The idea behind this was to actually take the piss out of the contest itself; whilst giving respect to the technology used to produce it (bear in mind in 1980 this was all very advanced stuff); and to get “nul points” (so BRT did not have to spend loads of Francs hosting it as it often involves upgrading all the studio equipment and getting special communications lines).
They almost managed it except one of the Southern European nations got België and Nederland confused (in spite of them singing in French) and voted for them by mistake.
The dude singing looks like a 1980s maths teacher as you had to be as brainy as one to operate any kind of electronic music equipment back then. This video is from Dutch public TV which is why there is a male presenter talking in Dutch over the female presenter speaking French (confusing if you understand both languages – but that was quite common on telly of that era). It is the first and only time I have heard anyone singing about coaxial cables (cables blindés) of the kind used for TV antennas and cable TV/broadband; even Kraftwerk didn’t manage that :laugh_at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMfw9k5O94w
Beaux messieurs, belles dames: musique au programme
Chanteurs, à vos gammes, que le meilleur gagne
Les frontières sont ouvertes
Que déclarer si ce soir c’est la fête?
Les vedettes sont inquiètes
Elles se maquillent
Fument une cigarette
Avant d’aller sur la sellette
Eurovision, Eurovision, Eurovision
Eurovision, Eurovision, Eurovision
Vielle Europe acclame le pays qui gagne
Puis verse une larme, c’est la fin du charme
Les yeux du monde entier guettent, impatients
Les flashs télévisés
Qui vont leur annoncer
Par satellites et par câbles blindés
Ce qui se passe en leurs contrées
Eurovision, Eurovision, Eurovision
Eurovision, Eurovision, Eurovision
Eurovision, Eurovision, Eurovision
