Country United Kingdom Selection date(s) 30 March 1990 Selected songwriter(s) Paul Curtis | Selection process A Song For Europe Selected entrant Emma | |
Selected song "Give a Little Love Back to the World" | ||
The final selection of the entry for the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 was made by popular vote from a choice of eight songs.
Contents
National final
The 1990 edition of A Song for Europe was held in London on 30 March. Terry Wogan presided over the eight finalists and a panel of 'experts' was assembled to comment on each of the entries. The panel was composed of Gloria Hunniford, Tim Rice, Cathy McGowan and Gary Davies.
The songs
Opening the contest was Kelly with a power ballad called "Better Be Good to Me". At the time, Kelly Wilde was an established act on the gay circuit.
The second entry was a big show ballad, "That Old Feeling Again" performed by Stephen Lee Garden and composed by former UK entrant Mike Moran.
Thom Hardwell was the singer and composer of the uptempo "Never Give Up", a song which received unfavourable comments from panelist Cathy McGowan.
Composer Paul Curtis, a familiar contest figure between 1975 and 1986, returned to the national final with "Give a Little Love Back to the World". The performer of this anthemic number was 15-year-old Emma from Bridgend.
Perhaps the best-known competitor in 1990 was former Bay City Rollers frontman Les McKeown. His entry was a standard middle-of-the-road rock ballad called "Ball and Chain".
Jewish cantor Simon Spiro sang the ballad "Face in the Crowd".
Kim Goody was a familiar face on children's television in the seventies and eighties. In the national final she sang the nostalgic ballad "Sentimental Again".
Finally, another name from the 1970s, John Miles. He performed another anthemic effort, "Where I Belong", accompanying himself at the piano.
Results
As in the last two years, a national telephone vote decided the outcome of the contest. Emma (Booth) from Bridgend, South Wales, won with a runaway phone poll of 97,625 calls over 1970s hitmaker John Miles, who polled 38,966.
At Eurovision
The final was held in Zagreb, Yugoslavia on May 5. Emma was supported by several backing singers including Miriam Stockley and Sam Blue. Sam would later sing at UK final 1991 with "The Life you don't yet know" by Nick Spindler and Peter Thompson. Despite being one of the favourites to win, "Give a Little Love Back to the World" only received 87 points and 6th place.