One Step Further
Encyclopedia
"One Step Further", written by Simon Jefferies, was the United Kingdom's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1982
, performed by Sally Ann Triplett
and Stephen Fischer
, comprising the duo Bardo
.
by winning the UK national final, A Song for Europe
, where they were the seventh act to perform. On the day of the contest, bookmakers Ladbrokes
rated the song as the favourite to win at odds of 5-2. Commentator, Terry Wogan
also thought the song would be the "outright winner". DJ and well-known Eurovision fan, John Peel
stated in an interview that "One Step Further" was his favourite Eurovision song of all time.
At Harrogate, the song was performed fourth on the night, following Norway
's Jahn Teigen
and Anita Skorgan
with "Adieu" and preceding Turkey
's Neco with "Hani?
". At the end of judging that evening, "One Step Further" took the seventh-place slot with 76 points. Luxembourg and Austria both awarded the UK 12 points that night.
During Preview Week, the music video involved the two going on a date at London's Covent Garden
market, viewing, among other things, the vendors and shops in the centre, a Punch and Judy
puppet show and animals doing special tricks.
At the night of the Contest itself, the orchestra played the tune in a retro style; the song related the singers' nervousness about seeing one another as they both fancy each other. They are so afraid of being embarrassed, however, that they don't do anything about their feelings. They both lament that if they only took "one step further," they would have been able to conquer these fears. The single version and subsequent live versions used many electronic musical instruments popular in the early 1980s and had more of a contemporary feel than many Eurovision entries. Despite containing a grammatic faux pas ("I could have tooken one step further"), the BBC did not request that 'proper' English was performed at the contest as they had with previous examples of bad grammar in UK entries.
After Eurovision, the song was placed at #2 on the UK Singles Chart
, which would be the highest chart placing for a UK Eurovision entry until 1996. The song was the 75th highest selling single of 1982 in the UK, achieving a Silver disc for sales of over 250,000.
Eurovision Song Contest 1982
The Eurovision Song Contest 1982 was the 27th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 24 April 1982 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom. The presenter was Jan Leeming. The opening of the contest showed a map of Europe, with the translation "Where is Harrogate?" popping up on-screen from...
, performed by Sally Ann Triplett
Sally Ann Triplett
Sally Ann Triplett is a British singer and actress most famous for her participation in the Eurovision Song Contest and many West End productions.-Eurovision:...
and Stephen Fischer
Stephen Fischer
Stephen Fischer is a British singer famous for his participation in the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest as part of the duo Bardo. He is married with two children and lives in London....
, comprising the duo Bardo
Bardo (band)
Bardo was a male/female pop music duo formed to represent the United Kingdom in the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "One Step Further"....
.
Background
Bardo won the right to perform at HarrogateHarrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
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 they were the seventh act to perform. On the day of the contest, bookmakers Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes plc is a British based gambling company. It is based in Rayners Lane in Harrow, London owned by Bhavin Kakaiya. From 14 May 1999 to 23 February 2006, when it owned the Hilton hotel brand outside the United States, it was known as Hilton Group plc...
rated the song as the favourite to win at odds of 5-2. Commentator, Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
also thought the song would be the "outright winner". DJ and well-known Eurovision fan, John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
stated in an interview that "One Step Further" was his favourite Eurovision song of all time.
At Harrogate, the song was performed fourth on the night, following Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
's Jahn Teigen
Jahn Teigen
Jahn Teigen is a Norwegian singer and musician. Jahn received a knighthood from H.M. King Harald V. He represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest three times, in 1978, 1982 and 1983. His given name was Jan, he added the silent H later. Since October 2006 he has been living in Sweden...
and Anita Skorgan
Anita Skorgan
Anita Skorgan is a Norwegian singer-songwriter. She was once married to Jahn Teigen, another successful Norwegian singer-songwriter...
with "Adieu" and preceding Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
's Neco with "Hani?
Hani?
"Hani?" was the Turkish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1982, performed in Turkish by Neco.The song was performed fifth on the night, following United Kingdom's Bardo with "One Step Further" and preceding the Finland's Kojo with "Nuku pommiin"...
". At the end of judging that evening, "One Step Further" took the seventh-place slot with 76 points. Luxembourg and Austria both awarded the UK 12 points that night.
During Preview Week, the music video involved the two going on a date at London's Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
market, viewing, among other things, the vendors and shops in the centre, a Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy is a traditional, popular puppet show featuring the characters of Mr. Punch and his wife, Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically the anarchic Punch and one other character...
puppet show and animals doing special tricks.
At the night of the Contest itself, the orchestra played the tune in a retro style; the song related the singers' nervousness about seeing one another as they both fancy each other. They are so afraid of being embarrassed, however, that they don't do anything about their feelings. They both lament that if they only took "one step further," they would have been able to conquer these fears. The single version and subsequent live versions used many electronic musical instruments popular in the early 1980s and had more of a contemporary feel than many Eurovision entries. Despite containing a grammatic faux pas ("I could have tooken one step further"), the BBC did not request that 'proper' English was performed at the contest as they had with previous examples of bad grammar in UK entries.
After Eurovision, the song was placed at #2 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 ...
, which would be the highest chart placing for a UK Eurovision entry until 1996. The song was the 75th highest selling single of 1982 in the UK, achieving a Silver disc for sales of over 250,000.