# Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1985

Switzerland was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1985 with the song "Piano, piano", composed by Anita Kerr, with lyrics by Trudi Müller-Bosshard [de], and performed by Mariella Farré and Pino Gasparini [de]. The Swiss participating broadcaster, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR), selected its entry for the contest through a national final.

## Before Eurovision
### Background

The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR) held a national final to select its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 1985. The national final was a collaboration between three broadcasters that comprised SRG SSR: the Swiss-German and Romansh broadcaster Schweizer Fernsehen der deutschen und rätoromanischen Schweiz (SF DRS), the Swiss-French broadcaster Télévision suisse romande (TSR), and the Swiss-Italian broadcaster Televisione svizzera di lingua italiana (TSI). Unlike previous Swiss national finals, where all composite broadcasters internally selected their entries, a public preliminary round was held by one of the regional broadcasters. SF DRS held a preselection to select its three entries, while TSR and TSI internally selected their entries.

### Regional preselections
#### Ein Lied für Schweden: Concours de l'Eurovision 1985

Ein Lied für Schweden: Concours de l'Eurovision 1985, the SF DRS preselection, was held and broadcast on radio on 15 December 1984 at 20:00 CET on DRS 1 and RTS 2 and was held in Beromünster. Songwriters from Switzerland and Liechtenstein were able to submit songs for Mariella Farré (who represented Switzerland in 1983), Pino Gasparini [de] (who represented Switzerland in 1977 as part of the Pepe Lienhard Group), and the Martin Richard Trio. The Swiss-German and Romansh viewers then voted to decide which songs would qualify to the final.
The following songs were selected to enter the national final. No other information is known about the preliminary round, including the titles of the remaining songs and artists.
Ein Lied für Schweden: Concours de l'Eurovision 1985 — 15 December 1984 :
| Artist(s) | Song | Songwriter(s) | Songwriter(s) | Result |
| Artist(s) | Song | Composer | Lyricist | Result |
| Mariella Farré | "Pierrot" | Markus Ellenberger | Markus EllenbergerWaltraud Battaglia | Advanced |
| Mariella Farré and Pino Gasparini [de] | "Piano, piano" | Anita Kerr | Trudi Müller-Bosshard [de] | Advanced |
| Martin Richard Trio | "Der Kuckuck" | Acid Cider BandMarcel Bless | Marcel Bless | Advanced |

### Concours Eurovision de la Chanson 1985

TSR staged the national final on 23 February 1985 at 21:10 CET in its studios in Geneva. It was hosted by Serge Moisson, with Le Groupe Instrumental Romand accompanying the performances. Les Compagnons de l'Arche featuring Hana Lamkova and the Black Theater of Prague made guest appearances.
Among the participants were Arlette Zola (who represented Switzerland in 1982), Rainy Day [de] (who represented Switzerland in 1984), and Daniela Simons (who would later represent Switzerland in 1986). The Martin Richard Trio was renamed to 'Swiss Singers' and featured a fourth member.
Participating entries :
| Broadcaster | Artist(s) | Song | Songwriter(s) | Songwriter(s) | Language |
| Broadcaster | Artist(s) | Song | Composer | Lyricist | Language |
| RTSI | Friends | "Europeo" | Corry Knobel | Corry Knobel | Italian |
| RTSI | Rainy Day [de] | "Gioventù" | Nella Martinetti | Hans GmürNella Martinetti | Italian |
| RTSI | Renato Mascetti | "Una notte a Casablanca" | Renato Mascetti | Renato Mascetti | | Italian |
| SF DRS | Mariella Farré | "Pierrot" | Markus Ellenberger | Markus EllenbergerWaltraud Battaglia | German |
| SF DRS | Mariella Farré and Pino Gasparini [de] | "Piano, piano" | Anita Kerr | Trudi Müller-Bosshard [de] | German |
| SF DRS | Swiss Singers | "Der Kuckuck" | Acid Cider BandMarcel Bless | Marcel Bless | German |
| TSR | Arlette Zola | "Aime-moi" | Pietro Silvestri | Pietro Silvestri | French |
| TSR | Daniela Simons | "Repars à zéro" | Daniela Simons | Daniela Simons | | French |
| TSR | Nicky Nicolas | "Je n'aime que toi" | Franco Bussmann | Nicky Nicolas | French |
The voting consisted of regional public votes which were sent to the three divisions of SRG SSR (DRS, TSR, TSI: German, French, and Italian speaking, respectively), a press jury, and an "expert" jury. Applications for viewers to join the regional juries were sent via postcard until 17 February, and 50 viewers from each canton were randomly selected to cast their votes to their broadcaster divisions via phone call. The winner was the song "Piano, piano", composed by Anita Kerr with lyrics from Trudi Müller-Bosshard [de] and performed by Mariella Farré and Pino Gasparini [de].
Final — 23 February 1985 :
| R/O | Artist(s) | Song | Regional Juries | Regional Juries | Regional Juries | Press Jury | Expert Jury | Total | Place |
| R/O | Artist(s) | Song | DRS | TSR | TSI | Press Jury | Expert Jury | Total | Place |
| 1 | Rainy Day [de] | "Gioventù" | 3 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 30 | 4 |
| 2 | Nicky Nicolas | "Je n'aime que toi" | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 9 |
| 3 | Mariella Farré | "Pierrot" | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 22 | 7 |
| 4 | Friends | "Europeo" | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 21 | 8 |
| 5 | Mariella Farré and Pino Gasparini [de] | "Piano, piano" | 8 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 35 | 1 |
| 6 | Arlette Zola | "Aime-moi" | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 31 | 3 |
| 7 | Daniela Simons | "Repars à zéro" | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 32 | 2 |
| 8 | Swiss Singers | "Der Kuckuck" | 10 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 27 | 5 |
| 9 | Renato Mascetti | "Una notte a Casablanca" | 2 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 24 | 6 |

## At Eurovision

At the Eurovision Song Contest 1985, held at the Scandinavium in Gothenburg, the Swiss entry was the fifteenth entry of the night following the United Kingdom and preceding Sweden. The Swiss conductor at the contest was Anita Kerr, who composed the song and was one of the only female conductors in the Eurovision Song Contest. At the close of voting, Switzerland had received 39 points in total; finishing in twelfth place out of nineteen countries.

### Voting

Each participating broadcaster assembled a jury panel with at least eleven members. The jurors awarded 1-8, 10, and 12 points to their top ten songs.