United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979
Encyclopedia
The United Kingdom held a national preselection to choose the song that would go to the Eurovision Song Contest 1979. A Song for Europe 1979 was planned to take place at the Royal Albert Hall
in London
on 8 March. After a day's rehearsals at the Royal Albert Hall a strike by BBC technicians stopped the show. Audio recordings of the songs were voted on by 13 regional juries: Bristol, Bangor, Leeds, Norwich, Newcastle, Aberdeen, Birmingham, Belfast, Cardiff, Plymouth, Glasgow, Southampton and London. The jury in Manchester could not be contacted and therefore did not vote. The following day, the 12 songs were broadcast on Terry Wogan
's Radio 2
show and a recap of the top places, plus an interview with the winners took place on the BBC TV Show Nationwide the same evening.
Black Lace were the winners of A Song for Europe with "Mary Ann
" and went on to place 7th at the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest in Jerusalem, Israel
.
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 8 March. After a day's rehearsals at the Royal Albert Hall a strike by BBC technicians stopped the show. Audio recordings of the songs were voted on by 13 regional juries: Bristol, Bangor, Leeds, Norwich, Newcastle, Aberdeen, Birmingham, Belfast, Cardiff, Plymouth, Glasgow, Southampton and London. The jury in Manchester could not be contacted and therefore did not vote. The following day, the 12 songs were broadcast on 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...
's Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
show and a recap of the top places, plus an interview with the winners took place on the BBC TV Show Nationwide the same evening.
Black Lace were the winners of A Song for Europe with "Mary Ann
Mary Ann (song)
"Mary Ann" was the British entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979, performed in English by Black Lace.The song is about a man who loves a woman called Mary Ann, but can't express his sentiment to her....
" and went on to place 7th at the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest in Jerusalem, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Results
| Draw | Artist | Song | Place | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Lace Black Lace (band) Black Lace is a British Euro pop band, best known for novelty party records, including their biggest hit, "Agadoo". The band first came to the public eye after being selected to represent the UK in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest, in which they finished seventh with the song "Mary Ann"... | "Mary Ann" | 1 | 132 |
| 2 | Lynda Virtu | "You Are My Life" | 8 | 82 |
| 3 | Ipswich | "Who Put the Shine on our Shoes" | 5 | 90 |
| 4 | Herbie Flowers & The Daisies | "Mister Moonlight" | 5 | 90 |
| 5 | M.Squad | "Miss Caroline Newley" | 11 | 44 |
| 6 | Eleanor Keenan | "Call my Name" | 3 | 109 |
| 7 | Guys 'n' Dolls | "How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?" | 10 | 56 |
| 8 | Linda Kendrick | "All I Needed Was Your Love" | 12 | 33 |
| 9 | Monte Carlo | "Home Again (Living With You)" | 7 | 83 |
| 10 | Sal Davis | "Let It All Go" | 9 | 77 |
| 11 | The Nolan Sisters The Nolans The Nolans are an Anglo-Irish all-female band consisting of a group of sisters. The group, best known for their song "I'm In the Mood for Dancing", gained prominence as guest performers on numerous television shows in the United Kingdom... | "Harry, My Honolulu Lover" | 4 | 101 |
| 12 | Kim Clark | "Fantasy" | 2 | 117 |