Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 1966

Eurovision Song Contest 1966
Eurovision Song Contest 1966
Participating broadcaster	Radio-Télévision Belge (RTB)
Country	Belgium
National selection
Selection process	Avant-première Eurovision
Selection date(s)	25 January 1966
Selected artist(s)	Tonia
Selected song	"Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel"
Selected songwriter(s)	Paul Quintens; Phil van Cauwenbergh;
Finals performance
Final result	4th, 14 points
Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest

Belgium was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1966 with the song "Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel", composed by Paul Quintens, with lyrics by Phil van Cauwenbergh, and performed by Tonia. The Belgian participating broadcaster, Walloon Radio-Télévision Belge (RTB), selected its entry through a national final, after having previously selected the performer internally.

Before Eurovision

Artist selection

Walloon broadcaster Radio-Télévision Belge (RTB) internally selected Tonia to represent Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 1966. RTB asked her to represent Belgium in 1966 during the Knokke Cup in July 1965.^[1]

Avant-première Eurovision

Avant-première Eurovision was the national final format developed by RTB in order to select the Belgian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 1966. The competition was held on 25 January 1966 and was broadcast on RTB.^[2]

Competing entries

Following announcement of Tonia as Belgian representative, song submission period was opened where composers were able to submit their songs. A professional jury along with Tonia shortlisted eight songs from 163 received songs, which were then whittled down to four for the contest.^[1]

Final

The final was held on 25 January 1966 from 20:40 to 21:10 CET, hosted by Jean-Claude Mennessier. Four songs competed in the contest with the winner being decided upon by public postcard voting.^[2]^[3]

Final – 25 January 1966
Draw	Song	Songwriter(s)	Votes	Place
1	"Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel"	Phil van Cauwenbergh, Paul Quintens	3,765	1
2	"Petite fleur de Chine"	Johnny Hot	2,498	4
3	"Tu pourrais m'emmener danser"	Hector Delfosse, Charlie Runbel	2,501	3
4	"Un petit rien"	Roland Thyssen, Francis Etienne	2,757	2

At Eurovision

On the evening of the final Tonia performed 3rd in the running order, following Denmark and preceding Luxembourg. Each national jury awarded 5-3-1 point(s) to their top three songs, and at the close of the voting "Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel" had received 14 points (5 from Germany and the Netherlands, 3 from Portugal, and 1 from Sweden), placing Belgium joint 4th (with Ireland) of the 18 competing entries. This was Belgium's highest Eurovision finish to date, and would remain so until Jean Vallée's second place in 1978. The Belgian jury awarded its 5 points to contest winners Austria.^[4]

Voting

Points awarded to Belgium^[5]
Score	Country
5 points	Germany Netherlands
3 points	Portugal
1 point	Sweden

Points awarded by Belgium^[5]
Score	Country
5 points	Austria
3 points	Ireland
1 point	Germany

References

^ ^a ^b Vermeulen, André (2021). Van Canzonissima tot Eurosong. 65 jaar Belgische preselecties voor het Eurovisiesongfestival. Leuven: Kritak. ISBN 978-94-014-7609-6. OCLC 1240241113.
^ ^a ^b "Avant-première Eurovision 1966".
^ ESC National Finals database 1966
^ ESC History - Belgium 1966
^ ^a ^b "Results of the Final of Luxembourg 1966". Eurovision Song Contest. Archived from the original on 7 April 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2021.

[:0-1] Vermeulen, André (2021). Van Canzonissima tot Eurosong. 65 jaar Belgische preselecties voor het Eurovisiesongfestival. Leuven: Kritak. ISBN 978-94-014-7609-6. OCLC 1240241113.

[:1-2] "Avant-première Eurovision 1966".

[3] ESC National Finals database 1966

[4] ESC History - Belgium 1966

[1966detailed-5] "Results of the Final of Luxembourg 1966". Eurovision Song Contest. Archived from the original on 7 April 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2021.

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v t e Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest
Participation	1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 ~~2020~~ 2021 2022 2023 2024
Artists	Roberto Bellarosa Bob Benny Blanche Lily Castel Vanessa Chinitor Ann Christy Clouseau Robert Cogoi Mélanie Cohl Copycat Lisa del Bo Barbara Dex Tom Dice Dream Express Eliot Frédéric Etherlinck Serge and Christine Ghisoland Gustaph Axel Hirsoux Hooverphonic Jacques Hustin Ingeborg Iris Ishtar Sandra Kim The KMG's Philippe Lafontaine Fud Leclerc Linda Lepomme Claude Lombard Jérémie Makiese Micha Marah Mony Marc Lize Marke Morgane Mustii Louis Neefs Nicole and Hugo Loïc Nottet Pas de Deux Pierre Rapsat Jacques Raymond Nuno Resende Reynaert Kate Ryan Liliane Saint-Pierre Bobbejaan Schoepen Sennek Sergio and the Ladies Nathalie Sorce Emly Starr Stella Telex Laura Tesoro Tonia Urban Trad Jean Vallée Witloof Bay Xandee Jacques Zegers
Songs	"1 Life" "À la folie ou pas du tout" "Als het weer lente is" "L'Amour ça fait chanter la vie" "Avanti la vie" "Baby, Baby" "Because of You" "Before the Party's Over" "City Lights" "Copycat" "Dis oui" "Door de wind" "Envie de vivre" "Euro-Vision" "Fleur de liberté" "Geef het op" "Gelukkig zijn" "Goeiemorgen, morgen" "Le Grand soir" "Hey Nana" "Hou toch van mij" "Iemand als jij" "Ik heb zorgen" "J'aime la vie" "Je t'adore" "Jennifer Jennings" "Judy et Cie" "Laat me nu gaan" "Laissez briller le soleil" "Liefde is een kaartspel" "Like the Wind" "Love Kills" "Love Power" "Ma petite chatte" "Macédomienne" "A Matter of Time" "Me and My Guitar" "Messieurs les noyés de la Seine" "A Million in One, Two, Three" "Miss You" "Mon amour pour toi" "Mother" "Nous, on veut des violons" "O Julissi" "Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel" "Le Plus beau jour de ma vie" "Près de ma rivière" "Quand tu reviendras" ~~"Release Me"~~ "Rendez-vous" "Rhythm Inside" "Samson" "Sanomi" "September, gouden roos" "Si tu aimes ma musique" "Sister" "Soldiers of Love" "Straatdeuntje" "Ton nom" "Viens l'oublier" "La Voix est libre" "Waarom?" "Wake Up" "What's the Pressure" "With Love Baby" "Would You?" "The Wrong Place"
Note: Entries scored out signify where Belgium did not compete

v t e Eurovision Song Contest 1966
Countries	Austria Belgium Denmark Finland France Germany Ireland Italy Luxembourg Monaco Netherlands Norway Portugal Spain Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom Yugoslavia
Artists	Berta Ambrož Margot Eskens Madalena Iglésias Udo Jürgens Tereza Kesovija Åse Kleveland Lill Lindfors and Svante Thuresson Kenneth McKellar Domenico Modugno Ann-Christine Nyström Madeleine Pascal Raphael Dickie Rock Milly Scott Tonia Michèle Torr Ulla Pia Dominique Walter
Songs	"Bien plus fort" "Brez besed" "Ce soir je t'attendais" "Chez nous" "Come Back to Stay" "Dio, come ti amo" "Ele e ela" "Fernando en Filippo" "Intet er nytt under solen" "A Man Without Love" "Merci, Chérie" "Ne vois-tu pas ?" "Nygammal vals" "Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel" "Playboy" "Stop - mens legen er go'" "Yo soy aquél" "Die Zeiger der Uhr"