Songs

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...

 was staged on March 24, 1989, featuring eight songs and hosted, by 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...

.

For the second year running, the BBC convened a panel of 'experts' to pass comment on each of the songs. The panel comprised Deke Arlon

Deke Arlon

Deke Arlon is a British music publisher and music manager whose clients included Kenny Young, Sheena Easton, Ron Grainer, Elaine Paige, Dennis Waterman, Helen Watson, and Marti Pellow.-Early career:...

, Gary Davies

Gary Davies

Gary Davies is a British broadcaster. During the 1980s and 1990s he was a BBC Radio 1 disc jockey and also a regular presenter of Top of the Pops.-Early career:...

, Leslie Bricusse

Leslie Bricusse

Leslie Bricusse is an English composer, lyricist, and playwright.Although best known for his partnership with Anthony Newley, Bricusse has worked with many other composers. He was educated at University College School in London and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge...

 and former Eurovision winner Lulu

Lulu (singer)

Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...

.

First on stage was Frankie Johnson with "Back in the Groove". This was very much in the style of the Stock-Aitken-Waterman hits of the day, uptempo and commercial. However, the performance was a little breathless at times.

James Oliver

James Oliver

James Oliver may refer to:*Jamie Oliver , English chef*Jamie Oliver keyboards player of Welsh band Lostprophets*James C...

 made his third appearance in the contest and for the second time suffered from microphone failure. "Can't stop loving you

Can't Stop Loving You

"I Can't Stop Loving You " is a song by Leo Sayer from his 1978 self-titled album. It reached number six on the UK singles chart and was classified silver.-Phil Collins version:...

" was a sad, romantic ballad.

"Shame

Shame

Shame is, variously, an affect, emotion, cognition, state, or condition. The roots of the word shame are thought to derive from an older word meaning to cover; as such, covering oneself, literally or figuratively, is a natural expression of shame....

" was a mid-tempo offering from Jane Alexander

Jane Alexander

Jane Alexander is an American actress, author, and former director of the National Endowment for the Arts. Although perhaps best known for playing the female lead in The Great White Hope on both stage and screen, Alexander has played a wide array of roles in both theater and film and has committed...

 and arguably of a higher standard than usually heard in the UK final. The song would later be covered by Elkie Brooks

Elkie Brooks

Elkie Brooks is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Elkie has been nominated twice for Brit Awards' top female singer. She is known for her powerful husky voice...

, her version being even slower than Jane's.

Danny Ellis

Danny Ellis

Danny Ellis is an Irish singer-songwriter.-Early life and education:Danny Ellis was born 18 July 1947 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland...

 had a strong songwriting team behind his entry, namely Les Reed

Les Reed

Les Reed O.B.E. is an English songwriter, musician and light orchestra leader.-Career:...

 and David Reilly

David Reilly

David Reilly , was the singer and songwriting/production partner in the electro-rock band God Lives Underwater , signed by Rick Rubin to American Recordings in 1993.-Life and career:...

. However, the ballad "Just for the Good Times" was shunned by the televoting public.

The most identifiable Eurovision song of the night was "You Stepped Out Of My Dreams", an uptempo, repetitive entry from Julie C.

Perhaps the most powerful performer of the night was Ray Caruana, lead singer of Live Report

Live Report

Live Report, originally called Midnight Blue, composed of Ray Caruana, John Beeby, Brian Hodgson, Maggie Jay and Peter May. They were finalists in the BBC Television's A Song for Europe contest in 1989 with the song, "Why Do I Always Get It Wrong". It scored 111,996 votes, compared to runner-up...

. "Why Do I Always Get It Wrong" was another romantic ballad with a memorable chorus. There was a great deal of speculation regarding the identity of the female vocalist in the dark glasses. However it wasn't Annie Lennox

Annie Lennox

Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...

 as some had suggested but Maggie Jay.

Four girls called The Pearls sang what should have been a Motown number called "Love come down

Love Come Down

"Love Come Down" is a hit single by Evelyn "Champagne" King. It was produced by Morrie Brown and written by Kashif. "Love Come Down" was the first single culled from her multi-platinum, number-one R&B album, Get Loose . In the U.S., it reached number one on the R&B and dance charts and number...

" written by (Pauline Moore and Joe Ortiz of [Heaven on Earth]http://www.heaven-on-earth-cds.com) dressed in black and sporting, naturally, pearls. The song achieved fourth place for the UK entry to the Eurovision. Unfortunately - the house band on the night couldn't quite achieve that classic Motown feel as intended by the writers.

Linda Carroll

Linda Carroll

Linda Carroll is an American author and the mother of Courtney Love.Carroll was adopted into an Italian Catholic family. She graduated from high school in 1961 and gave birth to Love in 1964. After finishing her bachelors degree in Oregon in the 1970s, she moved to New Zealand...

 made a second consecutive appearance in the contest and did so with the plaintive "Heaven help my heart

Heaven Help My Heart

"Heaven Help My Heart" is a song written by Tina Arena, David Tyson and Dean McTaggart, originally recorded by Arena for her 1994 album Don't Ask. Her version of the song charted at number 22 in Australia....

" but despite a powerful performance, Linda would finish down the field.

Voting

Draw	Artist	Song Title	Place	Votes
01	Frankie Johnson	"Back In The Groove"	6	10,731
02	James Oliver James Oliver James Oliver may refer to:*Jamie Oliver , English chef*Jamie Oliver keyboards player of Welsh band Lostprophets*James C...	"Can't Stop Loving You"	7	9,110
03	Jane Alexander Jane Alexander Jane Alexander is an American actress, author, and former director of the National Endowment for the Arts. Although perhaps best known for playing the female lead in The Great White Hope on both stage and screen, Alexander has played a wide array of roles in both theater and film and has committed...	"Shame"	3	47,664
04	Danny Ellis Danny Ellis Danny Ellis is an Irish singer-songwriter.-Early life and education:Danny Ellis was born 18 July 1947 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland...	"Just For The Good Times"	8	6,777
05	Julie C	"You Stepped Out Of My Dreams"	2	51,449
06	Live Report Live Report Live Report, originally called Midnight Blue, composed of Ray Caruana, John Beeby, Brian Hodgson, Maggie Jay and Peter May. They were finalists in the BBC Television's A Song for Europe contest in 1989 with the song, "Why Do I Always Get It Wrong". It scored 111,996 votes, compared to runner-up...	"Why Do I Always Get It Wrong"	1	111,996
07	The Pearls The Pearls The Pearls were a 1970s girl vocal duo from Liverpool, England, featuring Lyn Cornell and Ann Simmons. They released a number of singles, the most successful being "Guilty", which reached #10 in the UK Singles Chart in June 1974.-Career:...	"Love Come Down"	4	33,279
08	Linda Carroll Linda Carroll Linda Carroll is an American author and the mother of Courtney Love.Carroll was adopted into an Italian Catholic family. She graduated from high school in 1961 and gave birth to Love in 1964. After finishing her bachelors degree in Oregon in the 1970s, she moved to New Zealand...	"Heaven Help My Heart"	5	17,084

Eurovision song contest 1989

The 1989 contest was staged at the Palais de Beaulieu

Palais de Beaulieu

The Palais de Beaulieu is a convention centre in the Lausanne, Switzerland.- Past events :*Prix de Lausanne*First International Congress on World Evangelization*Eurovision Song Contest 1989- External links :...

 in Lausanne

Lausanne

Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...

, Switzerland on May 6. Twenty two countries participated and the UK performed in seventh place. To the surprise of many, Live Report

Live Report

Live Report, originally called Midnight Blue, composed of Ray Caruana, John Beeby, Brian Hodgson, Maggie Jay and Peter May. They were finalists in the BBC Television's A Song for Europe contest in 1989 with the song, "Why Do I Always Get It Wrong". It scored 111,996 votes, compared to runner-up...

 took second place with 130 points, seven points behind the winners, Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....

.