Belgium was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1967 with the song "", composed by Paul Quintens, with lyrics by Phil van Cauwenbergh, and performed by Louis Neefs. The Belgian participating broadcaster, Dutch-speaking (BRT), selected its entry through a national final. Neefs would represent .
Before Eurovision
was the national final format developed by Dutch-speaking broadcaster (BRT) which determined the song that would represent Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest 1967. This was the 2nd edition of , after previously being used to select BRT's . The competition consisted of nine semi-finals held between October 1966 and February 1967, and a final on 25 February 1967. All shows were held in the Amerikaans Theater in Brussels, and hosted by Jan Theys.
Format 1967 consisted of nine semi-finals and a final. Ten artists competed in each semi-final and the top three songs would appear again in the next semi-final, while the other seven artists would have to select new songs. For a song to qualify to the final, it would have to get top three in three consecutive semi-finals.
Competing entries BRT shortlisted 10 artists for 1967: Rita Deneve, , Marva, , Chris Wijnen, , , Louis Neefs, , and Will Tura. However, Will Tura was eventually replaced by for unknown reasons. A total of 70 songs took part in 1967.
+Competing entriesArtistSongSongwriter(s)Composer(s)Lyricist(s)"Alles ben jij""Daar in Wenen"Henk André"Ik blijf bij jou"Santiago VascoDick Emcé"Rio de Janeiro"Dick Emcé"Snoepie"Santiago VascoDick Emcé"Verlangen"Chris Wijnen"De tijd"Armand Van de WalleWill Ferdy"Ga naar huis"Toon Van Severen"Herfstregen"André Vélin"Tot wederziens"André Vélin"Want ik hield van jou"Lieven Paemen"Wondermooi"Will Ferdy"Anne-Marieke"André DeboeurSimone Kaesen"De torens van Babel""Familieportret""Hoor je dat hart""Israël""Jazz met de muze""Lina"André Deboeur"Zij""De stad"Phil Van Cauwenbergh"Eenzaam""Help me, o Heer"José VeronneNelly Bijl"Ik geloof"Bobbejaan Schoepen"In Lerida"Ronny SigoPhil Van Cauwenbergh"Laat me maar dromen"Bobbejaan Schoepen"Stop"Nelly Bijl"Zal het morgen zijn""Zomer, winter"Bobbejaan Schoepen"Als ik tussen de regels lees"Dick Emcé"Het sprookje"Ernie Sons"Hey, hey meisje"Dick Emcé"Ik ga niet weg"Dick Emcé"Ik kan zonder liefde niet gelukkig zijn"Dick Emcé"Mijn liefde"Ria Denaro"Regen"Dick Emcé"Waar ben je"Paul QuintensPhil Van Cauwenbergh"De wind"André Coucke"Een strand vol eenzaamheid"Phil Van Cauwenbergh"Nerantsoula"André CouckePhil Van Cauwenbergh"Voorbij"Paul QuintensPhil Van Cauwenbergh"Waar is de zomer"Willy CrombéPhil Van CauwenberghLouis Neefs"Alleen met z'n tweeën""Een huis in Attica"Phil Van Cauwenbergh"Het ding in mijn dakgoot"Gerd FrankPhil Van Cauwenbergh"Ik heb zorgen"Paul QuintensPhil Van Cauwenbergh"Ik weet niet wat ik heb"Gerd FrankPhil Van Cauwenbergh"Jij was zo mooi"Paul QuintensPhil Van CauwenberghMarva"Daar liep eens een meisje"A. PoppeLia Cliquet-De Vos"Denk je misschien"Rocco GranataWill Ferdy"Een eiland in groen en blauw"Rocco GranataPhil Van Cauwenbergh"Ergens vind ik je weer"André PoppeLia Cliquet"'t Is nooit te laat"Gerd Frank"Uit rijden"Gerd FrankPhil Van Cauwenbergh"Wij"Rocco Granata"Zonder jou"Jackie JacksonAndré SimmoensRita Deneve"De eerste kus"Gerd FrankJacques Raymond"De langste nacht"Marco VarezDick Emcé"Droombeeld"Roger MoresAndré Vélin"Er is toch altijd ergens iemand"Paul QuintensPhil Van Cauwenbergh"Je naam"Peter LolandHerman Bruggen"Sinds ik jou heb ontmoet"Paul QuintensPhil Van Cauwenbergh"'t Verlangen naar jou"Raoul ClaeysWill Ferdy"De ranke roos"Dick Emcé"De schone slaapster"Dick Emcé"Ik droom van een lied"Dick Emcé"Jij bent voor mij"Dick Emcé"Liefdesverdriet"Dick Emcé"Nooit of nooit"Dick Emcé"Zomerliefde"André Vélin
Shows Semi-finals Voting in the semi-finals was done by a 10-member jury panel. Since songs introduced in semi-finals 8 or 9 could not get to the top 3 in 3 semi-finals and qualify for the final, the rules to qualify for the final were changed for semi-final 9. Songs had to receive at least 72.1 points, the average number of points that every song that qualified to the final got in their last semi-final. +Semi-final 1 – 22 October 1966ArtistSong PointsPlaceResult1"Hey, hey meisje"59.54Advanced2Marva"Uit rijden"51.5103"De ranke roos"63.03Advanced4Chris Wijnen"Wondermooi"75.52Disqualified5"Stop"57.066Rita Deneve"Droombeeld"55.577Louis Neefs"Het ding in mijn dakgoot"54.588"Waar is de zomer"80.01Disqualified9"De torens van Babel"52.5910"Rio de Janeiro"59.54Advanced
After semi-final 1, Louis van Rymenant, Ann Soetaert's producer, filed a complaint against "Waar is de zomer" and "Wondermooi" for lasting over 3 minutes during the show, despite lasting under 3 minutes during rehearsals. The two songs were disqualified and the two songs tied for 4th place qualified instead.
+Semi-final 2 – 5 November 1966ArtistSong PointsPlaceResult1"De ranke roos"67.02Advanced2"Rio de Janeiro"55.5103Louis Neefs"Ik weet niet wat ik heb"59.064Chris Wijnen"De tijd"68.01Advanced5"Ik geloof"59.066"Nerantsoula"66.547"Israël"56.098Marva"'t Is nooit te laat"63.559"Hey, hey meisje"58.5810Rita Deneve"De eerste kus"67.02Advanced
Semi-final 2 was hosted by Willem Duys, as Jan Theys was sick.
+Semi-final 3 – 19 November 1966ArtistSong PointsPlaceResult1"Lina"64.062Chris Wijnen"De tijd"65.053Rita Deneve"De eerste kus"68.52Advanced4"Eenzaam"59.075"Snoepie"47.596"De ranke roos"68.52Qualified7"De wind"73.01Advanced8"Als ik tussen de regels lees"51.589Marva"Daar liep eens een meisje"68.04
Louis Neefs was absent from semi-final 3 as he was in Berlin for a TV programme and would have been too ill to return to Brussels in time.
+Semi-final 4 – 3 December 1966ArtistSong PointsPlaceResult1Rita Deneve"De eerste kus"74.02Qualified2Louis Neefs"Jij was zo mooi"73.03Advanced3Marva"Zonder jou"55.0104"Familieportret"55.595"Ik blijf bij jou"65.556"Zomer, winter"57.087"De wind"75.51Advanced8"Liefdesverdriet"57.579Chris Wijnen"Ga naar huis"66.0410"Mijn liefde"61.56
+Semi-final 5 – 17 December 1966ArtistSong PointsPlaceResult1"De wind"69.52Qualified2"Regen"56.583Chris Wijnen"Want ik hield van jou"68.53Advanced4"Zal het morgen zijn"66.555Rita Deneve"Er is toch altijd ergens iemand"63.566"Zomerliefde"57.077Marva"Wij"50.5108"Anne-Marieke"67.549"Daar in Wenen"56.0910Louis Neefs"Jij was zo mooi"74.01Advanced
+Semi-final 6 – 31 December 1966ArtistSong PointsPlaceResult1Louis Neefs"Jij was zo mooi"75.01Qualified2"Verlangen"74.52Advanced3"Jij bent voor mij"54.084Marva"Denk je misschien"56.575"Ik ga niet weg"54.086"Voorbij"67.047"In Lerida"48.0108Rita Deneve"De langste nacht"59.559"Zij"58.5610Chris Wijnen"Want ik hield van jou"74.52Advanced
Semi-final 6 was not broadcast live like the other eight semi-finals. It was recorded on the 30th December and broadcast on the 31st.
+Semi-final 7 – 14 January 1967ArtistSong PointsPlaceResult1"Verlangen"78.51Advanced2"Help me, o Heer"62.053Chris Wijnen"Want ik hield van jou"74.02Qualified4"Ik kan zonder liefde niet gelukkig zijn"57.0105"Een strand vol eenzaamheid"65.53Advanced6"Jazz met de muze"65.53Advanced7Marva"Ergens vind ik je weer"63.058Louis Neefs"Een huis in Attica"60.099Rita Deneve"Sinds ik jou heb ontmoet"61.5710"De schone slaapster"61.08
+Semi-final 8 – 28 January 1967ArtistSong PointsPlaceResult1Chris Wijnen"Herfstregen"61.572"Ik droom van een lied"61.083"Een strand vol eenzaamheid"67.53Advanced4Louis Neefs"Alleen met z'n tweeën"73.02Disqualified5Marva"Een eiland in groen en blauw"67.53Advanced6"Het sprookje"51.0107"Verlangen"80.01Qualified8"Jazz met de muze"66.559Rita Deneve"'t Verlangen naar jou"64.0610"Laat me maar dromen"55.09
After semi-final 8, Louis Neefs withdrew "Alleen met z'n tweeën" as he wanted to participate with a different song in semi-final 9.
+Semi-final 9 – 11 February 1967ArtistSong PointsPlaceResult1Marva"Een eiland in groen en blauw"72.022"De stad"64.563"Alles ben jij"68.044"Waar ben je"64.075"Een strand vol eenzaamheid"71.53Qualified6"Nooit of nooit"53.087Rita Deneve"Je naam"Disqualified8Chris Wijnen"Tot wederziens"66.559Louis Neefs"Ik heb zorgen"78.01Qualified10"Hoor je dat hart"Disqualified
After the songs were performed, "Je naam" and "Hoor je dat hart" were disqualified for lasting longer than 3 minutes.
Final Even though eight songs qualified for the final, only seven songs took part, as Louis Neefs had decided to withdraw "Zij was zo mooi" in order not to run the risk of splitting his vote.
Voting was done by a 15-member jury who each gave one point to their favourite song. Only three of the songs registered any points on the board.
+ Final – 25 February 1967 Artist Song Points Place 1"De ranke roos" 1 3 2"De wind" 0 4 3Rita Deneve"Die eerste kus" 0 4 4"Een strand vol eenzaamheid" 0 4 5Louis Neefs"Ik heb zorgen" 11 1 6"Verlangen" 3 2 7Chris Wijnen"Want ik hield van jou" 0 4
At Eurovision On the night of the final Neefs performed 10th in the running order, following and preceding eventual contest winners the . At the close of the voting "Ik heb zorgen" had received 8 points (the highest being 3 from ), placing Belgium 7th of the 17 participating countries. The highest marks from the Belgian jury were 3s to and the United Kingdom.
Voting
+ Points awarded to Belgium Score Country 3 points 1 point
+ Points awarded by Belgium Score Country 3 points 1 point
References