Well, this was a little treat, if a rather odd experience at the same time. There were certainly some strong running themes given there were only 11 songs: the fragility and uncertainty of relationships, and the multi-faceted nature of them; the end of love; and a longing to be somewhere (dancing). The revolving story book backdrops are lovely.
01 France
B: Love the personification of “Mon bateau est tout petit / Il dort dans une bouteille / Et moi, je reve avec lui”.
A: I find this perfectly charming, although it’s hard to know where to start with pieces of music written 18 years before you were born. It’s a couple of jaunty notes away from being the theme tune to an early ’60s sitcom.
A: I find this perfectly charming, although it’s hard to know where to start with pieces of music written 18 years before you were born. It’s a couple of jaunty notes away from being the theme tune to an early ’60s sitcom.
V: Jean’s a bit of a looker. I love the way this performance is so much more theatre than television: there’s a camera in his face, but he’s playing to the audience in the Palais des Festivals and no mistake.
02 Denmark
B: Come now Birthe, no false modesty!
A: This is a sitcom theme tune. Actually it’s pure musical territory – very theatrical and admirably sassy, like you want to slap her for being so conceited but secretly you know she’s right. Love the delivery.
A: This is a sitcom theme tune. Actually it’s pure musical territory – very theatrical and admirably sassy, like you want to slap her for being so conceited but secretly you know she’s right. Love the delivery.
V: Fab dress. You’d never see a performance like this these days: the exaggerated acting plays just as important a role as the song itself. I love it.
03 Italy
B: There’s a fantastic flow and rhythm to these lyrics, especially in lines like “C’era una volta poi non c’è più”.
A: Could be UFO sound effects at the start, and elsewhere. Maybe he’s being abducted by aliens? He was up in the sky last time around. Although I’m not overly familiar with ’50s music I’d still wager this doesn’t try very hard to break the mould. The shouty bit’s good.
V: The music at the start here is very Wizard of Oz, and I love the way Domenico addresses the string section directly. He’s at a bit of a loss when it comes to what to do with himself other than bunch his fists imploringly, but I suppose that goes with the slightly OTT musical territory the song exists within.
A: Could be UFO sound effects at the start, and elsewhere. Maybe he’s being abducted by aliens? He was up in the sky last time around. Although I’m not overly familiar with ’50s music I’d still wager this doesn’t try very hard to break the mould. The shouty bit’s good.
V: The music at the start here is very Wizard of Oz, and I love the way Domenico addresses the string section directly. He’s at a bit of a loss when it comes to what to do with himself other than bunch his fists imploringly, but I suppose that goes with the slightly OTT musical territory the song exists within.
04 Monaco
B: From these lyrics, which are wonderful in places – “J’aimais bien ta plume, meme quand elle n’etait qu’un sanglot” for example – you’d think the music would be a lot more maudlin…
A: …but no.
V: Mr Pills has eyes like a middle-aged Italian man who’s had plastic surgery. He also has a very small, round mouth and sounds like a prototype Dalek at the beginning. He seems slightly awkward in front of the camera, like he can’t bear to look at it for more than a few seconds at a time.
V: Mr Pills has eyes like a middle-aged Italian man who’s had plastic surgery. He also has a very small, round mouth and sounds like a prototype Dalek at the beginning. He seems slightly awkward in front of the camera, like he can’t bear to look at it for more than a few seconds at a time.
05 The Netherlands
B: Some great lyrics again that capture the complexity and simplicity of relationships so neatly and unflinchingly. I love the line “Dan moest je oprecht zijn, goed or slecht, maar echt zijn”.
A: This is an early indication of Dutch entries being generally very together.* I’d perhaps like it to be a little darker in places (“Wel een beetje gauw je eedje van trouw”) but there’s no accounting for how the singer feels, I suppose.
A: This is an early indication of Dutch entries being generally very together.* I’d perhaps like it to be a little darker in places (“Wel een beetje gauw je eedje van trouw”) but there’s no accounting for how the singer feels, I suppose.
V: Ms Scholten connects with the camera in a way that Jacques Pills never manages to. She’s effortlessly charming, with none of the [admittedly enjoyable] excesses of her Danish competitor. The song sounds fantastic, too, under this orchestra.
06 Germany
B: *While this is an early indication that Germany would more often than not go for the lowest common denominator and gimmicks aplenty. You can even see where they’re headed for the next 40 years in some of the more blatant lyrics (“Ja, was jeder immer gerne hört / Das ist Musik aus aller Welt”).
A: Pity the music from all over the world was all the same around this time!
V: LOL at the very restrained wolf-whistle on first sight of the ladies! Are they barefoot? How daring. Very effective routine, given they had about two square metres in which to perform it. Their harmonies are great as well.
A: Pity the music from all over the world was all the same around this time!
V: LOL at the very restrained wolf-whistle on first sight of the ladies! Are they barefoot? How daring. Very effective routine, given they had about two square metres in which to perform it. Their harmonies are great as well.
07 Sweden
B: Here we have another young lady, all innocence it seems, who knows the ways of the world but seems completely unperturbed by them (“Men sa är livet: Att det man inte far / Just är det som man vill ha”). Augustin sounds like an arsehole. Ung, kung och hung, do you think?
A: There’s a nice narrative quality to this, although it’s slightly irritating at the same time, not helped by Brita Borg making Swedish sound not very pretty.
V: There’s clearly a conductor there, so I wonder why he didn’t warrant an introduction. Despite or perhaps because of the dress, Brita looks like she’d rather have been sporting jodhpurs and a riding crop.
A: There’s a nice narrative quality to this, although it’s slightly irritating at the same time, not helped by Brita Borg making Swedish sound not very pretty.
V: There’s clearly a conductor there, so I wonder why he didn’t warrant an introduction. Despite or perhaps because of the dress, Brita looks like she’d rather have been sporting jodhpurs and a riding crop.
08 Switzerland
B: Someone plain miserable at last! “Warum bin ich so allein?” Probably because you’re clinging on to the past, my dear.
A: Not that she sounds that devastated, it has to be said. I love the arrangement of the strings, particularly in the verses.
A: Not that she sounds that devastated, it has to be said. I love the arrangement of the strings, particularly in the verses.
V: The only thing I can think to say about this is that her eyebrows are a bit severe, but that’s no reflection on the performance.
09 Austria
B: “Doch etwas Paprika liegt ebenfalls drin” indeed.
A: It’s hard to take in the amount going on here musically in one sitting, which is why I like it. I wouldn’t have thought it would be Austria providing us with something so refreshingly different. Great yodelling, needless to say.
A: It’s hard to take in the amount going on here musically in one sitting, which is why I like it. I wouldn’t have thought it would be Austria providing us with something so refreshingly different. Great yodelling, needless to say.
V: Nice to see Ferry having a bit of fun with it, although I hope he never gave up his singing career to become a choreographer. His mouth is twice the size of Jacques Pills’ modest aperture.
10 United Kingdom
B: Not very challenging, lyrically…
A: …but the music is great – all 1 minute and 45 seconds of it! Great ending. One of the earliest entries to make use of the now-obligatory key change to crank things up at the end? Absolutely adorable and so universal.
V: Love it! How can you not. Teddy Johnson has one of those voices no one’s heard since the 1950s. The little birdie of the title is slightly alarming in appearance, but these two don’t seem put off by it, so I shan’t be either. I see the chef d’orchestre gets a credit here again; I’m assuming those for Sweden, Switzerland and Austria were doubling up and therefore didn’t get the spotlight shone on them twice. Or that French TV had something against them.
A: …but the music is great – all 1 minute and 45 seconds of it! Great ending. One of the earliest entries to make use of the now-obligatory key change to crank things up at the end? Absolutely adorable and so universal.
V: Love it! How can you not. Teddy Johnson has one of those voices no one’s heard since the 1950s. The little birdie of the title is slightly alarming in appearance, but these two don’t seem put off by it, so I shan’t be either. I see the chef d’orchestre gets a credit here again; I’m assuming those for Sweden, Switzerland and Austria were doubling up and therefore didn’t get the spotlight shone on them twice. Or that French TV had something against them.
11 Belgium
B: There are some lovely lyrics here in lines like “Hou toch van mij / Zoveel als de ster van duisternis houdt / Eeuwig, omdat het duister haar stralen doet”.
A: Bit stiff-sounding in places – towards the beginning admittedly – but undoubtedly heartfelt. Ooh, there goes another key change! (And yes, France did it as well about a hundred times in two minutes.) The music in fact is largely in touch with the passion of the lyrics and wins you over.
V: Doesn’t make too many concessions for the fact that he’s being broadcast live all over Europe, does he, our Bob. I quite like that about this performance though: he just stands there and sings it, and sings it like he means it.
A: Bit stiff-sounding in places – towards the beginning admittedly – but undoubtedly heartfelt. Ooh, there goes another key change! (And yes, France did it as well about a hundred times in two minutes.) The music in fact is largely in touch with the passion of the lyrics and wins you over.
V: Doesn’t make too many concessions for the fact that he’s being broadcast live all over Europe, does he, our Bob. I quite like that about this performance though: he just stands there and sings it, and sings it like he means it.
And so to the points…
1 point goes to Monaco
2 points go to Italy
3 points go to Switzerland
4 points go to Austria
5 points go to Belgium
6 points go to France
7 points go to Germany
8 points go to Denmark
10 points go to the Netherlands
and finally…
12 points go to...
12 points go to...
The United Kingdom!
Which means the wooden spoon goes to Sweden.
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