Tonight 31 years ago ... A-ba-ni-bi

April 22, 1978 Palais de Congrès de Paris hosted the 23rd Eurovision. Twenty countries taking part when Denmark returned after a long absense. France didn't seem to be very interested in the show and didn't get great reviews for the rather boring stage and several tecnical problems. Most interesting part was the rotating orchestra - most fun provided by seeing if the conductors managed to jump on their place without falling off. Something new the French did bring to the contest: a presenter duo! Léon Zitrone was also the first male presenter since 1956! Baccara sung for Luxembourg and were as big as T.a.T.u was when singing in Eurovision many years later. Norway's Jahn Teigen almost stole the show by scoring the first null points in the new (and still in use) voting system. The songs in French ruled (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 10th) but Israel won clearly with an up tempo song and a real choreography. Izhar Cohen & The Alpha Beta shared the victory in Israel and was sent to Paris after drawing lots! Many Arab countries were broadcasting the show but switched to showing advertising while Israel was performing and faced a tricky situation when it was getting clear Israel would win. Jordania for example cut the broadcast and showed a picture of daffodils instead - later announcing Belgium (2nd) had won...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8IDx4Hmzho

Personal note: This is the first Eurovision I remember watching with great attention, scoreboard in front of me and driving everybody else crazy with my enthuasism. I remember bits from 1977, especially some songs but it was 1978 when I became a fan, at 11.

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ESC 2016 WISH LIST: MARGARET FOR POLAND

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Regina Lund - naked and censored

Regina Lund's new video Jag är osynlig was censored by Youtube only minutes after it had been uploaded. In the video she was playing a female Jesus who gets crusified in the end. "I was shocked!" she says. "There's nothing more naked in it as in every church! It's ok to have naked man hanging on the wall but my nakedness is too much on internet? ". Oh well, no comment. She's prepairing a new album Dare Regina Lund and we of course remember her from her Melodifestivalen 2007 adventure with Rainbow star .

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Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

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