16 countries competed in the 1961 Eurovision Song Contest which was held in Cannes, France. Spain, Yugoslavia and Finland all made their Eurovision debut in 1961.
Cannes had only just hosted the event in 1959, so for 1961 the venue, the Palais des Festivals, and the host, Jacqueline Joubert, were a simple cut and paste. The stage looked like an outdoor terrace with a portico, double staircase and lots of flowers. It probably would have looked pretty in colour. An orchestra and seated black tie wearing guests were standard in this era.
Returning artists from previous years included Belgium’s Bob Benny (1959) and Norway’s Nora Brockstedt (1960).
Voting involved 10 jury members from each of the 16 countries each awarding 1 point to their favourite song. At the end of the voting the top 5 were:
Luxembourg - 31 points
United Kingdom - 24 points
Switzerland - 16 points
France - 13 points
Italy/Denmark - 12 pointsLuxembourg’s song was “Nous Les Amoureux” (We, the Lovers) and it was performed by Jean-Claude Pascal. Interestingly, the song is recognised as a trailblazer for “queer Eurovision” in that its lyrics describe telling a lover that they would love each other regardless of what everyone else thinks. While not specifically referring to gender, Pascale is understood to have explained later that the song was about a homosexual relationship. Quite significant for 1961.
Luxembourg’s win in 1961 was the first of 5 victories that the small country has had. They haven’t competed since 1993.
The interval act included a ballet performed by actress Tessa Beaumont and dancer Max Bozzoni.
The 1961 contest was the first to be held on a Saturday night, something that has continued up to today.