Give a Little Love Back to the World
Encyclopedia
"Give a Little Love Back to the World", written and composed by Paul Curtis
, was the United Kingdom's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1990
, performed by Emma
. At the age of 15, Emma was the youngest-ever entrant on behalf of the United Kingdom at Eurovision.
Emma won the right to perform at Zagreb
by winning the UK national final, A Song for Europe
, where she was the fourth singer to perform. Like in 1988 and 1989, the winner was picked via a nationwide telephone vote
, and Emma emerged victorious, receiving nearly three times as many votes as the second-place finisher (clocking in at just under 100,000 supporters).
At Zagreb, the song was performed seventh on the night, after Luxembourg
's Céline Carzo
with "Quand je te rêve
", and before Iceland
's Stjórnin
with "Eitt lag enn
." At the end of judging that evening, "Give a Little Love Back to the World" took the sixth-place slot with 87 points. Belgium awarded the UK its only 12 points for the evening.
One large theme of Eurosong '90 in Zagreb was unity and peace, as the contest came mere months after the fall of communism in most of Eastern Europe. Emma's song strayed from this larger theme somewhat in that her song was a plea for environmentalism, asking people to "give love back to the world" by giving back to the Earth. Eurovision historian John Kennedy O'Connor commended Emma on choosing a themed song, but suggested it wasn't the most relevant theme considering the year. Emma, dressed in red, was flanked by five backup singers: three women (in blue dresses) and two men (in alternating white and blue pants, vests and shirts).
After Eurovision, the song placed at #33 on the UK Singles Chart
, in the best chart placing by a UK Eurovision act since 1984.
Paul Curtis (musician)
Paul Michael Curtis is an English singer, songwriter, record producer from London, who holds the record for the most number of songs to make the finals of the A Song for Europe contest, the BBC's annual competition to choose the UK entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, competing with 22 separate...
, was the United Kingdom's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1990
Eurovision Song Contest 1990
The Eurovision Song Contest 1990, the 35th in the series, was held in Zagreb, Yugoslavia on 5 May 1990. The presenters were Helga Vlahović Brnobić and Oliver Mlakar. Toto Cutugno was the winner of this contest with the song "Insieme: 1992"...
, performed by Emma
Emma (singer)
Emma is a Welsh singer who sang the UK entry, "Give a Little Love Back to the World", in the Eurovision Song Contest 1990....
. At the age of 15, Emma was the youngest-ever entrant on behalf of the United Kingdom at Eurovision.
Emma won the right to perform at Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
by winning the UK national final, A Song for Europe
A Song for Europe
A Song for Europe may refer to:*A Song for Europe, former name of British pre-selection competition for the Eurovision Song Contest, now known as Eurovision: Your Country Needs You...
, where she was the fourth singer to perform. Like in 1988 and 1989, the winner was picked via a nationwide telephone vote
Televoting
Televoting, telephone voting or phone voting is a method of decision making and opinion polling conducted by telephone. Televoting can also extend to voting by SMS text message via a mobile cell phone.- Broadcast contest televoting :...
, and Emma emerged victorious, receiving nearly three times as many votes as the second-place finisher (clocking in at just under 100,000 supporters).
At Zagreb, the song was performed seventh on the night, after Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
's Céline Carzo
Celine Carzo
Céline Carzo is a French singer who represented Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest 1990.A native of Nice, Céline Carzo was 17 years old when she performed "Quand je te rêve" as her entry in the Contest, which was held in the Croatian capital, Zagreb, then a part of Yugoslavia.Carzo was born...
with "Quand je te rêve
Quand je te rêve
"Quand je te rêve" was Luxembourgish entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1990, performed by the French singer Céline Carzo....
", and before Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
's Stjórnin
Stjórnin
Stjórnin comprised two singers, Grétar Örvarsson, born July 11th 1959 and Sigriður Beinteìnsdottir, born July 24th 1962. Together they represented Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 held in Zagreb. Their entry, "Eitt lag enn" was placed forth out of 22 songs...
with "Eitt lag enn
Eitt Lag Enn
"Eitt lag enn" was the Icelandic entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1990, performed in Icelandic by Stjórnin.The song is a love duet, with the singers describing their desire to dance to one more song with each other....
." At the end of judging that evening, "Give a Little Love Back to the World" took the sixth-place slot with 87 points. Belgium awarded the UK its only 12 points for the evening.
One large theme of Eurosong '90 in Zagreb was unity and peace, as the contest came mere months after the fall of communism in most of Eastern Europe. Emma's song strayed from this larger theme somewhat in that her song was a plea for environmentalism, asking people to "give love back to the world" by giving back to the Earth. Eurovision historian John Kennedy O'Connor commended Emma on choosing a themed song, but suggested it wasn't the most relevant theme considering the year. Emma, dressed in red, was flanked by five backup singers: three women (in blue dresses) and two men (in alternating white and blue pants, vests and shirts).
After Eurovision, the song placed at #33 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, in the best chart placing by a UK Eurovision act since 1984.