Nor did you have to sing in your native tongue after that restriction was lifted in 1973. Abba took immediate advantage.
Not many people (well, me) know that their momentous appearance on 6 April 1974 was actually Abba’s second attempt to represent Sweden at Eurovision.
The year before they had entered the preliminary national contest (what we would call Song for Sweden but they call the sweeter-sounding Melodifestivalen) with Ring Ring. They only came third.
Waterloo – originally titled Honey Pie – was written and recorded especially for the contest, with the producer aiming to emulate Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound in the layered production. It was chosen ahead of a song called Hasta Mañana because both girls sing.
Clearly determined to appeal to a Europe-wide audience in order to clinch victory, they took no chances, recording different versions in Swedish , English, French and German.
Their universal appeal was enhanced by a carefully contrived image, including those silver platform boots and skimpy mini-dresses, and the blonde-brunette contrast (though, shockingly, Anni-Frid is blonde in the video of the Swedish version below).
The contest was staged in England at the Brighton Dome (because 1973 winners Luxembourg couldn’t afford to host a fourth contest) and the interval act, showcasing the finest in British pop music to the rest of Europe, was The Wombles. The UK entry, showcasing the finest in Australian vocalists, was Olivia Newton-John.
I rather like the informative Wiki entry for the Abb song, informing readers that “the title ‘Waterloo’ does not refer to Waterloo, London, nor its landmark station.” To be fair, it’s not the most historically accurate account of the decisive battle in the Napoleonic Wars either.