4. Finn Kalvik – Aldri I Livet (Norway 1981)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmR6p6Kn15I
Redeeming features?
This is the song that really cemented Norway’s reputation as Eurovision flops at the time, which is a crying shame, because it’s very lovely, particularly the studio recording – but then of course it would be, with Finn’s friend Benny Andersson of ABBA on production duties. In something of an “Easter egg” for Eurovision fans, the studio version also features Agnetha and Frida on backing vocals, which makes the song all the more pretty. That’s not to rob Finn Kalvik of credit for actually writing the song, but everything fits together nicely here.
What went wrong?
Unfortunately however, when you strip away the lush production and the haunting backing vocals from the female half of ABBA, it leaves Finn Kalvik somewhat exposed. It’s just a singer-songwriter with not much stage presence, in an ill-advised outfit, timidly singing a little song. It’s still a nice little song of course, but it’s nothing compared to the studio recording, and only a quick look at the winner from that year will tell you that it just wasn’t what the juries were looking for.
