Runner-up: United Kingdom 1964

If you take a highly acclaimed and very popular performer - in this case even nicknamed UK's own Sinatra - and give him a song by a highly successful and beloved songwriter with lots of hit songs under his belt, then failure shouldn't be possible.

Matt Monro singing a song by Tony Hatch, that must be a given hit. At least so you would think.

"I Love The Little Things" even managed a second place - already the fourth time the UK ended in second place - way behind the runaway Italian winner but still. A second place is not to be sniffed at.

And yet the song bombed completely in the hit parades. Despite the star quality, the famous songwriter, the good placing in Copenhagen, despite all that the single was totally ignored by the record-buying audience.

Luckily, Matt Monro would find the trip to Copenhagen worthwhile since he recorded a cover version of the Austrian entry by Udo Jürgens. "Walk Away" became a smash hit that made #4 in the UK charts as well as #23 in the US.

Matt Monro would go on to release two more singles penned by Udo Jürgens: ESC winner "Merci chérie" as well as "The Music Played", both moderately successful.

A deserved 2nd place?
Yes! This is an irresistible piece of upbeat, positive 60's pop in a fun and sophisticated arrangement. No UK entry was ever closer to the Swinging London mentality than this. A great song, well worthy of the success it never had.



Matt Monro - I Love The Little Things (United Kingdom 1964)