🇬🇧 Blast from the past: UK 1970

photo credits: Nationaal Archief, Den Haag

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today: 1970 runner up Mary Hopkin.

United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest

We already talked about the British Eurovision winners in this blast from the past. But what we didn’t mention are the many times that the United Kingdom organized the contest because other countries couldn’t. That started already in 1960, when The Netherlands were not able to organize the contest so soon after their first time. The contest went to the Royal Festival Hall in London. Three years later France faced the same problem. The brand new BBC TV Studio in London was the place to be. When Monaco won the contest in 1971, Monegask tv was not able (or willing?) to organize the contest. We went to Scotland instead, to Edinburgh. Two years later, Luxembourg couldn’t have the contest for a second year in a row, so we went to Brighton. And most recently, when Ukraine won the contest in 2022 while at war, it was again the United Kingdom taking it over; this time in the Echo Arena in Liverpool.

National final 1970

Six songs all were sung by Mary Hopkin on the 7th of March. Cliff Richard was the host of the contest. People were able to vote by postcard, and one week later the results were made public.

  1. Three ships, 60,330 votes, 3rd
  2. Early in the morning of your life, 15,090 votes, 6th
  3. I’m going to fall in love again, 74,640 votes, 2nd
  4. You’ve everything you need, 39,360 votes, 5th
  5. Can I believe? 42,180 votes, 4th
  6. Knock knock (who’s there?), 120,290 votes, 1st

As you see, “Knock knock (who’s there?)” won with a landslide, having almost double the votes of the runner up “I’m going to fall in love again”.

Mary Hopkin

Mary Hopkin, born on 3rd May 1950 in Pontardawe, Wales, is a renowned British folk singer hitting the charts in the late 1960s and 1970s. Her journey to fame began in the late 1960s when she appeared on the British television talent show, “Opportunity Knocks”. Her ethereal performance caught the attention of none other than Paul McCartney, who was then looking for artists for the Beatles’ newly formed Apple Records label. McCartney signed her, and under his guidance, Hopkin released her chart-topping single “Those Were the Days” in 1968. The song quickly became an international sensation.

Mary represented the UK in the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Knock, Knock Who’s There?”. Her debut album “Postcard”, also produced by McCartney, showcased her ability to blend folk with pop, creating a sound that was both fresh and reminiscent of older, simpler times. She took a hiatus from the music world in the mid-1970s to focus on her family.

In the years that followed, Hopkin explored various musical avenues, collaborating with a range of artists and dabbling in different genres. Her collaborations with the famed producer Tony Visconti resulted in several acclaimed albums, including “Earth Song/Ocean Song”, which is considered by many as one of the seminal folk albums of the 1970s.

Knock Knock (Who’s There?)

“Knock, Knock Who’s There?” is a catchy, upbeat pop song that achieved considerable fame in the early 1970s. Its most significant claim to fame is being the United Kingdom’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1970. The song was a strong contender in the competition, ultimately finishing in second place. Given Eurovision’s vast audience, this placement ensured that the song reached millions of listeners across Europe and beyond.

The lyrics of “Knock, Knock Who’s There?” combine a playful, almost nursery rhyme-like quality in its chorus with verses that express themes of love, hope, and anticipation. The song’s arrangement, characteristic of the era, features a blend of pop and orchestral elements, giving it a full, melodious sound.

Following its appearance in the Eurovision Song Contest, “Knock, Knock Who’s There?” enjoyed commercial success, especially in the UK where it reached the number two spot on the charts. Its popularity cemented Mary Hopkin’s status as one of the leading British singers of the time, complementing Mary Hopkins earlier success with hits like “Those Were the Days.”

 

Picture of Martijn

Martijn

See all contributions

Related news
History

70 years of Eurovision, slipping into the sixties

The Eurovision Song Contest is celebrating its 70th anniversary. That is a wonderful milestone. We at Eurovision Universe love diving into the history of the contest. That is why we are taking a closer look at the contests of the past 70 years. 1959 France chose to organize the contest in Cannes. Eleven countries came together. No Luxembourg this year, but the United Kingdom was back. Monaco made its debut. The presentation was in the hands of Jacqueline Joubert, who would go on to do so more often. The big favorite was Domenico Modugno. After the success of “Volare,” he entered for Italy again. He did not show up for the first rehearsal. He did not consider it important. The French broadcaster thought different and scheduled a rehearsal for him anyway. He did not win by a long shot. His “Piove” finished in sixth place only. Also noteworthy were the participants from Germany: the recently deceased Kessler Sisters, who sang their song entirely in sync. But France did not want to grant Italy the victory. The same applied the other way around. And where two dogs fight over a bone, the third one runs off with it. And that was the Dutch Teddy Scholten. With the artfully rhymed “Een beetje,” she took first place, much to her own surprise. When someone from the production team urged her to go to the stage because she had won, she didn’t believe a word of it. And yet it was true: the Netherlands had won for the second time in four years. 1960 It became a bit too much for the Dutch broadcaster to organize the contest yet again. Therefore, the British BBC took over. The contest moved to London, and for the first time, but certainly not the last, Cathy Boyle hosted the event. Thirteen countries participated. Luxembourg was back, and Norway made its debut.Big stars participated. Siw Malmkvist represented Sweden. Camillo Felgen competed for Luxembourg (in Luxembourgish!). Rudi Carell, who would later become a big star in Germany, competed for the Netherlands. None of them finished high. The winner was 19-year-old Jacqueline Boyer. Conductor Franck Pourcel was displeased that she had to perform last. After all, she had to go to bed early, the conductor said. At Pourcel’s request, the entire rehearsal schedule was rearranged. And Jacqueline won! “Tom Pillibi”, a song about a pathological liar, became a huge success and an international hit. 1961 The Eurovision Song Contest returned to Cannes, France. Jacqueline Joubert hosted it for the second time. By then, the number of participating countries had grown to sixteen. Spain, Yugoslavia, and Finland made their debut. Lale Andersen participated for Germany. She had gained fame during World War II with the song “Lili Marleen”. A Greek also took to the stage, which was the first time. Although Greece itself was not yet participating, singer Jimmy Makoulis represented Austria. The final unintentionally became very exciting between Luxembourg and the United Kingdom. Unintentionally, because for a long time, too many points were accidentally recorded for the British on the scoreboard. The British duo, The Allisons, did have the big Eurovision hit of that year with “Are You Sure?”. Frenchman Jean-Claude Pascal won for Luxembourg. In “Nous, les amoureux,” he sang of a love that was disapproved of by others. Only much later Pascal admitted that this song was about the love between two men. In this, Pascal was far, very far ahead of his time.

Read More »
March 30, 2026 No Comments
History
Martijn

70 years of Eurovision, slipping into the sixties

The Eurovision Song Contest is celebrating its 70th anniversary. That is a wonderful milestone. We at Eurovision Universe love diving into the history of the contest. That is why we are taking a closer look at the contests of the past 70 years. 1959 France chose to organize the contest in Cannes. Eleven countries came together. No Luxembourg this year, but the United Kingdom was back. Monaco made its debut. The presentation was in the hands of Jacqueline Joubert, who would go on to do so more often. The big favorite was Domenico Modugno. After the success of “Volare,” he entered for Italy again. He did not show up for the first rehearsal. He did not consider it important. The French broadcaster thought different and scheduled a rehearsal for him anyway. He did not win by a long shot. His “Piove” finished in sixth place only. Also noteworthy were the participants from Germany: the recently deceased Kessler Sisters, who sang their song entirely in sync. But France did not want to grant Italy the victory. The same applied the other way around. And where two dogs fight over a bone, the third one runs off with it. And that was the Dutch Teddy Scholten. With the artfully rhymed “Een beetje,” she took first place, much to her own surprise. When someone from the production team urged her to go to the stage because she had won, she didn’t believe a word of it. And yet it was true: the Netherlands had won for the second time in four years. 1960 It became a bit too much for the Dutch broadcaster to organize the contest yet again. Therefore, the British BBC took over. The contest moved to London, and for the first time, but certainly not the last, Cathy Boyle hosted the event. Thirteen countries participated. Luxembourg was back, and Norway made its debut.Big stars participated. Siw Malmkvist represented Sweden. Camillo Felgen competed for Luxembourg (in Luxembourgish!). Rudi Carell, who would later become a big star in Germany, competed for the Netherlands. None of them finished high. The winner was 19-year-old Jacqueline Boyer. Conductor Franck Pourcel was displeased that she had to perform last. After all, she had to go to bed early, the conductor said. At Pourcel’s request, the entire rehearsal schedule was rearranged. And Jacqueline won! “Tom Pillibi”, a song about a pathological liar, became a huge success and an international hit. 1961 The Eurovision Song Contest returned to Cannes, France. Jacqueline Joubert hosted it for the second time. By then, the number of participating countries had grown to sixteen. Spain, Yugoslavia, and Finland made their debut. Lale Andersen participated for Germany. She had gained fame during World War II with the song “Lili Marleen”. A Greek also took to the stage, which was the first time. Although Greece itself was not yet participating, singer Jimmy Makoulis represented Austria. The final unintentionally became very exciting between Luxembourg and the United Kingdom. Unintentionally, because for a long time, too many points were accidentally recorded for the British on the scoreboard. The British duo, The Allisons, did have the big Eurovision hit of that year with “Are You Sure?”. Frenchman Jean-Claude Pascal won for Luxembourg. In “Nous, les amoureux,” he sang of a love that was disapproved of by others. Only much later Pascal admitted that this song was about the love between two men. In this, Pascal was far, very far ahead of his time.

Read More »
March 30, 2026 No Comments
© 2019 – 2026 Eurovision Universe / eurovisionuniverse.com

Maintained in cooperation with IT-M.art

Follow Us: