Tony, Frank & Hazell .... A Classic Song For Europe

In the week when the BBC unveil the 2011 United Kingdom entry, for the first time in fifty-four goes not giving the British public (even if they were just juries) no say whatsoever in choosing either singer or song, what could be more timely than a trip down memory lane to a classic UK final from thirty-five years ago. For the previous twelve years the BBC had secured the services of one act to perform multiple songs but for 1976 allcomers were invited to a glamourous final at no less than the Royal Albert Hall. These included some famous names past and present.

Propping up the scoreboard at the end of the evening was one Frank Ifield. Having been pipped into second place in the 1962 SFE, he rapidly shrugged off that disappointment to secure no less than four UK number ones in the next couple of years, his distinctive style marrying yodelling with some Anglo-Aussie hillbilly. Come 1976 though, this short but sweet ditty was a distant last.



A few places higher (equal seventh) was one Hazell Dean. The Eighties made her a gay icon with a string of Hi-NRG and pop hits, many under the Stock Aitken Waterman hit factory umbrella, and of course she has remained active to the present day. Like Frank, she had two stabs at Eurovision. In 1984 she again attained seventh place, just before she crossed-over from Boystown to pop chart success. What may not have helped is that both her entries were classic ballads rather than stompers, although still very pleasant.



Anyway enough of the also-rans, time for the top three. In quite a close third place was Mr Tony Christie. Like Ifield, at the time it seemed his finest hour had passed, as his chart hits in the early seventies fizzled. In 1976 he had been part of the original Evita album recording, and was drawn in the coveted last position in the draw order at the Albert Hall. Eventually it wasn't to be, and it would be three decades before Tony bounced back to the very top of the tree.



The fight for victory on this fabulous night went right to the wire. Runners-up by just a couple of points were Co-Co, featuring of course Eurovision's favourite Cheryl, and who would get their go two years later. What's less remembered is that their '76 song "Wake Up" was not a new song at all and had been previously recorded by short-lived glam rock band Arrows. Probably just as well it didn't win then.



But, as we all now know, the reconstituted Brotherhood Of Man (who have now lasted at least eighty-seven zillion times longer than the "United We Stand" line-up) squeezed through and went on to claim the UK's third victory in the Hague after a ding-dong (sorry Dana) battle with the French. An omen for 2011?. We shall see. But when the BBC just foist a song and singer on us it's nice to remember a classic year.

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