Eurovision: 1967 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Austria

This year the Eurovision Song Contest was held in the Grosser Festsaal der Wiener Hofburg in Vienna, Austria. This was a bit more ornate than most of the venues used over the years - it is the Hofburg Imperial Palace, the birthplace of Marie Antioinette and home of a kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire.

Answer: United Kingdom

The United Kingdom won it hands down with their entry "Puppet on a String". It garnered nearly twice as many points as its nearest rival.

Answer: Sandie Shaw

Bill Martin and Phil Coulter wrote "Puppet on a String" (which is not the same song as Elvis Presley's "Puppet on a String"). Sandie Shaw is an English singer who had recorded a number of hit songs in other languages, and was persuaded to take part in the Eurovision contest by Adam Faith, the then-famous singer who had discovered her. Sandie did not like the song at all, but it was one of only three #1 hits on the UK Singles Chart (Official Charts Company) in her career.

Answer: none

For the second time in its Eurovision history, Switzerland received no points for its entry. The other time Switzerland received a zero was in 1964.

Answer: four

Four countries sang their entries in French this year. They were

France - "Il doit faire beau là-bas" ("It Must be Beautiful Down There")
Luxembourg - "L'amour est bleu" ("Love is Blue")
Monaco - "Boum-Badaboum" (no translation) and
Switzerland - "Quel coeur vas-tu briser?" ("Whose Heart Will You Break")

Answer: Denmark

Denmark withdrew for reasons not recorded. It would not take part in the competition again until 1978.

Answer: half the jury must be under age 30

Presumably in the hopes of bringing a bit more popularity to the Contest, a new rule requiring half of each jury to be under the age of thirty was instituted. Whether this contributed to the enormous margin of points given to the United Kingdom's "Puppet on a String" is not recorded, although it is fair to guess that the "bubblegum" song would not have been quite as popular with older listeners. (And now I'm sure I'll get a host of people horrified at the "bubblegum" label - but even Shaw disliked the song.)

Answer: Erika Vaal

Erika Vaal was an actress in about six films prior to her hosting the Eurovision contest. After that her career appears to have totally fizzled.

Answer: Vienna Boys Choir

The Vienna Boys Choir has a history dating back to the middle ages, in 1498, founded as court singers. Officially disbanded as court musicians in 1920, it was reconstituted soon after in its current form, with about 100 boys being schooled not just in music but in all subjects, and performing around the world.

Answer: eight

Eight countries tied for three positions this year. Germany, Sweden and Yugoslavia were in a three-way tie for eighth place. Finland and Portugal tied for twelfth, and Austria, the Netherlands and Norway had another three-way tie, this time for fourteenth place. Switzerland bottomed out in seventeenth place.