The Libertines, Supergrass and The Delays to make Euro 2004 anthem

[imitationleather]

From NME.com.

A SONG FOR EUROPE!

THE LIBERTINES, SUPERGRASS and DELAYS are recording a football song for EURO 2004 - and they want you to write it.

The indie stars rang XFM to offer their support to the station's 'Song For Europe' competition.

Launched on the Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show, the competition is looking for people to send in demos of their original football-themed anthems.

The winner will be chosen from an online voting poll, and will have their song recorded by the rock icons and played on XFM throughout the summer.

Presenter Christian O'Connell said he was very surprised to receive a call on air from The Libertines' Carl Barat - but not as surprised as the singer appeared to be.

"Last Thursday (April 22) we were just chatting to a father and son who had sent in a demo when Carl from The Libertines called in saying, 'I'd like to take part, I'd love to do it'," Christian told NME.COM.

"Now you see, rock stars in the morning they're fragile, it's like treading on eggshells trying to interview them. Even though he'd called us to say 'I want to do this', suddenly halfway though the phone call he said 'So, what are we doing?' And I went, 'Er, the 'Song For Europe' - you want to sing on the song, the one we pick to get released!' And he was like, 'Oh! Brilliant idea! Yeah, call me after the show that sounds like a brilliant idea!'.

The singer was the latest in a string of music celebs to get in touch.

"We've also got Danny from Supergrass who rang two shows before him to say he'd be up for doing drums on whichever song we pick to release. Then Delays called in as well - they're big football fans apparently and they said they'd do handclaps and maybe we can write Greg (Gilbert) a little girly bit to sing," added Christian.

The presenter said the decision to launch 'Song For Europe' came after hearing Blazin' Squad were lined up to record the FA's official anthem for Euro 2004.

"As soon as we heard that it looked like the Blazin' Squad were going to do the FA song that was it really, it was like the red mist descended. We thought this is rubbish and rather than just moaning about it we thought let's see if anyone listening can write a really good anthem and we'll get it released," he said.

The Breakfast Show has received over 60 entries so far and the team will be whittling them down to five finalists on Friday (April 30). The public is then invited to visit the XFM website over the weekend to listen to the finalists and vote on who should win.

But Christian was eager to remind NME.COM readers that there is still time to submit an entry.

"NME and NME.COM readers are the right kind of people to come up with a good lyric. We are going to be approaching John Barnes this week about getting him involved in the new 2004 anthem. Now if that isn't a call to arms to NME readers then I don't know what is. Y'know, he's got a bit bigger since 'World In Motion', but we need to write that man a new sort of Eminem, Mikey Skinner style rap to do with some phat beats," he said.

Blimey. Well, I'm not too sure what to make of this. On one hand I'm thinking, "A football song?! Gah, no!" but on another I think it's quite a fun idea and could be alright. Afterall, on paper 'World in Motion' sounds like a crap idea...

I didn't know that Blazin' Squad were doing the official song. Jesus Christ, what were the FA thinking? Blazin' Squad fans (i.e. pre-pubescent chav girls) just aren't interested in football. This is going to be an even bigger own goal than that 1998 Spice Girls travesty.

So, anyone got any lyrics to suggest for the track? Let's submit a Verbwhores entry!

[Doctor Stamen]

I started a thread about the choice of Blazin' Squad a few weeks back.  Thankfully, the FA have withdrawn their offer and have decided to release a new version of 'All Together Now' by The Farm.  Seriously.

Anything involving yer Libertines and ver 'Grass should be interesting, fairly tongue-in-cheek, and shouldn't be anywhere near as naff as the football songs of yesteryear like 'Here We Go', 'Anfield Rap' or any of Spurs' dismal 1980s efforts.  Maybe they could get Big Fat Ron to rap about Europe-wide racial harmony as an pre-emptive attempt to mend some of the damage that England fans will inevitably create when they go to Portugal and smash up all the shops and try to kick the fuck out of everything that moves.

[imitationleather]

Oh, I didn't see that thread. It must've been posted during one of my "cruises" when I'm unable to get online.

'Three Lions' (the '96 version) seems to be the last time the FA picked a decent song. They missed out on 'Vindaloo' in '98 and let Fat Les do the song for 2000, but it was just plain awful. I can't even remember what we had in 2002. No doubt it was by Westlife or something.

They're really missing a trick by not making this collaboration track the official one. It's going to be better than what the FA has picked (I'm certainly laying my neck on the line by saying that without even hearing it, aren't I?) and I imagine it will do much better in the charts too.

Does the FA benefit from the official singles? Do they get a cut of the profits or something? Presumably if they do, they blow it all on Lowry paintings...

[Peking O]

... we need to write that man a new sort of Eminem, Mikey Skinner style rap to do with some phat beats," he said.

Er, right. How about if we send in loads and loads of rhymes promoting what a jolly decent bloke we think Big Ron is, just to see if John Barnes will "rap them over some phat beats"?

[Doctor Stamen]

The worst ever was the Spice Girls, Ian McCulloch and Simon 'OCS' Fowler in 1998.  It wasn't even cringeworthy, it was just complete shite.  

They should have gone for 'Ball, Ball, Ball, Footy, Footy, Footy' by Adam and Joe instead.

[hands cold, liver warm]

mick hucknall did the official tournament song for  euro 1996, called something like "we're in it together"

a fact that surely closes the debate over the worst football song ever.

[Doctor Stamen]

mick hucknall did the official tournament song for  euro 1996, called something like "we're in it together"

a fact that surely closes the debate over the worst football song ever.

You're right, that was fucking dire.  I remember him singing it at the opening ceremony before England v Switzerland with that stupid big dragon.

[Jet Set Willy]

The worst ever was the Spice Girls, Ian McCulloch and Simon 'OCS' Fowler in 1998.  It wasn't even cringeworthy, it was just complete shite.  

They should have gone for 'Ball, Ball, Ball, Footy, Footy, Footy' by Adam and Joe instead.

I'm pretty sure that, like me, all the whores would love to hear this song right now:

THE FOOTIE SONG

[imitationleather]

Haha, thanks a lot for that Jet Set Willy. I've not heard it before but no doubt it's going to be running through my head for the next week or so.

[butnut]

Ah thanks! I love Adam and Joe.

Might even be worth telling the CC gang (if they don't see it over here)

[chand]

Dammit, The Footie Song is a catchy little bugger.

'When I go see Villa
my view is blocked by a concrete pillar'

[The Region Legion]

THE FOOTIE SONG

I can't decide if that's a very clever bit of musical parody or if they were genuinely trying to get their song as the official FA song...