The Bendik Singers were a four-member Norwegian vocal group, brought together by singer and composer Arne Bendiksen to participate in the Norwegian Eurovision Song Contest selection,

Melodi Grand Prix Melodi Grand Prix (), commonly known as Grand Prix and MGP, sometimes as Norsk Melodi Grand Prix, is an annual music competition organised by Norwegian public broadcaster (NRK). It determines for the Eurovision Song Contest, and has been sta ...

, in 1973. The group consisted of Anne-Karine Strøm, Ellen Nikolaysen and brothers Bjørn and

Philip Kruse Philip Antony Kruse (born 13 May 1949) is a Norwegian orchestra leader, composer, arranger, producer, text writer, and musician (trumpet and vocals). He is the second son of Colonel Erling O. Kruse (b. 1922) and Eunice Cooklin (b. 1925). Career ...

. They performed Bendiksen's song "Å for et spill" at the Melodi Grand Prix in

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

on 17 February 1973, and were voted the winners, earning the Norwegian ticket to the 18th Eurovision Song Contest, held in

Luxembourg City Luxembourg (; ; ), also known as Luxembourg City ( or ; ; or ), is the capital city of Luxembourg and the Communes of Luxembourg, country's most populous commune. Standing at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse rivers in southern Luxe ...

on 7 April. Before the contest the song was translated into English, with words and phrases also included from other European languages, and retitled " It's Just a Game". On the night of the contest, the song finished seventh of the 17 participating entries, Norway's first top 10 placing since 1966. The following year, Strøm won Melodi Grand Prix as a solo artist with " The First Day of Love"; at the 1974 Eurovision she was provided with backing vocals by

Anne Lise Gjøstøl Anne Lise Gjøstøl ( born 6 July 1952) is a Norwegian singer, actress and visual artist. She was born in Oslo. She made her record debut in 1965 with the single "Nå er karnevalet over", and album debut in 1971 with ''Ta min drøm''. She was a ...

and the Kruses, and the performance is sometimes credited to 'Anne-Karine Strøm featuring the Bendik Singers'. Nikolaysen represented Norway in the 1975 Eurovision, and Strøm made her third appearance in 1976, meaning that for four consecutive years at least one member of the 1973 group appeared at Eurovision.

References

{{Authority control Norwegian pop music groups Norwegian musical quartets Melodi Grand Prix winners Eurovision Song Contest entrants Musical groups established in 1973 1973 establishments in Norway Musical groups disestablished in 1973 1973 disestablishments in Norway Musical groups from Oslo