#imaani

1998 - “Where Are You” by Imaani (UK)

1993 - “Vrede” by Ruth Jacott (Netherlands)

The Great British Song Contest of 1998 was extraordinarily close. The privilege of representing the host country was settled on a televote. Third place got 65,712 votes. Second 66,278. Imaani won with 70,421. This comes after 800 songs were submitted to the BBC as prospective candidates. With eight songs initially selected, none were joke or troll entries, all were worthy potential Eurovision candidates. Whatever you think about the UKs attitude to Eurovision these days, in 1998 there was enthusiasm and excitement.

Prior to this, Imaani herself had provided vocals for the band Incognito and FM Inc. She was relatively unknown yet her assured confidence on stage with deep, smooth vocals didn't betray that lack of experience in front of an audience.

Where Are You? was written (shockingly) by the same man who wrote Jeff Beck's Hi Ho Silver Lining. This is not a football ground chant though. It's a plaintive plea for a lost love over a subdued house beat. It's chill, even if Imaani is singing about a prolonged heartbreak. It's contemporary chart music and after the previous years UK entries, that's perhaps a little surprising. This was modern. For a country that had been finding Eurovision increasingly naff, this was cool. Success can sometimes change perceptions.

This was one of the favourites going into Eurovision, and it did very well. Going into the final round of voting, it was was still in contention. 10 points from North Macedonia took it above Malta, but it couldn't pip Israel for the win. Another second place for the UK, Eurovision's perennial second-placed country.

Sadly, this success was short-lived. Imaani's recording contract got cancelled despite this single selling a quarter of a million copies in the UK. The music industry the BBC reverted to type, killing a career and failing to learn lessons. The UK had been in the forefront of change to Eurovision in the 1990s, and while this is not quite the last hurrah, but it's definitely the point at which the plot was lost. Having put on such a successful Eurovision, as soon as that winning feeling disappeared, corporate interest waned.

Imaani - "Where Are You?"

In 1998, Imaani became the first black singer to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Imaani sang 'Where Are You?' which placed 2nd overall.

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