En gång i Stockholm
Encyclopedia
"En gång i Stockholm" was the Swedish
entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1963
, performed in Swedish
by one of Scandinavia
's leading jazz
singers, Monica Zetterlund
(September 20, 1937 – May 12, 2005).
The song was the winner of Melodifestivalen 1963
, where it was performed by both Zetterlund and Carli Tornehave. Sveriges Radio
however decided that Zetterlund would perform the song at the Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden.
"En gång i Stockholm" was performed seventh on the night, following Spain
's José Guardiola
with "Algo prodigioso
" and preceding Belgium
's Jacques Raymond with "Waarom?". At the close of voting, it had received 0 points, placing 13th (last) in a field of 13, the only time to date that Sweden has scored nul points in the Contest, and the first of two occasions to date on which the country has finished in last position, the second being Forbes
' song "Beatles
" in the 1977 Contest
.
Sweden did not participate in the 1964 contest
, due to an Artists Union strike, but returned the next year. Thus, it was succeeded as Swedish representative
at the 1965 contest
by Ingvar Wixell
with "Absent Friend
".
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1963
Eurovision Song Contest 1963
The Eurovision Song Contest 1963 was the 8th Eurovision Song Contest. France had won the contest in 1962 but were incapable of hosting in 1963, as was their right, due to financial shortcomings. As was the case in 1960 - and as would become a tradition when smaller broadcasters could not afford to...
, performed in Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
by one of Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
's leading jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
singers, Monica Zetterlund
Monica Zetterlund
Eva Monica Zetterlund was a Swedish singer and actress.-Biography:Zetterlund was a singer particularly noted for her jazz work. She began by learning the classic jazz songs from radio and records, initially not knowing the language and what they sang about in English...
(September 20, 1937 – May 12, 2005).
The song was the winner of Melodifestivalen 1963
Melodifestivalen 1963
Melodifestivalen 1963 was the selection for the sixth song to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest. It was the fifth time that this system of picking a song had been used. One singer performed the song with a large orchestra and one with a smaller orchestra. 816 songs were submitted to...
, where it was performed by both Zetterlund and Carli Tornehave. Sveriges Radio
Sveriges Radio
Sveriges Radio AB – Swedish Radio Ltd – is Sweden's national publicly funded radio broadcaster. The Swedish public-broadcasting system is in many respects modelled after the one used in the United Kingdom, and Sveriges Radio - like Sveriges Television - shares many characteristics with...
however decided that Zetterlund would perform the song at the Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden.
"En gång i Stockholm" was performed seventh on the night, following 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 José Guardiola
José Guardiola
José Guardiola, is a Spanish singer of popular music who sang in Spanish and Catalan. He did mostly Spanish versions of foreign songs and reached his maximum fame in Spain and Latin America in the early 1960s with versions of songs like Sixteen Tons, Mack the Knife and Ya Mustafa...
with "Algo prodigioso
Algo prodigioso
"Algo prodigioso" was the Spanish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1963, performed in Spanish by José Guardiola.The song was performed twelfth on the night, following France's Alain Barrière with "Elle était si jolie" and preceding Sweden's Monica Zetterlund with "En gång i Stockholm"...
" and preceding Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
's Jacques Raymond with "Waarom?". At the close of voting, it had received 0 points, placing 13th (last) in a field of 13, the only time to date that Sweden has scored nul points in the Contest, and the first of two occasions to date on which the country has finished in last position, the second being Forbes
Forbes (band)
Forbes was a Swedish dansband of the 1970s.The band represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977 with the entry "Beatles". The song is about the British band of the same name. Despite the popular topic of the song, Forbes ended in 18th and last place and mustered only two points...
' song "Beatles
Beatles (song)
"Beatles", written by Sven Olov Bagge and Claes Bure, was the song that, performed by Swedish dansband Forbes, won the Swedish Melodifestivalen 1977. The song's lyrics are about the popular 1960s British pop group the Beatles and include the phrase "Yeah, yeah, yeah" as an homage to the Beatles...
" in the 1977 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1977
The Eurovision Song Contest 1977 was the 22nd edition series, and was held on 7 May 1977 in London. With Angela Rippon as the presenter, the contest was won by Marie Myriam who represented France, with her song "L'oiseau et l'enfant" . This was France's fifth victory, a record, which was equalled...
.
Sweden did not participate in the 1964 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1964
The Eurovision Song Contest 1964 was the ninth Eurovision Song Contest. It was held in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark after the Danish victory the previous year. Sweden did not participate because of a boycott by singers. They did however broadcast it...
, due to an Artists Union strike, but returned the next year. Thus, it was succeeded as Swedish representative
Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest
Sweden has participated at the Eurovision Song Contest 51 times since their debut in 1958. Since 1959, the Swedish representative has been chosen through an annual televised competition, known since 1967 as Melodifestivalen. Three times – 1964, 1970, and 1976 – Sweden didn't participate...
at the 1965 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1965
The Eurovision Song Contest 1965 was the 10th in the series. Luxembourg's win was their second. Belgium, Finland, Germany, and Spain each scored "null points" for the second time. The 1965 contest marked the debut of Ireland, a country which later went on to dominate the competition. This was also...
by Ingvar Wixell
Ingvar Wixell
Ingvar Wixell was a Swedish baritone who had an active international career in operas and concerts from 1955-2003. He mostly sang roles from the Italian repertory, and, according to The New York Times, "was best known for his steady-toned, riveting portrayals of the major baritone roles of...
with "Absent Friend
Absent Friend
"Absent Friend" was the Swedish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1965, performed in English by opera singer Ingvar Wixell...
".