Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 1970
Encyclopedia
The Netherlands was represented by three-sister group Hearts of Soul
, with the song '"Waterman
", at the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place in Amsterdam
on 21 March. "Waterman" was the winner of the Dutch national final for the contest, held on 11 February.
Although "Waterman" was a very contemporary-sounding song in the style of popular American group The 5th Dimension, its victory at the national final was contentious as it was chosen over the clear public favourite, the folk music
-influenced "Spinnewiel" by Saskia & Serge
. The decision by broadcaster NOS
to select Saskia & Serge internally as the Dutch representatives the following year was widely seen as a tacit acknowledgement that public opinion would have preferred them as the representatives in 1970.
, hosted by Pim Jacobs. Ten songs took part and the winning song was chosen by a national and an international jury, the latter consisting of ambassadorial staff from other nations based in the Netherlands. "Waterman" emerged the winner by 1 point over "Spinnewiel". As well as Saskia & Serge, future Dutch representatives Sandra Reemer
(1972
, 1976
& 1979
) and Ben Cramer (1973
) were also among the participants.
. 1970 was the last year in which Eurovision rules only allowed for solo performers or duos, so to circumvent this the group was billed as 'Patricia and the Hearts of Soul' and the song was staged with Patricia singing up front and Bianca and Stella standing behind and to the left of her, ostensibly as backing singers. At the close of voting "Waterman" had received 7 points (3 from Italy
and Yugoslavia
and 1 from the United Kingdom
), placing the Netherlands 7th of the 12 entries. The Dutch jury awarded its highest mark (5) to contest winners Ireland
.
Under the name of Dream Express, the group would later represent Belgium
in the 1977 contest
, while Stella
also represented Belgium as a solo singer in 1982
.
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....
, with the song '"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....
", at the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
on 21 March. "Waterman" was the winner of the Dutch national final for the contest, held on 11 February.
Although "Waterman" was a very contemporary-sounding song in the style of popular American group The 5th Dimension, its victory at the national final was contentious as it was chosen over the clear public favourite, the folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
-influenced "Spinnewiel" by Saskia & Serge
Saskia & Serge
Saskia & Serge are a Dutch vocal duo consisting of singer Trudy van den Berg and singer-guitarist Ruud Schaap...
. The decision by broadcaster NOS
Nederlandse Omroep Stichting
The Nederlandse Omroep Stichting , English: Netherlands Broadcasting Foundation, is one of the broadcasters in the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system...
to select Saskia & Serge internally as the Dutch representatives the following year was widely seen as a tacit acknowledgement that public opinion would have preferred them as the representatives in 1970.
Final
The national final was held at the Congresgebouw in The HagueThe Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, hosted by Pim Jacobs. Ten songs took part and the winning song was chosen by a national and an international jury, the latter consisting of ambassadorial staff from other nations based in the Netherlands. "Waterman" emerged the winner by 1 point over "Spinnewiel". As well as Saskia & Serge, future Dutch representatives Sandra Reemer
Sandra Reemer
Barbara Alexandra "Sandra" Reemer is a Dutch Indo singer of Dutch, Chinese and Javanese extraction...
(1972
Eurovision Song Contest 1972
The Eurovision Song Contest 1972 was the 17th edition series. Monaco was unable to host this year's Eurovision as they were unable to provide the resources. They approached French TV, who agreed to produce the contest, but only if the contest was staged in France and not the planned Monte Carlo...
, 1976
Eurovision Song Contest 1976
The Eurovision Song Contest 1976, the 21st in the series, was held in The Hague, Netherlands, on 3 April 1976. With Corry Brokken as the presenter – the first time a previous winner of the contest had played hostess – the contest was won by Brotherhood of Man, representing the United...
& 1979
Eurovision Song Contest 1979
The Eurovision Song Contest 1979 was the 24th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 31 March 1979 in Jerusalem, Israel. The presenters were Daniel Pe'er and Yardena Arazi, and the event was staged at the International Convention Center. Representing Israel, Gali Atari and Milk and Honey were the...
) and Ben Cramer (1973
Eurovision Song Contest 1973
The Eurovision Song Contest 1973 was the eighteenth Eurovision Song Contest and was held in Luxembourg. The language rule forcing countries to enter songs sung in any of their national languages was dropped, so performers from some countries sang in English....
) were also among the participants.
| Draw | Artist | Song | Points | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Cramer | "Julia" | 1 | 4= |
| 2 | Ine van den Berg | "Ik lach om je liefde" | 0 | 7= |
| 3 | Rosita Bloom | "Illusie" | 1 | 4= |
| 4 | Tony Anderson | "Spanje" | 0 | 7= |
| 5 | Sandra Reemer | "Voorbij is de winter" | 0 | 7= |
| 6 | D C Lewis | "Linda" | 2 | 3 |
| 7 | Joke Bruijs | "Okido" | 1 | 4= |
| 8 | Saskia & Serge | "Spinnewiel" | 5 | 2 |
| 9 | Hearts of Soul | "Waterman" | 6 | 1 |
| 10 | Bonnie St. Claire | "Manna" | 0 | 7= |
At Eurovision
On the night of the final Hearts of Soul performed first in the running order, preceding SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. 1970 was the last year in which Eurovision rules only allowed for solo performers or duos, so to circumvent this the group was billed as 'Patricia and the Hearts of Soul' and the song was staged with Patricia singing up front and Bianca and Stella standing behind and to the left of her, ostensibly as backing singers. At the close of voting "Waterman" had received 7 points (3 from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and 1 from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
), placing the Netherlands 7th of the 12 entries. The Dutch jury awarded its highest mark (5) to contest winners Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Under the name of Dream Express, the group would later represent Belgium
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...
in the 1977 contest
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...
, while 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 :...
also represented Belgium as a solo singer 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...
.