Sixties City - Eurovision Song Contest

1956-1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969

Eurovision
Eurovision, or 'Television Continental Exchange' as the BBC put it, began life from June 6th to July 4th 1954 as a 'summer season of European television exchanges'. From the co-ordination centre in Lille, France (giving it the aka of 'Lille experiment' among engineers) links were established between eight European countries: Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the UK and West Germany, with programmes also from the Vatican. The first programme showed the Narcissus Festival from Montreux, Switzerland.

The Song Contest before 1960
The Eurovision Song contest began at the Teatro Kursaal, Lugano, Switzerland, on Thursday 24th May 1956, the realisation of a concept by Frenchman Marcel Baison, and has since produced many British chart hits and career boosts both for the British entries and the continental winners. There were only seven entrants in the first competition, each presenting two songs, all but two countries using two different performers. The U.K. was surprisingly not represented in that first contest, our first attempt being in 1957.

For some reason 1958 was another non-entry but the U.K. have competed every year since. Lys Assia from Switzerland won the first contest with 'Refrain', beating Belgium's 'The Drowned Men Of The River Seine'. The following year the contest was held in Frankfurt-Am-Maine and the UK entered for the first time with Patricia Bredin singing 'All', a composition which lasted less than two minutes and came 7th. The winning song, by Corry Brokken of The Netherlands, lasted 4 minutes 30 seconds!

In 1962 a three-minute time limit was set on entries. There is no restriction imposed on the nationality of the performers or songwriters performing for each country and current rules state that a maximum of six performers are permitted on the stage.
The UK did not compete in 1958 when the third-placed Italian song was released in a re-titled English version as 'Volare' and became the first Eurovision song to make the British pop charts. The 1958 winner was Andre Claveau of France, with 'Sleep, My Love'.

The UK bounced back in 1959, with the legendary Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson performing 'Sing Little Birdie' which was narrowly beaten by The Netherlands' Een Beetje. France's entry, 'Oui Oui Oui Oui', was only a single point further back in third place.
Fud Leclerc, a Belgian singer who represented his country no less than four times, was the first person to score 'nil points' in the competition, achieving this notorious feat in 1962 with a song called 'Ton Nom' ('Your Name'), an entry with a tune that bore little relation to the orchestral accompaniment. He had first represented Belgium in the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest of 1956 with 'Messieurs les noyés de la Seine' ('The drowned men of the Seine') and returned to the Eurovision stage in 1958 with the somewhat more happily titled 'Ma Petite Chatte' ('My Little Sweetie') which came fifth out of the 10 entries – his best result. In 1960 his offering was 'Mon Amour pour Toi' ('My love for you'), which came sixth out of 13 entries.

May 24th 1956
Teatro Kursaal
Lugano, Switzerland
Presenter: Lohengrin Filpello
Winner: Switzerland
Winning Artist - Song: Lys Assisa - 'Refrain'
No U.K. entry

March 3rd 1957
Grosser Sendesaal Des Hessisches Rundfunk Frankfurt, West Germany
Presenter: Anaid Plikjan
Winner: Netherlands
Winning Artist - Song: Corry Brokken - 'Net Als Toen'
Patricia Bredin - 'All" (7th)

March 12th 1958
'VRO Studies
Hilversum, Netherlands
Presenter: Hannie Lips
Winner: France
Winning Artist - Song: Andre Claveau - 'Dors, mon Amour'
No U.K. entry

March 11th 1959
Palais des Festivals
Cannes, France
Presenter: Jacqueline Joubert
Winner: Netherlands
Winning Artist - Song: Teddy Scholten - 'Een Beetje'
Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson - 'Sing Little Birdie' (2nd)

	March 25th 1960 Royal Festival Hall, London, England Introduced by Katie Boyle Winner Jacqueline Boyer (France) 'Tom Pillibi' U.K. Entry Bryan Johnson 'Looking High High High'	1 France - 'Tom Pillibi' - Jacqueline Boyer 2 United Kingdom - 'Looking High High High' - Bryan Johnson 3 Monaco - 'Ce Soir La' - Francois Deguelt 4= Norway - 'Voi Voi' - Nora Brockstedt 4= Germany - 'Bonne Nuit, Ma Cherie' - Wyn Hoop 6 Belgium - 'Mon Amour Pour Toi' - Fud Leclerc 7 Austria - 'Du Hast Mich So Fasziniert' - Harry Winter 8= Italy - 'Romantica' - Renato Rascel 8= Switzerland - 'Cielo E Terra' - Anita Traversi 10= Sweden - 'Alla Andra Far Varann' - Siw Malmkvist 10= Denmark - 'Det Var En Yndig Tid' - Katy Bodtger 12 Netherlands - 'Wat Een Geluk' - Rudi Carrell 13 Luxembourg - 'So Laang We's Du Do Bast' - Camillo Felgen



	March 18th 1961 Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France Introduced by Jacqueline Joubert Winner Jean-Claude Pascal (Luxembourg) 'Nous, Les Amoureux' U.K. Entry The Allisons 'Are You Sure'	1 Luxembourg - Nous Les Amoureux - Jean Claude Pascal 2 United Kingdom - Are You Sure - The Allisons 3 Switzerland - Nous Aurons Demain - Franca di Rienzo 4 France - Printemps ( Avril Carillonne ) - Jean Paul Mauric 5= Denmark - Angelique - Dario Campeotto 5= Italy - Al Di La - Betty Curtis 7 Norway - Sommer I Palma - Nora Brockstedt 8 Yugoslavia - Neke Davne Zvezde - Ljiljana Petrovic 9 Spain - Estando Contigo - Concita Bautista 10= Finland - Valoa Ikkunassa - Laila Kinnunen 10= Monaco - Allons, Allons Les Enfants - Colette Dereal 10= Netherlands - Wat Een Dag - Greetje Kauffeld 13 Germany - Einmal Sehen Wir Uns Wieder - Lale Andersen 14 Sweden - April, April - Lill Babs 15= Austria - Sehnsucht - Jimmy Makulis 15= Belgium - Septembre, Gouden Roos - Bob Benny



	March 18th 1962 Grand Auditorium de RTL, Villa Louvigny, Luxembourg Introduced by Mireille Delanoy Winner Isabelle Aubret (France) 'Un Premier Amour' U.K. Entry Ronnie Carroll 'Ring A Ding Girl'	1 France - Un Premier Amour - Isabelle Aubret 2 Monaco - Dis Rien - Francois Deguelt 3 Luxembourg - Petit Bonhomme - Camillo Felgen 4= United Kingdom - Ring-a-Ding Girl - Ronnie Carroll 4= Yugoslavia - Ne Pali Svetla U Sumrak - Lola Novakovic 6 Germany - Zwei Kleiner Italiener - Conny Froboess 7= Finland - Tipi Tii - Marion Rung 7= Sweden - Sol Och Var - Inger Berggren 9 Italy - Addio, Addio - Claudio Villa 10= Denmark - Vuggevise - Ellen Winther 10= Norway - Kom Sol, Kom Regn - Inger Jacobsen 10= Switzerland - Le Retour - Jean Philippe 13= Austria - Nur In Der Wiener Luft - Eleonore Schwarz 13= Belgium - Ton Nom - Fud Leclerc 13= Netherlands - Katinka - De Spelbrekers 13= Spain - Llamame - Victor Balaguer



	March 23rd 1963 BBC Television Centre, London, England Introduced by Katie Boyle and David Jacobs Produced by Harry Carlisle Directed by Yvonne Littlewood Winner Grethe and Jorgen Ingmann (Denmark) 'Dansevise' U.K. Entry Ronnie Carroll 'Say Wonderful Things'	1 Denmark - Dansevise - Grethe & Jorgen Ingmann 2 Switzerland - T'en Va Pas - Ester Ofarim 3 Italy - Uno Per Tutte - Emilio Pericoli 4 United Kingdom - Say Wonderful Things - Ronnie Carroll 5= France - Elle Etait Si Jolie - Alain Barriere 5= Monaco - L'Amour S'en Va - Francoise Hardy 7 Austria - Vielleicht Geschieht Ein Wunder - Carmela Corren 8 Luxembourg - A Force De Prier - Nana Mouskouri 9 Germany - Marcel - Heidi Bruhl 10 Belgium - Waarom? - Jacques Raymond 11 Yugoslavia - Brodovi - Vice Vukov 12 Spain - Algo Prodigioso - Jose Guardiola 13= Netherlands - Een Speeldoos - Annie Palmen 13= Norway - Solhverv - Anita Thallaug 13= Sweden - En Gang I Stockholm - Monica Zetterlund 13= Finland - Muistojeni Laulu - Laila Halme



	March 21st 1964 Tivoli Concert Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark Introduced by Lotta Waever Winner Gigliola Cinquetti (Italy) 'Non Ho L'Eta Per Amarti' U.K. Entry Matt Monro 'I Love The Little Things'	1 Italy - Non Ho L'Eta - Gigliola Cinquetti 2 United Kingdom - I Love The Little Things - Matt Monro 3 Monaco - Ou Sont Elles Passees - Romuald 4 France - La Chant De Mallory - Rachel 4 Luxembourg - Des Que Le Printemps Revient - Hugues Aufray 6 Austria - Warum Nur Warum? - Udo Jurgens 7 Finland - Laiskotellen - Lasse Martenson 8 Norway - Spiral - Arne Bendiksen 9 Denmark - Sangen Om Dig - Bjorn Tidmand 10 Belgium - Pres De Ma Riviere - Robert Cogoi 10 Netherlands - Jij Bent Mijn Leven - Anneke Gronloh 12 Spain - Caracola - Nelly, Tim & Tony 13 Germany - Man Gewohnt Sich So Schnell An Das Schone - Nora Nova 13 Portugal - Oracao - Antonio Calvario 13 Switzerland - I Miei Pensieri - Anita Traversi 13 Yugoslavia - Zivot Je Sklopio Krug - Sabahudin Kurt



	March 20th 1965 RAI Concert Hall, Naples, Italy Introduced by Renata Mauro (David Jacobs for U.K. Television) Winner France Gall (Luxembourg) 'Poupee de Cire, Poupee de Son' U.K. Entry Kathy Kirby 'I Belong'	1 Luxembourg - Poupee De Cire, Poupee De Son - France Gall 2 United Kingdom - I Belong - Kathy Kirby 3 France - N'Avoue Jamais - Guy Mardel 4 Austria - Sag Ihr, Ich Lass Sie Grussen - Udo Jurgens 5 Italy - Se Piangi, Se Ridi - Bobby Solo 6 Ireland - I'm Walking The Streets In The Rain - Butch Moore 7 Denmark - For Din Skyld - Birgit Bruel 8 Switzerland - Non A Jamais Sans Toi - Yovanna 9 Monaco - Va Dire A L'Amour - Marjorie Noel 10 Sweden - Absent Friend - Ingvar Wixell 11 Netherlands - 'T Het Is Genoeg - Conny Van Den Bos 12 Yugoslavia - Ceznja - Vice Vukov 13= Portugal - Sol De Inverno - Simone de Oliveira 13= Norway - Karusell - Kirsti Sparboe 15= Spain - Que Bueno, Que Bueno - Conchita Bautista 15= Germany - Paradies, Wo Bist Du? - Ulla Wiesner 15= Finland - Aurinko Laskee Lanteen - Viktor Klimenko 15= Belgium - Als Het Weer Lente Is - Lize Marke



	March 5th 1966 Grand Auditorium de RTL, Villa Louvigny, Luxembourg Introduced by Josiane Shen Winner Udo Jurgens (Austria ) 'Merci Cheri' U.K. Entry Kenneth McKellar 'A Man Without Love'	1 Austria - Merci Cherie - Udo Jurgens 2 Sweden - Nygammal Vals - Lill Lindfors & Svante Thuresson 3 Norway - Intet Er Nytt Under Solen - Ase Kleveland 4= Belgium - Un Peu De Poivre, Un Peu De Sel - Tonia 4= Ireland - Come Back To Stay - Dickie Rock 6 Switzerland - Ne Vois Tu Pas? - Madeleine Pascal 7= Spain - Yo Soy Aquel - Raphael 7= Yugoslavia - Brez Besed - Berta Ambroz 9 United Kingdom - A Man Without Love - Kenneth McKellar 10= Finland - Play Boy - Ann Christine Nystrom 10= Germany - Die Zeiger Der Uhr - Margot Eskens 10= Luxembourg - Ce Soir Je T'Attendais - Michele Torr 13 Portugal - Ele E Ela - Madalena Iglesias 14 Denmark - Stop, Mens Legen Er Go - Ulla Pia 15 Netherlands - Fernando En Philippo - Milly Scott 16 France - Chez Nous - Dominique Walter 17= Italy - Dio Come Ti Amo - Domenico Modugno 17= Monaco - Bien Plus Fort - Tereza



	April 8th 1967 Grosser Festsaal, Wiener Hofburg, Vienna, Austria Introduced by Erica Vaal (Rolf Harris for U.K. TV) Winner Sandie Shaw (United Kingdom) 'Puppet On A String'	1 United Kingdom - Puppet On A String - Sandie Shaw 2 Ireland - If I Could Choose - Sean Dunphy 3 France - Il Doit Faire Beau La-Bas - Noelle Cordier 4 Luxembourg - L'Amour Est Bleu - Vicky 5 Monaco - Boum Badaboum - Minouche Barelli 6 Spain - Hablemos Del Amor - Raphael 7 Belgium - Ik Heb Zorgen - Louis Neefs 8 Germany - Anouschka - Inge Bruck 8 Sweden - Som En Drom - Osten Warnerbring 8 Yugoslavia - Vse Roze Sveta - Lado Leskovar 11 Italy - Non Andare Piu Lontano - Claudio Villa 12 Finland - Varjoon-Suojaan - Fredi 12 Portugal - O Vento Mudou - Eduardo Nascimento 14 Austria - Warum Es 100,000 Sterne Gibt - Peter Horten 14 Netherlands - Ringe Ding - Therese Steinmetz 14 Norway - Dukkemann - Kirsti Sparboe 17 Switzerland - Quel Couer Vas Tu Briser? - Geraldine



	April 6th 1968 The Royal Albert Hall, London, England Introduced by Katie Boyle Winner Massiel (Spain) 'La La La' U.K. Entry Cliff Richard 'Congratulations'	1 Spain - La La La - Massiel 2 United Kingdom - Congratulations - Cliff Richard 3 France - La Source - Isabelle Aubret 4 Ireland - Chance Of A Lifetime - Pat McGeegan 5 Sweden - Det Borjar Verka Karlek Banne Mej - Claes-Goran Hederstrom 6 Germany - Ein Hoch Der Liebe - Wencke Myhre 7= Belgium - Quand Tu Reviendras - Claude Lombard 7= Monaco - A Chacun Sa Chanson - Line & Willy 7= Yugoslavia - Jedan Dan - Luci Kapurso and Hamo Hajdarhodzic 10 Italy - Marianne - Sergio Endrigo 11= Luxembourg - Nous Vivrons D'Amour - Chris Baldo and Sophie Garel 11= Portugal - Verao - Carlos Mendes 13= Austria - Tausend Fenster - Karel Gott 13= Norway - Stress - Odd Borre 13= Switzerland - Guardando Il Sole - Gianni Mascolo 16= Finland - Kun Kello Kay - Kristiina Hautala 16= Netherlands - Morgen - Ronnie Tober



	March 29th 1969 Teatro Real, Madrid, Spain Introduced by Laurita Valenzuela (David Gell for U.K. Television) Four Joint Winners Lulu (United Kingdom) 'Boom Bang A Bang' Salome (Spain) 'Viva Cantando' Lennie Kuhr (Netherlands) 'De Troubadour' Frida Boccara (France) 'Un Jour, Un Enfant'	1= Spain - Vivo Cantando - Salome 1= United Kingdom - Boom Bang-A-Bang - Lulu 1= France - Un Jour, Un Enfant - Frida Boccara 1= Netherlands - DeTroubadour - Lenny Kuhr 5 Switzerland - Bonjour Bonjour - Paola 6 Monaco - Maman Maman - Jean-Jacques 7= Belgium - Jennifer Jennings - Louis Neefs 7= Ireland - The Wages Of Love - Muriel Day and The Lindsays 9= Germany - Primaballerina - Siw Malmqvist 9= Sweden - Judy Min Vaen - Tommy Korberg 11 Luxembourg - Catherine - Romuald 12 Finland - Kuin Silloin Ennen - Jarkko and Laura 13= Italy - Due Grosse Lacrime Bianche - Iva Zanicchi 13= Yugoslavia - Pozdrav Svijetu - Ivan 15 Portugal - Desfolhada - Simone de Oliveira 16 Norway - Oj, Oj, Oj, Sa Glad Jeg Skal Bli - Kirsti Sparboe