A Million In One, Two, Three
Encyclopedia
"A Million in One, Two, Three" was the Belgian
entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977
, performed in English
(the first time that Belgium had not performed at least part of their entry in French
or Dutch
) by Dream Express, a band consisting of Luc Smets and the three sisters Maessen; Bianca, Patricia and Stella
. In 1970
the Maessen sisters had represented their native Netherlands
with "Waterman
", then under the group moniker Hearts of Soul
.
"A Million in One, Two, Three" was performed seventeenth on the night, following Finland
's Monica Aspelund
with "Lapponia
" and preceding France
's Marie Myriam
with "L'oiseau et l'enfant
". At the close of voting, it had received 69 points, coming seventh in a field of eighteen.
The song is an up-tempo, disco
-influenced number that deals with the group needing "a million" (dollars) and pleading with "Mister President" (of a company) for a job. They go on to describe the affluent lifestyle they hope to live with the money.
It was succeeded as Belgian representative
at the 1978 Contest
by Jean Vallée
performing "L'amour ça fait chanter la vie
". Stella Maessen
returned to the Contest as a solo artist in 1982
with "Si tu aimes ma musique
", again representing Belgium.
The Conductor for Dream Express that night was the English Bandleader and Musical Arranger Alyn Ainsworth. The previous year in 1976 at the Eurovision Song Contest in the Netherlands, Ainsworth conducted for Brotherhood of Man with their No 1 hit 'Save Your Kisses For Me'which took first place.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977
Eurovision Song Contest 1977
The Eurovision Song Contest 1977 was the 22nd edition series, and was held on 7 May 1977 in London. With Angela Rippon as the presenter, the contest was won by Marie Myriam who represented France, with her song "L'oiseau et l'enfant" . This was France's fifth victory, a record, which was equalled...
, performed in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
(the first time that Belgium had not performed at least part of their entry in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
or Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
) by Dream Express, a band consisting of Luc Smets and the three sisters Maessen; Bianca, Patricia and Stella
Stella Maessen
Stella Maessen is a Dutch singer, best known for her participation in the Eurovision Song Contests of 1970, 1977 and 1982- Hearts of Soul :...
. In 1970
Eurovision Song Contest 1970
The Eurovision Song Contest 1970 was the 15th Eurovision Song Contest, held on 21 March 1970 at the RAI Congrescentrum in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Amsterdam contest is regarded as one of the most significant in Eurovision history for a number of reasons....
the Maessen sisters had represented their native Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
with "Waterman
Waterman (song)
"Waterman" was the Dutch entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1970, performed in Dutch by Hearts of Soul, a trio consisting of the Dutch sisters Patricia, Bianca and Stella Maessen....
", then under the group moniker Hearts of Soul
Hearts of Soul
Hearts of Soul was formed by three Harderwijkse sisters: Bianca, Stella and Patricia Maessen.They worked in the late 1960s as session singers for, among other things, Dusty Springfield, until 1968, when they were discovered....
.
"A Million in One, Two, Three" was performed seventeenth on the night, following Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
's Monica Aspelund
Monica Aspelund
-Life/ career:Born into a family of Swedish speaking Finlanders, Aspelund danced and sang in talent shows from an early age making her recording debut at age fourteen with "Katso, kenguru loikkaa" a children's song recorded in the autumn of 1960...
with "Lapponia
Lapponia (song)
"Lapponia" was the Finnish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977, performed in Finnish by Monica Aspelund.The song was performed sixteenth on the night, following Italy's Mia Martini with "Libera" and preceding Belgium's Dream Express with "A Million in One, Two, Three"...
" and preceding France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
's Marie Myriam
Marie Myriam
Marie Myriam is a French singer of Portuguese origins...
with "L'oiseau et l'enfant
L'Oiseau Et L'Enfant
"L'oiseau et l'enfant" was the winning song in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977 performed in French by the Portuguese singer Marie Myriam, who represented France...
". At the close of voting, it had received 69 points, coming seventh in a field of eighteen.
The song is an up-tempo, disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
-influenced number that deals with the group needing "a million" (dollars) and pleading with "Mister President" (of a company) for a job. They go on to describe the affluent lifestyle they hope to live with the money.
It was succeeded as Belgian representative
Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest
Belgium is a founding member of the Eurovision Song Contest. Since 1956, the country has participated 52 times, only being absent three times in total: in 1994, 1997 and 2001, due to low scores in the previous contests that relegated Belgium from the contest.-History of Belgium in the Eurovision...
at the 1978 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1978
The Eurovision Song Contest 1978 was the 23rd of its kind, and was held on 22 April 1978 in Paris. With Denise Fabre and Léon Zitrone as the presenters - the first time more than one presenter hosted the contest - the contest was won by Izhar Cohen & the Alphabeta who represented Israel, with their...
by Jean Vallée
Jean Vallée
Jean Vallée is a Belgian song writer and performer. Vallée was made Knight in the Order of the Crown by HM Albert II in 1999.-Career:...
performing "L'amour ça fait chanter la vie
L'Amour Ça Fait Chanter La Vie
"L'amour ça fait chanter la vie" was the Belgian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978, performed in French by Jean Vallée...
". Stella Maessen
Stella Maessen
Stella Maessen is a Dutch singer, best known for her participation in the Eurovision Song Contests of 1970, 1977 and 1982- Hearts of Soul :...
returned to the Contest as a solo artist in 1982
Eurovision Song Contest 1982
The Eurovision Song Contest 1982 was the 27th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 24 April 1982 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom. The presenter was Jan Leeming. The opening of the contest showed a map of Europe, with the translation "Where is Harrogate?" popping up on-screen from...
with "Si tu aimes ma musique
Si Tu Aimes Ma Musique
"Si tu aimes ma musique" was the Belgian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1982, performed in French by Stella. Stella had previously competed for the Netherlands in 1970 with her sisters in a group called Hearts of Soul, and in 1977 for Belgium in the group Dream Express.The song was performed...
", again representing Belgium.
The Conductor for Dream Express that night was the English Bandleader and Musical Arranger Alyn Ainsworth. The previous year in 1976 at the Eurovision Song Contest in the Netherlands, Ainsworth conducted for Brotherhood of Man with their No 1 hit 'Save Your Kisses For Me'which took first place.