United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1989
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| Eurovision Song Contest 1989 | |
|---|---|
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| National selection | |
| Selection process | A Song For Europe |
| Selection date(s) | 24 March 1989 |
| Selected entrant | Live Report |
| Selected song | "Why Do I Always Get It Wrong?" |
| Finals performance | |
| Final result | 2nd, 130 points |
A Song for Europe was a television show presented on 24 March 1989, featuring eight songs and hosted by Terry Wogan.
For the second year running, the BBC convened a panel to pass comment on each of the songs. The panel comprised Deke Arlon, Gary Davies, Leslie Bricusse, and former Eurovision winner Lulu.
[edit] Song presentations
First on stage was Frankie Johnson with "Back in the Groove". The song was very much in the style of the Stock-Aitken-Waterman hits of the day—uptempo and commercial. The performance was a little breathless at times.
James Oliver made his third appearance in the contest and for the second time suffered from microphone failure. "Can't Stop Loving You" was a sad romantic ballad.
"Shame" was a mid-tempo offering from Jane Alexander and arguably of a higher standard than usually heard in the UK final. The song would later be covered by Elkie Brooks, her version being even slower than Jane's.
Danny Ellis had a strong songwriting team behind his entry, namely Les Reed and David Reilly. However, the ballad "Just for the Good Times" was shunned by the televoting public.
The most identifiable Eurovision song of the night was "You Stepped Out Of My Dreams", an uptempo, repetitive entry from Julie C.
Perhaps the most powerful performer of the night was Ray Caruana, lead singer of Live Report. "Why Do I Always Get It Wrong" was a romantic ballad with a memorable chorus. There was speculation regarding the identity of the female vocalist in the dark glasses. It wasn't Annie Lennox, as some had suggested, but Maggie Jay.
Four girls called The Pearls sang a Motown number called "Love Come Down", written by Pauline Moore and Joe Ortiz of Heaven on Earth. Band members were dressed in black and wore pearls. The song achieved fourth place for the UK entry to the Eurovision.
Linda Carroll made a second consecutive appearance in the contest, with the plaintive "Heaven Help My Heart". Despite a powerful performance, Linda would finish down the field.
[edit] Voting
| Draw | Artist | Song Title | Place | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Frankie Johnson | "Back In The Groove" | 6 | 10,731 |
| 02 | James Oliver | "Can't Stop Loving You" | 7 | 9,110 |
| 03 | Jane Alexander | "Shame" | 3 | 47,664 |
| 04 | Danny Ellis | "Just For The Good Times" | 8 | 6,777 |
| 05 | Julie C | "You Stepped Out Of My Dreams" | 2 | 51,449 |
| 06 | Live Report | "Why Do I Always Get It Wrong" | 1 | 111,996 |
| 07 | The Pearls | "Love Come Down" | 4 | 33,279 |
| 08 | Linda Carroll | "Heaven Help My Heart" | 5 | 17,084 |
[edit] Eurovision Song Contest 1989
The 1989 contest was staged at the Palais de Beaulieu in Lausanne, Switzerland on 6 May . Twenty-two countries participated, and the UK performed seventh on the night. Live Report took second place with 130 points, seven points behind the winners, Yugoslavia.
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