1981 Eurovision winners Jay Aston and Cheryl Baker from Bucks Fizz, now The Fizz, say they feel for Sam Battle aka Look Mum No Computer finishing in bottom place with his quirky synth-pop Eins, Zwei, Drei, but understand why it did disastrously.
‘I think he did a great performance,’ says Cheryl Baker, 72. ‘Sam Battle’s a Kent boy and I live in Kent. But I think there were a lot of songs that were of that similar tempo. He didn’t deserve to come last, but equally, he didn’t deserve to win either. I was hoping for a couple of points from Germany, but we didn’t even get that!’
Just as UK fans were divided over the song’s ‘Marmite’ qualities, so were Cheryl and Jay, who watched Sam’s performance from a P&O ferry in the middle of the North Sea, where they were headlining as The Fizz in an on-board theatre show for devoted Eurovision and Bucks Fizz fans.
‘I do feel sorry for our guy,’ says Jay Aston, 65, ‘but I didn’t like the track. I think it was a bold try, but it was a bit of a nonsense. Delta Goodrem for Australia was my choice to win. I thought she was phenomenal as an artist and performer, but what they went for was a younger girl. For me, Bangaranga was like a youth vote for Bulgaria. Dara was good, and she was feisty. Delta is more your classic pro singer.’
‘Bangaranga was a great win,’ says Cheryl. ‘It’s wonderful for Bulgaria. We always complain when the UK come last, but we’ve won five times, for goodness’ sake. For Bulgaria to win for the first time with a very good performance and a great song – hats off to them.’
There was a gripping finale with Bulgaria pipping Israel on the very last audience vote with 516 votes to Israel’s 343. But the controversy of Israel’s inclusion and the decision of five countries – Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Slovenia, and the Netherlands to withdraw – saddens Cheryl Baker.
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‘Eurovision is the perfect platform to show your political stance,’ acknowledges Cheryl. ‘I just think it’s awful that politics rears its ugly head on the happiest televised music occasion in the world. It’s a shame that Ireland pulled out. We missed those five countries, but I do get it.’
When Bucks Fizz represented the UK in Dublin, they received death threats from the IRA. The contestants’ hotel was evacuated because of a bomb scare.
‘We had armed guards on our rooms,’ says Cheryl, who has just finished her soon to be self-published autobiography about the group’s many dramas and splits.
‘We had to stay in different hotels from everybody. We had outriders, so whenever we travelled anywhere, we were going through red lights. But it felt very exciting. We didn’t think about the fact that we had a price on our head.’
It’s 45 years since Bucks Fizz won with Making Your Mind Up, which became part of Eurovision history with its iconic mini skirt reveal when former band members Mike Nolan and Bobby G pulled off their singing partners’ dresses. So they were pleased last night to see Italy’s Sal da Vinci do a tribute to their routine when a wedding dress was pulled off to reveal the Italian flag.
‘We should take that as a compliment, shouldn’t we,’ says Cheryl. ‘I didn’t dream that 45 years later I’d still be ripping my skirt off. We did it last night in The Fizz’s show. And that’s the moment that everyone gets their phones out.’
The pair of them are happy to embrace the changes to Eurovision since they won all those years ago. Last night, heavy metal Finnish rockers Lordi delivered a unique tribute for the competition’s 70th anniversary with a version of Brotherhood of Man’s Save Your Kisses For Me, the UK’s 1976 winner.
‘It’s nothing like the show used to be and thank goodness for that,’ says Cheryl. ‘It is so much better now. I love all the pyrotechnics and staging. When we did it, that was a seated venue full of dignitaries. But if Bucks Fizz were to do it now, I wonder if we would win? There was no public vote back then – we might get nil points from the public now.’
The Fizz have a new single out this week, ‘A Crazy Shot in the Dark’, which has a strong feel of Bucks Fizz number ones like My Camera Never Lies and The Land of Make Believe. The new line-up includes Matthew Bateman from Bad Boys Inc and Nikk Mager from Popstars The Rivals.
As it’s written and produced by Stock/Aitken/Waterman hit maker Mike Stock doesn’t he have a secret Eurovision banger that The Fizz could enter to turn the UK’s fortunes around?
‘Mike is a genius, but there’s nothing you could do to encourage me to do Eurovision again,’ says Cheryl. ‘You can’t do better than win, but you can lose.’
Who would they suggest represents the United Kingdom next year to get us back on the road to Sam Ryder’s 2nd place success in 2022?
‘Cheryl and I should be on the judging panel next year for choosing the UK’s entry,’ says Jay. ‘We’ve worked a bit out over the last 45 years.’
‘Sam Smith would appeal to Eurovision fans,’ says Cheryl. ‘As long as we have a great song for him, he would do amazingly.’
The Fizz’s new single ‘A Crazy Shot In The Dark’ is available on 22nd May.
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