1976

 

Winner : Brotherhood Of Man - Save Your Kisses for Me (United Kingdom)

 

Deserved ? : Yes

 

 

More amazing winners with happy pop songs. "Save Your Kisses for Me" was the winning song, performed for United Kingdom by Brotherhood of Man.

 

The lyrics and music were written by Tony Hiller, Lee Sheriden, and Martin Lee, the latter two being members of the band. The song became a worldwide hit, reaching No.1 in many countries, including the UK, where it became the biggest-selling song of the year. Overall, it remains the biggest-selling Eurovision winner ever.

 

"Save Your Kisses for Me" was originally written by member Lee Sheriden in August 1974. On bringing the song in to the next songwriting session, others thought that the title was clumsy and reworked it into "Oceans of Love". Sheriden was unhappy with the changes and the song was shelved. A year later when it came to coming up with songs for the next album, they discovered that they needed one more song and Sheriden again put forth "Save Your Kisses for Me".

 

Soon after, manager Tony Hiller was keen for the group to try for Eurovision, now that the qualifying rounds had changed in the UK. Up till now, a singer was nominated to perform, but for 1976 it was opened up to different singers to enter their own songs. Brotherhood of Man put forward "Save Your Kisses for Me" and it was accepted as one of the 12 finalists. It won very strong preselection (maybe even the best edition) "A Song for Europe", beating famous Tony Christie, Frank Ifield, Polly Brown and future ESC participants Co-Co.

 

The performance consisted of the two male singers wearing black and white suits, and the two females wearing white and red jumpsuits with matching berets, standing still and singing with minor arm and leg choreography. The bouncy jingle described the gently conflicted emotions of a young man leaving an adored loved-one in the morning as he leaves for work. The song's final line provided the twist: that he was leaving a three year old behind, ending with "Won't you save them for me...even though you're only three?".

 

In the UK, it stayed at No. 1 for six weeks and was certified platinum by the BPI in May 1976, becoming the biggest selling single of the year with sales of over a million copies. Worldwide chart positions were very impressive : # 1 (Norway, Ireland, Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, France), # 2 (Sweden, Germany, Switzerland), # 3 (Austria), # 6 (Sweden), # 9 (New Zealand). "Save Your Kisses For Me" was third Eurovision song in any official American Billboard charts (No. 27 in Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Easy Listening).

Edited May 12, 201411 yr by AlexRange

"Save your kisses for me" is one of my brother's favourite songs..I don't like many 70's songs but this one sounds good. It was a deserved winner.

"Save your kisses for me" is one of my brother's favourite songs..I don't like many 70's songs but this one sounds good. It was a deserved winner.

I can't disagree. :)

Brotherhood Of Man was a great pop group with very huge discography.

"Angelo" and "Figaro" is a nice start. If you like "Save Your Kisses", that maybe you would like "My Sweet Rosalie" and "Taxi".

 

I can't disagree. :)

Brotherhood Of Man was a great pop group with very huge discography.

"Angelo" and "Figaro" is a nice start. If you like "Save Your Kisses", that maybe you would like "My Sweet Rosalie" and "Taxi".

 

I just listened them. Their songs are guilty pleasure for me. I'm sure that my brother knows them..Surely, they wouldn't have won if they had sent these songs.."Save Your Kisses For Me" was their best choice.

1977

 

Winner : Marie Myriam - L'oiseau et l'enfant (France)

 

Deserved ? : No

 

Who should won ? : Lynsey De Paul and Mike Moran - Rock Bottom (United Kingdom)

 

 

The contest was won by Marie Myriam who represented France, with her song "L'oiseau et l'enfant" (The Bird and the Child). This was France's fifth victory, a record, which was equalled by Luxembourg in 1983, the United Kingdom in 1997, and most recently Sweden in 2012. It was equalled and beaten by Ireland in 1993 and 1994, respectively. It was France's last victory in the contest, so far.

 

United Kingdom was two heads above all another entries. "Rock Bottom" was performed in English and written by Lynsey de Paul and Mike Moran.

 

The song says that when people are in a bad situation they should work to solve problems and not be pessimistic about tragedies. Apparently it represents the situation at the time; Eurovision 1977 was almost canceled due to budget restrictions. The BBC, who had to host the contest that year, did not give the song its whole-hearted support. It charted in several European countries, topping the charts in Switzerland, #2 in Austria, #4 in Germany, #6 in Sweden, #7 in Ireland and Norway and #10 in France. In the U.K., it reached #19 at a time when punk and disco ruled the airwaves. Nevertheless, on the basis of sales from the record-buying public of Europe, it was the winning entry, outperforming the contest's winner.

 

1978

 

Winner : Izhar Cohen & the Alphabeta - A-Ba-Ni-Bi (Israel)

 

Deserved ? : No

 

Who should won ? : Ireen Sheer - Feuer (Germany)

 

 

Weakest Eurovision in 70s decade got the worst winner in the first three decades of contest. First time, when I choose non-top 5 song as the possible deserved winner.

 

"A-Ba-Ni-Bi" was the winning song in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978, performed for Israel by Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta.

 

The song is is an up-tempo disco number, heralding a move towards this style of performance in later years. The song deals with the way in which children relate to love. Cohen sings that, growing up, "we loved secretly/Who were we nice to? — Just uncles and aunts" and that love was conducted secretly and "We whispered only in the Bet language". He compares this to adulthood, where he realises that "Love is a beautiful word" and that humanity should "speak in a language of love", instead of the language of secrecy. For this reason, the song uses the Bet language - a children's language game where each syllable of the word is repeated with a bet replacing the consonant.

 

"Feuer" (English translation: "Fire") was the German entry, performed by Ireen Sheer. The song is an up-tempo number about the power of love and how it burns ours hearts like fire.

 

1977

 

Winner : Marie Myriam - L'oiseau et l'enfant (France)

 

Deserved ? : No

 

Who should won ? : Lynsey De Paul and Mike Moran - Rock Bottom (United Kingdom)

 

 

In the U.K., it reached #19 at a time when punk and disco ruled the airwaves.

LOL.

 

Punk ABSOLUTELY DID NOT rule the airwaves in 1977! Rock Bottom was pretty much about as standard as you could get for MoR pop at the time.