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

Music/Lyrics: Johnny Holshuyzen/Karel Prior

Conductor: Dolf van der Linden

The Dutch song starts off full of energy but as it progresses, it loses a bit of the initial impact.

Music/Lyrics: Peter Lee-Sterling/Phil Peters

Conductor: Eric Robinson

After moving away slightly in the previous two years from contemporary music, the United Kingdom sent a 1960’s pop song.

Spain - Conchita Bautista - Qué Bueno, Qué Bueno (Spanish)

Music/Lyrics: Antonio Figueroa Egea/ Antonio Figueroa Egea

Conductor: Adolfo Ventas Rodriguez

A touch of the bull-fight his year for Spain. It gave a contest debut to that most Spanish of instruments, the castanets.

Music/Lyrics: Joe Harrigan and George Prendergast/Teresa Conlon

Conductor: Gianni Ferrio

Ireland’s debut was an inoffensive ballad, starting as they mean to go on perhaps.

Germany - Ulla Wiesner - Paradies, Wo Bist Du? (German)

Music/Lyrics: Barbara Kist and Hans Blüm/Barbara Kist and Hans Blüm

Conductor: Alfred Hause

The title, translated as Paradise Where Are You?, might lead you to expect something a little more solemn. The song has a 60’s movie feel to it.

Austria - Udo Jürgens - Sag Ihr, Ich Lass' Sie Grüßen (German)

Music/Lyrics: Udo Jürgens/Frank Bohlen

Conductor: Gianni Ferio

Udo returned for his second year in succession with another emotional, piano based ballad. The strings were used well in the arrangement and Udo deserved to be even higher than 4th.

Music/Lyrics: Jolly Kramer-Johansen/Jolly Kramer-Johansen

Conductor: Øivind Bergh

Kirsti sings with a smile on her face while the song has a wintery, perhaps even a Christmas feel to it.

Music/Lyrics: Jef van den Berg/Jaak Dreesen

Conductor: Gaston Nyuts

As the year ended in an odd number, it was the turn of Flemish to be the language of the Belgian song. The arrangement improves the song no end.

Music/Lyrics: Raymond Bernard/Jacques Mareuil

Conductor: Raymond Bernard

Monaco chose a soft ballad which is not a million miles away in style to Non Ho L’Eta. She even sings about being young, in the same way Gigliola had sung about being too young to fall in love.

Music/Lyrics: Dag Wiren/Alf Henriksson

Conductor: William Lind

Tenor Ingvar sings one of those songs whose title doesn’t appear in the song. It’s a pleasant ballad which Ingvar sang well sung and sensitively.

Music/Lyrics: Guy Mardel/ Françoise Dorin

Conductor: Franck Pourcel

The word jamais is sprinkled liberally throughout the song. The song moves along nicely and is not a typical French song.

Music/Lyrics: Carlos Nobrega e Sousa/ Jeronimo Bragança

Conductor: Fernando de Carvalho

Not put off after scoring zero at their first attempt, Portugal bravely returned with a dramatic ballad.

Italy – Bobby Solo – Se Piangi, Se Ridi (Italian)

Music/Lyrics: Satti Marchetti/ Giulio Rapetti

Conductor: Gianni Ferrio

The winner of the Sanremo festival again provided Italy with its Eurovision entry. Like a lot of Italian songs, it has aged well and could easily have brought Italy a second successive victory.  

Music/Lyrics: Jørgen Jersild/ Poul Henningsen

Conductor: Arne Lamberth

Quiet and understated are the words that spring to mind. It is a bit difficult to stay with the song until the end.

Music/Lyrics: Serge Gainsbourg/ Serge Gainsbourg

Conductor: Alain Goraguer

French rebel Serge Gainsbourg wrote this, Luxembourg’s second winner. In true Gainsbourg style, it was different to anything that had won the contest before and by far the most up tempo.

Music/Lyrics: Toivo Kärki/Reino Helismaa

Conductor: George de Godzinsky

The saxophone provides a bright, if slightly misleading opening. The jazz feel continues and the saxophone returns for the instrumental.

Music/Lyrics: Julijo Maric/ Zarko Roje

Conductor: Radivoj Spasic

Vice gives an emotive and sensitive performance of this strong ballad. Many would argue it deserved a lot better than twelfth.

Music/Lyrics: Bob Calfati/ Jean Charles

Conductor: Mario Robbiani

The cymbal is used quietly and constantly throughout the song, which is a lilting ballad.

Music/Lyrics: Philip Green/Norman Newell

Conductor: Eric Robinson

In contrast to his first Eurovision entry the year before, this is a sincere ballad. Slightly dated perhaps, but still not unpleasant to listen to.

Music/Lyrics: Pieter Goemans/Pieter Goemans

Conductor: Dolf Van der Linden

One of four songs to score zero, the Dutch were starting to make a habit of either winning or finishing near the bottom. Drawn second, it possibly got lost among the plethora of ballads it was up against.

Music/Lyrics: Charly Niessen/Charly Niessen

Conductor:  Willy Berking

The Germans were already showing that they were not afraid to be different and ‘Marcel’ works well. There is a slight circus feel to it but at least they are not stuck in the 1950s.

Music/Lyrics: Erwin Halletz/Peter Wehle

Conductor: Erwin Halletz

There are a few bursts of energy from the orchestra but other than that, this is quite an uneventful, steady ballad.

Music/Lyrics: Dag Kristoffersen/Dag Kristoffersen

Conductor: Øivind Bergh

Sporting a very 1960s hair style, Anita has the ‘honour’ of scoring Norway’s first ‘nul points’. She can count herself as little unlucky. She sang this nice ballad very clearly.

Music/Lyrics: Tony Renis/Alberto Testa and Giulio Rapetti

Conductor: Gigi Ciccherello

This is one of the most un-Italian songs they have ever entered, its cabaret style differing wildly from the traditional Italian sound. A brave song to try, but justified with the resulting third place.

Music/Lyrics: Börje Sundgren/Börje Sundgren

Conductor: George de Godzinsky

The first and last 30 seconds of Finland’s third entry consists almost exclusively of “la-la-la”. In between, Laila sings a very gentle, inoffensive ballad.

Music/Lyrics: Otto Francker/Sejr Volmer-Sørensen

Conductor: Kai Mortensen

The husband and wife team gave Denmark and Scandinavia their first winner. Jurgen’s guitar arrangement makes the song distinctive from its competitors, managing to be different enough to stand out but not too different to annoy the more conservative jurors.

Music/Lyrics: Mario Nardelli/Mario Nardelli

Conductor: Miljenko Prohaska

Like their first two entries, this is an international style ballad, but this year, a male represented them for the first time. The arrangement is quite dramatic at times.

Music/Lyrics: Géo Voumard/Emile Gardaz

Conductor: Eric Robinson

The song which finished second (or was it first? We’ll never know) is a lovely ballad. It’s certainly a cut above most of its rivals, supported mainly by piano and strings.

Music/Lyrics: Alain Barrière/Alain Barrière

Conductor: Franck Pourcel

OK, so France had already won twice by now, but this is arguably their best entry yet. A lovely ballad with a piano arrangement adding to its beauty.

Music/Lyrics: Fernando Garcia Morcillo/Camillo Murillo Janero

Conductor: Rafael Ibarbia

Not exactly third time lucky for Spain! ‘Algo Prodigioso’ wants to be a Spanish epic but doesn’t quite manage it.

Music/Lyrics: Bobbie Ericsson/Beppe Wolgers

Conductor: William Lind

Images of a Stockholm jazz club are conjured up listening to this. There were apparently no jazz fans on the juries as this didn’t score. 

Music/Lyrics: Hans Flower/Wim Brabants

Conductor: Francis Bay

This is a ballad in the classic style. It’s neither particularly interesting nor particularly boring.

Music/Lyrics: Françoise Hardy/Françoise Hardy

Conductor: Raymond Lefévre

As with the preceding Belgian song, this is a ballad typical of the day but clearly appealed more to the juries. Depending on your taste, it’s either dull or pure class.

Music/Lyrics: Raymond Bernard/Pierre Delanoë

Conductor: Eric Robinson

Greek born star Nana was one of the many foreigners to represent Luxembourg. The principality had sent standard French ballads up to now; this is one of them but is slightly superior.