TheEurovisionSongContest1973wastheeighteenthEurovisionSongContestandwasheldinLuxembourgThelanguageruleforcingcountriestoentersongssunginanyoftheirnationallanguageswasdroppedsoperformersfromsomecountriessanginEnglish
TheeventwasmarkedbyascandalwhentheSpanishsongErestwasaccusedofplagiarismfollowingsuggestionsthatitwasmerelyarewriteoftheYugoslaventryfromthe1966contestBrezbesedsungbyBertaAmbroErestwasnotdisqualifiedAfterplacingsecondinthecontestthesongwentontobecomeahugeinternationalhit
ThesomewhatellipticallyricstoPortugalsentryTouradaprovidedsufficientcoverforasongthatwasclearlyunderstoodasablisteringassaultonthecountrysdecayingdictatorship
AnargumentbrokeoutbetweenthesingerMaxiandherIrishdelegationoverhowthesongshouldbeperformedDuringrehearsalssherepeatedlystoppedperforminginfrustrationWhenitbegantoappearpossiblethatMaximaywithdrawfromthecontestRTimmediatelysentoveranothersingerTinaReynoldstotakeherplacejustincaseIntheendMissReynoldswasntneededasMaxididperformwithherentryearning10thplaceonthescoreboard
Maltawasdrawntoperformin6thplacebetweenNorwayandMonacobuttheMaltesebroadcasterwithdrewbeforethedeadlinetoselectanentryMaltawouldattempttoreturntothecontestin1974
The1973contestmarkedthefirsttimethatawomanconductedtheESCorchestraTherewereactuallytwoMonicaDominiqueconductedtheSwedishentryandNuritHirshconductedtheIsraelientry
Inthelightofeventsatthe1972SummerOlympicsinMunichtherewerefearsofaterroristthreatparticularlydirectedagainstIsraelsfirsteverentrantleadingtounusuallytightsecurityforthecontestThisgaverisetooneofthebestknownEurovisionanecdotesfrequentlyrecountedbytheUKslongservingcommentatorTerryWoganHerecalledthatthefloormanagerstronglyadvisedtheaudiencetoremainseatedwhileapplaudingtheperformancesotherwisetheyriskedbeingshotbysecurityforces1
LuxembourgswinwastheirfourthThevotingwasaverycloseonewithSpainfinishingonly4pointsbehindandCliffRichardwhocamesecondin1968another2pointsafter

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