| After the relative drear of
1964, 1965 makes a welcome antidote, full as it is of pep, drama and
breast-shimmying brilliance. From the first bongo-driven moments of the
opening Dutch entry, it is clear that something exciting is happening
in Europe. Conny Vandenbos's severe and angular performance is stunning
and miles away from the dull balladry we had to put up with last time
around. Next up the amazing feist of the UK's Kathy Kirby: all bubbly
joy, eyelashes and lipgloss, singing the profoundly gay anthem "I
Belong". And then, just when you thought there was no more breath left
in you to lose, Spain unleash their unrelenting, flamenco-tinged fiesta
"¡Qué bueno, qué bueno!" (naturally it got nul
points). Latin dance rhythms abound in a year consisting largely of
women in lots of mascara doing the musical equivalent of throwing lamps
at their husbands. Germany, who along with the Dutch had been the ones
dabbling with this sound in previous contest, didn't disappoint, with a
song dripping in bongos, brass and strings (also nul points). Even at
calmer moments, women have the upper hand: Denmark's delicate and
haunting ballad "For din skyld" being a case in point. Ireland debuted with a man: a kind of Jimmy Young character doing a Buddy Holly number. It wasn't a bad number by any means, but in this field he wasn't even a runner. An undoubted Eurovision classic, the Gainsbourg-penned "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" (relentless and pounding fun draped with sweeping strings) won the contest from the mouth of France Gall. Yet it is our view that her performance on the night was rather weak: the arrangement was quite limp and she was nowhere near hitting that first note. Going into 1965 knowing this song, we thoroughly expected to be giving it our 12pts at the end of the night. That in the end we put it sixth goes some way to demonstrating quite how strong the 1965 competition was. For each year's songs we apply our points in the 12-10-8 style of the modern contest, irrespective of how the voting functioned at the time. In brackets is the position the song came on the night:
Europe had France third, Italy fifth, Ireland sixth, Monaco ninth, Sweden tenth, Portugal joint-13th, and Belgium and Finland joint-last. |
 "¡Qué bueno, qué bueno!" Our winner, Conchita Bautista.  "I Belong!": Kathy Kirby.  "Tis enough!": Conny Vandenbos.  Europe's winner, France Gall.
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