Turkey

Yugoslavia - Baby Doll - Brazil (Serbo-Croat)

Music/Lyrics: Zoran Vracevic/Zoran Vracevic

Conductor: Slobodan Markovic

Getting things going with some eccentricity was the weird and wacky Baby Doll. She was certainly entertaining and the song, if you can look behind the image, is actually very good.

Iceland - Stefán and Eyfi - Nina (Icelandic)

Music/Lyrics: Eyjóolfur Kristjánsson/Eyjóolfur Kristjánsson

Conductor: Jorn Olafsson

Eyfi was adorned with a bandana to hide his receding hairline. It’s less quirky than Stefán’s song from the 1988 contest, but the regular ballad is an improvement and considerably easier on the ear.

Malta - Paul Giordimaina and Georgina - Could It Be (English)

Music/Lyrics: Paul Abela/Raymond Mahoney

Conductor: Paul Abela

This proved to be a very successful return for Malta. The arrangement was fuller than the preview video and this gave the ballad more substance.

Greece - Sofia Vossou - I Anixi (Greek)

Music/Lyrics: Andreas Mikroutsikos/Andreas Mikroutsikos

Conductor: Haris Andreasdis

Pre-contest, the Greek song was seen as a possible winner. All dreams were shattered by the sax solo, which failed to hit almost any note properly. Sofia pretended not to notice, but the juries definitely did. A real shame as the song deserves to be remembered more fondly. 

Switzerland - Sandra Simò - Canzone Per Te (Italian)

Music/Lyrics: Renato Mascetti/Renato Mascetti

Conductor: Flaviano Cuffari

The Swiss chose a song in Italian to represent them in Rome. It’s a ballad that builds well and surprised a few when finishing fifth.

Austria - Thomas Forstner - Venedig Im Regen (German)

Music/Lyrics: Robby Musenbichler, Hunbert Moser/Wolfgang Eltner

Conductor: Richard Österreicher

Things got off to a sartorially bad start when Thomas appeared on stage in a purple suit! As with his 1989 song, it tries to be an epic, unlike Nur Ein Lied, it doesn’t quite do it.

Luxembourg - Sarah Bray - Un Baiser Volé (French)

Music/Lyrics: Patrick Hippert/Mick Wersant, Linda Lecomte

Conductor: Francis Goya

After the saxophonist had ruined any chance of winning the contest, it was the turn of the guitarist to play his part. In fairness, one of the strings broke, which wasn’t his fault. Sarah remained unfazed and delivered her ballad well

Sweden - Carola - Fångad Av En Stormvind (Swedish)

Music/Lyrics: Stefan Berg/Stefan Berg

Conductor: Anders Berglund

Carola was the bookies favourite and she didn’t disappoint. She used her experience to good effect and had as much bounce as her winning song. Like it or hate it, it stays in your head.

France - Amina - C'est Le Dernier Qui A Parlé Qui A Raison (French)

Music/Lyrics: Wasis Diop/Amina Annabi

Conductor: Jérome Pillement

Having been influenced by African rhythms the year before, the French chose an Arabic flavoured song. The result was the same, second place, although it took the tie-break rule to separate Amina from Carola. While it might be more musically credible than the Swedish song, it’s not nearly as nice to listen to and that is what counts. Unlucky not to win? No, lucky to be second.

Turkey - Izel Çeliköz, Rayhan Soykarçi and Can Ugurluér - Iki Dakika (Turkish)

Music/Lyrics: Sevket Ugurluer/Aysel Gurel

Conductor: Turan Yukseler

This song moves along at an almost frantic speed, but if you can keep up, it’s good for a toe-tap. The trio gave it their all and were constantly smiling.  

Ireland - Kim Jackson - Could It Be That I'm In Love (English)

Music/Lyrics: Liam Reilly/Liam Reilly

Conductor: Noel Kelehan

Kim had been one of Liam’s backing singers in Zagreb the year before. She wasn’t quite up to the task of of giving his ballad the necessary boost it needed and the result was underwhelming. 

Portugal - Dulce - Lusitana Paixão (Portuguese)

Music/Lyrics: Fred Micaelo, Jorge Quintela/Fred Micaelo, Jorge Quintela

Conductor: Fernando Correia-Martins

Finally Portugal got close to achieving a deserved high position on the scoreboard. Dulce oozed class, as did her song. It’s not as melancholy as the traditional Fado style it is about, but it is could only be Portuguese. 

Denmark - Anders Frandsen - Lige Der Hvor Hjertet Slår (Danish)

Music/Lyrics: Michael Elo/Michael Elo

Conductor: Henrik Krogsgaard 

Denmark’s song is an understated ballad. If you want to knock it, you should first listen to the song that it beat into second place in the Danish final, and be grateful it exists.  

Norway - Just 4 Fun - Mrs. Thompson (Norwegian)

Music/Lyrics: P.G. Roness, Dag Kolsrud/P.G. Roness, Kaare Skevik

Conductor: Pete Knutsen

Without knowing what NRK (the Norwegian broadcaster) had rejected, it seems they made a good choice of song. Mrs Thompson is catchy yet musically credible, with an easy to remember refrain. 

Israel - Duo Datz - Kan (Hebrew)

Music/Lyrics: Uzi Chitman/Uzi Chitman

Conductor: Kobi Oshrat

Husband and wife duo Orna and Moshe Datz had more chemistry than a high street full of pharmacies. The song is a wonderful Israeli sing-along and very memorable. It was always going to be in contention.

Finland - Kaija - Hullu Yö (Finnish)

Music/Lyrics: Ile Kallio/Jukka Välimaa

Conductor: Olli Ahvenlahti

Once again, the Finns can count themselves unlucky to score so few points. Hullu Yö is a rock song with a restrained power which Kaija delivered with the required level of feeling.

Germany - Atlantis 2000 - Dieser Traum Darf Niemals Sterben (German)

Music/Lyrics: Alfons Weindorf/Helmut Frey

Conductor: Hermann Weindorf

Yet again, the Germans had an anthemic song urging peace and love to everyone. Following the fall of the Berlin wall, the group even included an East German woman for good measure.  

Belgium - Clouseau - Geef Het Op (Flemish)

Music/Lyrics: Kris Wauters, Koen Wauters, Bob Savenburg, Jan Leyers/Kris Wauters, Koen Wauters, Bob Savenburg, Jan Leyers

Conductor: Roland Verlooven

Clouseau were the biggest name in Belgian music at the time they tried to expand their success to the rest of Europe with an uplifting, brassy pop song which deserved better. The performance was very professional.  

Spain - Sergio Dalma - Bailar Pegados (Spanish)

Music/Lyrics: Julio Seijas/Luis Escolar

Conductor: Eduardo Leiva

Host Toto Cotugno nicknamed Sergio ‘little Toto’. Bailar Pegados was one of the favourites going into the contest and rightly so. It’s a classic Spanish ballad which, if given an additional chorus, could have done better. At two minutes 32 seconds, it ends rather unexpectedly and quickly. 

United Kingdom - Samantha Janus - A Message To Your Heart (English)

Music/Lyrics: Paul Curtis/Paul Curtis

Conductor: Ronnie Hazlehurst

The United Kingdom delegation arrived in Rome with hopes high. However, the rock element of the song seemed to have been left behind in London. This, combined with inappropriate outfits (including the backing singers) and Samantha’s nerves on the night combined to scupper any hope of winning. Samantha’s engagement to her Italian boyfriend during the week (an engagement that was soon broken off) may have proved a distraction. A great, great shame as the studio version of the song demonstrates how good it really sounds and it would have been a worthy winner.

Cyprus - Elena Patroclou - SOS (Greek)

Music/Lyrics: Kypros Charalambous/Andrteas Christou

Conductor: Alexandro Kirou-Zografou

This song is weaker than a shandy without the lager. Songwriters ego overcame common sense and Kypros appeared on stage with his bass guitar when there was absolutely no need for him to be there. The presentation needed only Elena and no-one else to be on the stage.

Italy - Peppino di Capri - Comme E' Ddoce 'o Mare (Italian)

Music/Lyrics: Marcello Marrocchi/Giampiero Artegiani

Conductor: Bruno Canfora

This song was originally intended for the Sanremo festival, but RAI instead nicked it to represent Italy in the Eurovision. It’s in Peppino’s native Neapolitan dialect, which adds a greater flavour to the Neapolitan style of the song. 

Music/Lyrics: José-Luis Abel/Raúl Orellana, Jaime Stinus

Conductor: Eduardo Leyva

Despite a false start, the sisters of Azucar Moreno performed strongly. Their passionate vocal combined with Spanish rhythms and dance beat to provide a very trendy opening to the contest.

Music/Lyrics: Giorgos Papagiannakis/Giorgos Paleokastriris

Conductor: Michalis Rozakis

Christos is the nephew of top English actor, Simon Callow. The presentation wasn’t helped when the microphone of the female backing singer didn’t work. The song is sensitive and sincere, and well done to Christos for hitting the big high note at the end. 

Music/Lyrics: Philippe Lafontaine/Philippe Lafontaine

Conductor: Rory Brack

Philippe wrote this song about his Macedonian wife. There is a romantic, almost monastic feel about it, supplemented by the strong arrangement.

Music/Lyrics: Kayahan Acar/Kayahan Acar

Conductor: Ümit Eroglu

Kayahan came across as a very likeable, his friendly smile added charm to his folk song. He sat on his stool, strummed his guitar and let the song sell itself.

Music/Lyrics: Alice May/Alice May

Conductor: Harry van Hoof

This is an example of the unpredictability of the contest. Prior to the contest, Maywood was rightly one of the favourites, but the juries combined to put the sisters in 15th place. Ik Wil Alles Met Je Delen is worth a higher placing than that. It is well constructed, memorable, and powerful and was well performed.

Music/Lyrics: Jean-Charles France/Thierry Delianis

Conductor: Thierry Durbet

The beautiful, sultry Céline was plucked from obscurity by the writers and RTL (Luxembourg’s national broadcaster) to sing this striking, atmospheric ballad. The co-ordinated presentation was just right, but somehow it passed over the heads of the juries.

Music/Lyrics: Paul Curtis/Paul Curtis

Conductor: Alyn Ainsworth

Emma was 15 at the time of the contest, but was just old enough to compete as she turned 16 in the year of the contest. Give A Little Love Back To The World is a big anthem which she performed well, ably assisted by, amongst others, Miriam Stockley, with whose voice the big note was safe.

Music/Lyrics: Hördur Olafsson/Adalsteinn Asberg Sigurdsson

Conductor: Jón Kjell Seljeseth

Iceland’s duo were full of energy and they needed to be! Eitt Lag Enn is the type of song the Eurovision Song Contest Is often criticised for; it’s chirpy, fast and fun, and we all need that sort of thing from time to time.

Music/Lyrics: Ketil Stokkan/Ketil Stokkan

Conductor: Pete Knutsen

Four years after he sang about Romeo, Ketil made the Brandenburg Gate the subject of his second contest entry. It doesn’t sound as serious as maybe it should and is a bit too sing-along for the subject matter. 

Music/Lyrics: Rami Kleinstein/Tzurya Lahav

Conductor: Rami Levine

Barefooted Rita changed the atmosphere. After the carefree feel of the previous two songs came her dramatic, emotive ballad. The camera loved her!

Music/Lyrics: John Hatting, T. Leandager/Keld Heick

Conductor: Henrik Krogsgaard

Young Lonnie did her best but looked uneasy and stiff with the very little choreography she was given. It wasn’t necessarily her fault, swaying on the spot was not what her up-tempo song full of zip needed. 

Music/Lyrics: Cornelia Lackner/Cornelia Lackner

Conductor: Bela Balint

Clad all in white and armed with a violin (also white) and a cheesy grin, Egon had to be alert to flit quickly between singing and fiddle playing. His song - written by his wife - is melodic, uplifting and very hummable.

Music/Lyrics: Ralph Siegel/Michael Kunze

Conductor: Rainer Pietsch

Daniel returned to his native country to represent Germany with Chris, who looked the much more relaxed of the two. It’s German, therefore it’s anthemic with a peace theme which was of the time.

Music/Lyrics: George Ougier de Moussac/Serge Gainsbourg

Conductor: Régis Dupré

Over-rated is the word that springs to mind. Yes, it is original, but that doesn’t mean it’s any bloomin’ good! Joelle sang and danced well and the flavour was very African.

Music/Lyrics: Zrinko Tutic/Zrinko Tutic, Alka Vuica

Conductor: Igor Kuljeric

The hosts turned to youth rather than experience. Looking like a young Marilyn Monroe, 17 year old Tajci flirted with her backing singers and had a great time performing this rock song, which had a touch of innocence about it.

Music/Lyrics: Jan van Dijck, Luis Filipe/Teotonio Pereira

Conductor: Carlos Alberto Moniz

The occasional blast of brass gives the song a bit of life. All the same, it does get slightly lost in the crowd.  

Music/Lyrics: Liam Reilly Liam Reilly

Conductor: Noel Kelehan

In an attempt to please everyone everywhere, the lyrics mention almost every country in Europe, together with its major tourist attraction as Liam pines for his holiday romance. It must have been a coach tour of epic proportions! Finishing second, it clearly worked and, desperate lyrics aside, it is a pleasant ballad.  

Music/Lyrics: Mikael Wendt/Mikael Wendt

Conductor: Curt-Eric Holmquist

Having come close with a rock song one year earlier, Sweden sent another song in that genre. The two sets of brothers gave it their all, but Som En Vind was never going to repeat the success of its predecessor.

Music/Lyrics: Toto Cutugno/Toto Cutugno

Conductor: Gianni Madonini

Eighteen years after Italy first won the contest, the second victory was finally achieved. Nothing much was expected after the preview video was very under produced, leading some to wonder if Toto had actually finished writing the song at that stage. These thoughts would not exactly have been dispelled when he turned up at his first rehearsal with a music stand and sheet music.  The song is about the creation of a more unified Europe due at the end of 1992 and, as might be expected, is an anthem which builds gradually. 

Music/Lyrics: Wolfgang Berry/Mario Botazzi

Conductor: Richard Österreicher

Glamorous Simone was thankful just to have the chance to sing having finished second in the first Austrian final for a few years. Keine Mauern Mehr is a fairly ordinary song about the political changes of the time. Lines like “no walls anywhere” and “tomber le barriers” are used to re-inforce the image. 

Music/Lyrics: John Vickers/Haris Anastasiou

Conductor: John Vickers

Anastasiou (as he was known) livened things up a bit with his energetic, if slightly forced, choreography to his disco tune.

Music/Lyrics: Kim Engblom, Janne Engblom, Tina Krause/Tina Engblom

Conductor: Olli Ahvenlahti

The brothers and sisters of Beat stood side by side to perform this soft rock song. While it is decent enough effort, there was a feeling the songs had ended with more of a whimper than a bang.  

Music/Lyrics: Franco Fasano/Franco Ciani, Franco Berlincioni

Conductor: Mario Natale

Anna and Fausto won the Sanremo festival in 1989, and three of the writers of that song also wrote Avrei Voluto. It needed a stronger input from the orchestra, who were not yet warmed up, and as a result, it sounded less strong than it is. The argument set to music is a very strong theme which Anna and Fausto got into the spirit of.

Music/Lyrics: Shaike Paikov/Shaike Paikov

Conductor: Shaike Paikov

Despite being surrounded by Galit and a couple of backing singers, Gili started very nervously but did become more relaxed. The song had potential to be a big belter, but suffered because of Gili’s immature voice.

Music/Lyrics: Kiev Connolly/Kiev Connolly

Conductor: Noel Kelehan

Kiev’s song is soft rock and moves along smoothly. As well as The Passengers, Kiev was accompanied by a female singer who was never far from his shoulder and was surplus to requirements.

Music/Lyrics: Jan Kisjes/ Jan Kisjes

Conductor: Harry van Hoof

A week of rehearsals had taken its toll on Justine’s voice, which cracked on the big note right at the end. That didn’t detract from the quality of her big power ballad.

Music/Lyrics: Timur Selçuk/ Timur Selçuk

Conductor: Timur Selçuk

Usually, if the most memorable thing about a song is the performance of the conductor, it wouldn’t be saying much about the quality of the song. However, despite Timur’s energetic display with the baton and a repetitive lyric, there is still a very infectious tune and rhythym to make the song stand out on its own.  

Music/Lyrics: Stef Bos/Stef Bos

Conductor: Freddy Sunder

Door De Wind starts modestly staying within itself, but by the end, it comes out of its shell by picking up the pace and power.

Music/Lyrics: John Beeby/Brian Hodgson

Conductor: Ronnie Hazlehurst

As usual, the United Kingdom was near the top of the bookmakers list. This year, it was fully justified. Why Do I Always Get It Wrong is a quiet, yet emotive ballad that leaves its mark.

Music/Lyrics: Inge Enoksen/Leiv Grotte

Conductor: Pete Knutsen

Heard on its own, Venners Nærhet is an appealing song; a sincere and gentle ballad. However, it doesn’t quite have the strength to pull itself above the competition. 

Music/Lyrics: Ricardo/Pedro Luis

Conductor: Luis Duarte

Portugal tried a rock song for the first time. The final position on the scoreboard doesn’t reflect how good the song is. The downfall comes when the lyrics go all geographic.

Music/Lyrics: Tim Norell, Ola Hakansson/Tim Norell, Ola Hakansson

Conductor: Anders Berglund

Sporting a hairstyle that any lead singer of a rock band would be proud of, Tommy gave everything as he delivered his uplifting piece of rock. Time has not diminished its quality.  

Music/Lyrics: Maggie Parke, Gast Waltzing/Maggie Parke, Bernard Loncheval

Conductor: Benoit Kaufman

Fronted by American Maggie Parke, the band representing Luxembourg gave us something different. An obvious bass, brass and plucked strings make Monsieur stand out from the crowd

Music/Lyrics: Soren Bundgard/Keld Keick

Conductor: Henrik Krogsgaard

Veteran Birthe showed the others how to do it as she lifted this bouncy little number to third place. There was even a chance to Henrik to dash from the orchestra pit to join in the proceedings on stage. How fortunate that the conductor from the previous song was on hand to take over, and seemed to know exactly where to start.  

Music/Lyrics: Dieter Bohlen/Joachim Horn-Bernges

Conductor: n/a

Thomas (a former member of the Vienna Boys Choir) achieved Austria’s highest placing since 1976, and the top five has eluded them ever since. Nur Ein Lied starts in dramatic style and maintains its grandness right to the end.

Music/Lyrics: Matti Puurtinen/Turkka Mali

Conductor: Ossi Runne

A song in Finnish with an Italian title and Spanish influences, what more could you ask for?

Music/Lyrics: Guy Matteoni, G. G. Candy/Sylvein Lebel

Conductor: Guy Matteoni

The second of the annoying child singers was much more confident than Gili had been earlier in the evening. She breezed her way through this admittedly good ballad.

Music/Lyrics: Juan Carlos Calderon/Juan Carlos Calderon

Conductor: Juan Carlos Calderon

In a year that contained more than its fair share of big ballads, Spain’s stood apart from the rest.  Nina sang with real feeling and could have brought her country its third win.

Music/Lyrics: Marios Meletiou/Efi Meletiou

Conductor: Haris Andreadis

A couple of wobbles with the vocals didn’t help a song already in need of all the assistance it could get. It’s rather empty and unsatisfying. 

Music/Lyrics: Marie-Louise Werth/Marie-Louise Werth

Conductor: Benoit Kaufman

This is the only song in the history of the contest to be sung in Switzerland’s fourth language, Romanche. It’s a rather subdued effort which passes by almost unnoticed.    

Music/Lyrics: Yannis Kyris, Marianna Efstratiou/Villy Saniánou

Conductor: Yiorgos Niachros

Marianna was one of the stronger singers in the contest but had one of the weakest songs. It holds itself together, but seems to drift along aimlessly, never really taking off or achieving its potential. 

Music/Lyrics: Valgeir Gudjonsson/Valgeir Gudjonsson

Conductor: Valgeir Gudjonsson

Perhaps a little unlucky to score no points at all, this is a steady rather than strong ballad. It wasn’t the worst song in the contest, but was probably just outside the top ten of most of the juries.  

Music/Lyrics: Dieter Bohlen/Joachim Horn-Bernges

Conductor: n/a

Had Austria chosen a different song, Germany may well have been fifth instead. The two are very similar in style and presentation. This is not such a big surprise when you consider that the same songwriters were responsible for both songs.  

Music/Lyrics: Rajko Dujmic/Stevo Cvikic

Conductor: Nikica Kalogjera

Yugoslavia’s 24th entry brought it its first and only win. The often tried Balkan ballad was abandoned in favour of a europop tune of the type so often derided by cynics. It is one of the less musical credible songs Yugoslavia entered, but a win is a win and it is fun. Not only that, but the ‘Rock me baby’ refrain is very memorable.

Music/Lyrics: Sverrir Stormsker/Sverrir Stormsker

Conductor: n/a

Despite the title, there is nothing philosophical about Iceland’s third entry. The verses consist almost entirely of the names of famous people such as John Waine and Michael Caine.  

Music/Lyrics: Py Bäckman/Py Bäckman

Conductor: Anders Berglund

Better known for its up-tempo, bouncy songs, Sweden sent a fine ballad and Tommy, appearing in the Eurovision for the second time, had one of the best voices of the 1988 contest.

Music/Lyrics: Pepe Willberg/Kirsti Willberg

Conductor: Ossi Runne

The smiling Finnish band lifted the mood of the audience with their upbeat pop song. They ran on to the stage with arms in the air encouraging the audience to clap along from the start, and the scene was set for the next three minutes.

Music/Lyrics: Julie Forsyth/Julie Forsyth

Conductor: Ronnie Hazlehurst

Written by Julie, the daughter of Sir (well, he should be) Bruce Forsyth, Go is a beautiful ballad which was complimented well by Scott’s suitably melancholy voice. The string arrangement adds to the atmosphere of the song. Runner up was the least it deserved.

Music/Lyrics: Mazhar, Fauat, Özkan/ Mazhar Alanson

Conductor: Turan Yukseler

There is an infectious rhythm driving through the second of MFÖ’s eurosongs. It’s very catchy and even the ‘hey-ya’s’ don’t distract from one of the best of Turkey’s offerings.

Music/Lyrics: Enrique Piero/Francisco Dondiego

Conductor: Javier de Juan

The chirpy Spanish group gave a chirpy rendition of this up-tempo tune. The performance lifted the appeal of a song which would otherwise have blended unnoticed into the pack.

Music/Lyrics: Peter de Wijn/Peter de Wijn

Conductor: Harry van Hoof

Gerard gave his all as he belted out his infectious foot tapper of a song. It even edges towards the anthemic later on.

Music/Lyrics: Boris Dimitshtein/Ehud Manor

Conductor: Eldad Shrem

The host of the 1979 contest picked up the microphone to sing a song whose pace is slow at first, but increases bit by bit so that at the end, it’s difficult to keep up with if you’re singing along.  

Music/Lyrics: Atilla Sereftug/Nella Martinetti

Conductor: Atilla Sereftug

This is where one of the most successful careers of the last 30 years was born. Nella and Atilla had given her the type of ballad which would become her trademark. What a difference one point makes!   

Music/Lyrics: Peter Eades/Peter Eades

Conductor: Noel Kelehan

The hosts entered a soft rock ballad whose theme is along the lines of The Righteous Brothers He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother. It was a credible defence that was unlikely to win.

Music/Lyrics: Ralph Siegel/Bernd Meinunger

Conductor: Michael Thatcher

The Germans employed the slightly gimmicky services of a mother/daughter duo. They both played piano and sported insincere smiles as they sung their Song For a Friend.

Music/Lyrics: Wilfried Scheuz, Klaus Kofler/Wilfried Scheuz, Klaus Kofler

Conductor: Harald Neuwirth

A rather unkempt looking Wilfried may well have felt aggrieved at scoring no points. His heartfelt ballad to a mysterious woman is by no means the worst song of the contest. 

Music/Lyrics: Soren Bundgard/Keld Heick

Conductor: Henrik Krogsgaard

There were six people on stage when the song started, but Kirsten was so heavily pregnant, there may well have been seven by the time this Danish europop song finished. 

Music/Lyrics: Dimitris Sakislis/Dimitris Sakislis

Conductor: Haris Andreadis

The rock edged intro gave way to a more broad European style when a nervous looking Aphroditi started singing. Despite that, it’s all a bit unmemorable.

Music/Lyrics: Anita Skorgan/Erik Hillestad

Conductor: Arild Stav

Candleabra adorned the piano at which Karoline sat, surrounded by her backing singers. The combination created the right atmosphere for Norway’s ballad. 

Music/Lyrics: Joseph Reynaerts, Dany Willem/ Joseph Reynaerts, Philippe Anciaux

Conductor: Dany Willem

Loaded with haunting atmosphere, Laissez Briller Le Soleil (Let the Sun Shine in Your Heart) could be dark and depressing (in a good way) if it had a different theme to the one suggested by the title. The mood remains throughout, supplemented by the backing vocals.

Music/Lyrics: Jacques Cardona/Alain Garcia

Conductor: Régis Dupré

Lara brought a bit of class to the evening with a beautiful, thoughtful ballad. The presentation was effectively simple and Lara was vocally flawless. 

Music/Lyrics: Luca Barbarossa/Luca Barbarossa

Conductor: n/a

Luca was third in the Sanremo festival in 1988 with a very challenging song, especially lyrically. Perhaps deciding that it would have been too much for a European audience, Luca’s rote this for the Eurovision. It has a more internationally appealing theme. The style is more soft rock than Italian.

Music/Lyrics: Gérard Lenorman/Gérard Lenorman, Claude Lemesler
Conductor: Guy Matteoni

The very French Gerard certainly had ‘le charme’ but not the song to contend for victory. It could make up the numbers on an album, but no more than that. 

Music/Lyrics: José Calvário, José Niza/José Calvário, José Niza

Conductor: José Calvário

Voltarei is the second, and far and away the best of Dora’s entries. It’s a very dramatic and emotional ballad which demonstrates that when Portugal gets it right, it gets it very right indeed. Not for the first time, a fantastic song went above the heads of the jurors.

Music/Lyrics: Rajko Dujmic/Stevo Svikic, Rajko Dujmic

Conductor: Nikica Kalogjera

There are hints of desperation and anger in Srebrna Krila’s song, which is essentially a pop tune. The lead singer gives a spirited performance.

Music/Lyrics: Rölf Lovland/Hanne Krogh, Rölf Lovland

Conductor: Terje Fjaern

Sporting hair that defied gravity, Kate opened the contest with a charming performance of her sub-anthem ditty.

Music/Lyrics: Zohar Laskov/Zohar Laskov

Conductor: Kobi Oshrat

The Israeli Minister of Culture threatened to resign if this song represented his country! Dressed as the Blues Brothers, Datner and Kushnir couldn’t be accused of taking things too seriously as they ‘danced’ their way through their fairly amusing spoof.

Music/Lyrics: Kenneth Westmore/Stefanie Werger

Conductor: Richard Österreicher

The third, last and best of Gary’s songs. Previously, he had entered an up-tempo and an anthem song. This time, he entered a piano based ballad full of beauty.

Music/Lyrics: Valgeir Gugjonsson/Valgeir Gugjonsson

Conductor: Hjálmar Ragnarsson

After a messy debut the year before, Iceland returned with a mellow ballad, which is well constructed and subtle. The presentation was simple with Halla standing by the piano before walking slowly across the stage.

Music/Lyrics: Liliane Keuninckx, Guyri Spies/Liliane Keuninckx, Guyri Spies

Conductor: Freddy Sunder

The hosts went all rocky as they went for a second victory in a row. Soldiers Of Love is very memorable and the two guitarists are very entertaining as they fling their instruments with gusto.

Music/Lyrics: Mikael Wendt/Christer Lundh

Conductor: Curt-Eric Holmquist

With shades of the Caribbean in sound and appearance, the Swedes had a song that, if it was a school report, would have the comments ‘could do better.’ 

Music/Lyrics: Umberto Tozzi, Raf Riefoli/Giancarlo Bigazzi

Conductor: Giancarlo Lombardi

Umberto won the Sanremo festival as part of a trio which Raf wasn’t a part of. This isn’t the song that won the festival, but its quiet power and melodic tune made it a strong contender to win Sanremo’s big brother. 

Music/Lyrics: Alfredo Azinheira, Jorges Mendes/Alfredo Azinheira

Conductor: Jaime Oliveira

Suitably attired in seafarers style suits, the third male duo of the evening had an ocean themed song. It was one of the better songs of the contest, but probably lacked the ability to appeal to enough jury members. 

Music/Lyrics: Rafael Martinez, Rafael Trabucchelli/Patricia Kraus

Conductor: Eduardo Leyva

Did she have an accident in make up? Her appearance might have distracted from her song. Some would argue that wouldn’t be a bad thing. The two guitarists trying to steal the limelight did her no favours either. For the record, the song is dramatic and isn’t actually that bad. 

Music/Lyrics: Olcayto Ahmet Tugsuz/Olcayto Ahmet Tugsuz

Conductor: Garo Mafyan

All the chest wiggling and general prancing around was probably too much for most viewers. The performance is more memorable than the song, which tries to be a sing-along.

Music/Lyrics: Thanos Kalliris Vassilis Dertilis/Thanos Kalliris Vassilis Dertilis

Conductor: Yiorgos Niachros

Bizarrely compared to 80’s pop stars, Wham! by Terry Wogan (it takes more than just being a male duo to be Wham!), the Greek chaps gave us possibly the most un-Greek song that the country has sent to the contest. It has lots of brass and backing singers in strange outfits.

Music/Lyrics: Peter Koelewijn/Peter Koelewijn

Conductor: Rogier van Otterloo

Marcha sang all the songs in the Dutch final in 1987. The song chosen for her to perform in the contest is at times dark, and at other times, lively. Her two keyboard players were almost as involved in the performance as she was. 

Music/Lyrics: Roger Jouret, Alec Mansion/Roger Jouret, Alec Mansion

Conductor: Alec Mansion

Plastic certainly couldn’t be faulted for his lack of effort. He bounded all over the stage as he gave a rock style vocal to a synth based pop song.

Music/Lyrics: Rikki Peebles/Rikki Peebles

Conductor: Ronnie Hazlehurst

At the time, 11th was the worst position for any United Kingdom entry to finish, the tartan sash did him no favours! His song, which actually deserved a higher placing, is about an alleged UFO sighting.

Music/Lyrics: Marc Minier/Gérard Curci

Conductor: Jean-Claude Petit

This is the style of song the French do best. Christine was charming as she performed her floating ballad. Somehow, the juries failed to see the merits of what they were listening to.

Music/Lyrics: Ralph Siegel/Bernd Meinunger

Conductor: Laszlo Bencker

A different song, but essentially the same message as their 1985 entry. The style this time was a mix of calypso and reggae. As in 1985, they finished second when second last would have been more appropriate.

Music/Lyrics: Andreas Papapávlou/Maria Papapávlou

Conductor: Jo Carlier

Alexia had previously been in the contest when Cyprus debuted in 1981. This song is far more contemporary and infectious with a look to match. Arguably, it’s one of the best songs Cyprus has sent to the contest. 

Music/Lyrics: Petri Laaksonen/Veli-Pekka Lehto

Conductor: Ossi Runne

This is one of Finland’s most popular entries among fans. It’s certainly a lot more modern and continental than songs entered by Finland in previous years, a sign perhaps that the Finns were starting to understand what was required. 

Music/Lyrics: Helga Engelbrecht/Jacob Jonia

Conductor: Henrik Krogsgaard

While it is quite melodic, the Danish song is also rather twee but was probably sung around camp fires all over the country. The faces pulled by the members of Bandjo didn’t help the presentation.

Music/Lyrics: Sean Sherrard/Sean Sherrard

Conductor: Noel Kelehan

Having won the contest in 1980 with a song written by someone else, Johnny, aka Sean Sherrard, wrote his second winner himself.  As with his 1980 winner, the song is based on personal experience as it was written about his then wife. It was clear when the preview videos were released (these were the prehistoric days before the internet!) that Hold Me Now was the one everyone else would struggle to beat. 

Music/Lyrics: Rajko Dujmic/Stevo Cvikic

Conductor: Nikica Kalogjera

There were so many ‘hics’, you’d think the band had had a few drinks before going on stage! The performance had no ’hiccups’, but it wasn’t going to be enough to pull this fairly weak song victory.

Music/Lyrics: Jean-Jacques Egli/Jean-Jacques Egli

Conductor: n/a

A very nervous looking Carole moved carefully on stage and seemed to be thinking about the next piece of choreography as much as anything else. Moitié Moitié is a pop/rock crossover.

Music/Lyrics: Rolf Soja/Alain Garcia, Frank Dostal

Conductor: Rolf Soja

A cracking opening to the contest! This could well have brought Luxembourg victory number six, a smooth ballad with a backing vocal which does more than simply support the song, it gives it more depth.

Music/Lyrics: Zrinko Tutic/Zrinko Tutic

Conductor: Nikica Kalogjera

This was Doris’ first Eurovision entry and is a calming Balkan ballad which she delivered with a smile.

Music/Lyrics: George Costa, Michel Costa/George Costa, Michel Costa

Conductor: Jean-Claude Petit

Bursting with French chic, the four madams did their best, but it was always going to be an impossible task selling a sub-standard product. The juries were clearly not impressed.

Music/Lyrics: Ketil Stokkan/Ketil Stokkan

Conductor: Egil-Monn Iversen

Romeo is a rock song which, curiously, was presented with a dance act called The Great Garlic Girls, who were both men! It did distract from a song that is very likeable and, as the home audience proved, very easy to clap along with. The orchestra stopped and Ketil led the clapping as everyone in the auditorium joined in.

Music/Lyrics: Brian Wade/Maureen Darbyshire

Conductor: n/a

Led by the son of actor Bill Maynard, Ryder had been formed especially for the contest. Runner In The Night merges rock with 80’s style synths to produce a song that does linger in the memory.

Music/Lyrics: Magnús Eriksson/Magnús Eriksson

Conductor: Gunnar Thórdarsson

Iceland got off to a rather lacklustre start with a trio brought together for the contest. It looked and sounded rather disorganised.

Music/Lyrics: Peter Schőn, Rob ten Bokum/Peter Schőn

Conductor: Harry van Hoof

Four young ladies in bare feet made up Frizzle Sizzle. Their song is a very jolly little ditty which raises a smile.

Music/Lyrics: Melih Kibar/Ilhan Irem

Conductor: Melih Kibar

Two groups, one all male and one all female, joined forces for a song about Halley’s Comet, which passed over the planet in 1986. The result is ok at best, forgettable at worst. 

Music/Lyrics: José Maria Guzman/ José Maria Guzman

Conductor: Eduardo Leyva

With a lead singer who looked like a young Roy Castle, the three piece Spanish band oozed confidence. It’s a good song in a making up the numbers way.

Music/Lyrics: Atilla Sereftug/Nella Martinetti

Conductor: Atilla Sereftug

Rightly finishing in the top three, Daniela exuded class with this emotive, piano based ballad. She started at the piano but rose to her feet for the finale.

Music/Lyrics: Yoram Zadok/Moti Giladi

Conductor: Yoram Zadok

While on its own it’s a decent enough song, Yavoh Yom lacks a bit of the zip usually associated with up-tempo Israeli songs.

Music/Lyrics: Kevin Sheerin/Kevin Sheerin

Conductor: Noel Kelehan

Luv Bug was the first band to represent Ireland, and they were all family. Their song is a rather average, mid-tempo piece of pop.

Music/Lyrics: Jean-Pierre Furnémon, Angelo Crisci/Rosario Marino Altri

Conductor: Jo Carlier

Sandra gave a confident performance for such a young girl on such a big stage, no-one knew at that stage exactly how young she was. Her song is feel very good pop and very 1980’s.

Germany - Ingrid Peters - Über Die Brücke Geh'n (German)

Music/Lyrics: Hans Blum/Hans Blum

Conductor: Hans Blum

This is one of Germany’s better efforts at this genre; a big ballad with a big brass intro, anthemic and appealing to everyone to get along with everyone else.

Music/Lyrics: Petros Yiannaki/Phivos Gavris, Petros Yiannaki

Conductor: Martin Ford

Seven years after representing Greece, Elphida was chosen by its neighbour to sing Cyprus’ sixth entry. It’s more pop than her previous entry and was unlucky to finish last.

Music/Lyrics: Peter Janda/Peter Cornelius

Conductor: Richard Österreicher

A very soft and gentle song at the start, Die Zeit Ist Einsam explodes briefly into life before coming to almost a complete stop very suddenly.

Music/Lyrics: Lasse Holm/Lasse Holm

Conductor: Anders Berglund

In the preview video, things got very messy with paint flying around everywhere. Fortunately for the stage hands, there wasn’t a pot of emulsion in sight as the Swedes got everyone to their feet and singing with this magnificently fun song. Even the head of Sweden’s SVT stripped to the waist and ‘played’ guitar.

Music/Lyrics: John Hatting/John Hatting

Conductor: Egil-Monn Iversen

This is what the Danes do best; fun, unpretentious with no ambition to be anything other than enjoyable. You either love it or hate it.

Music/Lyrics: Kari Kuivalainen/Kari Kuivalainen

Conductor: Ossi Runne

Some say the Finns were at a disadvantage when singing in their native tongue because their language is so unique. If there is any truth in that, then this is the song that can be highlighted as suffering s a result. It’s a great song; a powerful ballad sung with no lack of feeling by Kari and certainly deserved to be in the top ten at least.

Music/Lyrics: Guilherme Inês, Zé da Ponte, Luis Oliveira/Guilherme Inês, Zé da Ponte, Luis Oliveira

Conductor: Colin Frechter

The Portuguese song moves along consistently but it’s a bit messy. This description could also be applied to Dora’s outfit, which was a strange mix of colours and styles.

Music/Lyrics: Brendan Graham/Brendan Graham

Conductor: Noel Kelehan

The contest was opened by a below par Irish ballad. Maria’s performance was a bit on the sickly side.

Music/Lyrics: Petri Laaksonen/Veli-Pekka Lehto

Conductor: Ossi Runne

Finland is capable of sending a song which is capable of sounding good only to natives. Not this time!! Eläköön Elämä is one of their best entries, a powerful, almost rock song, which Sonja delivered very well.

Music/Lyrics: Lia Vishy/Lia Vishy

Conductor: Haris Andreadis

Lia (sister of Anna - Greece 1980 and Cyprus 1982), looked very vulnerable as she sung, sometimes with a wobble, this nice, soothing ballad.

Music/Lyrics: Soren Bundgard/Keld Heick

Conductor: Wolfgang Käfer

Kirsten and Soren, who had represented their country the year before, came back for more and this time, they had a secret weapon, or at least they thought they did; an ever so slightly annoying child. Not content with joining in with the song, the child (boy or girl, who knows? Who cares?!) got dressed into adult clothes while the others did their bits.

Music/Lyrics: Juan Carlos Calderón/ Juan Carlos Calderón

Conductor: Juan Carlos Calderón

Classic elegance was the order of the day for Paloma. La Fiesta Terminó shows how good Spanish songs can be when they really try. This is how big ballads should sound.

Music/Lyrics: Didier Pascalis/Didier Pascalis

Conductor: Michel Bernholc

The most memorable thing about this song is the fantastic string arrangement. It dominates the whole song, lifting it out of the realms of the ordinary into something that should have been placed in the top five.

Music/Lyrics: Mazhar, Fauat, Özkan/ Mazhar, Fauat, Özkan

Conductor: Garo Mafyan

MFO were three chaps who clearly enjoyed their three minutes on stage. They gave a cheery performance of a cheery song. You might not vote for it, but it will make you smile. 

Music/Lyrics: Pieter Verlinden/Bert Vivier

Conductor: Curt-Eric Holmquist

Linda can count herself unlucky to have finished last with this sincere ballad for which she gave a sincere, professional performance.

Music/Lyrics: Tozé Brizo/Adelaïde Ferreria, Luis Fernando

Conductor: José Calvário

If ever Portugal deserved a place in the top five, this was it. The powerful and emotional ballad seemed to take its toll on Adelaïde. She ended her performance of one knee with her head bowed and took time to stand up again. Eigtheenth? The juries must have been listening to a different song!

Music/Lyrics: Hanne Haller/Hanne Haller

Conductor: Rainer Pietsch

This song is more highly regarded than it deserves. The ‘peace for all’ theme was starting to become boringly predictable in the German entries, a description which can also be applied to Für Alle.

Music/Lyrics: Kobi Oshrat/Hamutal Ben Ze’ev

Conductor: Kobi Oshrat

Izhar won the contest in 1979 and went for the double with a song which is almost guaranteed to fill dance floors and sounds as good today as it did then. It’s full of bounce and zip.

Music/Lyrics: Dario Farina, Michael Hofmann/Christiano Minellono

Conductor: Fio Zanotti

Italy’s favourite husband and wife team came back for a second attempt nine years after their first, with a slightly cheesy cabaret number. That said, it’s given a lift by the quality of Al’s voice, and when you look as good as Romina, you can get away with anything.

Music/Lyrics: Rolf Lövland/Rolf Lövland

Conductor: Terje Fjaern

The country which had unfairly become famous for not scoring found itself at the top of the scoreboard for the first time. It’s a bouncy, catchy, clap-along which was given an appropriately lively performance by Elisabeth Andreasson and Hanne Krogh, both experienced song contest performers.

Music/Lyrics: Vikki Watson/James Kaleth

Conductor: John Coleman

Chosen from a high quality ‘A Song For Europe’ competition, it might have been expected for Love Is to do well. So it proved for the contemporary pop song.

Music/Lyrics: Anita Kerr/Trudi Muller-Bosshard

Conductor: Anita Kerr

Having sang solo two years earlier, Mariella was joined by the splendidly moustached Pino for this fairly unmemorable song.

Music/Lyrics: Lasse Holm/Ingela ‘Pling’ Forsman

Conductor: Curt-Eric Holmquist

Kikki wisely moved only a little, leaving her two dancers to perform the acrobatics. Her song spoke for itself, an up-tempo, foot tapping and wonderful slice of Schlager. The title also allowed Lill Lindfors to make a saucy joke about the English translation of the title.  

Music/Lyrics: Mick Jackson, Geoff Bastow/Michael Kunze

Conductor: Richard Österreicher

Singing the first of two successive songs in the 1985 contest about children, Gary appeared for the first time as a solo artist. His song is not quite an anthem, but moves along freely.

Music/Lyrics: Ralph Siegel/Bernd Meinunger, Jean-Michel Beriat

Conductor: Norbert Daum

An array of singers from almost as many countries as were in the contest joined forces for Luxembourg to sing what is almost a series of duets. It should have been messy, but it actually worked reasonably well.

Music/Lyrics: Takis Biniaris/Maro Bizani

Conductor: Haris Andreadis

The contest ended with a very gentle song. Takis' performance was rightly understated and respectful of his own composition.