Lyrical Challenge 1997


Welcome to the inaugural GBSC Homepage Lyrical Challenge!

After a frighteningly close set of voting, I can now reveal the winner. Here's how you voted...

My Secret Lover
Fra Mols Til Skagen
Stay With Me
Romeo
Forever Love
I Evighet
Kaarina Hautaniemi 3 2 1
Rodrigo Ortigao de Oliveira 1 3 2
Eddie de Souza 2 1 3
Nuno Rodrigues 2 3 1
Total 8 9 7

So the winner, quite ironically, is the song drawn second(!), a reworking of Ketil Stokkan's attempt to defend Bobbysocks' title in 1986.

And the question on everybody's lips - who wins the CD? Well, in reverse order, the lyric placed third, "Forever Love" was written by Eddie de Souza. The runner-up, "My Secret Lover" sprang from the pen of Roger Fry. And the winner is... um... well, this is slightly embarrassing actually. The winner is ME, Nick Deller!!!

So, to conclude, congratulations to the two runners-up without whom there would have been no competition. Since it's not proven particularly popular, I don't know if I'll run the contest again in 1998, but if I do I'll hope to see you again 'fairly soon'!

For now, it remains only to wish you all an excellent Eurovision night - may the best song win! And failing that, may the UK win!

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A slightly disappointing response - just three entries. But they're all extremely good in my opinion, and after all the first ESC wasn't overloaded with entrants either!

I've still not got the hang of forms yet, so it'll be an e-mail vote, which is open to anybody. Award 3 points to the best song, 2 to the second and 1 to the third, and send your votes to nick@kidney.demon.co.uk.

And now it remains only to move on to the presentation of the three songs, the running order being decided by a draw held earlier today in my bedroom. OK, it's not quite 'under the auspices of the EBU', but I have to start somewhere! Anyway, the honour of opening the 1997 Lyrical Challenge has fallen to Denmark.

My Secret Lover (Fra Mols Til Skagen)
Stay With Me (Romeo)
Forever Love (I Evighet)

The full rules are as follows:

1: You can write in any language, it needn't be the same language that was used originally for your song. However, if your lyric is not in the English language, an English translation will also be needed to give everyone an opportunity to judge them.

2: You can choose any song performed at a Eurovision Song contest from 1956 to 1996 inclusive, from any nation (it doesn't need to be a UK entry).

3: Only one lyric per person, please!

4: All lyrics must have been sent by e-mail to lyrics@kidney.demon.co.uk to arrive no later than Sunday 20 April 1997.

5: On 21 April, but not before, I posted all the entered lyrics to the website, including information of what the original song was, but NOT naming the lyricist. I will now stage a vote, the format being decided based on the number of entries received.

5b: Anyone may vote, whether they have submitted a lyric or not. 3 points should be awarded to the favourite song, 2 points to the second and 1 point to the third. 6: The result of this vote will be posted to the site on 3 May - Eurovision day!

7: Copyright on the lyrics will remain with the authors, but I will assume that anyone entering a lyric has given me permission to reproduce it.

8: The prize will be a CD single of the 1997 UK entry, Love Shine A Light by Katrina and the Waves.

9: Any lyric containing foul or offensive language will not be accepted for the contest.

10: I reserve the right to add to or amend these rules should it prove necessary.

Right, that's all the boring technicalities out of the way - good luck to the three songwriters!


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