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Shout For England ft. Dizzee Rascal and James Corden - 'Shout'

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Fraser McAlpine | 09:15 UK time, Thursday, 10 June 2010

James Corden and Dizzee Rascal

It's amazing what a sporting tournament can do. Why, with just a whiff of World Cup fever, the nation's recording studios have become a hive of activity. People who normally wouldn't be allowed near a microphone are warming up their throatal membranes, while people whose whole lives are caught up in music are taking the opportunity to have the musical equivalent of dress-down Friday.

New songs are being commissioned, old songs are dusted off. Then they're all whittled down, knocked into shape, puffed up, shouted over and kicked repeatedly in the face over and over again until they lose all sense of meaning or form, and then sung by celebrities in front of a baying crowd of men in shorts.

It's an astonishing time to be alive, I tell ya.

(The video is coming soon, apparently.)

Oh heck, let a bit of the old cynicism out there, didn't I? That's not a very attractive trait. How are we sposed to get behind our lads for the World Cup if we're all snarking about musical quality and giggling because James Corden has to sing "these are the things I can do without", as if this makes any sense at all in the middle of a football supporters song. Let's not do this. We are better people than that. Well, you are. Frankly, I'm a rotter.

Mind you, it's a very British kind of football song. While seeks to bring the entire world together under the banner of the same warm (Pachelbel inspired) spirit that made that last N-Dubz single such an unexpected treat, our most notable footy release contains vinegary barbs from Mr Rascal.

"Pull your finger out," he admonishes our boys, "leave the WAGs alone, set aside your ego." And if he added "perhaps you would consider not losing for once?", well it wouldn't be a surprise. That's becoming his job, to be the person who brings an element of realness to an entertainment world which can become a little lost in itself. Not so much realness that he would lose a Britain's Got Talent audience, I might add, no-one wants to hear that, but just enough to prevent this from wandering into Peter Kay territory.

In fact, you could probably make a compelling argument that he has spent the last year trying prove that there is no musical genre he can't bring back down to earth with a salty line or two. If he has a stab at hair metal before the end of 2011, you'll know why.

So that's Dizzee, how about Mr Corden? Well he's got the anthemic chorus from Tears For Fears' 'Shout', and some "way-oh!" terrace stuff too. Someone's worked "come and have a go if you think you're hard enough" into things, much like Robbie Williams did ten years ago, and as far as production values go, well it's a Simon Cowell song, so of course everything is louder and boomier than everything else.

Personally I think every football song ever pales next to the magnificence of Fat Les's 'Vindaloo', but then I would say that. I'm a rotter, remember?

Three starsDownload: Out now

(Fraser McAlpine)

"[James Corden] really did sing and apart from the weird dance routine in the middle seemed to take the whole thing quite seriously."

"Simon Cowell contacted Corden with a World Cup song, and then Dizzy Rascal comes on board to give it a bit of flavour."

"My current Glastonbury dilemma involves whether I see Mumford and Sons or Dizzee as they clash."

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    This song is awful!

    Dizzee Rascal has plummeted in my opinion, since 'Bonkers', 'Dirtee Cash' was tame, 'You Got The Dirtee Love' was a crap cover of a great cover, 'Dirtee Disco' was awful and as Dizzee himself has said, was put out because it's "whatever sells".

    And now this. Well to be honest it all very British and ticks all the traditional football song boxes. Baying mob of football supporters singing in unison? Check. "Come on, let's get to it"-esque attitude? Check. Annoying factor off the scale? Check.

    And lines like "we need Rooney on tip-tip condition/Aaron Lennon is the winger on a mission" really do merit what he said about only taking four minutes to write this song.

    Oh dear, and it loos like it's going to be IN-ESCAPABLE this summer - it's #1 on downloads.

    2 stars for spirit (;))
    1 for originality.

  • Comment number 2.

    We have already been discussing this song already , comments 3-6 on Example's brilliant Kickstarts .

    Anyway , just like those 12 classic Fawlty Towers episodes from the 70's , that appear on T.V from time to time ,I will repeat myself :

    "Don't mention the war ! "

    "OK , I will try not to . "

    1) Shout is a fantastic football song for the World Cup , that will peak high due to it's huge stand out chorus.
    "Shout" was originally a number 4 hit for Bath's most successful duo , Tears For Fears. . It also sold over 1 million copies in the UK , and was a NUMBER 1 single in America , and boasts a truly mammoth chorus .
    It was originally on the duos album , Songs From The Big Chair
    They also had an American number 1 with Everybody Wants To Rule The World and Gary Jules took their 80's hit Mad World , to number 1 at Christmas in the Noughties !

    The " These are the things I can do without" line , is obviously a reference to England going 44 years without winning a major trophy , much in the same way that Three Lions (What a song ! ) , referenced "30 years of hurt " , in 1996 . This was 30 years after we won the World Cup with a Geoff Hurst hat-trick against West Germany back in 1966 ! (Our only major trophy)

    "The crowd are on the pitch , they think it's all over .....

    It is NOW ! "

    That exact moment , of Geoff Hurst's clinching goal to make it 4-2, is the ´óÏó´«Ã½'S MOST SHOWN, piece of sporting footage ever !

    And quite rightly so !


    After 4 Number 1 singles , Who better than Dylan Mills (Mr Rascal ) , to provide the energetic , quick fire raps to the verse .

    And James Corden's star continues to rise, after his stint in Gavin and Stacey , The Brits and A League Of Their Own .

    (Just don't mention Lesbian , Vampire Killers ! )

    James and Dizzee are giving their Royalties for this track to Great Ormond Street Hospital . so I hope it sells quicker than a chest waxing kit to Frank Lampard .

    Talking of selling , I have already predicted that this will be the biggest selling song of the World Cup , and I believe that this song will peak at either positions 2 or 1 .

    We have just gotta hope that this Sunday , or next Sunday , it's sales are Friskier than Tinie Tempah !

  • Comment number 3.

    Come on England !

  • Comment number 4.

    My top 8 football songs in no particularular order are :

    1) Rascal/Corden - Shout ! - Because it's now , and the 2010 World Cup starts tomorrow in South Africa !

    2)Baddiel/Skinner/Lightning Seeds - 3 Lions - Because of the brilliant chorus , the "footballs coming home " refrain , and the fact that I was at Euro 96 .

    3)Simply Red and White - Cheer Up Peter Reid - Because it's a wonderful song , sang about a wonderful man and a wonderful football team !

    4)England/New Order - World in Motion - Because it's a fantastic song , with a memorable rap from John Barnes , and as a whole it reminds me of 1990 , how close we came , and the gentleman , that was Bobby Robson.

    5)Del Amitri - Don't Come Home TOO Soon . - Now I am not Scottish , but as an admirer of good songs , I MUST applaud this wonderful track , from a brilliant band!

    6)England World Cup Squad - This Time .
    This went to number 1 in 1970 , and paved the way for future England songs .

    7) Fat Les - Vindaloo . - It hurts me to agree with Fraser on something , but this is one helluva singalong , with one helluva powerful chorus hook ! This melts even the coldest of hearts , which is probably why he likes it :)

    8)Embrace - World At your Feet.
    This band write good melodic choruses , and here's another gem .
    I will give away a half eaten , half time hot dog from New Wembley ,to anyone who can tell me where Embrace have been hiding for the last couple of years .

    So that's me , what are other people's fave football songs and why .

    Oddone has been dropped as Fabio's Official England Team mascot , after his comments about our song at 1 ! :)

    Oh , and how far are England going in the World Cup this time ?

  • Comment number 5.

    *particular* sorry pedantic fans .x x x

  • Comment number 6.

    I think you put World In Motion a bit far down there it would easily be my no.1, as for Shout I think it's good; it's better than any other football song in recent years and most importantly it's a bit of fun. 4 STARS

  • Comment number 7.

    Oh I know I slammed it, spirit, but it's not because I think it's a bad song or anything... 'Woo-Hoo' by Christina is a bad song :)

    This is by no doubt going to storm the charts because both Corden and Dizzee have huge fan-bases, but I've never liked football songs. And also, it's already at #1 on downloads from iTunes, Amazon, etc, etc.

    It's nothing personal, so I've decided, this song gets 2 stars from me.

  • Comment number 8.

    It might give Simon Cowell and Dizzee Rascal another no.1 each, and get James Corden even more publicity, but it certainly won't get football fans singing along to it. Just another Simon Cowell-orchestrated charity no.1 that will be completely forgotten about in a few months time, that's all.

  • Comment number 9.

    My top ten football songs Spirit:

    1. World in Motion : Because it moves me, basically, and I adore New Order. I don't really need to justify this one because it is the one absolute stone cold classic, the one football song which is also a great song in its own right.

    2. Three Lions - Who would have thought, back when the Mary Whitehouse Experience was viewing de rigeur for pretentious french spouting students, that one of its alumni would be top of the charts one day, and for something so plebeian!

    3. England World Cup Squad 1970 Back Home: or whatever it is called, how funny is it??? Why do you call it This Time spirit? or is that a different thing?

    4. I'm a believer, EMF, Bob Mortimer, I don't even remember which team it was for!

    5. Nessun Dorma - Pavarotti and his song were absolutely crucial to the success of the 1990 world cup, the first one I really bothered watching.

    6. Fat Les, Vindaloo - It is a wonderful pop song, with all the cult elements necessary for longevity and the catchiness that it requires.

    7. Manchester United - Come on you Reds - I like this, I really do, despite myself. I don't like Status Quo particularly, I don't support Manchester United, but there are one or two moments on this record where the music meets the nostalgia and it does melt a small corner of the Thranjax blood mover.

    8. Half Man Half Biscuit, All I want for Christmas is a Dukla Prague Away Kit. I like this song for all the talk of Scalextric and dodgy transformers, but there is football in there as well somewhere.

    9. Struggling now. Maybe ten was a bit of a reach and should have bowed out at 8 like "half a job" spirit up there. Maybe Ant and Dec, We're on the Ball? Because, er... it reminds us of what total **** they really are?

    10. Genesis, Match of the Day. No, Stop Laughing. It really happened. No.14 in 1977.

    So there you go. I know as much about football as Robert Green knows about HOLDING a ball.

  • Comment number 10.

    Of course, if any group of people were ever in need of Primal Therapy, it is certainly England Football fans. So fine.

  • Comment number 11.

    i loveee this songgggg, also i love dizzee rascal and james corden together - wicked collaboration!! :D

  • Comment number 12.

    Not amazing.

  • Comment number 13.

    Aha... well done Liam, minimalist posting to a tee, right there. ;)

    Well now that's it's #1 I'm of to go by some ear-muffs as this is gunna shoot straight onto every radio's A-List... GUH!

  • Comment number 14.

    Youve got to hold and give, but do it at the right time, You can be slow or fast, but you must get to the line...


    Anyone care to continue?

  • Comment number 15.

    Isn't is weird that a lot of football songs feature "En-GUH-lunnnnd" as some kind of variation to wooping our countries real name?


    I hate footall songs! Notoriously bad and incredibly annoying, ruin the whole experience of football for me... that a the idiot who's brought along an air-horn and won't stop sounding the England theme.

    *Punch*

  • Comment number 16.

    What an amazing tune.... it was with the Fears! This version not so much. It´s just too much. It´s like a constant eruption, when the best songs (footie or otherwise) build up to something that you´re waiting for and want to hear again. I suppose it works well for its purpose, but a good track it ain´t.

    And World In Motion is by far the best football track. Evah! Talk about building and keeping the suspense right up until the end. Yes, thranjax, it moves me too!

  • Comment number 17.

    Please... Please... Can 'Wavin' Flag' Beat this? That is a proper world cup song.

  • Comment number 18.

    I like neither, but I must admit I favour 'Wavin' Flag'. But soon 'Fire With Fire' will show them all who's boss and nudge them down a good few places to plonk it's own arse at the top. :)

    FEAR NOT FOOTBALL SONG HATERS!

  • Comment number 19.

    COME ON ENGLAND !

  • Comment number 20.

    This song is now redundant, no?

  • Comment number 21.

    sadly yes . But the ball did cross the line .

  • Comment number 22.

    I agree, it clearly was over the line. If it just didn't hit the post, things could have been different. Plus, the defending was pretty bad.

  • Comment number 23.

    K'naan would have had a number one with a song that is just amazing... the original version is far better than the coca cola remix.

    But got stopped by this.

    'We've got to have Rooney in tip-top condition. Aaron Lennon on the wing like he's on a mission'

    ...

  • Comment number 24.

    This song has fallen from #3 to #33 since Monday.... ha.

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