Eurovision Song Contest 1974

Above: Logo of this year's Eurovision Song Contest

Location	United Kingdom
Host Broadcaster	BBC
Venue	The Dome
Host(s)	Catherine (Katie) Boyle
Date	Saturday, April 6, 1974
Participants	17
EBU Scrutineer	Clifford Brown
Director	Michael Hull
Interval Act	The Wombles

Voting method

Each country had 10 jury members who each awarded 1 point to their favorite song

For the second year in three, the United Kingdom and its national broadcaster BBC held the Eurovision Song Contest without having won in the preceding year. Due to the fact that the Luxembourg broadcaster RTL did not wish to host the song contest again because of financial reasons, British BBC embraced the possibility once more. This year, the Eurovision Song Contest was held at The Dome, in the seaside resort of Brighton.

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Participants at the Eurovision Song Contest 1974

#	Representing country	Performer(s)	Song title, writer(s) and composer(s)	Points	Place
01	Finland YLE	Carita	Äla Mene Pois (keep Me Warm)	004	13
02	United Kingdom BBC	Olivia Newton-John	Long Live Love	014	04
03	Spain TVE	Peret	Canta Y Se Feliz	010	09
04	Norway NRK	Anne-Karine Ström and the Bendik Singers	The First Day Of Love	003	14
05	Greece ERT	Marinella	Krassi, Thalassa Ke T'agori Mou	007	11
06	Israel IBA	Poogy	Natati La Khaiai	011	07
07	Yugoslavia JRT	Korni	Generacija 42	006	12
08	Sweden SR	ABBA	Waterloo	024	01
09	Luxembourg CLT	Ireen Sheer	Bye, Bye, I Love You	014	04
10	Monaco TMC	Romuald	Celui Qui Reste Et Celui Qui S'en Va	014	04
11	Belgium RTB	Jacques Hustin	Fleur De Liberté	010	09
12	The Netherlands NOS	Mouth and MacNeal	I See A Star	015	03
13	Ireland RTÉ	Tina	Cross Your Heart	011	07
14	Germany ARD	Cindy und Bert	Die Sommermelodie	003	14
15	Switzerland SSR SRG	Piera Martell	Mein Ruf Nach Dir	003	14
16	Portugal RTP	Paulo de Carvalho	E Depois Do Adeus	003	14
17	Italy RAI	Gigliola Cinquetti	Si	018	02

Winners become legends

1974 saw the first participation of Greece who sent their national star Marinella. France was to enter the song contest with the entry La Vie A Vingt-cinq Ans by Dani, but the French singer never got the chance to perform though as the French president, Georges Pompidou, died in the week of the contest and France withdrew.

The voting system changed once more: 10 jury members in every country each awarded one point to their favorite song. For the first time, a draw of lots was used to decide the order in which countries would give the results of their juries. However, it was the last time this method was used to cast the votes - from 1975 onwards, a new voting system would be implemented which basically is still in use today.

About the winner

Sweden won the song contest for the first time with the entry Waterloo, performed by pop legends ABBA. The song became a huge international hit and was the starting point of the outstanding career of the Swedish four. Over 30 years after it won, Waterloo was even voted the best Eurovision Song Contest song ever at the 50-year anniversary show Congratulations, in Copenhagen in the autumn of 2005. ABBA had actually tried to enter the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest already with the song Ring Ring, which later became a hit for them in many European countries - but they only reached the third place in the Swedish national selection. For their 1974 entry, the group hesitated a while before choosing Waterloo as they thought their other option Hasta Mañana would also be a suitable song for the contest. However, Hasta Mañana was basically sung by only one of the girls, Agnetha Fältskog, but ABBA wanted a song where all four members could give their vocals to.

Facts & figures

Some years before she starred in the American movie Grease, the Australian popsinger Olivia Newton-John sang Long Live Love, representing the United Kingdom. Olivia Newton-John actually wanted to sing a different song, but Long Live Love was chosen by a public postal vote.