X-Nico

3 unusual facts about Eurovision


Eurovision: Your Country Needs Blue

Archive clips from Eurovision were included and contributions came from (amongst others): Cliff Richard, Lulu, John Barrowman, Aston Merrygold, Marvin Humes, Arlene Phillips, Scott Mills, Robin Gibb, David Arnold and Bucks Fizz

Liquid Gold

In March 1981, the single "Don't Panic" was released, and it was also entered into the Song For Europe contest to pick the UK's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 1981.

Pop!

Glenn Ball, a professional choreographer was a backing dancer for Mimi, in the A Song For Europe contest in 2003, with her song "Ever Since That Night" which ended third in the televoting.


À force de prier

Although "À force de prier" was only a minor international success for Mouskouri, it won her the prestigious Grand Prix du Disque in France that same year, and her Eurovision appearance also caught the attention of noted French composer Michel Legrand, who went on to write and arrange two major hits for her in the francophone markets; "Les parapluies de Cherbourg" (1964) and "L'enfant au tambour" (1965).

Ado Schlier

Between the years of 1977 and 1999 he hosted various programmes for RB and ARD including Eurovision commentary for ARD television viewers on eight consecutive year from 1979 until 1986.

Amir Aly

Aly has produced three tracks on the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, Alexander Rybak's album (Fairytales) - "Funny Little World", "Roll With The Wind" and "If You Were Gone".

Anneli Saaristo

In 2005, she appeared in the historical film Shadow of the Eagle with Mikko Leppilampi, Helena Vierikko and fellow Eurovision veteran Vesa-Matti Loiri.

Another Town, Another Train

With lyrics in Swedish, "En annan stad, en annan vän", it was covered by dance band Schytts in 1974, and by fellow Eurovision participant Kikki Danielsson in 1991 on her album "Vägen hem till dej".

Be Happy

Sameach, the Israeli entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2000

Belle and the Devotions

According to John Kennedy O'Connor's The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History, the actions of English football fans in the tiny state the previous autumn caused something of a backlash against the British delegation.

Bittman

Dan Bittman (1962-) is a Romanian singer who represented the country at the Eurovision Song Contest 1994

Brendan O'Reilly

Between 1966 and 1968, O'Reilly had the honour of commentating for Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest, as well as presenting the National Song Contest (to select Ireland's Eurovision entry) from 1966 to 1970.

Capaz de Todo

Aside from this song, the Misión Eurovisión version contains 6 songs that do not appear on the first release, including "Qué Sabes del Amor", which was featured on the Special Christmas edition, and the Ben E. King cover "Stand by Me".

Ein Lied kann eine Brücke sein

Sue and Sunny had been in the original line up of Brotherhood of Man (although they had left the group long before the band entered and won Eurovision in 1976) and had backed Lulu in Madrid on "Boom Bang-a-Bang" when she won the contest in 1969.

Eric Saade discography

In the Final, Saade came in third place, making Eric Saade the most successful Swedish act in Eurovision since 1999 when Sweden won.

Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010

CEO of ERR Margus Allikmaa stated that "Personally I think cancelling Eurovision participation is the easiest option" in combat to the 28 million kroon (1.5 million) cut in spending.

Eurovision Song Contest 1973

According to The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History by John Kennedy O'Connor, the winning song scored the highest score ever achieved in Eurovision under any voting format, recording 129 points out of a possible 160; scoring just under 81% of the possible maximum, but partly due to a scoring system which guaranteed all countries at least two points from each other country.

Eva Santamaría

Coming off the album's success, Televisión Española selected Santamaría to represent the network and all of Spain at Eurovision 1993 in Millstreet, Ireland, with her hit "Hombres."

France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009

France Télévisions revealed that their commentators for the Eurovision final were TV host and actor Cyril Hanouna and journalist and radio/TV producer Julien Courbet, broadcast on France 3.

France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010

On 19 February it was revealed that France 2 had selected Congolese singer and dancer Jessy Matador to represent France at Eurovision, with the hope of creating a summer hit and to promote the 2010 FIFA World Cup in France.

It was said that France Télévisions would like to see beyond Eurovision, hoping to create a hit song for Matador to coincide with the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Frida Öhrn

She is the singer of Indie-pop band Oh Laura and one of the three singers in the band Cookies 'N' Beans, performing in the Swedish Melodifestivalen (Eurovision Song Contest qualifier) in 2009 with "What If" and in 2013 with "Burning Flags".

Geir Rönning

Finally it was three times lucky for Geir in 2005, when he managed to win the entire Finnish Eurovision selection with the song "Why?", a ballad concerning the Beslan terror tragedy in Russia.

Georgia in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest

The song went on to win the contest, receiving 154 points and a total of eight 12-point votes out of 14 countries, the second-highest proportion of 12 points received by a winner in either Eurovision Contests, just beaten by Anastasiya Petryk in 2012.

Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1958

Germany was represented by Margot Hielscher, with the song '"Für zwei Groschen Musik", at the 1958 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place on 12 March in Hilversum, Netherlands. "Für zwei Groschen Musik" was chosen at the German national final held on 20 January. This was Hielscher's second consecutive Eurovision appearance for Germany.

Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1975

West Germany (performing under the banner Germany) was present at the Eurovision Song Contest 1975, held in Stockholm, Sweden.

Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1976

Other participants with Eurovision connections were Ireen Sheer (Germany 1978, Luxembourg 1974 and 1985), Lena Valaitis (Germany 1981) and Piera Martell (Switzerland 1974).

Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977

They are the only performers in Eurovision history to have had a number 1 single in the USA (with "Fly, Robin, Fly") prior to their Eurovision appearance.

Heddy Lester

Since her Eurovision appearance, Lester has worked steadily in a variety of both musical and dramatic stage roles, including works by Lorca (Blood wedding), Euripedes (The Trojan Women) and Joshua Sobol (Ghetto).

Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2014

It will also be the third time in the history of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest that the event will be hosted by the previous year's winning country, after Malta won the 2013 edition in Kiev, Ukraine, with the song "The Start" by Gaia Cauchi.

Latvia in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest

The broadcaster has selected Šarlote Lēnmane to represent Latvia at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2010 in Minsk with the song "Viva La Dance".

Lill Lindfors

According to author John Kennedy O'Connor's book The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History, the EBU was not pleased with this stunt.

Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980

Despite the fact that the song is often considered a byword for Eurovision silliness, "Papa Pingouin" sold over a million copies in France and associated markets, and a cover version by Pigloo spent three weeks at the top of the French singles chart in 2006.

Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005

Malta was represented in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 by the song "Angel" performed by Chiara.

Mikulić

Ivan Mikulić (born 1968), Bosnian Croat singer who represented Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004

Ne partez pas sans moi

The song was composed by Turkish songwriter named Atilla Şereftuğ and Swiss composer Nella Martinetti won with 137 points, beating the United Kingdom entry "Go" performed by Scott Fitzgerald by just one point in one of the closest finishes in Eurovision history.

Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 1982

Ironically, while "Jij en ik" performed poorly at Eurovision and was forgotten immediately after, "Fantasie eiland", which had finished second in the Dutch national final, was picked up by British record producer Tim Friese-Greene, recorded in English (as "Fantasy Island") by the group Tight Fit, and became a top 5 hit in the UK and also a chart success in Ireland.

One Life

1 Life, the Belgian entrant of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 performed by Xandee

Papal Concert to Commemorate the Shoah

The concert was broadcast in Italy by RAI (Italian Television), to 52 countries around the world via Eurovision, and in the U.S. on PBS.

Rounder

The Rounder Girls, a trio who competed in the Eurovision Song Contest 2000

Slobodan Trkulja

On April 17, in Hilversum, Netherlands, Balkanopolis and Metropole Orchestra started their collaboration by recording the program for the interval act of Eurovision.

Sweden in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2010

On 1 October SVT revealed their entry for Minsk: 13 year old Josefine Ridell was selected to represent Sweden with the song "Allt jag vill ha" (Everything I want), written by Josefine, four-time Eurovision songwriter Thomas G:son, 2009 Azeri contestant Arash, Robert Uhlmann and Johan Bejerholm.

Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010

Von der Heide performed at the "Eurovision in Concert" preview concert in the Amsterdam municipality of Zaanstad in the Netherlands on 24 April, along with 17 other competitors.

Thor Salden

On 22 December 2006 Thor auctioned off the T-shirt with the Superman logo he wore during the Junior Eurovision Song Contest for the Studio Brussel charity Music for life.

Times Three

Times Three were formed specifically in order to enter the 1999 Maltese Eurovision selection with the song "Believe 'n Peace", written by Christopher Scicluna and Moira Stafrace (elder sister to Diane) who, as Chris & Moira, had represented Malta in the 1994 Eurovision.

Trine Rein

The song has later been covered by child star actress Danielle Brisebois (who wrote the song with Scott Cutler), Estonian Eurovision participant Maarja-Liis Ilus, American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson, and a pre-American Idol Carly Hennessy (a.k.a. Carly Smithson), among others.

Vince Eager

In 1960 he was one of the contestants on A Song for Europe.

Zouk Machine

Joëlle Ursull left the group and proceeded to a solo career, culminating in second place in the 1990 Eurovision performing "White and Black Blues", composed by Serge Gainsbourg and Sylvain Augier.


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