United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980

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Eurovision Song Contest 1980
Country United Kingdom
National selection
Selection processA Song for Europe 1980
Selection date(s)26 March 1980
Selected entrantPrima Donna
Selected song"Love Enough for Two"
Selected songwriter(s)
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 BBC Television Theatre in Shepherd's Bush and was hosted by a dinner-suited Terry Wogan. The BBC Concert Orchestra under the direction of John Coleman as conductor accompanied all the songs, but all the music was pre-recorded. The theme music was "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, song writer 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 135 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 The Hague in the Netherlands and was won by Ireland's "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.

Voting[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e Roxburgh, Gordon (2016). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Volume Three: The 1980s. Prestatyn: Telos Publishing. pp. 11–36. ISBN 978-1-84583-118-9.
  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.
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