Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978

Eurovision Song Contest 1978
Country Belgium
National selection
Selection processAvant-première Eurovision
Selection date(s)8 February 1978
Selected entrantJean Vallée
Selected song"L'amour ça fait chanter la vie"
Selected songwriter(s)Jean Vallée
Finals performance
Final result2nd, 125 points
Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄1977 • 1978 • 1979►

Belgium was represented by Jean Vallée, with the song "L'amour ça fait chanter la vie", at the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place on 22 April in Paris.

Before Eurovision

Avant-première Eurovision

French-language broadcaster RTBF was in charge of the selection of the Belgian entry for the 1978 Contest. Information on the venue of, and host for, the final is not currently available. Eight songs participated in the selection and the winner was chosen by an expert jury, although again it is not known whether full results were given or only the winner announced.[1] Unusually, all but one of the participants were male.

Vallée was the winner of the national final for the contest. he had previously represented Belgium in the 1970 contest in Amsterdam, where he had finished fifth. Another previous Belgian entrant Jacques Hustin (1974) also took part.

Final – 8 February 1978
Draw Artist Song
1 Henri Seroka "L'Odyssée"
2 Frank Michael "À qui parler d'amour"
3 Jean Vallée "L'amour ça fait chanter la vie"
4 Jacques Hustin "L'an 2000 c'est demain"
5 Paul Louka [fr] "Le vieux marin"
6 Délizia "Qui viendra réinventer l'amour"
7 Marc Farell "Confidence pour confidence"
8 Franck Olivier "La fête"

At Eurovision

On the night of the final Vallée performed 10th in the running order, following Switzerland and preceding the Netherlands. At the close of the voting "L'amour ça fait chanter la vie" had received 125 points with votes from all other participating countries apart from Denmark and Turkey, and including five first-place 12 points votes from France, Greece, Ireland, Monaco and the United Kingdom. This ranked Belgium second of the 20 competing countries, the highest position achieved by a Belgian entry in Eurovision to that date, which has since only been bettered by Sandra Kim's 1986 victory and matched by Urban Trad in 2003.[2] The Belgian jury awarded its 12 points to contest winners Israel.[3]

Voting

Points awarded to Belgium[4]
Score Country
12 points
10 points   Switzerland
8 points
7 points
6 points
5 points  Netherlands
4 points
3 points  Germany
2 points  Spain
1 point
Points awarded by Belgium[4]
Score Country
12 points  Israel
10 points  Ireland
8 points  France
7 points   Switzerland
6 points  Monaco
5 points  Germany
4 points  United Kingdom
3 points  Luxembourg
2 points  Spain
1 point  Italy

References

  1. ^ ESC National Finals database 1978
  2. ^ "Final of Paris 1978". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  3. ^ ESC History - Belgium 1978
  4. ^ a b "Results of the Final of Paris 1978". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  • v
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ParticipationArtistsSongs
  • "1 Life"
  • "À la folie ou pas du tout"
  • "Als het weer lente is"
  • "L'Amour ça fait chanter la vie"
  • "Avanti la vie"
  • "Baby, Baby"
  • "Because of You"
  • "Before the Party's Over"
  • "City Lights"
  • "Copycat"
  • "Dis oui"
  • "Door de wind"
  • "Envie de vivre"
  • "Euro-Vision"
  • "Fleur de liberté"
  • "Geef het op"
  • "Gelukkig zijn"
  • "Goeiemorgen, morgen"
  • "Le Grand soir"
  • "Hey Nana"
  • "Hou toch van mij"
  • "Iemand als jij"
  • "Ik heb zorgen"
  • "J'aime la vie"
  • "Je t'adore"
  • "Jennifer Jennings"
  • "Judy et Cie"
  • "Laat me nu gaan"
  • "Laissez briller le soleil"
  • "Liefde is een kaartspel"
  • "Like the Wind"
  • "Love Kills"
  • "Love Power"
  • "Ma petite chatte"
  • "Macédomienne"
  • "A Matter of Time"
  • "Me and My Guitar"
  • "Messieurs les noyés de la Seine"
  • "A Million in One, Two, Three"
  • "Miss You"
  • "Mon amour pour toi"
  • "Mother"
  • "Nous, on veut des violons"
  • "O Julissi"
  • "Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel"
  • "Le Plus beau jour de ma vie"
  • "Près de ma rivière"
  • "Quand tu reviendras"
  • "Release Me"
  • "Rendez-vous"
  • "Rhythm Inside"
  • "Samson"
  • "Sanomi"
  • "September, gouden roos"
  • "Si tu aimes ma musique"
  • "Sister"
  • "Soldiers of Love"
  • "Straatdeuntje"
  • "Ton nom"
  • "Viens l'oublier"
  • "La Voix est libre"
  • "Waarom?"
  • "Wake Up"
  • "What's the Pressure"
  • "With Love Baby"
  • "Would You?"
  • "The Wrong Place"
  • Note: Entries scored out signify where Belgium did not compete
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Countries
Artists
Songs
  • "A-Ba-Ni-Bi"
  • "L'Amour ça fait chanter la vie"
  • "Anna rakkaudelle tilaisuus"
  • "The Bad Old Days"
  • "Bailemos un vals"
  • "Boom Boom"
  • "Born to Sing"
  • "Charlie Chaplin"
  • "Dai li dou"
  • "Det blir alltid värre framåt natten"
  • "Feuer"
  • "Il y aura toujours des violons"
  • "Les Jardins de Monaco"
  • "Mil etter mil"
  • "Mrs. Caroline Robinson"
  • "Parlez-vous français ?"
  • "Questo amore"
  • "Sevince"
  • "'t Is OK"
  • "Vivre"