Last night, half the nation with 200 million people throughout Europe, watched the Eurovision Song Contest, televised live from the Albert Hall, for an hour and three-quarters. Why?
A middle-aged woman outside Buckingham Palace: “It might help us get in the Common Market. Anyway, it can’t do any harm.” A man in The Mall: “Well, we need something to boost us, if it’s only a song.” Another woman: “I always watch. I thought that nice girl with the bunions put up a very good show for us last year.”
Mr Phil Coulter, co-composer of Britain’s entry, Congratulations: “Congratulations has a strong boom-boom beat.” A fan: “Cliff Richard can always show these continentals a thing or two. He’s very sexy-looking when he jumps around, and he’s also a very good ambassador.”
Others weren’t as enthusiastic: “If Congratulations wins, we might as well bring back Knees Up Mother Brown,” said one. “Crap,” said another. “If these are the best songs in Europe, God help the others.”
They’ve got a point: which of us remember such classics as Ring-A-Ding Girl, Britain’s entry in 1962 which tied for fourth place? Or Sing, Little Birdie and Looking High, High, High which were second in 1959 and 1960?
But Mr Tom Sloan, head of BBC Light Entertainment and executive producer of this year’s contest, defends the songs with the determination of a man who knows he’s either very right or very wrong: “It’s an enriching experience. More than 200 million people watching the same thing at the same time. There’s something wonderful about that.”
John Heilpern
