Bright and dramatic entry to the 1972 Radio tele Luxembourg Grand Prix
Label: Youngblood
Year of Release: 1972
When we talk about song contests, naturally Eurovision is the first and probably only one that springs to mind these days. Way back when, though, other European and global contests did receive a certain amount of media attention, and the short-lived Radio Tele Luxembourg Grand Prix international song contest was a prime opportunity for songwriters and groups alike bursting to get attention on the global stage.
The husband and wife team of Steve (Hamilton) 'n' Bonnie (Lowe) (no relation whatsoever to Shakin' Stevens and Bonnie Tyler, obviously, though confusingly enough they did also release a single together in the eighties) were one of three UK entries to the contest, and the music mogul Miki Dallon could be heard bragging to Billboard magazine that he expected the Hamilton-penned entry to be judged on its "production value and not on its commercial value".
Despite this somewhat backhanded compliment, it does have to be said that "Eyes of Tomorrow" packs a lot into its three-and-a-half minutes. The slow orchestral build at the start is a red herring - the track quickly picks up and begins to seep with action-packed cinematic drama. Bonnie's voice leaps impressively up and down the scale, Steve takes his vocals with gusto, and the punchy arrangement pulses around them. A close equivalent would be Robbi Curtice's "Soul of a Man" as featured on this blog some time ago, but Steve and Bonnie's cabaret background stops their track from being quite so hip and knowing. It's still immediately attention grabbing and powerful, though.
In contest terms, it failed to get into the magic top three and the UK only held down the top two places, with "Manana" by Bay City Rollers emerging victorious (so much for entries not being judged on their commercial value) and "Days To Remember" by Yellowstone and Voice in second place.
