Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 1973

Norway was represented by the Bendik Singers, with the song "It's Just a Game", at the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place on 7 April in Luxembourg City. "It's Just a Game" was chosen as the Norwegian entry at the Melodi Grand Prix on 17 February.

Eurovision Song Contest 1973
Country Norway
National selection
Selection processMelodi Grand Prix 1973
Selection date(s)17 February 1973
Selected entrantBendik Singers
Selected song"It's Just a Game"
Selected songwriter(s)
Finals performance
Final result7th, 89 points
Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄1972 • 1973 • 1974►

Before Eurovision

Melodi Grand Prix 1973

The Melodi Grand Prix 1973 was organised by broadcaster NRK at the Château Neuf in Oslo, hosted by Vidar Lønn-Arnesen. Five songs were presented in the final with each song sung twice by different singers, once with a small combo and once with a full orchestra. The winning song was chosen by voting from a 14-member public jury who each awarded between 1 and 5 points per song. "It's Just a Game" was performed in Norwegian at MGP, but with the introduction of the free-language rule in 1973 Norway was one of three countries (along with Finland and Sweden) who took the opportunity to translate their entry into English before the Eurovision final. The Bendik Singers included past and future Norwegian representatives Arne Bendiksen (1964), Anne-Karine Strøm (1974 & 1976) and Ellen Nikolaysen (1975).[1]

MGP - 17 February 1973
Draw Combo Orchestra Song Points Place
1 Gro Anita Schønn Stein Ingebrigtsen "Rett deg opp" 29 5
2 Anne-Karine Strøm Benny Borg "Det var jo sant" 40 2=
3 Ellen Nikolaysen Anne Lise Gjøstøl "Om du kunne" 40 2=
4 Ola Neegaard, Gro Anita Schønn,
Stein Ingebrigtsen & Inger Lise Rypdal		 Bendik Singers "Å for et spill" 43 1
5 Lillian Harriet Inger Lise Rypdal "Alternativ" 36 4

At Eurovision

On the night of the final the Bendik Singers performed 5th in the running order, following Germany and preceding Monaco. "It's Just a Game" was an unusually structured song for Eurovision, featuring jazz-influenced freestyle vocal interplay, and proved distinctive enough to earn Norway its first top 10 placing since 1966, finishing the evening in 7th place with 89 points. This proved to be Norway's only top 10 ranking of the 1970s, and would not be bettered until the victory of Bobbysocks! in 1985.[2][3]

Each country nominated two jury members, one below the age of 25 and the other above, who voted for their respective country by giving between one and five points to each song, except that representing their own country. All jury members were colocated in a television studio in Luxembourg.[4] The Norwegian jury members were Inger Ann Folkvord and Johannes Bergh.[5]

Voting

References
  1. ESC National Finals database 1973
  2. "Final of Luxembourg 1973". Eurovision Song Contest. Archived from the original on 9 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  3. ESC History - Norway 1973
  4. Roxburgh, Gordon (2014). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Volume Two: The 1970s. Prestatyn, United Kingdom: Telos Publishing. pp. 60, 124. ISBN 978-1-84583-093-9.
  5. "Grand Prix-finale i Luxembourg". Fremover (in Norwegian). Narvik, Norway. 29 March 1973. p. 9. Retrieved 6 January 2023 – via National Library of Norway.
  6. "Results of the Final of Luxembourg 1973". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 9 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
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