What's Another Year

Background

Conception

"What's Another Year" was written by Shay Healy. When showband frontman Glen Curtin, the original choice of singer, turned it down, the song was rearranged by Bill Whelan to suit Johnny Logan's singing style. Musically, the song is easily identifiable by its saxophone introduction played by Scottish musician Colin Tully. Logan recorded the song in English, German –as "Was ist schon ein Jahr"–, and Spanish –as "¿Qué es un año más?"–.

Eurovision

On 9 March 1980, "What's Another Year" performed by Logan competed in the organised by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) to select its song and performer for the of the Eurovision Song Contest. The song won the competition so it became the –and Logan the performer– for Eurovision.

On 19 April 1980, the Eurovision Song Contest was held at the Nederlands Congresgebouw in The Hague hosted by Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS), and broadcast live throughout the continent. Logan performed "What's Another Year" seventeenth on the evening, following 's "Hé, hé M'sieurs dames" by Profil and preceding 's "Quédate esta noche" by Trigo Limpio. Noel Kelehan conducted the event's live orchestra in the performance of the Irish entry.

At the close of voting, it had received 143 points, placing first in a field of nineteen, and winning the contest. In his winning reprise, Logan was overcome with emotion and could not achieve the high notes near the end of the song. Instead, he called out "I love you Ireland", a phrase he would repeat seven years later. It was succeeded as Eurovision winner at the by "Making Your Mind Up" by Bucks Fizz for the . It was succeeded as Irish representative 1981 by "Horoscopes" by Sheeba.

Aftermath

The success of "What's Another Year" launched Logan's Eurovision career. He would go on to win the with "Hold Me Now", and he would have another win as songwriter with "Why Me?" by Linda Martin in the .

On 22 August 1981, Logan performed his song in the Eurovision twenty-fifth anniversary concert Songs of Europe held in Mysen. "What's Another Year" was one of fourteen songs chosen by Eurovision fans and a European Broadcasting Union (EBU) reference group, from among the 992 songs that had ever participated in the contest, to participate in the fiftieth anniversary competition Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest held on 22 October 2005 in Copenhagen. On 31 March 2015, in the Eurovision sixtieth anniversary concert Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits held in London, Logan performed the song as part of a medley with "Why Me?" and "Hold Me Now".

In the television special Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light, aired on 16 May 2020 throughout Europe, Logan performed the song live from a studio in Dublin. He was backed by the special's presenters Edsilia Rombley, Chantal Janzen, and Jan Smit from their studio in Hilversum, and a chorus of Euro-fans from around the world. A short video highlighting Logan's three Eurovision wins was shown during the instrumental bridge of the song.

Track listing

• European single 7" / 45 RPM single (RL 1005)/(EPC 8572) :A. "What's Another Year" :B. "One Night Stand"

• Spanish single 7" single (EPC 8572) :A. "Por un Año Más" - 3:08 :B. "One Night Stand" - 3:52

• West German single 7" single (EPC 8732) :A. "Was Ist Schon Ein Jahr" - 3:08 :B. "One Night Stand" - 3:52

Charts

The song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in May.{{cite book

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Cover versions

The song was covered by Shane MacGowan of the Pogues for the 1998 covers album Song for Eurotrash.

References

References

1. ''[[The Irish Times]]'', "Golden boy, forgotten man", 8 August 2009
2. "What's Another Year - lyrics".
3. "Irish Selection 1980".
4. (19 April 1980). "Eurovision Song Contest 1980".
5. "Official Eurovision Song Contest 1980 scoreboard".
6. (22 August 1981). "Songs of Europe".
7. Bakker, Sietse. (16 June 2005). "The 14 songs for Copenhagen".
8. {{Youtube. _7ISgipmWDo. Johnny Logan medley at ''[[Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits]]''
9. (3 April 2015). "Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits".
10. {{Youtube. 7k9njfw3vE8. "What's Another Year" at ''[[Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light]]''
11. (16 May 2020). "Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light".
12. (11 November 2009). "Danish Charts Archive?".
13. Pennanen, Timo. (2021). "Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021". Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava.
14. "Ireland singles charts". Irishcharts.ie.
15. (26 August 2016). "Israel Singles Charts 1987-1995".
16. "TOP 20 TMP Portugal - number one in the 80's airplay charts".
17. "Jahreshitparade Singles 1980".
18. "Jaaroverzichten 1980". Ultratop.
19. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1980". Dutch Top 40.
20. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1980".
21. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1980".
22. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". offiziellecharts.de.