Checking in at number 77 on the Eurovision Top 100 countdown is “Hablemos del amor,” Spain’s entry from 1967.
In this contest, a young Spanish singer known as Raphael represented Spain for a second time. The prior year, 1966, Raphael carried the flag for his homeland with “Yo soy aquél.” He was back for more in 1967, looking to improve upon his position. One could say that Raphael started Spain’s golden era at Eurovision – though sorry to say, it was not especially long. He posted consecutive top-ten finishes, then Spain won twice, and after that, they had Julio Iglesias.
They would follow Julio with two runner-up finishes in three years before they receded backwards, but if you were a Spanish Eurovision fan in this era, this is where it got exciting.
Vital Information: “Hablemos del amor”
| Song | Hablemos del amor |
| English Translation | Let’s talk about love |
| Performed By | Raphael |
| Written By | Manuel Alejandro |
| Country | Spain |
| Year | 1967 |
| Language(s) Performed In | Spanish |
| How It Fared | 6th Place (9 Points) |
| Was It Fair? | Not really |
What I Liked
What a voice. That’s all that needs to be said, but I’ll keep going: the composition was ideal for showing off his talents and if I were jamming to Eurovision songs in 1967, this would have been on my theoretical Spotify playlist.
Other Facts
- Spain’s sixth-place showing was their best finish at Eurovision to that point, with Raphael beating his own mark of seventh place in 1966.
- This song would be followed by back-to-back wins by Spain in 1968 and 1969 – their only victories to date at Eurovision.
- Raphael performed 12th in the running order, right after Sandie Shaw’s winning song.
- He had the same songwriter for both of his entries, Manuel Alejandro.
- Raphael went on to a very successful singing career which continues as of 2024. Some might argue that Eurovision helped launch his international fame, or at least gave it a boost.
“Hablemos del amor” and This Song
Check out the video of his 1967 Eurovision performance here.
