1981 EUROVISION SONG CONTEST

Edition number - 26

Date - April 4, 1981

Host broadcaster - RTÉ, Ireland

Host city - Dublin

Venue - Simmonscourt Pavillion, Royal Dublin Society

Host - Doireann Ní Bhríain

Director - Ian McGarry

Producer - Ian McGarry assisted by Carolyn Fisher

Stage designer - Michael Grogan

Executive producer - Noel D. Greene

Musical director - Noel Kelehan

Orchestra - RTÉ Concert Orchestra

Concertmaster - Loretto Nelson

Music associate - Bill Whelan

Opening sequence original music - Noel Kelehan

Interval act - 'Timedance', a composition by Bill Whelan & Donal Lunny choreographed by Anne Courtney and danced by Planxty (= Robin James feat. Elizabeth Clarke / Denise Roberts / Susan Preston / Craig Phillips / Brendan Roddy / Elizabeth Harvey / Ann Maher / Carole Faller / Michael Sheerin)

Scrutineer - Frank Naef

Number of entries - 20

Winning entry - 'Making Your Mind Up' Bucks Fizz (United Kingdom)

Winning songwriters - Andy Hill / John Danter

Winning orchestrator - Nick Ingman

Winning conductor - John Coleman

RTÉ producer and director Ian McGarry (left) grabbing a bottle of champagne right after the end of the show, with a relieved lighting director Paddy Brady at his side 

RESULT

1st place (136 votes)

UNITED KINGDOM

Song title – "Making Your Mind Up"

Rendition – Bucks Fizz 

(Jay Aston / Cheryl Baker / Bobby G / Mike Nolan)

Lyrics – John Danter / Andy Hill

Composition – John Danter / Andy Hill

Studio arrangement – Andy Hill

Live orchestration – Nick Ingman 

Conductor – John Coleman

2nd place (132 votes)

WEST GERMANY

Song title – "Johnny Blue"

Rendition – Lena Valaitis

Lyrics – Bernd Meinunger

Composition – Ralph Siegel

Studio arrangement – Wolfgang Rödelberger

Live orchestration – Wolfgang Rödelberger

Conductor – Wolfgang Rödelberger

3rd place (125 votes)

FRANCE

Song title – “Humanahum”

Rendition – Jean Gabilou 

Lyrics – Joe Gracy

Composition – Jean-Paul Cara

Studio arrangement – David Sprinfield

Live orchestration – David Sprinfield

Conductor – David Sprinfield

4th place (121 votes)

SWITZERLAND

Song title – “Io senza te”

Rendition – Peter, Sue & Marc 

(Peter Reber / Susan Schell / Marc Dietrich)

Lyrics – Peter Reber / Nella Martinetti

Composition – Peter Reber

Studio arrangement – Peter Reber / Rolf Zuckowski

Live orchestration – Peter Reber / Rolf Zuckowski

Conductor – Rolf Zuckowski

5th place (105 votes)

IRELAND

Song title – “Horoscopes”

Rendition – Sheeba (Frances Campbell / Marion Fossett / Irene McCoubrey "Maxi")

Lyrics – Jim Kelly

Composition – Joe Burkett

Studio arrangement – Billy Brown

Live orchestration – Billy Brown

Conductor – Noel Kelehan (MD)

6th place (69 votes)

CYPRUS

Song title – “Monica”

Rendition – Island (Doros Georgiádis / Areti Cassapi / Roger Lee / Aristos Moschovakis / Alexia Vasiliou) feat. Philippos Tsemperoulis

Lyrics – Stavros Sideras

Composition – Doros Georgiadis

Studio arrangement – Doros Georgiadis

(studio orchestra conducted by Doros Georgiadis)

Live orchestration – Doros Georgiadis

Conductor – Michael Rozakis

7th place (56 votes)

ISRAEL

Song title – “Halayla”

Rendition – Habibi / Hakol Over Habibi (Shlomit Aharoni / Yuval Dor / Ami Mendelman / Kiki Rotstein)

Lyrics – Shlomit Aharoni / Yuval Dor

Composition – Shuki Levi

Studio arrangement – Shuki Levi

Live orchestration – Eldad Shrem

Conductor – Eldad Shrem

8th place (55 votes)

GREECE

Song title – “Feggari kalokairino”

Rendition – Giannis Dimitras

Lyrics – Giannis Dimitras

Composition – Giannis Dimitras / George Niarchos

Studio arrangement – George Niarchos

Live orchestration – George Niarchos

Conductor – George Niarchos

9th place (51 votes)

NETHERLANDS

Song title – "Het is een wonder"

Rendition – Linda Williams (backed up by Francis Goya / Cees de Wit / John Sluszny / Miriam Snoek / Titia Dekker)

Lyrics – Cees de Wit / Bart van de Laar

Composition – Cees de Wit

Studio arrangement – John Sluszny

Live orchestration – John Sluszny

Conductor – Rogier van Otterloo

10th place (50 votes)

SWEDEN

Song title – "Fångad i en dröm"

Rendition – Björn Skifs

Lyrics – Bengt Palmers / Björn Skifs

Composition – Bengt Palmers / Björn Skifs

Studio arrangement – Bengt Palmers

Live orchestration – Bengt Palmers

Conductor – Anders Berglund

11th & 12th place (ex aequo, 41 votes)

LUXEMBOURG

Song title – “C'est peut-être pas l'Amérique”

Rendition – Jean-Claude Pascal

Lyrics – Sophie Makhno / Jean-Claude Villeminot

Composition – Sophie Makhno / Jean-Claude Petit

Studio arrangement – Pierre Tibéri / Joël Rocher

(studio orchestra conducted by Joël Rocher)

Live orchestration – Pierre Tibéri / Joël Rocher

Conductor – Joël Rocher

DENMARK

Song title – "Krøller eller ej"

Rendition – Tommy Seebach & Debbie Cameron

Lyrics – Keld Heick

Composition – Tommy Seebach

Studio arrangement – Ole Høyer

Live orchestration – Ole Høyer

Conductor – Allan Botschinsky

13th place (40 votes)

BELGIUM

Song title – “Samson”

Rendition – Emly Starr

Lyrics – Kick Dandy / Penny Els

Composition – Kick Dandy / Giuseppe 'Pino' Marchese

Studio arrangement – Giuseppe 'Pino' Marchese

Live orchestration – Giuseppe 'Pino' Marchese

Conductor – Giuseppe 'Pino' Marchese

14th place (38 votes)

SPAIN

Song title – "Y solo tú"

Rendition – Bacchelli

Lyrics – Amado Jaén

Composition – Amado Jaén

Studio arrangement – Joan Barcons

Live orchestration – Joan Barcons

Conductor – Joan Barcons

15th place (35 votes)

YUGOSLAVIA

Song title – "Lejla"

Performed by – Seid Memić-Vajta

Lyrics – Ranko Boban

Composition – Ranko Boban

Studio arrangement – Mirko Krstičević

Live orchestration – Ranko Rihtman

Conductor – Ranko Rihtman

16th place (27 votes)

FINLAND

Song title – "Reggae O.K."

Rendition – Riki Sorsa 

Lyrics – Olli Ojala

Composition – Henrik Otto Donner / Jim Pembroke

Studio arrangement – Henrik Otto Donner

Live orchestration – Henrik Otto Donner

Conductor – Henrik Otto Donner

17th place (20 votes)

AUSTRIA

Song title – “Wenn du da bist”

Rendition – Marty Brem

Lyrics – Werner Böhmler / Peter Orthofer

Composition – Werner Böhmler

Studio arrangement – Richard Oesterreicher

Live orchestration – Richard Oesterreicher

Conductor – Richard Oesterreicher

18th & 19th place (ex aequo, 9 votes)

TURKEY 

Song title – “Dönme dolap”

Rendition – Modern Folk Trio (Doğan Canku / Selami Karaibrahimgil / Ahmet Kurtaran) feat. Aysegül Aldinç

Lyrics – Ali Kocatepe

Composition – Ali Kocatepe

Studio arrangement – Onno Tunç

Live orchestration – Onno Tunç

Conductor – Onno Tunç

PORTUGAL

Song title – "Play-back"

Rendition – Carlos Paião

Lyrics – Carlos Paião

Composition – Carlos Paião

Studio arrangement – Shegundo Galarza

Live orchestration – Shegundo Galarza

Conductor – Shegundo Galarza

20th place (0 votes)

NORWAY

Song title – "Aldri i livet"

Rendition – Finn Kalvik

Lyrics – Finn Kalvik

Composition – Finn Kalvik

Studio arrangement – Benny Andersson

Live orchestration – Rutger Gunnarsson

Conductor – Sigurd Jansen