JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum Eurovision Song Contest

Has anyone ever entered a song into the Eurovision Song Contest? Eurovision 2012

I entered a song when I lived in London, but I think the process of submitting a song has changed. The BBC, who broadcast the contest, seem to be handling everything now.

I'm wondering how the whole thing works with royalties etc.

I'd be interested to know if anyone has had experience with Eurovision. Technically, I can still enter a song, being a British citizen, so it might be worth a shot.

Any info would be great.

Andy

Sorry Andy Whilst like most folk I know I always enjoy a good laugh at Eurovision...and we sure get plenty laughs each year.....that is as far as it goes.. I would be too embarrased and afraid to enter....just in case my song was picked.......or even worse actually WON....I would hate to be associated in any way with such a cheesy, mediocre competition where the qualifications to enter are that you must have really crap songs sung by really crap singers...I took a look at the short list of hopeful UK entrants who will be singing our entry.......just about spilt my drink laughing.

Jim, I vote for your statement with both hands(is it allowed?)
That contest has become a club of the former Eastern block countries that vote for each other last years over and over.
The only one deserving winner were ABBA in 1974 and nobody else.

Thanks Alek......perhaps the biggest laughs are when it comes to voting.........I can predict which country will vote for what song...without even hearing the songs......it is all political.

Yes, it is a bit of a joke. The voting thing is pretty predictable. A shame really, the concept is good.

Andy

It is a huge shame........Here is an opportunity for European countries to showcase their finest music in a huge extravaganza watched by multi millions.......and what to we get....a joke program that makes X factor look like a proper talent show. With "Jedward", "Blue" or "Scooch" some of the worst acts ever seen anywhere singing some of the worst songs ever written I can only sigh and think about what could have been. Then the countries entertain us with their creative comedy voting. I give this ten out of ten for pure comedy entertainment....sadly I do not think Eurovision is or was ever meant to be a funny program.....great pity it has been turned into a laughing stock.

Jim,

I remember watching it as a kid, thinking it was some big event which shouldn't be missed. It was a magical thing in the early days of TV, but it has always been a melting pot for the 'Bing, Bang, Bong' songs. I like the idea of writing a song which is appealing to all Europeans, but there has to be some credibility to it, which Eurovision lacks. I don't like being cynical about it, but it's inevitable, given the comedy factor. Even more of a shame when you think of the massive songwriting talent in Europe.

I recently had the opportunity to get involved in it, through a Romanian singer, but maybe I'm better off out of it.

Andy

Eurovision is fun and it should be seen as such. What each song/performer is trying to achieve (i.e. be instantly appealing to multi-cultures on one listen) is nigh on impossible, that’s why it often resorts to the lowest common denominator; Gimmick with a fairly disposable lyric and melody. However, it is a celebration and writing for it is an art. The actual event is quite a circus but it is fun. The political voting is the sad side and I agree that can make a mockery of the relative values of any of the entries. However, in the auditorium everyone cheers for everyone else and they just want to party, political voting always gets jeered.

The bottom line is, don't take it too seriously

Andy I agree 100%...I also remember when it used to be something special.......and winning it or even having an entry was a big deal worth a lot of prestige and kudos...nowadays it is a joke and embarrassment.... exactly the opposite..the lunatics have taken over the asylum...any entry is a sure fire sign that the song is a joke and the performer sucks. It would be great to go back to like it was a few decades ago....but I think it is too far gone to be rescued. I heard that there was an alternative Eurovision competition operating......simply because folk were so disgusted...they decided to have a serious thing...instead of this joke...the entries were of a pretty good standard and all in all the voting resembled fair appraisal of the songs.

Nigel,

Terry Wogan made me realize it wasn't to be taken seriously. I've only entered it as an exercise in writing for the masses. I entered a song called 'Who's that knocking on my heart', which was deliberately 'dumbed down' for the masses. Complete with musical 'knocks'. I wasn't particularly proud of it, but it's a side of songwriting from which I gained experience.

Did you find out if you're going to Azerbaijan this year?

Andy

I suspect it's either political or already fixed from within.
It's an embarrassment.
Vic

Political yes, fixed? I doubt it, although I’m sure there is potential for the odd country to manipulate the odd score If it were ‘fixed’ I think different songs would win. Many of the countries vote for their own as it were. Baltic nations stick together, Scandinavians stick together, Eastern block etc. It seems that very few countries vote on what is the best song, it’s more about supporting (and being seen to support) their ‘friends’. I believe that the UK is one of the few countries that vote on the songs for what they are – If you looked at the UK voting history I think you find a fairly good spread of votes across a range of countries (with the exception of Ireland because they will always feature in the UK vote and vice versa). And there's a real irony there because I also think we (UK) take it less seriously as an event than the other countries.

Unlikely, I think my ‘every 2 years’ cycle is about to end


Make no apology for trying to write a Eurovision song, I take my hat off to you, as I said it’s an art and to write a good one is a toughy. Dumbing down is not necessarily a bad thing for every ‘By The Time I Get To Phoenix’ there’s a ‘Doo Wah Diddy’ and at the end of they day it’s a song and it’s either popular of it’s not. The man who only ever tried to write a great song never wrote anything

Can you name something that isn't political?

I work on pop ditties all year for the Eurovision contests, and I submit regularly in Denmark and Norway. We even had one in with a well known Swedish Eurovision producer last year, who pitched our song in Malta, Armenia and several other countries (where producers get to pick the songs).

Eurovision can mean big money, if you get through to the competition, so later years it's more and more been transformed from an amateur songwriter competition to a major league circus for the pro's. You pretty much have to submit a full production with all the bells and whistles, along with a solid artist CV.

It used to be a laugh with the serious musicians, but as it's becoming one of the few venues left where money can be made, and a huge promotion arena, they now swallow their pride. And I agree with Nigel, it is fun.

Btw, 76 yo country legend Bobby Bare competes this year in the Norwegian Eurovision contest (song 3) http://www.eurovisionary.com/eurovi...ird-norwegian-heat-get-know-participants

Here's the Danish winner for this year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXHSAFkZOnI&feature=related

I'd like to hear some of your Eurovision songs. Do you have a link to any?

Andy

No, if the submissions are displayed in public, you cannot pitch them for the competition, and I still pitch prior submissions through contacts to other countries, so I can't put them up.

The only Eurovision winner I can name is ABBA in 1974

Celine Dion won it for Switzerland one year. I remember the Irish guy Johnny Logan winning it twice. Cliff Richard won it, I think, with 'Congratulations'. Don't quote me on that though.

Andy

I think I was wrong about Cliff.

Cliff Richard was second with congratulations.....the winner that year 1968 was Spain with a real turkey of a song called LA LA LA. Here is a link to the winning performance of LA LA LA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpwgNxMcUQQ
Watch the the backing singers...they are obviously too ashamed to be there cause they are trying to hide behind each other.
and here is a link to all the other Eurovision winners.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Eurovision_Song_Contest_winners
There are a few decent songs sprinkled in there but most are pure drivel but entertaining and educational in a funny way. A brief search will also show the voting patterns and how corrupt some of the voting is.