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.

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.