"Puppet On A String" was chosen for Sandie by the UK public from five songs she sang on The Rolf Harris Show. She was a reluctant Eurovision artist to start with - not for any political bias reasons quoted nowadays (you listening, Bonnie and Terry?) but just because she never saw herself as that sort of singer. Her management team and Adam Faith talked her into it to try to broaden her appeal, to make her more 'cabaret'. It is probably well known amongst most Eurovision aficionados that this song was her LEAST favourite! To quote the lady herself:
"I hated it from the very first oompah to the final bang on the big bass drum. I was instinctively repelled by its sexist drivel and cuckoo-clock tune."
Despite her lack of enthusiasm for the song, "Puppet On A String" won the 1967 ESC in Vienna hands down and gave her thirteenth hit UK single, third UK Number 1 and a hit all over Europe (especially in Italy, Germany, France and Spain where she was already a star). Sandie got 47 points from 15 of the 17 juries that could vote for her, dwarfing the 22 recorded by the Irish entry of Sean Dunphy in second place. It is therefore fortunate that the BBC did not get their way before the ESC as they wanted to fire her due to her involvement in a divorce scandal as the 'other woman' - they thought that her 'risque image' might damage the UK's chances in Austria. In a interview in 2010, Sandie said that it was her competitive nature that got her through the BBC trying to stop her singing the song she hated:
"It was a horrible song ... but it was really nice to win and represent Britain. I love winning, I'm incredibly competitive ... I will do anything for that."
Obviously a divorce now would not be a scandal and Sandie going ahead with her entry started a 'Golden Age' for the UK, paving the way for other big names like Cliff Richard and Lulu to participate in Eurovision. Many entries from all countries tried to mimic the fairground sound in their tunes for years after "Puppet". Even Sandie eventually made peace with the song, re-recording it in 2007:
An interesting rework but this version would definitely NOT have won Eurovision!
Phil Coulter, one of the co-writers of the song, explains perfectly why the song was a Eurovision smash:
"A lot of writers made the mistake of writing for Sandie Shaw, while we wrote for Europe. The song was geared to Europe, even down to using a bassoon on the intro. Right away you are in a fairground and we don't waste any time. You have three minutes for a Eurovision song and the meter's running. That long note at the beginning from Sandie is a rip-off from 'Volare'".
Combine the fairground music with these lyrics and you have a Eurovision classic:
"I wonder if one day that, you'll say that, you care
If you say you love me madly, I'll gladly, be there
Like a puppet on a string
Love is just like a merry-go-round
With all the fun of a fair
One day I'm feeling down on the ground
Then I'm up in the air
Are you leading me on?
Tomorrow will you be gone?
I wonder if one day that, you'll say that, you care
If you say you love me madly, I'll gladly, be there
Like a puppet on a string
I may win on the roundabout
Then I'll lose on the swings
In or out, there is never a doubt
Just who's pulling the strings
I'm all tied up in you
But where's it leading me to?
I wonder if one day that, you'll say that, you care
If you say you love me madly, I'll gladly, be there
Like a puppet on a string
I wonder if one day that, you'll say that, you care
If you say you love me madly, I'll gladly, be there
Like a puppet on a string
Like a puppet on a..... string"
To sum it up, "Puppet" immediately hooks the listener in with its catchy, mildly annoying tune and easy to listen to lyrics. Sandie looks amazing and her 'gimmick' of singing in bare feet all adds to the whole staging. It has been said that anyone could have sung the song at Eurovision and had a good shot at winning it - the fact that an established British female singing superstar, popular all over Western and Central Europe was singing it and possessed a brilliant live vocal ability meant that the UK easily gained its first ESC win:
2nd place: "Tell The Boys" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3N9PxnWjdg
4th place: "Had A Dream Last Night" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_YsfEs3viU
Unfortunately "Ask Any Woman" (5th) and "I'll Cry Myself To Sleep" (3rd) are not available but just looking at those that are, you can see what Phil Coulter was talking about - neither of those would have had the impact, the hook, the 'earworm' factor that "Puppet" had, that EVERY Eurovision winner needs to have! It may have been a millstone around Sandie's neck for years to come but the fairground melody that is "Puppet On A String" has become one of the most memorable ESC winning songs anywhere, not just in the UK.
The first UK winner of Eurovision - it didn't take too long for the second but that is for another post...
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