A Message to Your Heart
Encyclopedia
"A Message to Your Heart", written and composed by Paul Curtis
, was the United Kingdom's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1991
, performed by Samantha Janus
. Paul Curtis also penned the previous year's entry, "Give a Little Love Back to the World
."
Samantha Janus won the right to perform at Rome
by winning the UK national final, A Song for Europe
, where she was the third singer to perform. As in the previous three years, the winner was picked via a nationwide telephone vote
. Samantha Janus won over second-place finisher Brendan Faye by only 13,000 votes, in the slimmest margin since the telephone vote was introduced.
At Rome, the song was performed twentieth on the night in March 1991, after Spain
's Sergio Dalma
with "Bailar pegados
", and before Cyprus
's Elena Patroklou
with "SOS." At the end of judging that evening, "A Message to Your Heart" took the tenth-place slot with 47 points. It was the worst showing for the United Kingdom since 1987, and resulted in the 1992 Song for Europe being retooled as far as telephone voting was concerned.
Like the previous year, composer Paul Curtis submitted a topical entry for consideration; this time, the subjects were the less fortunate, suffering from poverty and starvation. Janus sung of the contrasts between the people who "are hungry just from being born", and the people who have too much, with "their only hunger being greed." The "message to [the] heart" refers to Janus imploring the better-off to, at the very least, say a prayer for the less fortunate, ending with the well-known John Bradford
quotation, "There but for the grace of God, go I."
In a somewhat ironic twist, the melody of the song is up-tempo. On the night of the Contest, Janus was dressed in a pink mini-dress, flanked by three women (Zoe Picot, Lucy Moorby, and Nikki Belsher) in white mini-dresses. Janus was also joined by two other "ghost" backing singers, masked by a music stand at the back of the stage; Kit Rolfe who had competed for the UK before in 1984 with the song "Love Games
" (which, it was claimed, had also used "ghost" singers offstage), and Hazell Dean
, who had worked extensively with Stock, Aitken and Waterman in the eighties.
After Eurovision, the song placed at #30 on the UK Singles Chart
, and was in the chart for 3 weeks.
Janus went on to become a successful actress, but despite her achievements, her entry into the Eurovision is frequently remarked upon. She has said regarding the experience that her failure in the contest devastated her at the time and thought it would spell the end of her career. She has also called her appearance 'ridiculous', in that she was dressed in a pink mini-dress while singing about starving children and says the lyrics of the song are burned into her memory forever.
Paul Curtis (musician)
Paul Michael Curtis is an English singer, songwriter, record producer from London, who holds the record for the most number of songs to make the finals of the A Song for Europe contest, the BBC's annual competition to choose the UK entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, competing with 22 separate...
, was the United Kingdom's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1991
Eurovision Song Contest 1991
The Eurovision Song Contest 1991 was the 36th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 4 May 1991 in Rome. Due to the Gulf War and mounting tensions in Yugoslavia, RAI decided to move the contest from Sanremo to Rome, which was perceived to be more secure....
, performed by Samantha Janus
Samantha Janus
Samantha Zoe Womack is an English actress, singer and director, both on television and stage. In recent years she has been best known for playing the role of Ronnie Branning in EastEnders, but made her name in the early 1990s as Mandy Wilkins in Game On, and also represented the United Kingdom in...
. Paul Curtis also penned the previous year's entry, "Give a Little Love Back to the World
Give a Little Love Back to the World
"Give a Little Love Back to the World", written and composed by Paul Curtis, was the United Kingdom's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1990, performed by Emma...
."
Samantha Janus won the right to perform at Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
by winning the UK national final, A Song for Europe
A Song for Europe
A Song for Europe may refer to:*A Song for Europe, former name of British pre-selection competition for the Eurovision Song Contest, now known as Eurovision: Your Country Needs You...
, where she was the third singer to perform. As in the previous three years, the winner was picked via a nationwide telephone vote
Televoting
Televoting, telephone voting or phone voting is a method of decision making and opinion polling conducted by telephone. Televoting can also extend to voting by SMS text message via a mobile cell phone.- Broadcast contest televoting :...
. Samantha Janus won over second-place finisher Brendan Faye by only 13,000 votes, in the slimmest margin since the telephone vote was introduced.
At Rome, the song was performed twentieth on the night in March 1991, after Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
's Sergio Dalma
Sergio Dalma
Sergio Dalma is a Spanish pop singer. He was born as Josep Sergi Capdevila Querol on September 28, 1964 in Sabadell .-Professional career:...
with "Bailar pegados
Bailar pegados
"Bailar pegados" was the Spanish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1991, performed in Spanish by Sergio Dalma.The song was performed nineteenth on the night...
", and before Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
's Elena Patroklou
Elena Patroklou
Elena Patroklou was born in Nicosia in 1968. She began her musical career studying guitar and piano when she was just ten years old. She completed her musical studies in Vienna and Cyprus and received her music diploma in 1989...
with "SOS." At the end of judging that evening, "A Message to Your Heart" took the tenth-place slot with 47 points. It was the worst showing for the United Kingdom since 1987, and resulted in the 1992 Song for Europe being retooled as far as telephone voting was concerned.
Like the previous year, composer Paul Curtis submitted a topical entry for consideration; this time, the subjects were the less fortunate, suffering from poverty and starvation. Janus sung of the contrasts between the people who "are hungry just from being born", and the people who have too much, with "their only hunger being greed." The "message to [the] heart" refers to Janus imploring the better-off to, at the very least, say a prayer for the less fortunate, ending with the well-known John Bradford
John Bradford
John Bradford was a prebendary of St. Paul's. He was an English Reformer and martyr best remembered for his utterance "'There, but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford". These words were uttered by Bradford while imprisoned in the Tower of London when he saw a criminal on his way to execution;...
quotation, "There but for the grace of God, go I."
In a somewhat ironic twist, the melody of the song is up-tempo. On the night of the Contest, Janus was dressed in a pink mini-dress, flanked by three women (Zoe Picot, Lucy Moorby, and Nikki Belsher) in white mini-dresses. Janus was also joined by two other "ghost" backing singers, masked by a music stand at the back of the stage; Kit Rolfe who had competed for the UK before in 1984 with the song "Love Games
Love Games
Love Games is the first single from the first album of the English musical group Level 42. It was also their first single to enter the UK charts and marked their first appearance on Top of the Pops.-Tracks:*Original Release:...
" (which, it was claimed, had also used "ghost" singers offstage), and Hazell Dean
Hazell Dean
Hazell Dean is a British dance-pop singer, who achieved her biggest success in the 1980s as a leading Hi-NRG artist. She is best known for the top ten hits "Searchin' ", "Whatever I Do " and "Who's Leaving Who"...
, who had worked extensively with Stock, Aitken and Waterman in the eighties.
After Eurovision, the song placed at #30 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and was in the chart for 3 weeks.
Janus went on to become a successful actress, but despite her achievements, her entry into the Eurovision is frequently remarked upon. She has said regarding the experience that her failure in the contest devastated her at the time and thought it would spell the end of her career. She has also called her appearance 'ridiculous', in that she was dressed in a pink mini-dress while singing about starving children and says the lyrics of the song are burned into her memory forever.