EuroVisionary.com - Everything you need to know about the Eurovision Song Contest - We welcome the 2009 Contest in Moscow

Spain – Conchita Bautista – Estando Contigo (Spanish)

Music/Lyrics: Antonio Guijarro/ Antonio Guijarro

Conductor: Rafael Ferrer

The first of the debutants, Spain gave us something with an international feel, rather than traditional Spanish which would be a feature in future years.

Music/Lyrics: Hubert Giraud/Pierre Delanoë

Conductor: Raymond Lefèvre

If nothing else, Monaco’s 3rd entry will make you smile.

Music/Lyrics: Leopold Andrejewitsch/ Leopold Andrejewitsch

Conductor: Franck Pourcel

Baritone Jimmy sung a ballad which although pleasant enough, was never going to stand out this year.

Music/Lyrics: Eino Hurme/ Sauvo Puhtila

Conductor: George de Godzinsky

Finland’s contest debut is a very gentle little number with bursts of strings between the vocal lines.

Yugoslavia – Lililjana Petrovic – Neke Davne Zvezde (Serbo-Croat)

Music/Lyrics: Jozé Privsek/Miroslac Antic

Conductor: Jozé Privsek

A ballad opened Yugoslavia’s account in the contest. As with Spain, it’s more international than traditional in style.

Music/Lyrics: Dick Schallies/Pieter Goemanns

Conductor: Dolf van der Linden

The pace of the song is slow at first, but it soon picks up to utilise the sounds of the brass section of the orchestra.

Sweden – Lill-Babs – April, April (Swedish)

Music/Lyrics: Bobby Ericson/ Bo Eneby

Conductor: Thore Ehrling

This is a perky little song with more than its fair share of whistling, always risky during a live performance. However, assuming that the whistling was coming from Lill, it worked well.

Germany – Lale Andersen – Einmal Sehen Wir Uns Wieder (German)

Music/Lyrics: Rudolf Maluck/Ernst Bader

Conductor: Franck Pourcel

The Germans brought a bit of their musical tradition to the contest. There was plenty of accordion accompanying Lale’s flowing ballad.

France – Jean-Paul Mauric – Printemps (Avril Carrillone)  (French)

Music/Lyrics: Francis Baxter/Guy Favereau

Conductor: Franck Pourcel

France defended their title with something very different to all their previous songs. This is fun and bouncy and even finds room from a few ‘bing-a-bongs’

Switzerland – Franca di Rienzo – Nous Aurons Demain (French)

Music/Lyrics: Géo Voumard/Emile Gardaz

Conductor: Fernando Paggi

Maybe in an attempt to win the contest for a second time, Switzerland returned to the formula which won them the first contest. In terms of the placing, it almost worked.

Belgium – Bob Benny – September, Gouden Roos (Flemish)

Music/Lyrics: Hans Flower/Wim Brabants

Conductor: Francis Bay

This song fluctuates between the quiet and the dramatic. Bob was making his second and final appearance for Belgium.

Norway – Nora Brockstedt – Sommer I Palma (Norwegian)

Music/Lyrics: Jan Woelner/Egil Hagen

Conductor: Øivind Bergh

Nora was back, this time with a most understated of songs. Some would find it boring, others classy.

Denmark – Dario Campeotto – Angelique (Danish)

Music/Lyrics: Aksel van Rasmussen/ Aksel van Rasmussen

Conductor: Kai Mortensen

A lot of the ballads entered in the contest sound quite dated today. ‘Angelique’ has aged quite well and, although it lasts for almost three and a half minutes, the time doesn’t drag.

Music/Lyrics: Jacques Datin/Maurice Vidalin

Conductor: Léo Chauliac

In a year when other countries tried something more modern or chirpy, the most popular song with the juries was this old fashioned French ballad sung by an old fashioned crooner.

Music/Lyrics: Bob Allison and John Allison/ Bob Allison and John Allison

Conductor: Harry Robinson

This is possibly the most contemporary song to appear in the contest at that time. It reflected the UK charts and could easily have been a hit for the Everly Brothers, who in fact were at number 1 in the UK on the date of the contest.

Italy – Betty Curtis – Al di là (Italian)

Music/Lyrics: Carlo Donida/Giulio Rapetti

Conductor: Gianfranco Intra

The second worldwide hit to emerge from the contest, as with ‘Nel Blu, di Pinto di Blu’, came from Italy. It’s almost ageless, only the style of the backing vocals reveal its age.

France – Jean Philipe – Oui, Oui, Oui, Oui (French)

Music/Lyrics: Hubert Giraud/Pierre Cour

Conductor: Franck Pourcel

No laughing at the back there! Having previously sent
standard French ballads, France defended the title with a slightly quicker tune
with a silly title. It was composed by the same man who composed ‘Dors Mon
Amour’.

Denmark – Birthe Wilk – Uh Jeg Ville Onsker Jeg Var Dig (Danish)

Music/Lyrics: Otto Lington/Carl Andersen

Conductor: Kai Mortensen

Singing on her own this time, Birthe tried to cheer everyone up. As with their first entry in 1958, Denmark sent another jolly little song.

Italy – Domenico Modugno – Piove (Italian)

Music/Lyrics: Domenico Modugno/Dino Verde

Conductor: William Galasini

Fresh from two Grammy Awards for ‘Nel Blu, di Pinto di Blu’, Domenico won Sanremo again with this song. It starts slowly but builds to a steady pace.

Monaco – Jacques Pills – Mon Ami Pierrot (French)

Music/Lyrics: Florence Veran/Raymond Bravard

Conductor: Franck Pourcel

Monaco’s first entry combines a mid-tempo vocal with a busy arrangement.

The Netherlands – Teddy Scholten – Een Beetje (Dutch)

Music/Lyrics: Dick Schallies/Willy van Hemert

Conductor: Dolf van der Landen

The Netherlands second victory in three years saw a departure in style from what had won the contest previously. Instead of a slow ballad, this is a happier, quicker song.

Germany – Alice and Ellen Kessler – Heute Abend Woll’n Wir Tanzen Geh’n (German)

Music/Lyrics: Helmut Zander/Astrid Voltmann

Conductor: Franck Pourcel

Germany tried to break from the norm with this swing number.

Sweden – Brita Borg – Augustin (Swedish)

Music/Lyrics: Harry Sandin/Åke Gerhard

Conductor: Franck Pourcel

By the time of the fourth contest, Sweden and Denmark were already showing that the Scandinavians liked happier sounding songs than the rest of Europe. This song continues to demonstrate that.

Switzerland – Christa Williams – Irgendwoher (German)

Music/Lyrics: Lothar Löffler/ Lothar Löffler

Conductor: Franck Pourcel

The first Swiss entry sans Lys Assia moves along nicely enough with elements of Jazz.

Austria – Ferry Graf – Der K und K Kalypso Aus Wien (German)

Music/Lyrics: Norbert Powlicki/Günther Leoplod

Conductor: Franck Pourcel

As well as the Calypso style (almost), Ferry also treats us to a bit of yodeling.

UK – Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson – Sing Little Birdie (English)

Muisc/Lyrics: Stan Butcher/Syd Cordell

Conductor: Eric Robinson

This is the sort of song that gives the contest a bad name. Overlooking that, it’s positive, happy and a good pick-me-up if you’re feeling low, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Belgium – Bob Benny – Hou Toch van Mij (Flemish)

Music/Lyrics: Hans Flower/Ke Riema

Conductor: Francis Bay

This is a mid-tempo ballad which uses a lot of strings in the general arrangement and brass in the instrumental.