United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1991
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| Eurovision Song Contest 1991 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country |  United Kingdom | |||
| National selection | ||||
| Selection process | A Song For Europe | |||
| Selection date(s) | 29 March 1991 | |||
| Selected artist(s) | Samantha Janus | |||
| Selected song | "A Message to Your Heart" | |||
| Selected songwriter(s) | ||||
| Finals performance | ||||
| Final result | 10th, 47 points | |||
| United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest | ||||
| ||||
Samantha Janus represented United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1991 with the Paul Curtis-written song "A Message to Your Heart", which was placed 10th.
A Song for Europe
That year's A Song For Europe was held on 29 March 1991 and was hosted by Terry Wogan. Following the somewhat negative comments by one member of the 'expert' panel in 1990, the panel idea was dropped in 1991. For the first time the orchestra was visible in the studio.
The contest was opened by The Ravenscroft Partnership, a group assembled by Raf Ravenscroft, the man responsible for re-working the theme tune to soap opera Crossroads. "We Will Protect You" was an uptempo anthem. Other members of the Partnership were: Mark Arnell from Portsmouth, Al Vosper of Exeter, Don Richardson from London, Anthony Clark who played keyboards, Graham Ward of Cheshunt on drums and Siobhan Cunnigham on tambourine. Al Vosper had previously been in the group First Class who had a hit in the UK with "Beach Baby" in 1974. One of the writers of "We Will Protect You" Julian Littman was a Womble
Next on stage was Christopher Ellis with the romantic ballad "Straight to Your Heart".
Eighteen-year-old Samantha Janus was the performer of the Paul Curtis composition, "A Message to Your Heart", an uptempo effort with a memorable hook. Janus was backed by three female vocalists one of whom, Nicky Belcher, was the sister of former New Seekers member Lyn Paul.
Christie was the female soloist singing a mid-tempo ballad called "Nothing on This Earth". Christie was actually Joanne Castle from Croydon and had won "Young Performer of the Year 1987" at the Theatre Royal, Norwich
Malcolm Roberts was a well-known face from the 1960s and had previously represented Luxembourg in the 1985 Eurovision Song Contest. His 1991 entry was a big ballad called "One Love". Malcolm had previously won the Hawaiian Song Festival and Knokke Cup.
"A Little Bit of Heaven" was a typical Eurovision anthem performed by Lorraine Craig with aid of a female backing singer and two men strumming guitars. Lorraine had already won "WHICH cd Magazine" award for Best Jazz Newcomer in 1986. She also appeared in "Intervision" in Russia and East Germany.[citation needed]
Julie Finney had fought off a throat infection to participate in the final and did so with the dramatic ballad, "True Love".
Finally, a mid-tempo entry in an almost folk style, "Lover Come In" sung by Brendan Faye. Brendan was a former member of the Holywood Swing Jazz Band and is managed by Wayne Bickerton co-author of "A Love for all Seasons" by Champagne at the 1976 "Song for Europe" contest.
Results
| Draw | Artist | Song | Place | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | The Ravenscroft Partnership | We Will Protect You | 5 | 36,047 |
| 02 | Christopher Ellis | Straight To Your Heart | 7 | 14,231 |
| 03 | Samantha Janus | A Message To Your Heart | 1 | 108,896 |
| 04 | Christie | Nothing On This Earth | 6 | 17,296 |
| 05 | Malcolm Roberts | One Love | 8 | 11,250 |
| 06 | Lorraine Craig | A Little Bit of Heaven | 3 | 61,589 |
| 07 | Julie Finney | True Love | 4 | 58,146 |
| 08 | Brendan Faye | Lover Come In | 2 | 95,696 |
At Eurovision
Samantha Janus went on to represent United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1991 finishing 10th with 47 points. Her backing singers on the night included Hazell Dean and former Belle and the Devotions lead singer, Kit Rolfe. While Janus was performing live in front of millions at the Eurovision Song Contest, she famously said "turn right" to her backing singers.
Points Awarded by United Kingdom[1]
| 12 points |  Sweden
|
| 10 points |  Israel
|
| 8 points |  Switzerland
|
| 7 points |  Malta
|
| 6 points |  France
|
| 5 points |  Turkey
|
| 4 points |  Ireland
|
| 3 points |  Luxembourg
|
| 2 points |  Belgium
|
| 1 point |  Spain
|
Points awarded to United Kingdom
| 12 points | 10 points | 8 points | 7 points | 6 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 points | 4 points | 3 points | 2 points | 1 point |
