In the mid-80's it wasn't rare or unexpected for Switzerland to make their way into the more respectable areas of the ranking. They landed in top five in 1980, 1981 and 1982, with the 1981 entry even getting really close to winning.
Atilla Sereftug - a Turkish composer living in Switzerland - teamed up with the 1981 lyricist Nella Martinetti and decided to have a go at winning a second Grand Prix for the confederation.
Italian-born Daniela Simons (who later in her career spelt her name Simmons instead) had a massive musical education and had taken part twice in the Swiss national finals, and with "Pas pour moi" she had really found herself a proper vehicle for her voice.
This is a bombastic ballad, classical and modern at the same time, with dramatic verses and a big belter of chorus. Arguably the best Swiss entry of all time. Unfortunately a Belgian 13-year old would stand in the way of victory, but since Switzerland had not been this close to victory since 1963 nobody complained.
The project resulted in more than sweet music - in 1991 Daniela and Atilla got married and a year later their son was born. By then, Atilla and Nella had already achieved their goal of winning the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin 1988, showcasing a certain Céline Dion to the world in the process.
A deserved 2nd place?
Didn't I just call this the best Swiss entry of all time? Sandra Kim was cute and all, but Daniela Simons was so much better than her. (And so was Sherisse Laurence from Luxembourg too, in all fairness.)
Daniela Simons - Pas pour moi (Switzerland 1986)
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