United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1988

ESC National Year
Year = 1988
Country = UK
Preselection = A Song for Europe
Preselection date = 25 March 1988
Entrant = Scott Fitzgerald
Song = "Go"
SF result =
Final result = 2nd, 136 pointsThe United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 1988 with its entry "Go" performed by Scott Fitzgerald. The song was chosen through the "A Song for Europe" national final which consisted of eight songs in 1988. At the Eurovision Song Contest 1988, Fitzgerald and his song placed second with 136 points.

A Song for Europe

The 1988 A Song For Europe contest, the United Kingdom's national final, was held on 25 March 1988, at the BBC Television Centre. It was hosted by Terry Wogan, back in a dinner suit for the first time since 1980. The theme music and title sequence were the same the one used in the previous year, a revamped Te Deum.An orchestra was used, under the baton of Ronnie Hazlehurst. This orchestra was off stage, as was the tradition for UK national finals. The contest was broadcast on Radio 2 and BBC 1. The songs were previewed on both Wogan and on Radio 2.

Changes to the previous years

The 1987 contest was something of an experiment when compared to other contests of the era. The studio set was much larger, 10 songs were used instead of 8, and the songs were picked by the Music Publisher's Association, and the record industry, in order to have a selection of songs that were more contemporary pop, instead of just songs that could win the Eurovision Song Contest.All of this changed in 1988. The 8 song format returned, the songs were screened by just the MPA, and as such the songs were less contemporary than in the previous contest. The set was much smaller than the 1987 contest.Also gone was the regional jury voting to decide the winner. For the first time since 1975, the public voted on the songs, although this time is was by telephone voting instead of postcards.Also introduced was a judging panel, to comment on the songs. They had no role in the selection of the winner, merely to pass comment. The judges were Mike Batt, Bruce Welch, Gloria Hunniford and George Martin. George talked about songs 1 and 5, Mike Batt discussed songs 2 and 6, Gloria Hunniford passed comment on songs 3 and 7, and Bruce Welch ( a former Eurovision participant himself) talked about songs 4 and 8.

The songs

Song number 1 was "Till the night" written by Pete Bellotte and Dave Cooke. The song was performed by Catwalk, a new band, with a female lead singer. This was a song about working all day in order to go out and find love in the night. George Martin said it was a good contemporary song with a good theme, but felt that the melody wasn't adventurous enough.

Song number 2 was written by Duncan Brown and Sebastian Graham Jones, and performed by Camino, another six piece band. The song was called High Windows. Mike Batt thought it was a nicely produced track but not a great song, and only liked it after listening to it several times

Song number 3 was written and performed by Zoe Nicholas, and was called Just A Memory. This was a solo effort with off screen backing singers, all about being with someone else after a relationship ends. Gloria Hunniford felt it was a bit like a Whitney Houston ballad, and liked the fact that the writer was the performer.

Song number 4 was written by JR Cousins, who was also in the band, performed by a group called FNAC. The song featured a brass section that "mimed" playing on stage, in order to let the orchestra make the brass effort. The song was called "Make your dreams come true." Bruce Welch said he enjoyed the brass section, and that it was a very infection track.

Song number 5 was written by James McClaren, who sings as James Oliver. He joined with Linda Carroll to form a duet called Klass. This was James' second of three entries in the contest. Both he and Linda would reappear in the 1989 contest, although performing separate songs. George Martin felt that duets are hard to do, but he liked the unusual nature of the melody. The song was called "One More Chance"

Song number 6 was by Carol Grimes, featuring a group called Clinging to the Wreckage, featuring Nicky B. The song was called Heart to Heart. Mike Batt queried whether this song could be well received by a jury, and didn't understand the theme, but it was very powerful.

Song number 7 was called "This is the kiss" by a group called Two-Che, featuring Irishman Paul Clements, and Manchester born Nicola Jackson. Gloria Hunniford liked the song, but felt that some aspects of it were repetititve.

Song number 8 was written by Julie Forsyth, the daughter of Bruce Forsyth, and performed by Scott Fitzgerald. Scott had a hit in the 1970s with "If I had words" and was fairly well known in the Netherlands. The song was called "Go", and was a ballad about being cheated on. Backing singers (including the writer) could be heard but not seen at the very end of the song. Bruce Welch felt that this was the kind of song that has won Eurovision in the past,and that it was a nice understated performance by Scott.

Voting

*1st - "Go" by Scott Fitzgerald (93,271 votes)
*2nd - "This is the Kiss" by Two-Che (73,785 votes)
*3rd - "High Windows" by Camino (41,528 votes)
*4th - "Heart to Heart" by Clinging to the Wreckage (30,382 votes)
*5th - "Make Your Dreams Come True" by FNAC (28,946 votes)
*6th - "Just Memory" by Zoe (27,783 votes)
*7th - "Till the night" by Catwalk (22,358 votes)
*8th - "One More Chance" by Klass (19,504 votes)

At Eurovision

The contest was staged at the RDS in Dublin on 30 April. Twenty one nations took part and the UK performed in fourth position. Scott Fitzgerald scored well and was involved in a tense battle for first place with Switzerland's entrant Celine Dion. With only Yugoslavia left to vote, the UK was in first place with 136 points followed by Switzerland with 131. The Yugoslav jury proceeded to award Switzerland six points and the UK zero.

"Go" was a minor hit in the UK charts.

ee also

*United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest
*Eurovision Song Contest 1988