The decade that swung was coming to an end. Across Europe you could hear the guffaws that were still being screamed out at Spain's shocking win in '68.  "How could that song have won" They shouted... and many thought they had a point to be honest.  Has the Eurovision ceased to be a good idea if major stars can't win?

Not a bit of it the BBC retorted - after many months of soul searching and general biting of nails - they came back bigger and better than ever.  208 songs were submitted to the Music Publishers association  - and from these 16 were forwarded to the BBC - along with 3 from the singer's own songwriters - and from these 6 songs were chosen.

As for that singer - well the BBC went again for chart success.  Someone who had got 7 top 20 hits to her name and who had toured around the World and, fact fans, was the first UK Artist to perform behind the Iron Curtain.  It was, of course, Lennoxtown's very own Lulu.  

And as for the composers... well, where to begin! - Alan Hawkshaw for starters, the man that would go on to write classics such as the "Countdown time" music, the Channel 4 News theme and the theme to Grange Hill, waded in at the start of his career with a song. Don Black, already an Oscar winning song writer in 1966 with the theme from Born Free had an association with Mark London, as they had written Lulu's hit " To sir, with love".  Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, also took part.  As managers of The Honeycombes they had already written numerous hits but their talents went beyond that group, they also wrote for Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch, The Herd, and Lulu herself.  Finally Elton John and Bernie Taupin - A duo that need no introduction.

And so, on February 22nd the 6 songs were unveiled to the public and once again you were asked to send in a postcard with your choice on...  This seems to have worked rather well considering the amount of public participation that was garnered last year and it proved so again with over 100,000 postcards entered.

And so it was that one of Lulu's least favourite song was the most voted for song and, begrudgingly, off it went to Madrid as the choice of the UK.

I suppose a  quarter win is good enough , and confusing enough, to get the UK going "eh" at some point!  So the 60's came to a close with a win and a quarter in the bank... Is this going to be enough??  Don't you bet on it!