Eurovision Song Contest 1972

The Eurovision Song Contest 1972 was the 17th edition series. Monaco was unable to host this year's Eurovision as they were unable to provide the resources. They approached French TV, who agreed to produce the contest, but only if the contest was staged in France and not the planned Monte Carlo Opera House. Rejecting the offer, RMC Monaco invited the President of the EBU, Charles Curran of the BBC to host, so the United Kingdom stepped in to host it again. For the first time, however, the BBC chose a venue outside London. Séverine made the trip to the Scottish capital Edinburgh to pass on the 'Grand Prix' to Vicky Leandros. However, she looked thoroughly uninterested in the Monegasque entry when seen by viewers checking her watch after the song was performed.^[1] This is the only time when UK has been host that the contest has been held outside England.

The Irish entry was in the Irish language, so far the country's only entry in that language.

Luxembourg's win was their third. Yves Dessca also wrote the text for "Un Banc, Un Arbre, Une Rue" that won in 1971, and other than conductors of the winning song, became the second person to win the Contest twice, the first person to win for two different countries and the first person to win two years in a row.^[2]

Individual Entries

Results

Voting structure

Each country had two jury members, one aged between 16 and 25 and one aged between 26 and 55. They each awarded 1 to 5 points for each song, other than the song from their own country. The jury was stationed in the safety of the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle. The jurors cast their votes immediately after each song was performed and they were then collected and counted. During the voting sequence on screen, they displayed their scores for each song, which were visual verifications of the scores they had awarded earlier. Meanwhile the interval act also came from the Castle, this time the vast Esplanade outside.

The voting procedure itself turned out to be a rather dull affair, there was no real challenge to Vicky Leandros. Interestingly the winning score of 128 was exactly the same as Monaco's the year before.

Score sheet

Returning artists

Commentators

National jury members

•  Spain - Emma Cohen (under 25) and Luis María Ansón (over 25) ^[12]
•  United Kingdom - Doreen Samuels (under 25) and Robert Bruce Walker (over 25) ^[13]
•  Finland - Åke Granholm (under 25) and Merita Merikoski (over 25) ^[14]
•  Sweden - Titti Sjöblom (under 25) and Arne Domnérus (over 25)^[15]

References

1. ^ O'Connor, John Kennedy. The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History. Carlton Books, UK. 2007 ISBN 978-1-84442-994-3
2. ^ O'Connor, John Kennedy. The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History. Carlton Books, UK. 2007 ISBN 978-1-84442-994-3
3. ^ http://songcontest.free.fr/bdd/cec1972.htm
4. ^ http://eurosongcontest.phpbb3.es/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=20310&start=45
5. ^ http://www.nrk.no/debatt/index.phpshowtopic=87458&pid=1343226&mode=threaded&start=
6. ^ Dyrseth, Seppo (OGAE Norway)
7. ^ http://www.viisukuppila.fi/phpBB3/yleista/topic1578.html?sid=4004772ec986da0c3795a6f5dd54f0d4
8. ^ Leif Thorsson. Melodifestivalen genom tiderna ["Melodifestivalen through time"] (2006), p. 94. Stockholm: Premium Publishing AB. ISBN 91-89136-29-2
9. ^ "Nederlandse televisiecommentatoren bij het Eurovisie Songfestival" (in Dutch). Eurovision Artists. http://www.eurovisionartists.nl/index.htm?content/esf480.asp. 
10. ^ http://www.songs4europe.com/54.html
11. ^ Leif Thorsson. Melodifestivalen genom tiderna ["Melodifestivalen through time"] (2006), p. 94. Stockholm: Premium Publishing AB. ISBN 91-89136-29-2
12. ^ http://www.aeveurovision.com/2008/02/15/eurovision-1972-%E2%80%93-programa-posterior-al-festival/
13. ^ http://www.songs4europe.com/54.html
14. ^ http://www.viisukuppila.fi/muistathan-eurovision-laulukilpailu-1972/
15. ^ Leif Thorsson. Melodifestivalen genom tiderna ["Melodifestivalen through time"] (2006), p. 94. Stockholm: Premium Publishing AB. ISBN 91-89136-29-2