2009: Yohanna: Is It True?

It Should Have Won

Iceland: Is It True?

The UK's prospects of victory in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest lay with Jade Ewen's It's My Time, a song specially composed by theatre impresario Andrew Lloyd-Webber and songwriter Diane Warren. Although it achieved the country's best placing since 2002, this year's competition was really about Alexander Rybak and which songs could realistically catch him on the scoreboard.

Norway's Rybak had been favourite to win for some months and it became evident early on in the voting that 2009 would be his year.

While Ewen's effort breezed into the Top 5, it was Yohanna's beautiful pop ballad, Is It True?, which came the closest to Norway's final points tally.

Yohanna Wins Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 

As has been customary with Iceland's song selection, the country opted for a national final - this time composed of four semi-finals and a grand final. Yohanna's song was one of a quartet of entries showcased in the first semi-final in early January, seemingly progressing with some ease. It's not difficult to appreciate why.

What's not to like about a beautiful young woman singing an emotionally charged song with recognisable commercial potential? Nothing. And the Icelandic public agreed: Yohanna was the comprehensive winner of Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2009 (the name of the island's national final) receiving approximately 9000 more votes than her nearest rival.

On to the Eurovision Finals 

This enthusiasm for Is It True? followed Yohanna to Moscow, as savvy Eurovision fans had already recognised the promise that this memorable tune possessed. It also translated to plenty of votes from viewers of the Contest who, it later transpired, pushed the song to the top of the scoreboard in the first semi-final - albeit in a close tussle with the Turkish entry.

Yohanna at Eurovision

Turkey's Düm Tek Tek was yet another favourite and, like Alexander Rybak, received a plum draw in the running order of the Final (18th and 20th respectively). Yohanna was not so lucky. Selected to sing in seventh position, this early performance did not bode well for Iceland's chances.

However, it seemed as if viewers refused to forget the lovely Yohanna's three minutes on stage.

The focus may have been on Norway's continuous stream of top scores, but almost unnoticed, Iceland was pulling in a consistent amount of points.

Although Norway may have won with a record-breaking 387 points  - a figure which trounced the rest of the field - Iceland's 218 points in second place could easily have given it a victory in any other year.

A Significant Chart Success 

Although the song was ignored in several parts of Europe, not surprisingly Iceland sent it to the top of their charts.

Scandanavia and other territories close by also loved it. It figured highly in the music charts in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, but perhaps what was more unexpected was the response of Greek, Swiss and Belgian consumers: they bought and downloaded enough copies of the track for it to make a significant impact in each of their Top 20s.

Even the UK and Ireland pushed it into their Top 50s, helping it to become the second best-selling Eurovision song of the year.

Iceland Continues to Wait 

Still, in spite of Yohanna's remarkable success, Iceland remains the only nation in Northern Europe not to have won the Contest.

Sadly, even the strength, attraction and beauty of the entire 2009 Icelandic package was not able to change this.

Gigliola Cinquetti: Si: 1974

Gigliola Cinquetti: Perfect Best

It Should Have Won

Italy: Si

In the UK, the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest was all about Olivia Newton-John's chances of capturing the country's third victory with a song she later admitted that she hated, Long Love Love.

Viewing that year's Contest through a wider lens, however, it looked as if Olivia would have some very hot competition. Several potential victors were about to take the stage in Brighton. Something quite rare for most Eurovisions.

Big names in Eurovision '74

Apart from Olivia, other well-known names on the European circuit were there; among them Mouth and MacNeal (The Netherlands), Tina Reynolds (Ireland), Ireen Sheer (Luxembourg) and Italy's 1964 winner, Gigliola Cinquetti.

Gigliola Cinquetti Returns to the Contest

Si - 1974 record sleeve

As was usual back then, Italy's state broadcaster, RAI, selected both the singer and the song to go forward to the final. They had chosen well. Gigliola obviously had Eurovision pedigree following her victory a decade earlier and the song was soon to become considered a classic among the Euro fraternity.

It's easy to understand why. Apart from the fact that Gigliola had blossomed into a stunningly beautiful woman, it was evident that her vocals had matured in tandem. Although seemingly nervous on the night, she gave a superb rendition of the emotionally-charged and superbly dramatic Si. It was the last of the sixteen songs to be performed and it looked as if she may have just clinched the competition on a photo finish.

ABBA Win the Battle

ABBA in 1974

No-one had reckoned with ABBA, of course. At least, not until their glam rock-inspired performance of the evening.

As good as it was though, not everyone was impressed by Waterloo, Sweden's inaugural winner - not least, we Brits. Famously, the United Kingdom jurors did not award the song a single point, instead preferring to give their highest score to Gigliola. Even the Italian jurors were indifferent to the now-famous Swedes. They followed the UK's lead and ignored them altogether.

For all that, Gigliola still found herself in the runners-up position. ABBA had scored consistently with almost all of the other juries, while half of Italy's eighteen votes were composed of those given by the UK and Monaco alone.

A UK Commercial Success

Even though the British jurors awarded Waterloo a big fat zero, the great British public loved it and sent it to No.1 in the UK charts. Thankfully, we Brits also agreed with our jurors, buying enough copies of Go (Before You Break My Heart) - the English version of Si - to deliver a Top 10 placing in late May 1974.

It remains one of the very few songs not to have won the Contest to make such an impression on the UK charts, as well as affording Gigliola Cinquetti a place in the Eurovision history book. She is still just one of a handful of artists to finish in both first and second places in the competition. Still a very impressive accomplishment.

Italy Meets Its Waterloo

If not for ABBA though, it should (and would) have won - giving Ms. Cinquetti an even more impressive entry in the book: the first double winner.

Never mind, Gigliola. In many people's minds, you were and still are the winner. It's just a shame you found yourself up against the runaway freight train that was ABBA - meeting your Waterloo in the process.

*ABBA image by AVRO (Beeld En Geluid Wiki - Gallerie: Toppop 1974) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Imaani: Where Are You? : 1998

Imaani

It Should Have Won

United Kingdom: Where Are You?

Back in 1998, the United Kingdom was still on a Eurovision high. The previous year the country had won the Contest with Katrina and the Waves singing Love Shine a Light and it was now preparing to host the event from the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. The country also had another solid contender vying for a successive win.

Imaani Wins the National Selection

The British buzz surrounded the selection of Where Are You?, one of four compositions competing in that year's Great British Song Contest - the UK's national final. It would be sung by newcomer Imaani, who was suggested to the song's writers by Debbie French, a member of The Collective - a group which had also graduated to the final.

While the entry by The Collective did not click with the British public, Where Are You? caught the imagination and raced to victory, registering over 4,000 more votes than its nearest rival. It was not surprising, really: the song had pedigree, particularly with hit songwriter Scott English on board.

English had already penned or co-penned big sellers such as Bend Me, Shape Me and Hi Ho Silver Lining, as well as appeared in the UK Top 20 himself with his own composition Brandy. This later underwent a metamorphosis to become Mandy - Barry Manilow's first big hit.

The United Kingdom Vs. Israel

Dana International

This kind of reputation stands no chance, however, when there is unending controversy and media attention surrounding one of the other national contestants. It transpired that Israel was sending the act Dana International with the song Diva. 

In any other year, the performer and the song wouldn't have caused much of a stir. However, Dana International was formerly Dan International: the first openly transgender singer to enter the Contest. As a result, none of the other nations really stood a chance, no matter the quality of their songs.

Imaani's superior vocal and production gave Diva a run for its money, however, but many voters were already seduced by the Israeli story and Dana International went on to secure Israel its third victory.

The UK Finishes Second...Again

Chiara

In fact, just eight points separated the Top Three. Another battle had ensued between Imaani and Malta's Chiara - another 'It Should Have Won' contender - with the Brit securing the runners-up spot by just one point. Either could have been a better choice than the eventual winner, particularly Where Are You? which actually sounded current for its time and continues to impress today.

Imaani gives a soulfully explosive, yet measured vocal over a driving mid-tempo dance beat, helped in the storytelling by some excellent backing singers. They all contribute to the sense of anguish and heartache that the song evokes, painting a vivid picture of longing and despair.

Replacing the year-long high, the UK's result instead became a major cause of despondency. Despite being one of the nation's best entries, the United Kingdom was in second place again - albeit the song received points from every participating country, including top votes from four of them.

Eurovision is never fair, it seems. 1998 was less so than most years.

What do you think?

Imaani Performing at Eurovision 1998

Imaani image by Richard Kaby [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons 
Dana International image by Daniel Kruczynski (Flickr) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Chiara image by The Foto Grafer (photographer) and TVMalta (licensor) (The Foto Grafer) [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

 

Urban Symphony: Rändajad: 2009

Sandra Nurmsalu of Urban Symphony

It Should Have Won

Estonia: Rändajad (Nomads/Travellers)

It seems almost sacrilegious to suggest that another song should have won Eurovison in 2009, bearing in mind that Norway's winning Fairytale recorded the highest score since the beginning of the contest.

In fact, Alexander Rybak's composition soon became a runaway train, bulldozing its way through the competition, not only in the Eurovision finals but also at Norway's pre-selection contest, Melodi Grand Prix 2009.

Urban Symphony: Strong Contenders

Nevertheless, there were several strong contenders for the crown, particularly among the Top 10 finishers. Think Yohanna or Jade Ewen, even Patricia Kaas or Hadise - all compelling competitors. But there was an even brighter gem nestled among those names on the final scoreboard: from Estonia, Urban Symphony.

Led by Sandra Nurmsalu, this four-piece female outfit defies the usual genre pigeonholes, but classic-crossover is probably their best description. They comprehensively won the 2009 Eesti Laul - the Estonian pre-selection show - and were deservedly a part of the Top 3 in the second semi-final in Moscow - catapulting the country into the Final for the first time since the introduction of the semi-finals.

Rändajad: Too Cool for Eurovision?

Urban Symphony

The song that got them there was Rändajad, an atmospheric composition which recounts perpetual treks through harsh, hot deserts - reportedly an analogy of life and its hurdles.

Complementing its modern electronic sounds are cellos and violins.

However, unlike Alexander Rybak, Sandra and co did not wield their instruments like weapons. Instead there's an exotically cool authenticity in the group's musicality, enhanced by Sandra's calm, yet hypnotic, Estonian-language vocals. While you may not understand what she's singing about, her tone draws you in to the song, as does its spellbinding melody.

Urban Symphony Performing at Eurovision 2009

Despite its many merits, Rändajad could only manage sixth place with a score which amounted to just one third of Rybak's winning score at 129 points. Disappointingly, the United Kingdom awarded it 'nul points', the song warranting so much more.

In spite of that, the tune has become one of the more memorable of recent years and demonstrates how magnificent the Eurovision Song Contest can be at its best.

What do you think?

Above image by Daniel Kruczynski (Urban Symphony) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons