United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980

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Stephanie de Sykes
  • Stuart Slater
  • Finals performance
    Final result3rd, 106 points
    United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest
    ◄1979 1980 1981►

    The 1980 "A Song For Europe" contest was held on 26 March 1980 (the same day as that year's budget), at the

    Te deum
    " the Eurovision theme.

    Before Eurovision

    A Song for Europe 1980

    12 songs were chosen by the Music Publisher's Association.

    Following his second place in the 1979 contest, songwriter Richard Gillinson was asked to submit a song to replace the disqualified entry "Tell Me" by The New Seekers, which was eliminated two weeks before the final after the group began promoting the track before the contest.[1] Gillinson's song "Surrender" was performed by the same artist who presented his 1979 song, Kim Clark. The lead vocal of "Tell Me" was taken by New Seeker Nicola Kerr, who had been one of the 'Plus Two' who had finished 3rd for Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977.

    The twelve songs were voted on by 14 regional juries, who awarded 1-12 points to each song. Each of the 11 jurors awarded 1-5 points to each song, the total scores being added up, with the song earning the most points being awarded 12 points, the second placed song earned 11, the third 10 and so on, down to 1 point for the song with the fewest votes.

    The jury spokesperson could be seen on screen awarding the votes, sometimes with the jury members in vision. These were broadcast from the BBC's 14 regional news studios.

    Owing to a tie break and with the live show quickly running out of time, a clearly flustered Terry Wogan, unsure of what to do in this unprecedented circumstance, returned to the 14 juries who were hastily asked to pick their favourite between songs two and five. Some juries ignored their previous voting and switched allegiance to Prima Donna who won by eight votes to six.[2]

    A Song for Europe 1980 – 26 March 1980[1]
    Draw Artist Song Songwriter(s) Points Place
    01 Scramble "Don't Throw Your Love Away" Peter Morris 97 6th
    02 Maggie Moone "Happy Everything" Geoff Stephens, Don Black 137 2nd
    03 Plain Sailing "Easy" Colin Stewart, Alan Stewart, Paul Stewart, Robert Freeman 111 4th
    04 Sonja Jones "Here We'll Stay" Tony Colton,
    Jean Roussell
    56 11th
    05 Prima Donna "Love Enough for Two"
    Stephanie de Sykes
    , Stuart Slater
    139 1st
    06 Jacqui Scott "Symphony for You" Johnny Goodison, Keith Mansfield 67 8th
    07 Duke and the Aces "Love Is Alive" Paul Curtis 94 7th
    08 Roy Winston "Everything's All Right" Roy Winston 58 10th
    09 Midnite "Love Comes, Love Grows" Gary Sulsh, Stuart Leathwood 62 9th
    10 The Main Event "Gonna Do My Best" Terry Bradford 45 12th
    11 Pussyfoot "I Want to Be Me" Mick Flynn, Mark Stevens 111 4th
    12 Kim Clark "Surrender" Richard Gillinson 129 3rd
    Detailed Jury Votes[1]
    Draw Song
    Aberdeen
    Newcastle
    Plymouth
    Leeds
    Southampton
    Bangor
    London
    Cardiff
    Birmingham
    Glasgow
    Belfast
    Bristol
    Norwich
    Manchester
    Total score
    1 "Don't Throw Your Love Away" 10 7 5 8 3 6 5 9 10 10 9 5 7 3 97
    2 "Happy Everything" 11 8 8 11 8 10 10 12 12 6 10 12 8 5 131
    3 "Easy" 6 5 12 10 12 9 8 7 5 5 6 9 6 11 111
    4 "Here We'll Stay" 1 2 1 2 4 2 4 10 3 2 8 8 5 4 56
    5 "Love Enough for Two" 8 12 9 12 9 12 12 11 8 8 7 6 11 6 131
    6 "Symphony for You" 5 10 10 1 2 7 11 8 4 4 1 2 1 1 67
    7 "Love Is Alive" 7 11 11 7 6 5 6 2 9 7 3 3 10 7 94
    8 "Everything's All Right" 2 6 6 3 1 4 2 4 2 3 5 10 2 8 58
    9 "Love Comes, Love Grows" 4 3 2 4 7 8 1 3 7 9 4 4 4 2 62
    10 "Gonna Do My Best" 3 4 3 6 5 3 3 1 1 1 2 1 3 9 45
    11 "I Want to Be Me" 9 1 7 5 11 1 7 6 6 11 12 11 12 12 111
    12 "Surrender" 12 9 4 9 10 11 9 5 11 12 11 7 9 10 129
    Tie-Break[1]
    Song
    Aberdeen
    Newcastle
    Plymouth
    Leeds
    Southampton
    Bangor
    London
    Cardiff
    Birmingham
    Glasgow
    Belfast
    Bristol
    Norwich
    Manchester
    Total score
    "Happy Everything" X X X X X X 6
    "Love Enough for Two" X X X X X X X X 8

    UK Discography

    • Scramble - Don't Throw Your Love Away: WEA K18206.
    • Maggie Moone - Happy Everything: GTO GT270.
    • Plain Sailing - Easy: Chrysalis CHS2386.
    • Sonja Jones - Here We'll Stay: Magnet MAG165.
    • Frida - Here We'll Stay: Epic A3435 (1983).
    • Prima Donna - Love Enough for Two: Ariola ARO221.
    • Jacqui Scott - Symphony for You: CBS SCBS8330.
    • Duke & The Aces - Love is Alive: Epic SEPC8505.
    • Roy Winston - Everything's All Right: RCA PB5242.
    • Midnite - Love Comes, Love Grows: GEM GEMS24.
    • The Main Event - Gonna Do My Best: Carrere CAR146.
    • Pussyfoot - I Want to Be Me: EMI EMI5045.
    • Kim Clark - Surrender: CBS SCBS8524.
    • The New Seekers - Tell Me: EMI EMI5050.

    At Eurovision

    At the Eurovision itself, "Love Enough for Two" scored 106 points and was positioned third overall. The event took place in

    What's Another Year?" by Johnny Logan.[3]

    Terry Wogan provided the BBC television commentary, whilst Steve Jones provided the BBC Radio 2 commentary. Regular Eurovision radio commentator Ray Moore served as spokesperson for the UK jury. This was the start for Wogan's continuous television commentary which he would do every year until 2008.

    Voting

    References

    1. ^ .
    2. ^ A Song for Europe 1980
    3. ^ "Final of The Hague 1980". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
    4. ^ a b "Results of the Final of The Hague 1980". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.