Ami Aspelund

Music/Lyrics: Guy Bonnet/Fubert Cant

Conductor: Francois Raubèrt

Guy first appeared in the contest in 1970. As then, his self-penned song this time is a ballad whose arrangement is very minimal, leaving the strength of the melody to impress.

Music/Lyrics: Jahn Teigen, Anita Skorgen/Jahn Teigen, Herodes Falsk

Conductor: Sigurd Jansen

Jahn sang with his wife, Anita Skorgen, the year before in Harrogate. She was part of his backing group this time, as were several children! Quite suitable really as this, his third entry, is a sing-along nursery rhyme.

Music/Lyrics: Ron Roker, Jan Pulsford, Phil Wigger/ Ron Roker, Jan Pulsford, Phil Wigger

Conductor: John Coleman

Dressed as if they had just arrived from an Aerobics class, the three members of Sweet Dreams (including Carrie Grant, the vocal coach much used by the BBC) were very energetic as they danced their way through this lively piece of 80’s pop.

Music/Lyrics: Lasse Holm/Monica Forsberg

Conductor: Anders Ekdahl

One of the most iconic of Eurovision singers started at an early age with this likeable, mid tempo ditty.

Music/Lyrics: Maurizio Fabrizio/Riccardo Fogli, Vincenzo Spambinato

Conductor: Maurizio Fabrizio

Riccardo won the Sanremo festival in 1982, when Italy didn’t enter the Eurovision Song Contest. This may or may not have influenced RAI when they chose him, but his song is a steady plodder that won’t invoke strong feelings either way.

Music/Lyrics: Bugra Ugur/Aysel Gŭrel

Conductor: Bugra Ugur

The first of two songs that didn’t score starts off normally enough, but tumbles into complete nonsense with a totally unsuitable melody and arrangement. The costumes of the backing singers couldn’t have helped either. 

Music/Lyrics: Jose Miguél/Isidro Munoz

Conductor: Jose Miguél

Immediately following one song that scored no points at all was the other song that didn’t score. However, Spain should be congratulated for entering such an ethnically Spanish song. It could have come straight from a Spanish gipsy camp.

Music/Lyrics: Thomas Gonzenbach, Remo Kessler/Nella Martinetti

Conductor: Robert Weber

Mariella made the first of her two appearances with this mid-tempo song which tries to be anthemic, but doesn’t quite manage it.

Music/Lyrics: Kari Kuusamo/Kaisu Liuhala

Conductor: Ossi Runne

Ami, the sister of 1977 Finnish singer Monica, gave a very confident performance.  She had good reason to be confident. Fantasiaa is a very strong and dramatic song which has plenty of strings and builds well for the big ending.  

Music/Lyrics: Antonis Plessas, Mimis Plessas/Sophia Fildissi

Conductor: Mimis Plessas

All was going well with the song on the night until the part of the song which has been the downfall of many over the years, the saxophone solo. Some bodged notes ruined any chances Greece’s gentle ballad had.

Music/Lyrics: Piet Souer/Martin Duiser

Conductor: Piet Souer

This is one of those songs that starts slowly and builds bit by bit as it continues. It reaches its peak just before the end before slowing down again for the last few bars

Music/Lyrics: Daniel Popovic/Mario Mihaljevic

Conductor: Radovan Popovic

The vocals of Dzuli required Danijel to almost yodel, which he coped with quite well. The whole package was quite entertaining. 

Music/Lyrics: Stavros Sideras/Stavros Sideras

Conductor: Michalis Rozakis

A simple song and an equally simple presentation. Stavros and Constantina sat on stools strumming guitars while harmonising their way through a fairly unmemorable ballad. 

Music/Lyrics: Michael Reinecke/Volker Lechtenbrink

Conductor: Dietre Reith

The Hoffman brothers had more than a slight chance of giving Germany another win. Rücksicht is a sad and emotional ballad whose beauty lies in its simplicity. The English version, Love Gives, has one of the best lyrics of any English version of any Eurovision song. 

Music/Lyrics: Flemming Gernyx, Christian Jacobsen/ Flemming Gernyx, Christian Jacobsen

Conductor: Allan Botschinsky

During her performance, Gry managed to have a dance routine while remaining virtually rooted to the spot. While it tries hard, the song doesn’t really go anywhere.

Music/Lyrics: Avi Toledano/Ehud Manor

Conductor: Nanssi Silviu Brandes

After the contest, Ofra went on to have a successful international career before her untimely death. It’s easy to see how she achieved that success, Hi is an easy to remember foot tapper.

Music/Lyrics: Armando Gama/Armando Gama

Conductor: Mike Sergeant

Esta Balada Que Te Dou is a standard ballad with a Portuguese flavour. Armando looked the part as he played the piano in a smart suit.

Music/Lyrics: Peter Vieweger/Heli Deinboek, Heinz Nessizius

Conductor: Richard Österreicher

Featuring Gary Lux (who would sing twice more as a soloist), Westend looked resplendent in mostly yellow outfits. Hurricane took its cue from synth-pop, which was popular at the time.

Music/Lyrics: Walter Verdin/Paul Peskens

Conductor: Freddy Sunder

Undaunted by being unceremoniously booed by the audience when they won the Belgian final, the two ladies of Pas de Deux gave us choreography that made their arms swing more than a pendulum and a song which, although consisting of one line which is repeated a lot, is strangely hypnotic.

Music/Lyrics: Jean-Pierre Millers/Alain Garcia

Conductor: Michel Bernholc

With her female backing singers dressed in black and her males in pink (whose idea was that?), Corinne belted out this big power ballad. It gave Luxembourg its fifth victory, and richly deserved it was too. It is a class above the competition and is arguably one of the best winners in the history of the contest.