The nineteenth Eurovision Track Contest appeared jinxed from the outset, however it in the end proved to be one of many establishment’s biggest moments, because of a career-defining ABBA Eurovision efficiency.
However the 1974 ceremony was initially plagued with setbacks. First, Luxembourg had bailed on the possibility to host, claiming it was past the state’s modest budgets, resulting in a hasty reschedule to Brighton, England. Italy then refused to broadcast the present over issues concerning the music “Sì” on the eve of a delicate election. There was an issue with host Katie Boyle’s outfit (an virtually early instance of the now-infamous “wardrobe malfunction”); then the French President died and the conflict together with his funeral date led to France pulling out on the eleventh hour. Even the UK’s performer, Olivia Newton-John, expressed disappointment on the selection of her music entry – the perky “Long Live Love,” picked by a TV poll forward of a extra apparent ballad.
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For Sweden’s entrant, these distractions had been the very last thing they wanted. Loads was driving on ABBA’s Eurovision efficiency. The earlier yr, the Swedish quartet’s bid to be picked for the celebrated competitors, which they knew may break them in Europe, had been thwarted within the nationwide heats. “Ring Ring” had come third (whereas the 1973 Swedish entry ended up fifth in the principle competitors). 1974 noticed them lastly chosen and, whereas bookies had initially favored their music “Waterloo” because the yr’s winner, the chances had been slipping. Come the day itself, April 6, both Britain or Holland had been anticipated to win. In fact, nobody had seen ABBA’s efficiency when these predictions had been made.
The efficiency
Every little thing modified as Agnetha and Frida bounced down the stage of their gloriously of-the-moment artificial outfits and glittery make-up. They’d been picked to play eighth, virtually exactly midway via the evening’s working order, and conductor Sven-Olof Walldoff’s resolution to decorate as Napoleon for his three-minute look raised eyebrows and heightened expectation from the off. Transforming the music’s Swedish lyrics into English was one other master-stroke, broadening the glam-pop stomper’s enchantment far additional than if it had remained in its native language.
None of that may seemingly have mattered, although, if “Waterloo” hadn’t been such a powerful music, and the ABBA Eurovision efficiency so assured. Its understanding lyric – would it not have labored so nicely if it had been constructed round its unique title, “Honey Pie”? – and bouncy hooks made mild work of the viewers inside Brighton’s Dome. It stays one of many basic Eurovision information, illustrated by its subsequent hike up the charts; ABBA’s resolution to showcase their sound with a frothy, upbeat quantity (as an alternative of the deliberate ballad, “Hasta Mañana”) was clearly vindicated.
As The Wombles carried out within the interval, the votes began piling in and, although ABBA in the end scored a transparent six locations forward of Italy’s Gigliola Cinquetti (with the aforesaid controversial “Sì”), voting was tense till the ultimate couple of poll outcomes had been referred to as. Racing to the stage to gather their award, Benny and Björn had been virtually stopped by safety guards who failed to acknowledge them!
In a yr or so, nobody would have had any doubt about who ABBA had been. “Waterloo” topped charts throughout Europe – and even made No.6 within the US – and ABBA had been quickly unstoppable. On that evening in Brighton, the ABBA Eurovision efficiency received the primary main battle within the group’s bid to overcome the world.
Hearken to one of the best of ABBA on Apple Music and Spotify.
