French hybrid. The song is dated and the harmonizing doesn't work for me. It's like they're singing two songs at once.

Monaco: Marie - Un train qui part
A grandiose female ballad with excellent, epic-sounding instrumentation. The song encourages people to "take that train" and seek their dreams.

Spain: Mocedades - Eres tú
The runner-up. An eventual top 10 hit on the Hot 100. The song has a unique style, strong melody, and a chill vibe. “Eres tú” is a welcoming celebration. The performance is a moment. And the raspy vocals are captivating.

Switzerland: Patrick Juvet - Je vais me marier, Marie
Breezy but forgettable.

Yugoslavia: Zdravko Čolić - Gori vatra
A huge display of vocals. The shaky "AHHH-AHHH-AHHH"'s are grating though.

Italy: Massimo Ranieri - Chi sarà con te
A standard male ballad for Italy with big vocal climaxes. Predictable but well-sung.

Luxembourg: Anne-Marie David - Tu te reconnaîtras
WINNER (see below)

Sweden: Nova & The Dolls - You're Summer
Sweden's selects an acoustic duo, which is a fresh decision. The song features the lyric “your breasts are like swallows anestling”. I cringe.

Netherlands: Ben Cramer - De oude muzikant
Forgettable song. The performance features noticeably darker lighting.

Ireland: Maxi - Do I Dream
A plain song with flat vocals.

UK: Cliff Richard - Power to All Our Friends
The UK selected Cliff Richard for the second time. “Power to All Our Friends”, despite the clumsy lyrics, is an earworm. The chanting/stomping beat is effective. And Cliff gets right into it with his bouncy high-fives. I like it better than “Congratulations”.

France: Martine Clémenceau - Sans toi
A standard female ballad. The verses contain inaudible whispering. It's a disappointing performance.

Israel: Ilanit - Ey Sham
Honest, heartfelt and hopeful. Israel asserts a strong first impression. And Ilanit delivers the vocal performance of the night.

The Winner

So Luxembourg wins in back-to-back years with another French ballad. This was Luxembourg's 4th victory, tying France's record at the time. “Tu te reconnaîtras” (“You'll Recognize Yourself”) cranks the intensity dial to 11. Anne-Marie David sings the hell out of this. While the backing singers raise the tension. Lyrically, “Tu te reconnaîtras” is about discovering yourself through life's experiences – becoming more humble and self-aware. But AMD dishes this advice as a stern warning. That vocal tone is intimidating. Clearly this guy refuses to grow and AMD has lost her patience.


Verdict: YASSSS tier. It grabs your attention


My points go to....
12 pts Mocedades "Eres tú" (Spain)
10 pts Anne-Marie David "Tu te reconnaîtras" (Luxembourg)
08 pts Ilanit "Ey Sham" (Israel)
07 pts Marie "Un train qui part" (Monaco)
06 pts Cliff Richard "Power to All Our Friends" (UK)
05 pts Fernando Tordo "Tourada" (Portugal)
04 pts Gitte "Junger Tag" (West Germany)
03 pts Marion Rung "Tom Tom Tom" (Finland)
02 pts Nicole & Hugo "Baby, Baby" (Belgium)
01 pts Patrick Juvet "Je vais me marier, Marie" (Switzerland)

Bubblin' Under:
#11: The Novas & The Dolls "You're Summer" (Sweden)
#12: Massimo Ranieri "Chi sarà con te" (Italy)
#13: Bendik Singers "It's Just A Game" (Norway)

Nah:
#14: Martine Clémenceau "Sans toi" (France)
#15: Ben Cramer "De oude muzikant" (Netherlands)
#16: Maxi "Do I Dream" (Ireland)
#17: Zdravko Čolić "Gori vatra" (Yugoslavia)




Leo ✔ 𝐒 𝐨 𝐮 𝐧 𝐝 𝐜 𝐥 🕤 𝐜 𝐤 born fearlessarrow kimberly Mylo13 💜

[ry4n]

Next up it's the big one!!!

And how could I ever refuse?
I feel like I win when I lose...

[Leo ✔]

"Eres Tú" getting your 12 points
The song is a staple for spanish and latin american culture. Such a beautiful song. The winner of this year is also really good.

[ry4n]

1974: ABBA - Waterloo

Country: Sweden
Points: 24 (15.0% of highest score possible)
Language: English

Host: Brighton, United Kingdom
Participants: 17
Voting method: Ten-member juries distributed ten points among their favourite songs

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics}My my, at Waterloo Napoleon did surrender
Oh yeah, and I have met my destiny in quite a similar way
The history book on the shelf is always repeating itself

Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war
Waterloo - promise to love you for ever more
Waterloo - couldn't escape if I wanted to
Waterloo - knowing my fate is to be with you
Wa-Wa-Wa-Wa-Waterloo - finally facing my Waterloo

My my, I tried to hold you back but you were stronger
Oh yeah, and now it seems my only chance is giving up the fight
And how could I ever refuse?
I feel like I win when I lose

Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war
Waterloo - promise to love you for ever more
Waterloo - couldn't escape if I wanted to
Waterloo - knowing my fate is to be with you
Wa-Wa-Wa-Wa-Waterloo - finally facing my Waterloo

So how could I ever refuse?
I feel like I win when I lose

Waterloo - couldn't escape if I wanted to
Waterloo - knowing my fate is to be with you
Wa-Wa-Wa-Wa-Waterloo - finally facing my Waterloo
Ooh... Waterloo - knowing my fate is to be with you
Wa-Wa-Wa-Wa-Waterloo - finally facing my Waterloo

General Overview

For the 3rd time in 5 years, there was complications over who would host this damn contest. Luxembourg could not afford it again. So the UK substituted for the 4th time, with Katie Boyle presenting for her 4th and final appearance. The Eurovision organizers ditched the flawed voting system used in '71/'72/'73 (where songs were rated out of 5). And instead, returned to the original flawed system that resulted several ties down the board. Though this saw the return of calling up jurors (my favourite tradition). The hosting UK selected The Wombles as the interval act. They're a children's TV act that I don't find particularly amusing.

Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands sing in English instead of their respective native languages. Unsurprising since those are the obscure languages.

France misses their first Eurovision. They had a song chosen (“La vie à vingt-cinq ans” by Dani) but withdrew at the last minute due to the death of a president.

The Entries

Finland: Carita - Keep Me Warm
A serviceable, sincere female piano ballad. It's similar to the easy listening chart hits of the early '70s.

UK: Olivia Newton-John - Long Live Love
Everyone knows that the 1974 contest launched ABBA's career, but few remember that it also boosted Olivia-Newton John's. She follows in the footsteps of Sandie Shaw, Lulu, and Cliff Richard. Her entry (“Long Live Love”) is a bouncy number with a celebratory chorus. It's alright.

Spain: Peret - Canta y sé feliz
Spain's entry is very Spanish. It's from the Catalan rumba genre. I dig it. It commands you to dance.

Norway: Anne-Karine Strøm feat. Bendik Singers - The First Day of Love
The Bendik Sisters return with another plain affair.

Greece: Marinella - Krasi, thalassa ke t' agori mou
Greece debuts in 1974 with Marinella. The song is in traditional style and features a bouzouki. I give it points for uniqueness.

Israel: Kaveret - Natati La Khayay
Israel selects a rock band in their second year. The song contains a dark vibe and involves foreboding harmonies.

Yugoslavia: Korni Grupa - Generacija '42
Yugoslavia also breaks the mould by selecting a rock band. Though this one has unpleasant, grating, crying vocals.

Sweden: ABBA - Waterloo
WINNER (see below)

Luxembourg: Ireen Sheer - Bye Bye I Love You
A cute, bouncy, marching number. A French song with an English hook.

Monaco: Romuald - Celui qui reste et celui qui s'en va
A standard male ballad with a grandiose chorus and anthem-like brass.

Belgium: Jacques Hustin - Fleur de liberté
Forgettable.

Netherlands: Mouth & MacNeal - I See a Star
The Netherlands win the eccentricity award of the night. The outfits are unusual and there's a music box/puppet contraption by the piano. The celebratory, marching chorus is a banger - it drills itself into your head.

Ireland: Tina Reynolds - Cross Your Heart
Plain.

West Germany: Cindy & Bert - Die Sommermelodie
Germany has their first misstep of the decade with a dull song and ugly harmonizing.

Switzerland: Piera Martell - Mein Ruf nach dir
A dated ballad. The backing singers are too prominent.

Portugal: Paulo de Carvalho - E depois do adeus
A standard male ballad with a big note at the end.

Italy: Gigliola Cinquetti - Sì
The 1974 contest ends on a ballad-heavy note. Italy closes the show with the return of Gigliola Cinquetti (she won 1964). The song contains a mix of tempo changes. I like the gentler verses, but her voice is drowned out by the orchestra. Regardless the song placed 2nd. There was controversy that “Sì” was a political statement on a local referendum.

The Winner

Sweden earns their first win! “Waterloo” is the most significant turning point in Eurovision history. ABBA pushed the contest into modern times – Eurovision was still clinging to 1950s ideals. None of the ~300 previous entries had this much energy or such an obvious hook. It's the birth of Swedish pop as we know it. Blue Swede's cover of “Hooked on a Feeling” topped the Billboard Hot 100 on the same day. And it's the moment that launched one of the biggest names in pop music history. ABBA's only notable previous hit was “Ring Ring”, their failed entry from Melfest '73. “Waterloo” would become a massive smash across the European continent, and even reached #6 in the US. The band would amass 9 nine #1 hits in the UK, even though the British jurors gave them 0 votes.

“Waterloo”, both the performance and the song, are nothing short of iconic. The bright outfits, the piano work, THAT pre-chorus, the saxophone, the “Wa-Wa-Wa-Wa-Waterloo” bit. ABBA were geniuses at crafting hooks and melodies. “Dancing Queen”, “Mamma Mia” and “Take A Chance On Me” are other prime examples. They all get stuck in your head so easily. Harmonization was another key aspect of ABBA's craft. “Waterloo” showcases just that thanks to Agnetha and Anni-Frid. The lyrics compares a relationship to Napolean's surrender at Waterloo. It's an interesting take.


Verdict: G.O.A.T. 11/10. Best winner ever. Etc etc. Was there ever any doubt?


My points go to....
12 pts ABBA "Waterloo" (Sweden)
10 pts Marinella "Krasi, thalassa ke t' agori mou" (Greece)
08 pts Peret "Canta y sé feliz" (Spain)
07 pts Mouth & MacNeal "I See a Star" (Netherlands)
06 pts Gigliola Cinquetti "Sì" (Italy)
05 pts Ireen Sheer "Bye Bye I Love You" (Luxembourg)
04 pts Kaveret "Natati La Khayay" (Israel)
03 pts Olivia Newton-John "Long Live Love" (UK)
02 pts Paulo de Carvalho "E depois do adeus" (Portugal)
01 pts Carita "Keep Me Warm" (Finland)

Bubblin' Under:
#11: Tina Reynolds "Cross Your Heart" (Ireland)
#12: Jacques Hustin "Fleur de liberté" (Belgium)

Nah:
#13: Anne-Karine Strøm feat. Bendik Singers "The First Day of Love" (Norway)
#14: Romuald "Celui qui reste et celui qui s'en va" (Monaco)
#15: Korni Grupa "Generacija '42" (Yugoslavia)
#16: Piera Martell "Mein Ruf nach dir" (Switzerland)
#17: Cindy & Bert "Die Sommermelodie" (West Germany)




Leo ✔ 𝐒 𝐨 𝐮 𝐧 𝐝 𝐜 𝐥 🕤 𝐜 𝐤 born fearlessarrow kimberly Mylo13 💜

[born]

Mar 26, 2020 20:35:14 GMT -5 ry4n said:

Probably! They brought freshness to the contest imo. Same with Turkey and Israel, who are debuting soon too.

Totally agree with this statement!

What an iconic winner Sweden was with ABBA! Definitely a turning point in Eurovision history!

[Future Captain]

G.O.A.T. the true legends of Eurovision. Can you tag me for this? I've always wanted to finally gave the pre-2000 winners other than Diva, Hallelujah, and Waterloo a listen and I think your series might just be the push I needed

[Leo ✔]

"Waterloo" for me is not my favorite from ABBA but the song is one of the top winners of Eurovision, there is no discussion on that.

[ry4n]

Mar 29, 2020 7:57:08 GMT -5 Leo ✔ said:

"Waterloo" for me is not my favorite from ABBA but the song is one of the top winners of Eurovision, there is no discussion on that.

Yeah there's many ABBA songs I like better, but their discography is so strong. "Waterloo" is still 11/10 in Eurovision context.

[ry4n]

1975: Teach-In - Ding-a-dong

Country: Netherlands
Points: 152 (70.4% of highest score possible)
Language: English

Host: Stockholm, Sweden
Participants: 19
Voting method: 12-point system (juries only)

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics}When you feelin' all right, everything is up-tight
Try to sing a song that goes ding ding-a-dong
There will be no sorrow when you sing tomorrow
And you walk along with your ding-dang-dong

Ding-a-dong every hour, when you pick a flower
Even when your lover is gone, gone, gone
Ding-a-dong, listen to it, maybe it's a big hit
Even when your lover is gone, gone, gone
Sing ding-ding-dong

When you feelin' all right, everything is up-tight
Listen to sing a song that goes ding ding-a-dong
And the world looks sunny, everyone is funny
When they sing a song that goes ding-dang-dong

Ding-a-dong every hour, when you pick a flower
Even when your lover is gone, gone, gone
Ding-a-dong, listen to it, maybe it's a big hit
Even when your lover is gone, gone, gone
Sing ding-ding-dong

(Ding-dang-dong, ding-a-dang-dong)
When you think it's all over, they let me down
Dry your tears and forget all your sorrow
Try to smile while you say goodbye
(Ding-dong ding-dong)
Ding-dang-dong when you'll wake up tomorrow
When the sun is up in the sky

When you feelin' all right, everything is up-tight
Try to sing a song that goes ding ding-a-dong
There will be no sorrow when you'll sing tomorrow
And you walk along with your ding-dang-dong

Ding-a-dong every hour, when you pick a flower
Even when your lover is gone, gone, gone
Ding-a-dong, listen to it, maybe it's a big hit
Even when your lover is gone, gone, gone

Ding-a-dong every hour, when you pick a flower
Even when your lover is gone, gone, gone
Ding-a-dong, listen to it, maybe it's a big hit
Even when your lover is gone, gone, gone
Sing ding-ding-dong

General Overview

As of “Waterloo”, Eurovision has entered its “Golden Era” - according to my categorizations anyway. It's the contest at peak quality. This era lasts until the conclusion of the Cold War. 1956-1967 is the “Black-and-White Era”/“Serious Era”, while 1967-1974 is a transitional period featuring gradual format changes.

The 1975 contest introduces the most notable format change - the 12-point system! The one that we all know and love today. No televoting yet, though. That's another 20 years off.

The 20th Eurovision sees the debut of Turkey mere months after they invaded Cyprus. The juries voiced their displeasure by ranking them dead last (the song isn't even that bad!) Greece incidentally skips this one. Meanwhile, France and Malta return. This brings the number of participants to 19, the largest yet. Consequently, 1975 is the first contest to pass the 2-hour mark.

While Sweden are known for top tier hosting, that was not the case in 1975. The vote reveal is a mess. Presenter Karin Falck kept interrupting the correspondents to repeat the votes in the two official languages. Still, the intro video contained some amusing Nordic humour. And the postcards are enjoyable (the artists painting self portraits).

1975 is the year of female ballads. There's at least 7 solo. Many would rank higher if it were the 60's, but the bar has risen since then.

The 1975 contest is also the first since disco became mainstream (“Rock The Boat”, “Rock Your Baby”, “King Fu Fighting” were major hits in the preceding 12 months). Which means the 70s are becoming more familiar to me.

The Entries

Netherlands: Teach-In - Ding-a-dong
WINNER (see below)

Ireland: The Swarbriggs - That's What Friends Are For
A cheesy dedication to friendship. The arrangement is decent, though.

France: Nicole Rieu - Et bonjour à toi l'artiste
A gentle, soothing ballad thanks to Nicole's vocals and the relaxed instrumentation.

West Germany: Joy Fleming - Ein Lied kann eine Brücke sein
An engaging performance from Joy Fleming with her body movements and vocal climaxes. She is a treasure.

Luxembourg: Geraldine - Toi
A delicate female ballad.

Norway: Ellen Nikolaysen - Touch My Life (With Summer)
It employs a Disney movie instrumental, but the song itself is a bore.

Switzerland: Simone Drexel - Mikado
Infectious xylophone and bouncy carnival chorus.

Yugoslavia: Pepel in kri - Dan ljubezni
A tropical vacation atmosphere with smooth group harmonizing.

UK: The Shadows - Let Me Be The One
The Shadows give the UK their 9th runner-up finish. The band amassed several UK chart hits in the pre-Beatles era; most notably “Apache”. “Let Me Be The One” is the closet thing to a “real” rock song in Eurovision at this point.

Malta: Renato - Singing This Song
A flamboyant performance.

Belgium: Ann Christy - Gelukkig zijn
Forgettable.

Israel: Shlomo Artzi - At Va'Ani
There's disco vibes but it's kinda flat.

Turkey: Semiha Yankı - Seninle Bir Dakika
17-year-old Semiha handles this dark, bombastic ballad well.

Monaco: Sophie - Une chanson c'est une lettre
The strongest melody of the female ballads. It has a foreboding atmosphere.

Finland: Pihasoittajat - Old Man Fiddle
Finland steps outside the Eurovision comfort zone by submitting a fiddle jamboree with folky harmonies.

Portugal: Duarte Mendes - Madrugada
A dated mess.

Spain: Sergio & Estíbaliz - Tú volverás
Too sluggish.

Sweden: Lasse Berghagen - Jennie, Jennie
The "Jennie, Jennie (horn blast)" refrain is super catchy.

Italy: Wess & Dori Ghezzi - Era
Along with Israel, Italy's entry is the closest resemblance to disco in '75. “Era” contains a funky groove and R&B elements. It's one the freshest song of the night.

The Winner

The Netherlands attain their 4th win, pulling them into a 3-way tie with France and Luxembourg for the record. On the surface, “Ding-a-Dong” seems like one of the worst winners. The lyrics are intentional nonsense. They sound like a poor translation from the original Dutch version. However, upon doing this review, I've decided “Ding-a-Dong” is borderline brilliant? There's a meta aspect. The lyrics advise singing a meaningless string of syllables as way to cope with life's difficulties. “Ding-a-Dong” IS that meaningless tune you sing. While the ominous instrumentation represents the difficulties. That guitar rhythm just spells danger. Contrast is the key component of “Ding-a-Dong”. The uplifting lyrics and frantic instrumentation battle each other.

The ABBA influence on “Ding-a-Dong” is apparent. It sounds current. Miles ahead of “Boom Bang-A-Bang” or whatever from 5 years ago.


Verdict: YASSSSS tier. I convinced myself this is a good song. If for no other reason, the instrumentation is top notch. 5 solid winners in a row


My points go to....
12 pts Teach-In "Ding-a-dong" (Netherlands)
10 pts Wess & Dori Ghezzi "Era" (Italy)
08 pts Joy Fleming "Ein Lied kann eine Brücke sein" (West Germany)
07 pts Pihasoittajat "Old Man Fiddle" (Finland)
06 pts The Shadows "Let Me Be The One" (UK)
05 pts Sophie Hecquet "Une chanson c'est une lettre" (Monaco)
04 pts Lasse Berghagen "Jennie, Jennie" (Sweden)
03 pts Pepel in kri "Dan ljubezni" (Yugoslavia)
02 pts Simone Drexel "Mikado" (Switzerland)
01 pts Semiha Yankı "Seninle Bir Dakika" (Turkey)

Bubblin' Under:
#11: Nicole Rieu "Et bonjour à toi l'artiste" (France)
#12: Geraldine "Toi" (Luxembourg)
#13: Shlomo Artzi "At Va'Ani" (Israel)
#14: Ellen Nikolaysen "Touch My Life (With Summer)" (Norway)
#15: Renato "Singing This Song" (Malta)

Nah:
#16: The Swarbriggs "That's What Friends Are For" (Ireland)
#17: Ann Christy "Gelukkig zijn" (Belgium)
#18: Sergio & Estíbaliz "Tú volverás" (Spain)
#19: Duarte Mendes "Madrugada" (Portugal)




Leo ✔ 𝐒 𝐨 𝐮 𝐧 𝐝 𝐜 𝐥 🕤 𝐜 𝐤 born fearlessarrow kimberly Mylo13 💜 Future Captain

[Leo ✔]

Yessss I love "Ding A Dong"

[𝐒 𝐨 𝐮 𝐧 𝐝 𝐜 𝐥 🕤 𝐜 𝐤]

Thank you for doing this. I really enjoy reading your posts🙌

[ry4n]

1976: Brotherhood of Man - Save Your Kisses for Me

Country: United Kingdom
Points: 164 (80.4% of highest score possible)
Language: English

Host: The Hague, Netherlands
Participants: 18
Voting method: 12-point system (juries only)

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics}Though it hurts to go away, it's impossible to stay
But there's one thing I must say before I go:
I love you (I love you), you know
I'll be thinkin' of you in most everything I do

Now the time is movin' on and I really should be gone
But you keep me hangin' on for one more smile
I love you (I love you) all the while
With your cute little wave
Will you promise that you'll save your...

Kisses for me, save all your kisses for me
Bye bye, baby, bye bye
Don't cry, honey, don't cry
Gonna walk out the door
But I'll soon be back for more

Kisses for me, save all your kisses for me
So long, honey, so long
Hang on, baby, hang on
Don't you dare me to stay
'Cause you know I'll have to say

That I've got to work each day and that's why I go away
But I count the seconds till I'm home with you
I love you (I love you), it's true
You're so cute honey, gee
Won't you save them up for me? Your...

Kisses for me, save all your kisses for me
Bye bye, baby, bye bye
Don't cry, honey, don't cry
Gonna walk out the door
But I'll soon be back for more

Kisses for me, save all your kisses for me
So long, honey, so long
Hang on, baby, hang on
Don't you dare me to stay
'Cause you know you've got to save your...

Kisses for me, save all your kisses for me
Bye bye, baby, bye bye
Don't cry, honey, don't cry
Won't you save them for me
Even though you're only three?

General Overview

The Netherlands have become reliable hosts. Unfortunately their next win is 4 decades later. Corry Brokken (the winner of 1957) presents, which is neat. The scoreboard looks more modern. And the camera work seems more advanced? Or I happen to notice it now. There's wipes, fades and several wide shots of the stage. Sweden misses this contest after drowning in expenses from hosting last year. And Greece is back while Turkey is out.

Looking at the UK & US #1's since the previous contest.. disco sure overtook quickly. Eurovision has not caught up yet, of course.

The Greek and Israeli entries are on another level. Arguably too good for the juries.

The Entries

UK: Brotherhood of Man - Save Your Kisses for Me
WINNER (see below)

Switzerland: Peter, Sue and Marc - Djambo, Djambo
Switzerland brings back the folk trio Peter, Sue & Marc (ie. I can't believe it's not Peter, Paul & Mary) with an ode to a clown. The performance includes an actual clown on stage.

West Germany: Les Humphries Singers - Sing Sang Song
Possibly Germany's worst entry ever. It's an out-of-sync mess

Israel: Chocolate, Menta, Mastik - Emor Shalom
A girl group with slick chereo. The harmonies are in sync, the melody is killer, and the beat breathes attitude.

Luxembourg: Jürgen Marcus - Chansons pour ceux qui s'aiment
A standard male vocal ballad. The marching beat saves it though.

Belgium: Pierre Rapsat - Judy et Cie
Belgium freshens up the ballad formula with an acoustic, brooding number.

Ireland: Red Hurley - When
A male ballad that's 20 years out of date.

Netherlands: Sandra Reemer - The Party's Over
An effortlessly catchy bop.

Norway: Anne-Karine Strøm - Mata Hari
The closest thing to a disco groove comes from Norway's Anne-Karine Strøm and her fashionable sunglasses. The juries ranked it dead last, however.

Greece: Mariza Koch - Panagia mou, Panagia mou
Greece submitted a protest song against Turkey (not sure if political songs were banned at the time). It's a brooding song in traditional style, while Mariza Koch delivers a powerful, honest performance.

Finland: Fredi & Ystävät - Pump-Pump
The most Eurovision entry of the night. “Pump-Pump” is enjoyable novelty with plenty of butt bumps.

Spain: Braulio - Sobran las palabras
A standard grandiose male ballad. It's a passionate performance though.

Italy: Al Bano & Romina Power - We'll Live It All Again
A reflective male/female duet that falls a bit flat.

Austria: Waterloo & Robinson - My Little World
An eccentric performance, but more on the flamboyant side.

Portugal: Carlos do Carmo - Uma flor de verde pinho
Another dated male ballad.

Monaco: Mary Christy - Toi, la musique et moi
France and Monaco place 2nd and 3rd, respectively, with frantic numbers. Monaco's has cool instrumentation but the song is too plain.

France: Catherine Ferry - Un, deux, trois
France refrains from sending their 386th ballad. “Un, deux, trois” is quite frantic and hyper. The counting, hand-claps and bouncy beat are infectious.

Yugoslavia: Ambasadori - Ne mogu skriti svoju bol
Traditional vibes with an atmosphere of despair.

The Winner

The UK earn their 3rd win. They've only missed the top 4 once since 1959. Insane. After a decade of drafting established artists, the country selects the relatively unknown Brotherhood of Man. Though the group attained two more UK #1's after this – both of which being ABBA rip-offs.

“Save Your Kisses For Me”'s strength is its melody – it reminds me of 1960s favourites. But that's where the positives end. The song is so overly sweet and wholesome that I cringe. The final line reveals that it's aimed at a 3-year old, who cries when his daddy leaves for work. The melody and instrumentation reinforce that this is a children's song. It's so chipper. Those twinkling bells ugh. I am convinced that the UK produces both the best music and worst music in the world. The Eurovision performance is notable for its chereo. It's the first winner to contain this much chereo, actually. While a sign of the future, the dance routine adds to the cringe factor. The wholesomeness is relentless.


Verdict: MEHH. It's bad, but there's worse.


My points go to....
12 pts Mariza Koch "Panagia mou, Panagia mou" (Greece)
10 pts Chocolate, Menta, Mastik "Emor Shalom" (Israel)
08 pts Catherine Ferry "Un, deux, trois" (France)
07 pts Fredi & Ystävät "Pump-Pump" (Finland)
06 pts Pierre Rapsat "Judy et Cie" (Belgium)
05 pts Peter, Sue and Marc "Djambo, Djambo" (Switzerland)
04 pts Sandra Reemer "The Party's Over" (Netherlands)
03 pts Anne-Karine Strøm "Mata Hari" (Norway)
02 pts Waterloo & Robinson "My Little World" (Austria)
01 pts Ambasadori "Ne mogu skriti svoju bol" (Yugoslavia)

Bubblin' Under:
#11: Mary Christy "Toi, la musique et moi" (Monaco)
#12: Jürgen Marcus "Chansons pour ceux qui s'aiment" (Luxembourg)
#13: Braulio "Sobran las palabras" (Spain)
#14: Al Bano & Romina Power "We'll Live It All Again" (Italy)
#15: Brotherhood of Man "Save Your Kisses for Me" (UK)

Nah:
#16: Carlos do Carmo "Uma flor de verde pinho" (Portugal)
#17: Les Humphries Singers "Sing Sang Song" (West Germany)
#18: Red Hurley "When" (Ireland)




Leo ✔ 𝐒 𝐨 𝐮 𝐧 𝐝 𝐜 𝐥 🕤 𝐜 𝐤 born fearlessarrow kimberly Mylo13 💜 Future Captain

[born]

Mar 26, 2020 20:09:30 GMT -5 born said:

PS: Greece is debuting soon! Curious to see if you’re gonna rank my favorite Greek entry of the ‘70s (which is also my favorite Greek entry pre-2000)👀

Yay! You did   "Panagia mou, Panagia mou" is one of my favorite Greek entries ever. So powerful yet beautiful.

There was a rumor that a Turkish shooter would come in and kill her so everyone was telling her to just back out and return to Greece. However, she wore a bulletproof vest and got up on the stage (and I'm glad she did).

[ry4n]

Mar 31, 2020 2:44:14 GMT -5 born said:

Mar 26, 2020 20:09:30 GMT -5 born said:

PS: Greece is debuting soon! Curious to see if you’re gonna rank my favorite Greek entry of the ‘70s (which is also my favorite Greek entry pre-2000)👀

Yay! You did   "Panagia mou, Panagia mou" is one of my favorite Greek entries ever. So powerful yet beautiful.

There was a rumor that a Turkish shooter would come in and kill her so everyone was telling her to just back out and return to Greece. However, she wore a bulletproof vest and got up on the stage (and I'm glad she did).

Wow thats scary. I respect her bravery.

[ry4n]

1977: Marie Myriam - L'oiseau et l'enfant

Country: France
Points: 136 (66.7% of highest score possible)
Language: French

Host: London, United Kingdom
Participants: 18
Voting method: 12-point system (juries only)

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics (French)}Comme un enfant aux yeux de lumière
Qui voit passer au loin les oiseaux
Comme l'oiseau bleu survolant la terre
Vois comme le monde... le monde est beau

Beau, le bateau dansant sur les vagues
Ivre de vie, d'amour et de vent
Belle, la chanson naissante des vagues
Abandonnée au sable blanc

Blanc, l'innocent, le sang du poète
Qui en chantant invente l'amour
Pour que la vie s'habille de fête
Et que la nuit se change en jour

Jour d'une vie où l'aube se lève
Pour réveiller la ville aux yeux lourds
Où les matins effeuillent les rêves
Pour nous donner un monde d'amour

L'amour, c'est toi; l'amour, c'est moi
L'oiseau, c'est toi; l'enfant, c'est moi

Moi, je ne suis qu'une fille de l'ombre
Qui voit briller l'étoile du soir
Toi, mon étoile, qui tisses ma ronde
Viens allumer mon soleil noir

Noirs, la misère, les hommes et la guerre
Qui croient tenir les rênes du temps
Pays d'amour n'a pas de frontière
Pour ceux qui ont un cœur d'enfant

Comme un enfant aux yeux de lumière
Qui voit passer au loin les oiseaux
Comme l'oiseau bleu survolant la terre
Nous trouverons ce monde d'amour

L'amour, c'est toi; l'amour, c'est moi
L'oiseau, c'est toi; l'enfant, c'est moi

L'oiseau, c'est toi; l'enfant, c'est moi
L'oiseau, c'est toi; l'enfant, c'est moi

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lyrics (Translated)}Like a child with eyes full of light
That sees the birds passing by in the distance
Like the blue bird flying over the earth
See how beautiful the world... the world is

Beautiful is the boat, dancing on the waves
Wild of life, love and wind
Beautiful is the song, coming from the waves
Abandoned to the white sand

White is the innocent, the blood from the poet
Who invents love by singing
So that life gets dressed in feast
And so that night changes to day

Day from a life when dawn breaks
To wake up the town with heavy eyes
When mornings gather the dreams
To give us a world of love

Love, it's you; love, it's me
The bird, it's you; the child, it's me

I'm just a girl of the shade
That sees the evening star shining
You, my star that forms a circle
Come to light my dark sun

Dark are the misery, the men and the war
Which believe that they hold the time's reins
The country of love doesn't have a border
For the ones who have a child's heart

Like a child with eyes full of light
That sees the birds passing by in the distance
Like the blue bird flying over the earth
We will find this world of love

Love, it's you; love, it's me
The bird, it's you; the child, it's me

The bird, it's you; the child, it's me
The bird, it's you; the child, it's me

General Overview

Eurovision is held in the UK yet again! It's the 3rd time in 6 years, and the 6th occurrence overall. The stage looks fancy this year – it involves circular platforms with the orchestra situated in a pit. There's no postcards, though – instead the camera cuts to the audience for 30 seconds between performances. Not a super interesting visual. 1977 also sees the language rule reinstated. However an exception was made for Germany and Belgium who already selected their entries.

The 1977 vote reveal is a mess. Presenter Angela Rippon repeated and translated numbers incorrectly. While Greece and France announced their points wrong. The final scores were ultimately adjusted after the broadcast aired. I suspect the confusion came from how they revealed the votes. Before 1980, the correspondents listed their points in running order instead of ascending numerical order. (ie. “Ireland 5 points, Monaco 8 points, Germany 2 points, UK 12 points...” etc.) It's difficult to keep track of.

Disco grooves are more noticeable this year. And I spot more creative camera work. There's several overlay shots (two camera feeds faded ontop of each other). While a fuzzy filter is used during Monaco's performance.

I love seeing the contest evolve during this era. 1977 is the year of eccentric entries. The kind only found in Eurovision. The 1977 contest also noticeably contains more choreo.

The Entries

Ireland: The Swarbriggs Plus Two - It's Nice to Be in Love Again
Ireland is as plain as always, but at least this one is melodic. The juries overrate them as usual.

Monaco: Michèle Torr - Une petite française
I dig the Mediterranean vibe.

Netherlands: Heddy Lester - De mallemolen
A melodic female ballad of encouragement. Heddy and her backing singers wear ugly flamingo pink dresses.

Austria: Schmetterlinge - Boom Boom Boomerang
Austria goes pretentious with a protest song against the pop music industry. The staging involves double sided suits, while the song contains nonsense phrases and references to Australian stereotypes.

Norway: Anita Skorgan - Casanova
An enjoyable catchy bop with enough charm/personality to carry it.

West Germany: Silver Convention - Telegram
Germany uses actual telegram beeps in a song called... “Telegram”. They selected the disco group Silver Convention. They're known for “Fly, Robin, Fly” (US #1) and “Get Up and Boogie”. The dance routine involves hypnotic hand/hip movements. There's even close-ups of their hips.

Luxembourg: Anne-Marie B - Frère Jacques
This entry is very “out there” - a haunting performance that's lost on the juries. The half-talking/half-singing delivery is unusual for Eurovision.

Portugal: Os Amigos - Portugal no coração
An oversung mess.

UK: Lynsey de Paul & Mike Moran - Rock Bottom
The UK land in second place for the 369th time. The country has fully switched to lesser known names with Lynsey de Paul & Mike Moran. “Rock Bottom” is a catchy 30s homage that features back-to-back grand pianos.

Greece: Paschalis, Marianna, Robert & Bessy - Mathima solfege
Plenty of hand motions. An enjoyable energetic pop song.

Israel: Ilanit - Ahava Hi Shir Lishnayim
Ilanit represents Israel again (she sang their debut entry). She knocks it out of the park with another stellar vocal performance on a big power ballad.

Switzerland: Pepe Lienhard Band - Swiss Lady
The eccentric performance involves an alphorn, a piccolo? and yodels. It parodies Swiss stereotypes.

Sweden: Forbes - Beatles
Sweden returns with an ode to the Beatles. Feels like they're pandering to the UK. The song incidentally sounds nothing like the Beatles' music. More like the stuff that existed before them. Honestly it's a huge misstep in Sweden's chronology.

Spain: Micky - Enséñame a cantar
An underwhelming banjo jamboree.

Italy: Mia Martini - Libera
Meh. Mia's voice is grating in the chorus.

Finland: Monica Aspelund - Lapponia
Finland is a huge favourite of mine. The booming chorus is infectious and Monica Aspelund holds a whistle note for 8 seconds! That caught me off guard. The performance is so brazen and bombastic.

Belgium: Dream Express - A Million in One, Two, Three
Belgium inserts some slick choreo. The melody is too much like a TV jingle though.

France: Marie Myriam - L'oiseau et l'enfant
WINNER (see below)

The Winner

France attains their 5th (and most recent) win; giving them the record outright at the time. “L'oiseau et l'enfant” (“The Bird and The Child”) is poetic and passionate. Marie Myriam has a beautiful, pleasant voice. And her reaction to winning is cute. But “L'oiseau” is one of the more forgettable winners. I suspect it benefited from being last in the running order. It's a return to the “serious” songs triumphing. “L'oiseau” compares Marie and her lover to a bird and a child, in how they search for beauty in the world. While the melody has this storytelling structure that escalates as the song progresses.


Verdict: I like it. It's a nice song. But it doesn't do enough to stand-out as a Eurovision winner should.


My points go to....
12 pts Monica Aspelund "Lapponia" (Finland)
10 pts Anne-Marie B "Frère Jacques" (Luxembourg)
08 pts Lynsey de Paul & Mike Moran "Rock Bottom" (UK)
07 pts Silver Convention "Telegram" (West Germany)
06 pts Anita Skorgan "Casanova" (Norway)
05 pts Marie Myriam "L'oiseau et l'enfant" (France)
04 pts Paschalis, Marianna, Robert & Bessy "Mathima solfege" (Greece)
03 pts Michèle Torr "Une petite française" (Monaco)
02 pts Ilanit "Ahava Hi Shir Lishnayim" (Israel)
01 pts Pepe Lienhard Band "Swiss Lady" (Switzerland)

Bubblin' Under:
#11: Heddy Lester "De mallemolen" (Netherlands)
#12: Micky "Enséñame a cantar" (Spain)
#13: Dream Express "A Million in One, Two, Three" (Belgium)
#14: The Swarbriggs Plus Two "It's Nice to Be in Love Again" (Ireland)

Nah:
#15: Mia Martini "Libera" (Italy)
#16: Os Amigos "Portugal no coração" (Portugal)
#17: Forbes "Beatles" (Sweden)
#18: Schmetterlinge "Boom Boom Boomerang" (Austria)




Leo ✔ 𝐒 𝐨 𝐮 𝐧 𝐝 𝐜 𝐥 🕤 𝐜 𝐤 born fearlessarrow kimberly Mylo13 💜 Future Captain