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Eurovision Fact #470:
The United Kingdom has been the runner up for first place more than any other nation with a total of 16 second place finishes.
Their first second place ranking came in 1959 thanks to Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson and their song 'Sing Little Birdie.'
Their most recent second place finish came in 2022 thanks to Sam Ryder's 'Space Man.' This occurred after a long period of low rank and last place finishes for the UK.
[Source]
I’ve been watching through the old contests and yesterday, while watching the 1959 contest, I came to the realization that “Solovey” (Ukraine 2020) feels a bit like the antithesis of “Sing, Little Birdie” (UK 1959).
“Sing, Little Birdie” is about a couple who are unabashedly in love with each other and very open about it, encouraging the bird in the song to “sing, and help our love along.”
“Solovey”, meanwhile, is about loving someone in secret and not wanting anyone (especially the singer’s mother) to know about it, begging the nightingale to “not sing so early.”
I just found that kinda neat!
As we embark on a new decade, the sad reality is that many of our beloved stars who took center stage at the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) are no longer with us. On the 16th of February, the United Kingdom woke up to the news that Pearl Carr, their ESC representative in 1959, had passed away aged 98
Pearl Carr competed at Eurovision in its 4th edition, held in Cannes, France, against 10 other countries. As part of a duo alongside her late husband Teddy Johnson, she performed “Sing, Little Birdie”, receiving 16 points overall and finishing in 2nd place
Beyond Eurovision, the pair were successful both as a duo and as solo artists. Pearl’s husband, Teddy Carr, was no stranger to the spotlight in the United Kingdom. He enjoyed a long-lasting career in radio and children’s television before sadly passing away in June 2018, also aged 98
Carr, on the other hand, was the lead singer with the Keynotes, who had a number of hit singles in the UK during the 1950s. As a duo, you’d find Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson in the British charts, or appearing regularly on entertainment programmes. The pair were also residents onstage at the West End, before eventually retiring
Pearl and Teddy’s finish as runner-up had a game-changing impact on the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest that many younger fans may not be aware of
When the pair entered the 4th Eurovision Song Contest, the UK had a far from perfect track record. Year one: The UK missed the entry deadline and didn’t participate. Year Two: The UK finishes 7th out of 10th. Year Three: the UK didn’t participate
When “Sing Little Birdie” scored 2nd place in Year Four, Pearl and Teddy showed Europe, and perhaps more importantly the British public, that the UK had the potential to be a force to be reckoned with at Eurovision. Thanks to their impact, the UK managed a string of four 2nd place finishes and an eventual win in 1967 with “Puppet on a String” by Sandie Shaw
It goes without saying that the UK could really do with a sprinkle of Pearl’s magic this year, at Eurovision and beyond. Here’s to Pearl, and the hope that her story may inspire the BBC and the British public once again, just like it did over 60 years ago
In Case You Need Me Take My Number - Teddy Johnson, 2011
American, b. 1960s
Oil on canvas, 24.5 x 24.5 in.
History of the UK Charts - The Early Years
History of the UK Charts – The Early Years
Growing up, as you and I did, in the UK in the 1980s or 1990s, you can’t have escaped the charts. Nothing could beat the excitement of turning on BBC Radio 1 on a Sunday, late afternoon, and hearing someone counting down the Top 40, mispronouncing all of your favourite stars as you found out who would make the top spot.
Of course, these days, the charts are nowhere near as exciting (as we all…
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1959 UK Eurovision Song Contest entrants Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson invite you to enjoy a stick of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit in the mid-1960s.
1959 UK Eurovision Song Contest entrants Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson invite you to enjoy a stick of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit in the mid-1960s.
Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson - Sing, Little Birdie ESC 1959 United Kingdom
This song was performed by the husband-and-wife duo with the help of the orchestra (making little bird noices). The song is perhaps most famous as the answer to a trivia question posed on the sketch World Forum from Monty Python's Flying Circus. Mao Zedong provided the winning answer, beating out fellow panelists Che Guevara, Vladimir Lenin, and Karl Marx. However, in that episode, the song was incorrectly referred to as the winning song.
The winner this year was The Netherlands (Teddy Scholten - Een Beetje), with a rather anonymous song. I also like Sweden's entrance this year; Brita Borg - Augustin, though she does look a little scary.
