Never the end - Kari Kuivalainen

Kari Kuivalainen was primarily a composer rather than a singer, and in 1986 he submitted his song 'Päivä kahden ihmisen', which was originally intended for singer Kaija Koo. However, she declined the chance to participate, so Kuivalainen decided to perform the song himself at the Finnish national final, where he was the choice of the jury (by a margin of only one point over former Eurovision participant Kirka) to go forward to represent Finland at the 31st Eurovision Song Contest.

Prior to the contest, Kuivalainen changed some of the lyrics to the song, and although it was sung in Finnish, the title was changed to 'Never The End', which appeared on screen on the night of the contest and is the name by which the song is commonly known. The song finished in 15th place in a field of 20 competitors. This single features the English version of the song rather than the Finnish one, hence the title... 'Never the end'. Kuivalainen subsequently became a member of band Menneisyyden Vangit, alongside another Eurovision veteran, Vicky Rosti.

My collection: 7" single no. 6561
Found: Ebay, received 3 December 2021
Tracks: 'Never the end' / 'Sailing away with my dreams'