Results tagged “Luxembourg” from Boom Bang a Blog

When Linda Martin won in 1992, it must have been inconceivable that the Contest would be held anywhere other than Dublin in 1993. But an entrepreneurial equestrian centre owner had other ideas. He wrote to RTE, the Irish broadcaster, on the very night Ms Martin took the trophy, suggesting that the Green Glens Arena in the tiny County Cork town of Millstreet would be the ideal setting for the 38th Eurovision Song Contest. The people at the telly admired his brass and so it came to pass that the Contest was heading for its least populous host town ever. Millstreet in 1993 had a population of around 1,500.

And so, this lush speck on the map became the setting for one of the most highly publicised Eurovisions of the decade. Three former Yugoslavian states made their debut. Luxembourg said goodbye for good and Italy sort-of-did too. Switzerland had its last top five showing to date and the stage looked a bit like a paper plane.

But all that was overshadowed by one of the most nailbiting finishes ever, when the UK possibly counted the cost of snubbing the Maltese entry in Malmo.

A few years back, Bruce Forsyth appeared on Room 101, the BBC show where celebs can put the case forward for consigning their least favourite things to history. The very last thing he wanted to put into the dank holding bay of infamy was Yugoslavia. When presenter Paul Merton probed Brucie further for this unusual choice, the veteran entertainer was happy to elucidate; in 1988, his daughter, Julie, had composed the British entry to the Eurovision Song Contest. When Yugoslavia, the final jury of the night, was called for its votes, the United Kingdom had a fairly strong six-point lead and a score of seven or more would guarantee victory.

As you've probably worked out, the final decision of the Yugoslav jury didn't curry much favour with our Brucie - or those watching on these fair isles. But what Bruce doesn't understand is that his reasons for punishing Yugoslavia must be far wider reaching than mere paternal loyalty. That panel in Llubjana were responsible for inflicting a great evil upon this world, a blight that has caused pain to many good people and one that needs to be stopped before it is responsible for any more international upset. Boom Bang a Blog is speaking, of course, about the ongoing career and success of Celine Dion.

That looks suspiciously like the rocket from Tintin's Destination Moon...

The home of the European Parliament finally became the home of the Eurovision Song Contest, the event had enjoyed 31 previous editions before it reached Belgium and the organisers were keen to show the millions of viewers what they'd been missing out on all this time. One thing they'd clearly been missing out on a woman called Viktor Lazlo (also the name of a character in Casablanca, curiously) with huge ear-rings hosting the show, so they hired her for the night.

It was arguably the most impressive and contemporary-looking production yet with some very late '80s dayglo pink contrasted with the pale grey used in both the stage and the suits of the orchestra members. There was also some flashy lasers zinging out from behind a big sphere at the whim of the director and the whole Contest did look as if it was finally being dragged towards a style that would sit more comfortably with the MTV generation. It has to be said, though, that the atmosphere and acoustics in Brussels' Palais du Centenaire (built for the 1935 Expo and in the shadow of the Atomium) was as flat as a crepe. At times, the performers sound as though they're belting a song out in a deserted out-of-town cash-and-carry in the hope that a passing sympathetic motorist will nip in and offer a round of applause.

Still, Eurovision wasn't remade in a day and the massive effort put in by Belgian telly to liven proceedings up would be built on over the coming years.

But sets don't sing and juries don't vote on the colour of the woodwind section's lapels - shall we have a shufty at the songs?

Although Norway's victory in 1985 caused ripples of excitement over the spiritual home of no-points and the hosting of the 1986 Contest was a source of huge national pride, broadcaster NRK made the unusual move of not staging the event in one of the larger arenas available in the capital Oslo, but the tiny 1,500-seater Grieg Hall in the northerly second city of Bergen, birthplace of composer Edvard Grieg, whom the venue was named after. This did mean that the audience was even smaller than that in attendance in Harrogate four years earlier but, despite that difference, there was still a sense of scale and atmosphere to the event which put the BBC's shoddy 1982 production to shame.

Long-term fans of the Contest tend not to be enamoured with Eurovision '86, with its ice palace-style staging (reflecting the fact it was the most northerly Eurovision there's ever been) leading to comparisons with a panto. A very glitzy, hi-tech panto, but a panto nevertheless. Opinion-wise, that's all well and good, but if Norway really were going for that sort of thigh-slapping show, they'd have invited someone a bit more fun and frothy to present the thing...

They had waited for a win since their first appearance in 1960. They had scored nul points in 1963, 1978 and 1981, three of the six occasions they had finished bottom of the scoreboard. They were destined to be the Contest's eternal no-hopers. Then, in 1985, twenty-five years after their first appearance, something amazing happened. Norway won the Eurovision Song Contest.

Above you'll find a performance of the song Balalaika, ably belted out by Israeli singer Ilanit, who had already represented her country at Eurovision in 1973 and 1977. This would have been the song which bore the Israeli flag at the 29th Eurovision Song Contest in Luxembourg. However - and it was a habit those pesky organisers kept on making - the date for the 1984 Contest clashed with an important festival in Israel's calendar. Therefore, just as an awkward date saw the land of Milk and Honey miss the Contest following its two successive wins, another balls-up in the date stakes saw them sit out the event which followed its two successive silvers.

Balalika did go on to be one of the biggest selling singles of 1984 in Israel. What do you think? Would it have been a winner had it made it to Luxembourg City?

It had been 26 years since Germany last hosted the Contest when Nicole's little piece of peace brought Eurovision back to the country in 1983, the first time Deutsch telly were hosting as title holders. Whereas the second Eurovision Song Contest had been staged in a tiny television studio, the 28th took place in the mammoth 6,000 seater-plus Rudi Sedlmayer Halle, the basketball venue built for the 1972 Summer Olympics.

A fair few pfennig seemed to have been spent on the show, which looked a lot more spectacular than the squashed-in feel of Harrogate the previous year, although the set did resemble the inner element of a toaster stuck over a bay windowsill, creating a seemingly tiny space for the acts to stand in.

There were 20 acts back on the starting grid in Munich, however, up from 18 the year before. Italy, Greece and France all came back - and Ireland surprised everyone by taking a year out. The 1980 champs were having a cashflow crisis at their national broadcaster and organising a Eurovision entry was one extravagance they couldn't justify.

But for everyone else who turned up, it was a rather fun year. For all the wrong reasons.

As you may have already read, Israel had won both the 1978 and 1979 Contests, but when the Netherlands stepped in to host as a favour to the cash-strapped Israeli Broadcasting Authority, they inadvertently scheduled Eurovision for a date when the trophy holders remembered their fallen and couldn't possibly take part.

With the country who had had a stranglehold on the results at the end of the '70s now absent, there was a clear run for everyone else involved. Although, 'I' would continue to be a lucky initial for Eurovision's winner for the third year running.

With stepping in at relatively short notice, the Dutch production was nowehere near as grand as it had been in 1976. With The Hague's Congresgebouw (pictured, above) being used once more, part of the opening travelogue film from four years previous - featuring beckoning hands welcoming allcomers to Den Haag - was recycled to save a few gelder. While only those with long-term photographic memories would have made the connection in 1980, it's a bit easier to spot in the era of videos, DVD and a certain file-sharing website.

Winner 1979: Milk & Honey featuring Gali Atari perform Hallelujah for Israel

Let's get the negative stuff out the way first. Boom Bang a Blog has never really enjoyed the 1979 Contest. It has a very dreary atmosphere, too much of the action is in long shot and, at times, feels like the inspiration for The Fast Show's Channel 9 series of sketches. However, when it comes to the mysterious twilight world of Eurovision fandom, I'm very much in the minority with that opinion. The general concensus is one of a marvellous, groundbreaking production packed with memorable songs. That said, the idea of only dressing the stage with a really big gyroscope was an inspired one. It's just a shame it doesn't get to do very much gyroscoping as the show progresses.

One thing 1979 does have in its favour, though, is a very close, exciting voting sequence and a winner which many people remember today. It also has - arguably - the worst song the UK ever sent to the Eurovision Song Contest, but we'll get to that in a bit.

Opinion is divided over Eurovision 1978. Whereas parts of it look spectacular (the entire orchestra was on a revolving platform and there was an impressive laser show built into the set), many think it a rather drab affair with not much heart and soul put into the production. Maybe it's because so many BBC-style Contests had dominated the decade that a distinct change in style stands out like a sore thumb. Either way, Boom Bang a Blog has always rather liked it. There are a couple of things to watch out for in '78. Denmark return after a 12 year absence, the UK does abominably badly for the first time since 1966, the Norwegians fare even worse, a Swedish singer whose trousers were far too tight and the start of a remarkable run of success for a country which you won't find on any European map.

Winners 1978: Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta perform A Ba Ni Bi for Israel. It's the caption that's wrong, not us. Swear down.

However, this was also the year that the Contest's popularity took a severe dip.

Sad to say, but by 1978, the Contest had passed its mid-70s peak and viewers everywhere were starting to fall out love with this annual party of pop.

Yes, you heard it right, the rumbles in the Eurovision jungle are that Luxembourg is making a return to the Eurovision Song Contest after a 16-year absence. What seemed to be the capital of French popular music in the 1960s and 1970s, judging by the number of French acts who participated for the Grand Duchy over their homeland, could be preparing one more assault on the Eurovision scoreboard in 2010.

Although nothing has been confirmed officially, leaks suggest that CLT - the broadcaster which would be responsible for a Luxembourgeoise entry - has already appraoched composers from three different non-Luxembourgian nations to submit a potential winner.

Asking people from other countries to write a Eurovision Song Contest entry for Luxembourg? Well, why change the habit of a lifetime?

The 20th Eurovision Song Contest came from Stockholm and it was very, very blue. The set was blue, the scoreboard was blue and the presenter's dress was blue. Debutantes Turkey were also blue, albeit in more abstract fashion - and we'll get to them later.

This was also the first year that 'douze points' was awarded at the Eurovision Song Contest. The voting system had been thoroughly overhauled to make everything as fair as possible, ABBA had suddenly made the Contest seem a credible sorta-thing for pop groups to enter and the viewing figures were going through the roof across the continent.

All 1975 needed was another top-drawer, bespoke slab of prime European pop to take the trophy and the Contest could maybe, just maybe, become the event songwriters of every calibre would sweat semi-quavers to be part of.

The judges went for this:

Winner 1975: Teach-In perform Ding Dinge Dong for the Netherlands

If you read the Bluffer's Guide to Eurovision 1974, you'll have seen mention of British singer Ireen Sheer, who represented Luxembourg in Brighton.

Here she is, singing Bye Bye, I Love You, possibly the only French song ever performed with a British accent.

"Hmm... those Swedes I passed in the wings seemed quite talented..."

Poor Ireen had the misfortune of being the Eurovision entrant which followed ABBA in the draw - a bit like that stand-up comic who thought he was finally getting his big break with a slot on the Ed Sullivan Show, but ended up coming on right after The Beatles had finished their historic first performance and failed to make any impact at all.

However, an article of the BBC News magazine website yesterday listed 30 Britons who are really famous abroad, but nobody has the faintest idea who they are back in the UK. Can you guess who made the list? Check out number 26...

The 10 songs which competed in the 1974 Swedish Eurovision heats. Can you spot a winner?

The 1973 heats to select Sweden's entry for that year's Eurovision Song Contest do not appear to exist in the archives of Sveriges Television. That's a real shame as, among the line-up bidding for the chance to fly the flag in Luxembourg, was a quartet made up of one married couple and one that was engaged to be wed.

Going by the unwieldy name of Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid, the first A of the line-up was eight-and-a-half months pregnant on the night the show was broadcast live to the nation. Their performance of Ring, Ring (the English lyrics to which came from none other than Neil Sedaka and Phil Cody) brought the house down - but didn't convince the so-called music professionals on the jury, who placed it third.

This audio recording is all that exists of that historic evening. The night of the first official performance by the group which went on to be known as ABBA.

If you want to know what Sweden *did* wind up sending to Luxembourg instead of one of the most accomplished groups of all time - and the adventures acts from various other countries had while they were in the Grand Duchy as well, you'd better come this way.

Despite its wealth, plush casino venues and potential as a tourist attraction, Monaco didn't want to capitalise on its 1971 win by hosting in 1972.

Spain and Germany, the silver and bronze medallists in Dublin, weren't interested in stepping in, either. Therefore, the baton was passed to fourth-placers, the UK, making this the fourth time the BBC would host.

Possibly in deference to Lulu bringing Britain a tied win in 1969, it was decided the Contest should be held in Scotland. In a move which surely miffed Lulu's home city of Glasgow, it was decided to stage the event in the more genteel surrounds of Scottish capital Edinburgh.

The 3,000(ish) capacity Usher Hall on the Lothian Road was chosen as the venue. Katie Boyle was the stock BBC Eurovision hostess at the time, but having a very English lady acting as announcer would doubtless rub the hometown audience up the wrong way, so actress, dancer and wife of Ludovic Kennedy, Moira Shearer was persuaded to do the job.

Moira (pictured), who died in 2006, gamely took the job on because her daughters wanted some teasing ammo for future use. Prior to her presenting job, Moira was known to ballet afficionados throughout the world for her leading role in Powell and Pressburger's 1948 classic film The Red Shoes, about a pair of enchanted/cursed scarlet ballet slippers which won't stop its wearer from dancing.

The same 18 countries which appeared in Dublin returned for Edinburgh - with the French and Greek reserves pulling a big win out of the bag with an even bigger ballad.

Winner 1972: Vicky Leandros performs Apres Toi for Luxembourg

Winner 1966: Udo Jurgens performs Merci, Cherie for Austria

The result of the 1966 Contest sticks out like a sore thumb compared to all its other sixties counterparts.

All of the nations who otherwise dominated in the Contest's first full decade did either badly or mediocre-ly at the Villa Louvigny, the venue for the 1962 event. Italy was last with its only nul points to date, France scored just one point to finish 16th, two-times winners and reigning champ Luxembourg was 10th and the UK a dismal ninth - which could have been an even lowlier 14th/15th were it none for the final vote of the night. Switzerland was the only country with a respectable record to do respectably - finishing sixth.

But the winner was a man who proved that if at first you don't succeed, try, try and try again...

Winner 1965: France's France Gall performs France's Serge Gainsbourg's superlative French pop song Poupee De Cire, Poupee De Son. For Luxembourg.

Although the winner two year's hence tends to be credited for bringing an uptempo vibe to much of the Contest's victors that followed it, that's not strictly true. It really started in Naples in 1965 where an 18-year-old girl from Paris was invited by the executives of Luxembourgeois telly to pick one of the 10 songs they had on a handy shortlist as her choice to represent the Grand Duchy at Eurovision.

She chose what went on to be one of the most influential two minutes and 14 seconds in Eurovision history.

There has never, ever, been a more controversial result to a Eurovision Song Contest than that which took place in 1963 - but it tends to be overlooked in the documentaries which get trotted out about the event. In fact, 'controversy' is a word which hangs around the staging of this particular Eurovision more than any other.

But let's consider the positives. The BBC did pull off a technically impressive production in its Shepherd's Bush HQ, then just three years old. Every act had a different stage set-up to perform their song from, be it a simple archway, a backdrop of clustered metal hoops, pools of light on a darkened set - or even superimposed visual effects.

And that's where the first finger of suspicion points. Each act looks completely different - but there was only a short space of time between each song to redress the stage. It has long been mooted - but never confirmed - that the BBC pre-recorded the performances before the broadcast. There is also a suspicious lack of microphones on show and an almost complete lack of audience response. Even Katie Boyle was based in a separate studio with the Contest's first ever electronic scoreboard - and a smaller share of the spectators.

However, that controversy is absolutely nothing compared to what happened with the final vote of the night.

Winners 1963: Grethe and Jorgen Ingmann perform Dansevise for Denmark - complete with BBC swirly spiral effects

The Villa Louvigny in Luxembourg was one of the few auditoria large enough in the home of the 1961 winners to stage the Contest - and it was here the same 16 countries as the year before showed up on March 18 to do melodic battle.

It was not one of the most exciting Contests in the event's history. It had an atmosphere flatter than a pancake run over by a convoy of steamrollers and France consolidating the sort of reputation Ireland would gain notoriety for 30 years later by winning for the third time in five Eurovisions.

However, despite having neither debutantes nor maiden victors, there were a number of firsts at the 1962 competition which have become traditions continuing well in to the 21st Century.

Winner 1962: Isabelle Aubret performs Un Premier Amour for France