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After immersing ourselves in the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest for a night back in September, it was around to Mark’s again on Friday night for the 1982 competition. Meeting Bill there, we spent over four hours in South Woodham Ferrers watching the preview videos, and then the contest itself proper. Only 18 songs long, Jan Leeming steered the acts through the live show from 26 years ago as best she could, but all too quickly the winner had been announced.

Comparing the studio-produced songs with their live counterparts was interesting, as songs that were electronic-based (such as the UK’s One Step Further), ultimately sounded worse with Ronnie Hazelhurt’s live orchestra. They also didn’t score as highly as those whose simple orchestration changed little from preview to contest night. But, even more so than 1981, it was a classic competition, with many good songs worthy of the winner’s title.

Portugal kicked off proceedings. Their entry, Bem Bom, was a flamboyant number, and was sung by Doce, a four-strong female group with an equally outrageous appearance. Wearing what appeared to be musketeer outfits with some very straight-cut fake wigs, there was a lot of arm in the air action, and although we couldn’t understand the words, their strange drum-led tune appealed to me, if no-one else.

A favourite for all of us was Anna Vissi, fielded by Cyprus. Her haunting ballad, Mono I Agapi was very sophisticated. So too was Vissi herself, and with her monotone dress and jet black hair, she was very much a subscriber to 80s glamour. A Eurovision veteran of three contests, in 1982 she took more than a little inspiration from Dynasty’s Joan Collins. The song deserved to do much better than its final fifth placing and 85 points.

After the jubilant 1981 win, the UK stuck to its jolly, happy, electronic pure pop sound. The pairing of duo Bardo with their song One Step Further worked well, and their stage routine was polished, with lots of nods to the world of contemporary theatre. They were one of the arrangement casualties, though, and were placed seventh in the final result, scoring 76 points. A solid placing, though, and the Bucks Fizz connection was one we’d spotted; Andy Hill who produced the song was also heavily involved with the Brit foursome who had won just a year earlier.

But, our winner for the night was the husband and wife duo of Mess, representing Austria. Singing about Sundays with their entry Sonntag, it was these two who should have taken the trophy home and enjoyed the enduring success. The Same Difference of their day, their catchy tune and energetic dance routine was the perfect example of happy, shiny, pop. It could have flung them far, always raising a smile, but it wasn’t to be, and their 57 points score only took them to ninth.

And the real winner? Of course, after the excitement of Bucks Fizz’s win the previous year, we’d forgotten who came out on top in ‘82. Once we’d seen the preview tape, though, it was painfully clear which song would come out on top. Germany’s Nicole with her Ein Bisschen Frieden (A Little Peace) was the runaway winner, and the 500th number 1 single in the UK upon its release.

Yes, I’ve posted about her before, and yes, it’s two now weeks since she came second in Belgrade, but Ani Lorak’s Eurovision 2008 song is still pumping around inside my head. And, why not have another excuse to post the brilliant video that accompanies the song, which incidentally, deserves to be a Europe-wide smash (even though some people may think there are alternative lyrics)?

Just as many Eurovision viewers have all but forgotten her, there’s an equal number of Eurovision fans who clearly haven’t; I’ve been trying to secure a copy of her second-placed song and video, but it appears that I’m not the only one that the song has a hold over.

eBay has been doing a brisk trade in the twin CD and DVD set handed out to the press at Eurovision itself. Bought by speculators who want to buy copies as in investment, or just fans like me, who knows, but I think we realise that this year’s contest had more than its fair share of astonishingly good, contemporary pop songs.

I’ve recently found out that the best copy to have is a deluxe five-remix CD, presented in a foil package, but it doesn’t feature the video, making the CD and DVD set a worthwhile buy after all. I’m keeping an eye on things, but at the moment, copies are still going for silly money. No wonder - pop music in 2008 doesn’t get much better than this.

But, it’s not all bad news. I was able to secure a 21-track mini-album from Serebro, my favourites from last year, and Song #1 is every bit as good as I remembered it to be – another modern pop classic, just like that Miss Lorak’s from this year. Maybe if I still want a copy (and I so do), I’ll have to wait until next year.

But for now, everyone together:

Shady lady, I’m gonna strike like thunder / Are you ready? I wanna make you wonder / Rollin’ steady, I’m gonna make you shiver / Shady lady, I’m gonna strike like thunder / Are you ready? I wanna make you wonder / Rollin’ steady, I’m gonna make you shiver / My heart is burning now…

She was robbed. I suppose second place is good enough, but its not first, is it? Ani Lorak did Ukraine proud, though, and with her light box men, silver dress, and energetic performance, captured the hearts of many Eurovision voters; just not enough of them.

Ani Lorak wowed the crowds with her Eurovision 2008 performances

Up against Dilma Bilan – who emerged as a front runner late in the day – no-one really had a chance, as it turns out he’s big over in Eastern Europe. Was it the ice skater that scuppered everyone else’s chances? Whatever it was, the Russian entry didn’t deserve to win, but with a 42-point lead, it stole neighbouring Ukraine’s thunder.

Even our Eurovision party jury had voted Ani Lorak top of the tree, 20 points ahead of her nearest rival. She gave it her all in Belgrade, and with 230 points, just sneaked 12 points ahead of third-placed Kalomira from Greece. Personally, it was a good hit rate – two of my favourite five came in the top three, but I would have liked to have seen Lorak crowned queen of the 2008 contest.

I would have liked to have seen Charlotte Perelli’s entry placed higher, too. It certainly didn’t deserve to be languishing down the leader board in 18th place. France was equally low, the eccentric (and non-rehearsed) camera angle behaviour of Sébastien Tellier taking his song to nineteenth.

My other tip, Malta didn’t even qualify, but there were plenty of other god songs in 2008’s entry list, which all point to a bit of a vintage year in Eurovision terms. Yes, Slovenia didn’t qualify either, but Rebeka Dremelj’s Vrag Naj Vzame should have been in the final on Saturday, and at the expense of at least a handful of poor and novelty efforts.

What else appealed on Saturday night? I’d forgotten how likeable Armenia’s Qele, Qele by Sirusho was (finishing fourth), and also Disappear by No Angels, fielded by, of all countries, Germany. Norway’s Maria rounded off the top five finishers with Hold On Be Strong, 90 points shy of Bilan.

Diana Gurtskaya’s gutsy performance of Peace Will Come (with an equally brave and clever costume change) kept up the high standard of her fellow Georgian compatriot Sopho from last year, while Iceland’s This Is My Life from dance duo Euroband brought a clubby hands in the air vibe to proceedings.

Casting the tactical voting aside, this year’s contest proved that good music does exist outside of Western Europe, none of which would be heard by Western ears if Eurovision didn’t happen. It didn’t help Ani Lorak win, though, and I’ll always remember 2008’s competition as the one in which the best entry was kept in the shade.

So, my tip for the top. I liked this from the moment I first saw Ani Lorak’s video on a preview night, with its Girls Aloud and Xenomania sound. Like the Kalomira and Charlotte Perelli entries, it’s one of the gems of Eurovision 2008, and a contemporary pop masterpiece.

Catchy, memorable, and modern, I like Shady Lady for much the same reasons that Russia’s entry by Serebro was a favourite of mine last year. It just goes to show that Eurovsion’s not all Boom Bang-A-Bang; modern pop entries like these show the competition still has some worth.

Ukraine artist Ani Lorak is a best-seller in her home country, and if all of her songs are similar to this, it’s easy to see why. With a killer tune, slick production values (a stand-out fact in recent Eurovision entries), an even slicker video, and a stunningly simple but effective stage show, she’ll be battling Charlotte Perelli for the Eurovision 2008 crown. But which diva will win?

She did enough to qualify last night, but can she do enough to win the contest?

Charlotte Perrelli who is representing Sweden has been crowned Eurovision champion before - in 1999 - and she has become the favourite to walk away with her 2008 song Hero. An anthemic pop song with a searing chorus, it’s another one of those Eurovision surprises, and although the almost regulatory key change and song composition are obvious, they don’t detract at all.

A BBC poll in which Eurovision fans from every competing country picked their top 10 songs saw the Swedish entry finish first, 62 points clear of Ukraine’s Ani Lorak, who has also been tipped for the top. Perelli’s song is so strong, though, you can almost see its performance ending in a flourish of pyrotechnics and glitter.

But, will Hero come to the rescue of Charlotte Perelli tomorrow night, or will the shady lady from Ukraine defeat the former Eurovision champion?