Country Germany Language English Lyricist(s) Michael Kunze | As Silver Convention Composer(s) Sylvester Levay | |
Artist(s) Penny McLean
Ramona Wulf
Rhonda Heath | ||
"Telegram" was the German entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977, performed in English (the first occasion on which the German entry had not featured at least some lyrics in German) by Silver Convention, a trio at the time consisting of Austrian Penny McLean (born Gertrude Wirschinger), German-American Ramona Wulf (born Ramona Kraft) and American Rhonda Heath.
When Silver Convention entered the Contest in 1977 they were arguably that year's most established and well-known act; they had had a series of major disco hits in Continental Europe, Scandinavia, the UK and the US; "Save Me", "Fly, Robin, Fly", "Get Up and Boogie", "No, No, Joe", "Tiger Baby", and "Everybody's Talkin' 'Bout Love" and Penny McLean had also scored several solo hits in her own right in Europe, "Lady Bump", "1, 2, 3, 4, Fire!". "Devil Eyes", "Nobody's Child" and "Dance, Bunny Honey, Dance". All of these were written and produced by the same team as their Eurovision entry; Sylvester Levay and Michael Kunze, both of whom would go on to collaborate with other successful Germany based disco acts like Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Boney M., Eruption and Amanda Lear.
The language rule was brought back in the 1977 Contest, four years after it had been dropped in 1973, meaning that each country again had to sing in one of their official languages, in Silver Convention's case German. However, both Germany and Belgium had already selected their respective entries when the rule was reintroduced by the EBU, thus Silver Convention and Belgium's Dream Express were allowed to sing their songs in English.
"Telegram" was performed sixth on the night (following Norway's Anita Skorgan with "Casanova" and preceding Luxembourg's Anne-Marie B. with "Frère Jacques"). At the close of voting, it had received 55 points, placing 8th in a field of 18.
The song is inspired by the disco music popular at the time, with the group singing about their need to send a telegram to a lover to bring him to them. A carefully choreographed dance was performed with the song, with a uniting theme throughout being "connection," ostensibly with the woman and her lover, in which all three ladies linked themselves to one another by touching each other's shoulders, and then hips, as the connection "came back."
"Telegram" only turned out to be a minor commercial success for Silver Convention (#27 Germany), with one notable exception, in Sweden the song reached #4 and became their best-selling single. The song was also released as an extended 12" remix, the 5.50 version was subsequently included on the band's fifth studio album Summer Nights. After a number of revised line-ups Silver Convention disbanded in 1978.
"Telegram" was succeeded as German representative at the 1978 Contest by Ireen Sheer with "Feuer".