Eurovision 1977: The Wembley wobble | Song super cut and animated scoreboard

An edited down version of the Eurovision Song Contest 1977 from Wembley, with a scoreboard using today’s technology. This all started as a lockdown project!

This edit will give a flavour of the evening (35 days late, 7 May, 9pm) with Pete Murray’s curt BBC commentary and some self improved footage (not anywhere near HD) with the kind help of @SvenskTV.

There’s a lot of information about 77 and how it got to air. I’ve included the leaked talkback recording of the show’s producer, Stewart Morris because it’s a vital source in finding out what this programme was like.

Firstly, this is a fun show which builds on the strong camera work from NOS. The stage is complex and impressive and the orchestra fantastic. Angela Rippon was an inspired choice for a presenter because of her recent notoriety, although her language qualifications might have been over-exaggerated (see comments). The voting was messy though, despite it being a fantastic race and I wonder if louder sound been given Angela, the process might have gone smoother (and Clifford Brown was more on the ball!) I unpicked the various errors accurately I hope - there’s many confusing write ups!

After the 76 show, preparations had gone smoothly. Blackpool, Cardiff and Birmingham were all considered to host but Wembley had a brand new conference centre, due to be opened in January 1977. It was a short drive from the BBC headquarters, and it had a large hotel next to it! Perfect.

Problems began with the UK’s selection show, due to be broadcast live on the 9 March. Shortly before, in a time of large scale industrial action in Western Europe, television cameramen went on strike to get an extra £3 a week (around £740 a year in 2021 terms). The show, which had the Foundations (of ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’ fame) was hastily put on radio - money spent on costumes and staging was lost and ‘Rock Bottom’ - audibly fresh sounding - stormed to victory.

The dispute put the Grand Final in doubt. Austria and Germany already had issues with the 2 April date and wanted to show it recorded. The eventual resolution got rid of that problem, but quietly the BBC approached NOS step in. NOS felt such a short notice event would cost them dearly and the Dutch unions were asked not to support it. The EBU proposed a live link up of songs, but felt that Greece’s black and white pictures would be unfair. As a delayed date looked likely, the BBC still felt they might have to withdraw. If the show was cancelled, the BBC would host in 1978.

The delayed broadcast - eventually settling on 7 May, which is when Wembley could host too went ahead with the BBC. There were issues with hotel availability, the BBC being embarrassed that acts were now staying near Heathrow, and before the M25, the drive was not easy. In a nice mirror to previous Contests, the BBC also discussed borrowing foreign equipment to help.

There’s barely enough space to mention the ditched postcards. Quick edits at the pre-party were made but pulled as delegations had complained that it looked like the artists were wasting public money. Endless shots of the audience were used, much to the disappointment of producer Stewart Morris. The language rule, tightened but without specifically saying it was mandatory, was back, with some exceptions caused by that BBC-led confusion. Finland and Portugal won the right to reconsider their involvement because of it.

The kitsch value of Eurovision was clearly evident on stage this year - that light blinking heavily on the Contest’s dashboard now. A few acts drew on American inspiration which seemed to cost them points. Despite the winner not being the strongest ever, you can’t help but be pleased for 20-year-old Marie Myriam. The voting sequence looked like a repeat of the UK’s selection programme voting by round 8, with a stretched UK lead, but in the end France secured victory with two juries to go.


DESIGN AND THE BOARD
1977 is all about colour and the use of lights…the complex revolving pit, which caused some issues for technicians! This was the BBC’s most complex set up. My design went gaudy and obvious, using the arches (which seems fitting, if not anachronistic for Wembley) but with simple foreground text. A black grid sits over the various lighting and colour set ups. The title typeface, Clarendon, has been around since the 1840s (WANTED posters), but I also threw in something rounded and modern, to mirror the curves…Futura is used elsewhere.

TRANSFER NEWS
OUT: YUG
BACK: SWE
NOT BACK: MLT, who entered, then withdrew.
NOT IN: Tunisia who were drawn 4th in the running order but withdrew before selecting an artist.
(18-1) + 1 = 18

INTERVAL ACT
Acker Bill et al, in a small London bar - odd really.

CREDITS
@SvenskTV for the footage and email support in helping treat it!
@JDSWorld for newspapers and research!
Flags: countryflags.com

00:00 Intro with talkback
06:14 Song super-cut
40:40 Interval
43:26 The reorder board 76
1:17:32 Recap
01:21:19 Reprise with talkback