7. Gitte – Jeg Snakker Med Mig Selv
The selection
This is one of those cases where the song didn’t even make it to the national final. DR lined up six artists for the 1962 Eurovision Song Contest. Usual suspects Dario Campeonotto and Birthe Wilke were in it, but there was also this sixteen year old girl: Gitte. She was set to enter with a bouncy little swing number, Jeg snakker med mig selv. She was disqualified before the show even took place and that made sure Ellen Winther could landslide the national final with her snoozefest (or lullaby, whatever you want) Vuggevise.
What was the skandal?
This story is one of the more iconic, yet astonishing ones in the history of Eurovision. DR was probably the strictest broadcaster in Europe. No song could be performed in any way, sort or form before the show. 100% secret. Nothing, absolutely zero. Clear?
Well then, when a producer, who had obviously attended the rehearsals of the show, was found in the cafetaria of DR to be whistling Gitte’s song (or well, they believed he was whistling this song), DR responded immediately: The producer had publicly performed Jeg snakker med mig selv before the show took place and Gitte was kicked out. Can you believe it?
How would this have done?
Common opinion is that Gitte would’ve done miles and miles better than Ellen. Ellen finished in tenth with just two points, but Gitte’s young charm and catchy song would probably have done better. Would it have beaten Isabelle Aubret? Oh no, because until 1962, French and Dutch chansons were all that mattered in Eurovision. Nothing could come close to Isabelle’s Un Premier Amour.
Gitte got her Eurovision fame in the end, though. As many Scandinavian stars (think Siw Malmkwist, Wencke Myhre), Gitte attempted her luck at the German schlager market. That worked out pretty well and in 1973, she was chosen to travel to Luxembourg to represent Germany, where she performed Junger Tag, finishing in eighth.
