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United Kingdom In The Eurovision Song Contest 1976
The United Kingdom held a national preselection to choose the song that would go to the Eurovision Song Contest 1976. "Save Your Kisses for Me" won the national final, performed on stage with dance moves and four brightly dressed singers, it ultimately went on to win the Eurovision Song Contest itself. Before Eurovision A Song for Europe 1976 Following the lowest published figure known for the public vote in the UK finals that used either voting by mail or telephone in 1975 and the BBC's choice of The Shadows singing all the shortlisted songs, calls from the Music Publishers Association for the songwriters and composers to be allowed to select the artist of their choice to perform the songs in future UK selections for Eurovision led to an 'all-comers' final being reinstated in 1976. It was a reversion to the format used for UK finals from 1961-1963. Twelve songs were chosen by the Music Publisher's Association, with the songwriters choosing their own artist. Final The sho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
UK National Selection For The Eurovision Song Contest
''Eurovision: You Decide'' is the most recent name of a BBC television programme that was broadcast annually to select the United Kingdom's entry into the Eurovision Song Contest. The show had previously gone under several other names, including ''Festival of British Popular Songs'' (1957), ''Eurovision Song Contest British Final'' (1959–1960), ''The Great British Song Contest'' (1996–1999), ''Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up'' (2004–2007), ''Eurovision: Your Decision'' (2008), and ''Eurovision: Your Country Needs You'' (2009–2010), but was known, for most of its history, as ''A Song for Europe'' (1961–1995, 2000–2003). The selection process, originally broadcast on BBC One, has varied between selecting both the performer and song, or just the song in some years. For most years the public has been able to vote for the winner, in the past with postcard voting, where the viewers sent postcards with their vote to the BBC, but more recently televoting and online. In 200 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eurovision Song Contest 1981
The Eurovision Song Contest 1981 was the 26th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Dublin, Ireland, following the country's victory at the with the song "What's Another Year" by Johnny Logan. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster (RTÉ), the contest was held at the RDS Simmonscourt on 4 April 1981, and was hosted by Irish television journalist Doireann Ní Bhriain. Twenty countries participated in the contest, equalling the record of the 1978 edition. Cyprus made their début this year, while Israel and Yugoslavia both returned to the competition, after their one-year and five-year absences, respectively. Morocco and Italy decided not to participate. Morocco has never since returned to participate in the Eurovision Song contest again, marking 1980 their only ever year of participation. The winner was the United Kingdom with the song "Making Your Mind Up", performed by Bucks Fizz, written by Andy Hill and John Dant ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wayne Bickerton
Wayne Bickerton (born Arthur Ronald Bickerton; 11 July 1941 – 29 November 2015) was a British record producer, songwriter and music business executive. He became well known, with Tony Waddington, as writer and producer of a series of UK chart hits in the 1970s for The Rubettes, and as a leading figure in SESAC – one of the three major American performing rights organisations. Life and career Born in Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales, and named after his father, Bickerton grew up in Kirkdale, Liverpool. He first came to prominence in 1963 when, after spells with the Bobby Bell Rockers (featuring Det Pete), Steve & the Syndicate, Lee Curtis and the All-Stars and the Remo Four, he became bassist and singer with the Pete Best Four (later the Pete Best Combo), at the same time as childhood friend Tony Waddington became the group's guitarist. Biography by Bruce Eder at AllMusic Retrieved 11 November 2009 As well as sharing most of the singing, Bickerton and Waddington became songwriters ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Curtis (musician)
Paul Michael Curtis (born 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer from London, who holds the record for the highest number of songs to make the finals of the ''A Song for Europe'' contest, the BBC's annual competition to choose the UK's entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, competing with 22 separate songs from 1975 to 1992. Career Paul Curtis recorded under the name of Mickey Moonshine for one single "Name It You Got It" on the uk Decca label in 1974. This was a popular track played on the Northern soul scene a few years later and was re-released to capitalise on the demand at the time. His true identity on this track had been queried over the years. Some suggestions were Alvin Stardust, Paul Nicolas and the favourite-Chris Rainbow. Two phone calls followed from the Soul source Internet list members in 2008. One to Chris Rainbow on the isle of Skye confirmed it wasn't him, and one to record label owner Paul Mooney from Paul Curtis himself confirming it was him. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hazell Dean
Hazell Dean ( Poole; born 27 October 1952) is an English dance-pop singer, who achieved her biggest success in the 1980s as a leading Hi-NRG artist. She is best known for the top-ten hits in the United Kingdom "Searchin' (I Gotta Find a Man)", "Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)" and "Who's Leaving Who". She has also worked as a songwriter and producer. Career Dean was born in Great Baddow, Essex. She started her career in the mid-1970s and came to prominence in the following decade after many years as a club performer and working on the gay scene with her brand of Hi-NRG. She was elected three times as the "Best Live Performer" by the "Federation of American Dance Clubs" (US), and twice as a "Best British Performer" by "Club Mirror Awards" (UK).. Dean started her career signed to Decca Records releasing a few pop/soul singles from the mid to late 70's written and produced by Paul Curtis. Dean participated in the ''A Song for Europe'' contest in 1976, and took eighth place (out ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gerry Shury
Gerald Roland Shury (11 August 1944General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 17; Page: 0919 – 24 May 1978)England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), page 7395 was a British songwriter, arranger, and record producer who worked in the late 1960s and 1970s. Shury was born in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, though some sources state Brixton, London. He started his career in the late 1960s initially as an arranger and went on to work with Barry Blue, Lynsey de Paul, Ron Roker, The Bee Gees, Biddu and The Rubettes, before becoming involved in the British soul, funk and disco scene of the 1970s. After flirting with glam rock by co-writing the UK top 10 single "Do You Wanna Dance" with Barry Blue and Ron Roker, he moved to writing in a more soul/funk/disco vein with songs such as "Guilty", a UK number 10 hit for The Pearls in 1974, as well as "Dance Little Lady Dance", which was a hit for Tina Charles, reaching number 6 on the UK Si ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ron Roker
Ronald Ernest Alfred Roker (born 23 January 1941) is an English songwriter, singer and record producer Roker has written UK chart hits for Jackie Lee, The Fortunes, Barry Blue, Tina Charles, Polly Brown, The Pearls, The Real Thing and Sweet Dreams. Career Roker first worked as a song-plugger. His first taste of chart success was provided by the theme music to children's TV programme '' The Adventures of Rupert Bear''. The song "Rupert", co-written with Len Beadle and recorded by Beadle's wife Jackie Lee, made the UK Singles Chart in 1971. He also wrote the theme for ''Inigo Pipkin'' (later renamed ''Pipkins''). Further success was attained when Roker met up with Lynsey Rubin (who was about to change her name to Lynsey de Paul). Together they penned " Storm in a Teacup" for The Fortunes, which landed them a Top Ten hit single; "When You've Gotta Go" which made the Dutch Tipparade (peak number 17) in late 1972, as well as the lower reaches of the Australian Aria chart in 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polly Brown
Polly Brown (born 18 April 1947), also known as Polly Browne, is an English singer from Birmingham. A member of Pickettywitch and Sweet Dreams - and with each group lead singer on a Top Ten hit, respectively "That Same Old Feeling" and "Honey Honey" - Brown had an international solo hit in 1975 with "Up in a Puff of Smoke". Biography Brown was born in Birmingham, England. She recorded with Pickettywitch from 1969 until 1972, when she cut her first solo album for Pickettywitch's label Pye Records working with producer Tony Eyers. In 1972, DJ Jimmy Savile claimed to be engaged to Brown; she later admitted it was a publicity stunt and said she had no idea that Savile was using her as a cover for his paedophile activities. The songwriting/production team of Gerry Shury and Ron Roker had admired Brown's voice from her Pickettywitch recordings. Shury, who had arranged Brown's Pye album release, described her as a cross "between Diana Ross and Dionne Warwick" and in 1974 had her re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arrows (British Band)
The Arrows were a band based in London, England. The group, which formed in 1974 and disbanded in 1977, included American singer/bassist Alan Merrill, American guitarist Jake Hooker and English drummer Paul Varley (original drummer Clive Williams was replaced by Paul Varley). They had UK chart hit singles in 1974 and 1975 with "Touch Too Much" and " My Last Night with You", produced by Mickie Most on RAK Records. They wrote and recorded the original version of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", later covered by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. Career The Arrows had two 14-week television shows in the UK called '' Arrows'' in 1976 and 1977, which were broadcast on Granada Television and produced by Muriel Young. They are the only band to have two weekly TV series and no records released during the run of either series; a result of a conflict between the band's manager Ian Wright of the M.A.M. Agency, and the group's mentor/producer Mickie Most. Each series consisted of 14 shows, 30 minu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jake Hooker (musician)
Jerry Mamberg (May 3, 1953 – August 4, 2014), better known as Jake Hooker or Jake Hooker Richards, was a musician, best known as the guitarist for the rock/pop band Arrows. Life Hooker was born in Haifa, Israel, but his family moved to the United States when he was a child. Hooker himself moved to England in the 1970s. Hooker joined forces with his friend Alan Merrill, already a star in Japan, to found the band Streak in 1972, which evolved into the Arrows.Hodkinson, Mark (2013) ''Marianne Faithfull: As Years Go By'', Omnibus Press, The band had several hit records produced by Mickie Most. Alan Merrill wrote the song "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" for the Arrows, giving a co-writer credit to Hooker by way of settling a debt. It was a response to The Rolling Stones' "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)".Pollock, Bruce (2005) ''Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era'', Routledge, , p. 163Bronson, Fred (2000) ''"Billboard's" Hottest Hot 100 Hits: Top ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alan Merrill
Alan Merrill (born Allan Preston Sachs; February 19, 1951 – March 29, 2020) was an American vocalist, guitarist and songwriter. In the early 1970s, he was one of the few resident foreigners to achieve pop star status in Japan. He was the writer of, and lead singer on, the first released version of the song "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was recorded by his band the Arrows (British band), Arrows in 1975. The song became a breakthrough hit for Joan Jett in 1982. Merrill was primarily a vocalist and songwriter, but also played the guitar, bass guitar, harmonica, and keyboards. He died during the COVID-19 pandemic due to complications brought on by the virus. Early life Merrill was born in The Bronx, New York City on February 19, 1951, the son of two jazz musicians, singer Helen Merrill and saxophone/clarinet player Aaron Sachs. He went to Aiglon College in Switzerland from age 9 to 13, a British-style boarding school. On returning to the United States, he attended schools in New Y ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Co-Co (band)
Co-Co was a six-piece British band who represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978, staged at the Palais de Congrès in Paris, France, on 22 April 1978, with the song "The Bad Old Days". The song was written by the song writing team Stephanie de Sykes and Stuart Slater (aka Stewart James). It was finally placed eleventh of the 20 entries, which at the time was the worst showing ever for a UK entry. It would not be until 1987 that any British song fared worse in ''Eurovision''. The group were originally called Mothers Pride. Eurovision At the time, the group consisted of Terry Bradford, Josie Andrews, Cheryl Baker, Keith Hasler and Paul Rogers. For their performance in Paris, a drummer named Charlie Brennan was added to the group. They won the preliminary heat ''A Song for Europe'', having previously placed second, again as a quintet, but with only Bradford, Hasler and Baker in the original line-up, together with Peter Perrera and another female singer, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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