The Festival of British Popular Songs 1956 was a song contest organised by BBC Television and the inaugural edition of the Festival of British Popular Songs, which became the United Kingdom's national selection process for the 1957 Eurovision Song Contest. Held from May to October, the contest featured 36 songs performed twice through 6 heats. The contest was made to promote British music, as an answer to claims that the BBC favoured American music.
The eventual winner was "Everybody Falls in Love With Someone", written and composed by Peter Hart and Norman Newell. Though not recorded by any of its performers at the contest, the winning song went on to be recorded by Matt Monro and Dickie Henderson. The contest is notable for inspiring changes in the Eurovision Song Contest, most notably introducing a scoreboard to the voting sequence.
The competition
Format The competition consisted of six heats held every four weeks starting on 7 May 1956. Each heat had six songs competing and each song was performed twice by two different singers, one accompanied by an orchestra (directed by either Eric Robinson, Stanley Black, or George Melachrino), and one accompanied by a small band. The George Mitchell singers accompanied each show as backing vocalists. The best placing song in each heat, decided by jury panels situated in different cities across the United Kingdom, qualified to the final.
Competing entries The BBC selected 36 entries from over 90 songs submitted by British music publishers. The songs were chosen by a committee chaired by Ronnie Waldman. Known song titles, associated performers, and songwriters are shown below:
Performer 1Performer 2SongSongwriter(s) "A Field of Golden Corn" Robert Farnon "Andalucia" Ron GrainerLester FergusonJean Campbell"Cloudy Moon" John Harris "England Is Made of Us" John Watson Johnny Brandon / Dennis LotisThe Keynotes"Everybody Falls in Love With Someone"Peter Hart, Norman Newell "Everything She's Got Is Mine" Harry Shaberman Ronnie CarrollLaurie Payne"For You and Me" David Lee & Clive Westlake "Just Another Day Gone By" William Crompton & Morgan Jones Shirley AbicairBill McGuffie"Little Ship"Irene Roper, Terry RoperPamela Charles "Love Goes Dancing Through My Heart" Harold IrvingCarole CarrThe Max Jaffa Quartet"No Love Could Be" Max Francis & Bill Craig "Pedlar of Dream" Michael Pratt "The Waiter Was Yawning" Sam Johnson "There'll Be Orange Blossom in Your Hair" Norman Percival "This Love of Mine" Tommy SampsonPetula ClarkThe Bill McGuffie Quartet"Wibbly Wobbly Moon"Vivian Ellis
Performers which are known to have participated but it is not known with what song are: Kenny Baker, Joan Bramhall, Tony Brent, Dora Bryan, Alma Cogan, The Coronets, Diana Decker, Doreen Duke, The Four Grads, Dennis Hale, John Hanson, Ronnie Hilton, Kathie Kay, The Kentones, Lee Lawrence, Benny Lee, Vanessa Lee, Janie Marden, Bill O'Connor, Alan Page, Anne Shelton, Bruce Trent.
Shows
Heat 1 +Heat 1 – 7 May 1956Performer 1Performer 2SongPlaceShirley AbicairBill McGuffie"Little Ship"1 "This Love of Mine"2 "Everything She's Got Is Mine" 5 "Pedlar of Dream"
The titles of the 3 other songs are unknown, other known performers are listed below:
Kenny Baker Alma Cogan Diana Decker Dennis Hale Ronnie Hilton The Kentones Vanessa Lee Bruce Trent
Frankie Vaughan was supposed to compete in this heat but withdrew as he felt he could not do justice to the song he was asked to sing. The orchestra was directed by Eric Robinson, and The Bill McGuffie Quartet was the small band.
Heat 2 +Heat 2 – 4 June 1956Performer 1Performer 2SongPlaceRonnie CarrollLaurie Payne"For You and Me"1Pamela Charles "Love Goes Dancing Through My Heart"
The titles of the other 4 songs are unknown, other known performers are listed below:
Anne Shelton Dennis Lotis The Keynotes The orchestra was directed by Stanley Black and the small band was organised by Semprini.
Heat 3 +Heat 3 – 2 July 1956Performer 1Performer 2SongPlaceCarole CarrThe Max Jaffa Quartet"No Love Could Be"1 "A Field of Golden Corn"
The titles of the other 4 songs are unknown, other known performers are listed below:
John Hanson Benny Lee Joan Bramhall The Coronets
The Orchestra was directed by George Melachrino and the small band was The Max Jaffa Quintet.
Heat 4 +Heat 4 – 30 July 1956DrawPerformer 1Performer 2SongPlacePoints1 "England Is Made of Us"602 "The Waiter Was Yawning" 3Johnny BrandonThe Keynotes"Everybody Falls in Love With Someone"1 4 "There'll Be Orange Blossom in Your Hair" 5 "Just Another Day Gone By" 6 "Andalucia"
Other known performers are listed below:
Dora Bryan Bill O'Connor Kathie Kay Doreen Duke Alan Page The Four Grads
The orchestra was directed by Eric Robinson and the small band was The Malcolm Lockyer Quartet.
Heat 5 +Heat 5 – 27 August 1956Performer 1Performer 2SongPlacePetula ClarkThe Bill McGuffie Quartet"Wibbly Wobbly Moon"1
The titles of the other 5 songs are unknown, other known performers are listed below:
Dennis Hale Janie Marden The Kentones
The Orchestra was directed by Stanley Black and the small band was The Bill McGuffie Quartet.
Heat 6 +Heat 6 – 24 September 1956Performer 1Performer 2SongPlaceLester FergusonJean Campbell"Cloudy Moon"1
The titles of the other 5 songs are unknown, other known performers are listed below:
Anne Shelton Lee Lawrence Tony Brent The Coronets
The orchestra was directed by George Melachrino and the small band was The Frank Weir Quartet.
Final +Final – 22 October 1956Performer 1Performer 2SongPlaceDennis LotisThe Keynotes"Everybody Falls in Love With Someone"1Shirley AbicairBill McGuffie"Little Ship"2Ronnie CarrollLaurie Payne"For You And Me" Carole CarrMax Jaffa"No Love Could Be" Lester FergusonJean Campbell"Cloudy Moon" Petula ClarkThe Bill McGuffie Quartet"Wibbly Wobbly Moon"
Johnny Brandon, who sang "Everybody Falls In Love With Someone" in heat 4, was replaced by Dennis Lotis in the final as he was in America during the time of the final.
Each song used the same orchestra conductor and small band as was used in its heat.
Reception The songs were seen by the public as of a low quality, with many people criticising the lack of originality and variation in the songs. However, the voting sections of the shows were often regarded as the most entertaining part of the show.
References