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

Music/Lyrics: Johnny Holshuysen/Gerrit den Braber

Conductor: Dolf van der Linden

The first song and the first daft title of the night. The song is quite calm and tuneful. 

Music/Lyrics:  André Popp/Pierre Cour

Conductor:  Johannes Fehring

This was the third big international hit to emerge from the contest. The song builds steadily as it progresses and is one continuous chorus, with the odd bridge thrown in for good measure.

Music/Lyrics: Kurt Peche/Karin Bognar

Conductor: Johannes Fehring

Austria’s chances of retaining the Eurovision crown seemed good. Peter was given a melodic ballad which starts gently and builds dramatically during the chorus.

Music/Lyrics: Hubert Giraud/Pierre Delanoë

Conductor: Franck Pourcel

Easy, gentle verses are followed by a more intense chorus, sung by a pure voiced Noëlle Cordier.

Music/Lyrics: Nuño Nazareth Fernandes/João Magalhães Pereira

Conductor: Armando Tavares Belo

Maintaining a steady tempo throughout, the song is nice enough to listen to, but was always unlikely to set the scoreboard alight.

Music/Lyrics: Daniël Faure/Gérard Gray

Conductor: Hans Möckel

Switzerland entered a soft ballad which feels a little bit stale in a contest full of fresher, more contemporary sounding songs. Perhaps this is why it didn’t score.

Music/Lyrics: Curt Peterson, Marcus Österdahl, Patrice Hellberg/Curt Peterson, Marcus Österdahl, Patrice Hellberg

Conductor: Mats Olsson

A very sombre and at times, dark song from Sweden. Not what they are known for, but there’s nothing wrong with being different.

Music/Lyrics: Lasse Mårtenson/Alvi Vuorinen

Conductor: Ossi Runne

Most people know Fredi from the 1976 contest. The two songs are completely different. ‘Varjoon-suojaan’ is a serious and dramatic song delivered by a serious looking Fredi.  

Music/Lyrics: Hans Blüm/Hans Blüm

Conductor: Willy Berking

In the early history of the contest, Germany entered good quality songs which stood a good chance of winning. ‘Anouschka’ does not let the side down. It holds the ear from beginning to end.

Music/Lyrics: Paul Quintens/Phil van Cauwenbergh

Conductor: Francis Bay

Louis kept the string section of the orchestra busy throughout this mid tempo song.

Music/Lyrics: Bill Martin, Phil Coulter/ Bill Martin, Phil Coulter

Conductor: Kenny Woodman

The United Kingdom’s first win came via a song which arguably was the worst song in a strong national selection. On the international stage however, it improves and was good enough to beat the competition.

Music/Lyrics: Manuel Alejandro/Manuel Alejandro

Conductor: Manuel Alejandro

Raphael, competing in his second successive contest, delivered a strong performance of a song full of emotion and drama.

Music/Lyrics: Tor Hultin/Ola B. Johannessen

Conductor: Øivind Bergh

Starting like the opening sequence of a western, ‘Dukkemann’ soon settles down into a pleasant song which moves along quite nicely.

Music/Lyrics: Serge Gainsbourg, Michel Colombier/ Serge Gainsbourg

Conductor: Aimé Barelli

The second daft title of the 1967 contest and a daft song too. Minouche gives an understated performance of a song which demands a bit more gusto in the presentation. With more ‘Boum Boum’s’ than Basil Brush, there is something appealing about it.

Music/Lyrics: Urban Koder/Milan Lindic

Conductor: Marijo Rijavic

This is a show song which includes a bit of spoken word. The tempo doesn’t alter during the song

Conductor: Giancarlo Chiaramello

Italy broke from their tradition of ending the winning combination from the Sanremo festival. Instead, the winning singer sang a different song, a suitably passionate and powerful Italian ballad.

Music/Lyrics: Michael Coffey/Wesley Burrows

Conductor: Noel Kelehan

The liveliest of the Irish entries so far. That said, it’s still a ballad but does build in tempo at times. Sean often mentions ‘the hills of Clare’, a phrase that’s open to misinterpretation if ever there was one.

Finland – Marion Rung – Tipi-tii (Finnish)

Music/Lyrics: Kari Tuomisaari/Kari Tuomisaari

Conductor: George de Godzinsky

Marion was appearing in the contest in the first of her two appearances. As well as plenty of “tipi-tii’s”, there are enough “la’s” to keep the cynics happy.

Music/Lyrics: Eric Channe/Tony Golan

Conductor: Henri Segers

This was the fourth year Belgium’s song was in French, so naturally it was Fud’s fourth appearance in the contest. It could have been any of the previous three and no-body would have been any the wiser.

MusicLyrics: Mario Selles/Miguel Portoles

Conductor: Antonia Moya

Spain’s first entry the year before could have come from anywhere in Europe. Their second effort has more of a Spanish feel about it.

Austria - Eleonore Schwarz - Nur in der Wiener Luft (German)

Music/Lyrics: Bruno Uher/Bruno Uher

Conductor: Bruno Uher

Soprano Eleonore went for Austria’s first win with a song which would have sounded dated even then.

Music/Lyrics: Kjeld Bonfils/Sejr Volmer-Sørensen

Conductor: Kai Mortensen

Denmark’s sixth entry passes by almost unnoticed. It’s quite slow and not easy to listen to today.

Music/Lyrics: Ulf Kjellqvist & Åke Gerhard/Ulf Kjellqvist & Åke Gerhard

Conductor: Ego Kjerrmann

By this time in the history of the contest, Sweden was establishing itself as the country to rely on for good, cheerful foot-tappers. This song certainly helps that reputation.

Music/Lyrics: Christian Bruhn/Georg Buschor

Conductor: Rolf-Hans Muller

For the second year running, the accordion was present, lending the song a fairground style of sound.

Music/Lyrics: Joop Stookkermans/Henny Hamhuis

Conductor: Dolf van der Linden

With beaming smiles, the Dutch duo skipped onto the stage. Their song was also a happy one.

Music/Lyrics: Claude Henri Vic/Roland Valade

Conductor: Franck Pourcel

An old-fashioned French ballad won in 1961 for Luxembourg, an old-fashioned French ballad won in 1962 for France. To be fair, this is more appealing than its predecessor.

Norway - Inger Jacobsen - Kom Sol, Kom Regn (Norwegian)

Music/Lyrics: Kjell Karlsen/Ivar Andersen

Conductor: Øivind Bergh

Norway’s third entry is a ballad. Strings are the most evident instruments in the arrangement.

Music/Lyrics: Géo Voumard/ Emile Gardaz

Conductor: Cedric Dumont

The orchestra were used sensibly during this ballad, which was an improvement on his first effort for France three years earlier.

Music/Lyrics: Jozé Privšek/ Dragutin Britvic

Conductor: Jozé Privšek

Yugoslavia’s approach was similar to their first song in 1961, a ballad sung by a female. The result was a little better.

Music/Lyrics: Syd Cordell/Stan Butcher

Conductor: Wally Stott

At first, the “Ring-a-Ding” refers to his reaction to first seeing his girl. As the song progresses, the “Ring-a-Ding” represents the wedding bells. Clever or corny – you decide.

Music/Lyrics: Jacques Datin/Maurice Vidalin

Conductor: Jean Roderes

If at first you succeed, try the same thing again. This time, it wasn’t quite as successful. Perhaps the spoken part didn’t help, or maybe was it Camillo's striking resemblance to Dracula?

Music/Lyrics: Domenico Modugno/ Franco Migliacci

Conductor: Cinico Angelini

Claudio is a legend in Italian music history. He and another legend, Domenico Modugno, won the Sanremo festival with this song, which Domenico also wrote. A powerful performance of a powerful song.

Music/Lyrics: Henri Salvador/ René Rouzaud

Conductor: Raymond Lefèvre

Having attempted something a little different the previous year, Monaco played it safer this year with a straight ballad.