Remembering Eurovision ……… on the wireless*

Now there are heaps of mysteries about the Eurovision Song Contest.

Sheet music, date unknown

Why is Australia involved?  

How exactly do some of the most bizarre and seemingly awful songs win? 

And when can I next see Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga on the telly?**

To which out there are all the answers ranging from authoritative and scholarly works, TV documentaries, and the banal and crackpot conspiracy posts which wander across the internet.

All of which is a lead into another edition of the Reunion where Radio 4 bring together a group of people who remember an event from the past.

This week its all about Eurovision.

"Once a year, countries across Europe come together for a night of glittery madness known as the Eurovision Song Contest. Running since 1956, the song contest has evolved from a formal affair involving only seven countries into Europe's largest - and campest - election, all while weathering the tumultuous second half of the 20th century.

The early years of the contest laid the foundations for its modern iteration, and were integral to the careers of several stars. In this programme Kirsty Wark reunites Dana, Lulu, Phil Coulter, and Pete Murray, with help from historian Dean Vuletic.

The Club grows over the decades, 1950s in red

In the 1950s and 60s, Eurovision was populated by native language ballads and besuited diplomats - a far cry from the rock 'n' roll that was dominating the mainstream airwaves. Success at the contest, however, promised the possibility of fame and fortune across the continent.

Phil Coulter wrote the music for Puppet On A String, which became the UK's first winner in 1967, and Lulu built on an established career to win in a controversial four-way tie at the 1969 competition with Boom Bang a Bang. Dana was only 18 when she sang All Kinds of Everything, kicking off Ireland's legendary run of wins at the contest in 1970, and DJ Pete Murray was watching the action from the commentator's box throughout the period. Dean Vuletic provides a rare glimpse into the European Broadcasting Union's archives.

Ahead of this year's competition in Liverpool, our guests discuss the secret formulae of winning Eurovision entries, reflect on how contemporary politics produced voting scandals, and share stories from behind the scenes.

Producer: Rebecca Guthrie

Series Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4”

Picture; sheet music for the First Manchester March, date unknown from the collection of David Harrop, The Eurovision Club, This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Sims2aholic8 at English Wikipedia. This applies worldwide. Sims2aholic8 grants anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.

*The Eurovision Song Contest, The Reunion, Radio 4, https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001lhzq

* Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, a 2020 American musical comedy film directed by David Dobkin, written by Will Ferrell and Andrew Steele, and starring Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens, Melissanthi Mahut, Mikael Persbrandt, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Graham Norton, Demi Lovato, and Pierce Brosnan. The film follows the personally close Icelandic singers Lars Erickssong and Sigrit Ericksdóttir as they are given the chance to represent their country at the Eurovision Song Contest, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovision_Song_Contest:_The_Story_of_Fire_Saga#:~:text=Eurovision%20Song%20Contest%3A%20The%20Story%20of%20Fire%20Saga%20is%20a,Demi%20Lovato%2C%20and%20Pierce%20Brosnan.