Eurovision Song Contest 1968

The Eurovision Song Contest 1968 was the 13th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in London, United Kingdom, following the country's first victory at the Template:Escyr with the song "Puppet on a String" by Sandie Shaw. Despite having won for the first time the year before, it was actually the third time that the United Kingdom had hosted the competition, having previously done so in Template:Escyr and Template:Escyr, both of which also took place in London. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the contest was held at Royal Albert Hall on 6 April 1968, and was hosted by Katie Boyle for the third time. It was notably also the first time that the contest was broadcast in colour.

Seventeen countries participated in the contest, the same countries that had participated the previous year.

The winner was Template:Esccnty with the song "La La La" by Massiel, and written/composed by Manuel de la Calva and Ramón Arcusa. This was Spain's first victory - and their first ever top five placing - in the contest.

Location

File:Royal Albert Hall, London - Nov 2012.jpg

Royal Albert Hall, London - host venue of the 1968 contest.

The contest was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The Royal Albert Hall is known for hosting the world's leading artists from several performance genres, sports, award ceremonies, the annual summer Proms concerts and other events since its opening in 1871, and has become one of the United Kingdom's most treasured and distinctive buildings. At the time of the contest in 1968, the hall had a capacity of 7,000 seats.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>

Participants

Template:Further Template:Interlanguage link info Template:ESC 1968 participants All countries that had participated in 1967 also participated in 1968.<ref name=ESC1968/>

The contest featured one representative who had previously performed as lead artists for the same country. Isabelle Aubret had won Eurovision for Template:Esccnty.

Originally Spanish broadcaster {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (TVE) entered Joan Manuel Serrat to sing "La La La", but his demand to sing in Catalan was an affront to the Francoist State dictatorship. Therefore, Massiel, who was on tour in Mexico, was brought in as a late replacement. In just two weeks, she had to rush back to Spain, learn the song, record it in several languages, travel to Paris to get a dress and go to London for rehearsals. She sang the song in the contest in Castilian Spanish with the new arrangement made to fit her. In her winning reprise, she performed part of her song in English, in addition to the original version, becoming the first winner to do so.<ref name=ESC1968>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Norwegian national selection, Melodi Grand Prix, ended with Kirsti Sparboe and Odd Børre winning with the song "{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}". However the composer, Kari Diesen withdrew the song due to receiving multiple accusations of plagiarism of the song "Summer Holiday" by Cliff Richard.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Roxburgh" /> The runner-up song in the selection, "Stress" would perform in the contest instead, where Odd Børre was chosen to be the singer.

citation

CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Roxburgh" />
Country	Broadcaster	Artist	Song	Language	Songwriter(s)	Conductor
Template:Esc	ORF	Karel Gott	lang}}"	German	Template:Hlist	Template:Ill
Template:Esc	RTB	Claude Lombard	lang}}"	French	Template:Hlist	Template:Ill
Template:Esc	YLE	Template:Sortname	lang}}"	Finnish	Template:Hlist	Ossi Runne
Template:Esc	ORTF	Isabelle Aubret	lang}}"	French	Template:Hlist	Alain Goraguer
Template:Esc	HRTemplate:Efn	Wencke Myhre	lang}}"	German	Template:Hlist	Horst Jankowski
Template:Esc	RTÉ	Pat McGeegan	"Chance of a Lifetime"	English	John Kennedy	Noel Kelehan
Template:Esc	RAI	Sergio Endrigo	lang}}"	Italian	Sergio Endrigo	Giancarlo Chiaramello
Template:Esc	CLT	Template:Ill and Template:Ill	lang}}"	French	Template:Hlist	André Borly
Template:Esc	TMC	Template:Ill	lang}}"	French	Template:Hlist	Michel Colombier
Template:Esc	NTS	Ronnie Tober	lang}}"	Dutch	Template:Hlist	Dolf van der Linden
Template:Esc	NRK	Odd Børre	"Stress"	Norwegian	Template:Hlist	Øivind Bergh
Template:Esc	RTP	Carlos Mendes	lang}}"	Portuguese	Template:Hlist	Template:Ill
Template:Esc	TVE	Massiel	"La La La"	Spanish	Template:Hlist	Rafael Ibarbia
Template:Esc	SR	Claes-Göran Hederström	lang}}"	Swedish	Template:Ill	Mats Olsson
Template:Esc	SRG SSR	Gianni Mascolo	lang}}"	Italian	Template:Hlist	Mario Robbiani
Template:Esc	BBC	Template:Sortname	"Congratulations"	English	Template:Hlist	Norrie Paramor
Template:Esc	JRT	Lući Kapurso and Hamo Hajdarhodžić	lang}}" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}})	Serbo-Croatian	Template:Hlist	Miljenko Prohaska

Format

1968 was the first time that the Eurovision Song Contest was broadcast in colour.<ref name=":0" /> The countries that broadcast it in colour were France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden and the United Kingdom, although in the UK it was broadcast as an encore presentation in colour on BBC Two the next day. Many Eastern European countries as well as Tunisia broadcast the contest.

Prior to the contest, the bookmakers were sure of another British victory, as the English singer Cliff Richard, who was already dominating the music charts at that time, was hotly tipped as the favourite to win, but in the end he lost out to Spain's song by a margin of just one vote.

Contest overview

citation

CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Abbr	Country	Artist	Song	Votes	Place
1	Template:Esc	Template:Sortname	lang}}"	5	11
2	Template:Esc	Template:Sortname	lang}}"	1	16
3	Template:Esc	Template:Sortname	lang}}"	8	7
4	Template:Esc	Template:Sortname	lang}}"	2	13
5	Template:Esc	Template:Sortname and Sophie Garel	lang}}"	5	11
6	Template:Esc	Template:Sortname	lang}}"	2	13
7	Template:Esc	Line and Willy	lang}}"	8	7
8	Template:Esc	Template:Sortname	lang}}"	15	5
9	Template:Esc	Template:Sortname	lang}}"	1	16
10	Template:Esc	Template:Sortname	lang}}"	20	3
11	Template:Esc	Template:Sortname	lang}}"	7	10
12	Template:Esc	Template:Sortname	"Congratulations"	28	2
13	Template:Esc	Template:Sortname	"Stress"	2	13
14	Template:Esc	Template:Sortname	"Chance of a Lifetime"	18	4
15	Template:Esc	Massiel	"La La La"	29	1
16	Template:Esc	Template:Sortname	lang}}"	11	6
17	Template:Esc	Template:Sortname	lang}}"	8	7

Spokespersons

Each participating broadcaster appointed a spokesperson who was responsible for announcing the votes for its respective country via telephone. Known spokespersons at the 1968 contest are listed below.

• Template:FlaguTemplate:SndTemplate:Ill<ref name="HS2" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• Template:FlaguTemplate:SndTemplate:Ill<ref name="Melfest">Template:Cite book</ref>
• Template:FlaguTemplate:SndMichael Aspel<ref name="Roxburgh">Template:Cite book</ref>

Detailed voting results

Due to a misunderstanding by the hostess, Katie Boyle, Switzerland were erroneously awarded 3 votes by Yugoslavia, instead of 2. The scrutineer asked for the Yugoslav votes from TV Skopje to be announced a second time.

citation

CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
		scope="col" Template:Vert header	scope="col" Template:Vert header	scope="col" Template:Vert header	scope="col" Template:Vert header	scope="col" Template:Vert header	scope="col" Template:Vert header	scope="col" Template:Vert header	scope="col" Template:Vert header	scope="col" Template:Vert header	scope="col" Template:Vert header	scope="col" Template:Vert header	scope="col" Template:Vert header	scope="col" Template:Vert header	scope="col" Template:Vert header	scope="col" Template:Vert header	scope="col" Template:Vert header	scope="col" Template:Vert header	scope="col" Template:Vert header
rowspan="17" Template:Vert header	Portugal	5													2		3
Netherlands	1											1
Belgium	8	1								1	1	3	1			1
Austria	2																2
Luxembourg	5		1		1			1			1		1
Switzerland	2																	2
Monaco	8		2			1				3			1		1
Sweden	15	1	1							1			2	6	4
Finland	1													1
France	20		3	6	2	3	3		1			2
Italy	7	1					2									2		2
United Kingdom	28	1	2	2		1	4	5	3	2	4	1			1		2
Norway	2					1										1
Ireland	18	1	1	1	4	1			4									6
Spain	29	4			2	1		4		3	4	3		1	1		6
Germany	11					1	1		2				5			2
Yugoslavia	8	1		1	1	1									3	1

Broadcasts

Each participating broadcaster was required to relay the contest via its networks. Non-participating EBU member broadcasters were also able to relay the contest as "passive participants". Broadcasters were able to send commentators to provide coverage of the contest in their own native language and to relay information about the artists and songs to their television viewers.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In addition to the participating countries, the contest was also reportedly broadcast in Tunisia, and in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania and the Soviet Union via Intervision, with an estimated global audience of between 150 and 200 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Known details on the broadcasts in each country, including the specific broadcasting stations and commentators are shown in the tables below.

Broadcasters and commentators in participating countries

Country	Broadcaster	Channel(s)	Commentator(s)	Template:Abbr
Template:Flagu	ORF	FS1	Template:N/A	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Flagu	RTB	RTB	Paule Herreman	<ref name="Luxemburger" />
		RTB 1	Template:N/A	<ref name="DeS">Template:Cite news</ref>
	BRT	BRT	Template:N/A
Template:Flagu	YLE	lang}}	Template:Ill	<ref name="HS2">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="HS">Template:Cite news</ref>
		lang}}	Template:N/A	<ref name="HS" />
Template:Flagu	ORTF	lang}}	Pierre Tchernia	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
		France Inter	Template:N/A	<ref name="DeS" />
Template:Flagu	ARD	lang}}	Template:N/A	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Flagu	RTÉ	RTÉ	Brendan O'Reilly	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
		RTÉ Radio	Kevin Roche	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Flagu	RAI	lang}}	Template:Ill	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Template:Flagu	CLT	lang}}	Template:N/A	<ref name="Luxemburger">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Flagu	NTS	lang}}	Template:Ill	<ref name="Trouw">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Flagu	NRK	lang}}, NRKTemplate:Efn	Roald Øyen	<ref name="Norsk">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Flagu	RTP	RTP	Template:N/A	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Flagu	TVE	TVE 1, TVE CanariasTemplate:Efn	Template:Ill	<ref name="Canary Islands">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	RNE	Template:Ill	José María Íñigo	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flagu	SR	lang}}	Template:Ill	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Flagu	SRG SSR	TV DRS	Template:Ill	<ref name="Schweiz">Template:Cite news</ref>
		TSR	Template:Ill	<ref name="Je vois tout">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
		TSI	Template:N/A	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
		Radio BeromünsterTemplate:Efn	Albert Werner	<ref name="Radio2">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Template:Flagu	BBC	BBC1Template:Efn	Template:N/A	<ref name="Radio Times">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
		BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2	Pete Murray	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	BFBS	BFBS Radio	Thurston Holland	<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Template:Flagu	JRT	lang}}	Template:N/A	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
		lang}}	Template:N/A	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
		lang}}	Template:N/A	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Broadcasters and commentators in non-participating countries

Country	Broadcaster	Channel(s)	Commentator(s)	Template:Abbr
Template:Flagu	ČST	ČST	Miroslav Horníček	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Template:Flagu	MTV	MTV	Template:Ill	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Template:Flagu	MBA	MTS, National Network	Template:N/A	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Flagu	TP	lang}}	Template:N/A	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Flagu	WKAQTemplate:Efn		Template:N/A	<ref name="Puerto Rico">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Flagu	TVR	TVR	Template:N/A	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

External links

• Template:Official website