The 1970's arrived and Eurovision became even more popular, and the UK's hopes of more winning entrants grew. A succession of popular singers were chosen to participate on our behalf and special TV shows to choose the songs by public vote appeared on our TV screens in the run up to the competition.

1970 Mary Hopkin "Knock knock who's there", 1971 Clodagh Rodgers "Jack in the box", 1972 The New Seekers "Beg steal or borrow" all finished in the top four but once again the winning spot eluded us.

1970 saw an unknown Irish singer called Dana win with "All kind's of everything" that also went on to be a UK number one and make the Dana an international singing star, who on retiring from singing many years later became a member of the Irish parliament. 

Mary Hopkin Knock Knock

Dana All kinds of everything

Clodagh Rodgers Jack in the box

New Seekers Beg steal or borrow

 

Several  winners from this period became chart hits here in the UK, 1971's winner by Severine and 1972's "Apres toi" from Vicki Leandros was re-recorded in English as "Come what may" to become a favourite here.

1973 saw Cliff Richard chosen to be our entrant and the song was "Power to all our friends", surely Cliff would win this time around, but sadly not.  This time around he could only manage fourth place, yet once again the song went on to be a number one here in the UK and several other countries.

Cliff Richard Power to all our friends

1974 saw Olivia Newton John chosen to enter with the song "Long live love" and with the contest being held in Brighton we had high hopes of winning ...................  until along came a group from Sweden who took the competition and the world by storm. ABBA who were already stars in Scandanavia won easily with what would become their first UK number one hit "Waterloo"  

ABBA Waterloo

Olivia Newton John Long live love

                                                                    

    1975 saw the Shadows, Cliff's long time backing band enter with "let me be the one" beaten into second spot by Netherland's Teach in and the song "Ding-a-dong"

1976 saw the UK eventually winning again with the song "Save all your kisses for me" sung by The Brotherhood of Man, a group that had had many UK hits begining in the sixties with a changing line up. But this was the line up that would once again bring success to the UK.

Brotherhood of Man Save all your kisses for me

By now the list of entrants was growing and The European Television Union included some very non European countries one of which Israel went on to win two years running in 1978 - 79. This was the point at which I lost interest in the competition and only briefly took notice or watched. The UK went onto win twice more with Bucks Fizz in 1981 with "Makin your mind up" and 1997 with Katrina and the Waves ""Love shine alight". Since which we have had an ever growing list of failures despite trying in recent years to enter with established artists such as Blue, Englebert and this years entrant Bonnie Tyler. Perhaps it is time for us to go back to the way of choosing our entrants like we used to with a more open competition, allowing more up and coming writers to enter. Who knows maybe one day we will once agin win ..............

Meanwhile how about this one, most likely the weirdest winner of the competition so far, Finland's 2006 entry by Lordi "Hard rock hallelujah"