Back Home (song)

Last updated

"Back Home"
Single by England World Cup Squad
B-side "Cinnamon Stick"
ReleasedApril 1970
Length2:07
Label Pye
Songwriter(s) Bill Martin, Phil Coulter
Producer(s) Bill Martin, Phil Coulter
England World Cup Squad singles chronology
"Back Home"
(1970)
"This Time (We'll Get It Right)" / "England, We'll Fly the Flag"
(1982)

"Back Home" is a popular song written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter. It was recorded by the 1970 England World Cup squad and released on the single Pye 7N 17920. It was produced by Martin and Coulter. The musical arrangements were made by Coulter. [1] The single, which began the tradition of the England squad recording songs to celebrate its involvement in the World Cup, reached number one on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in May 1970. [2] England were the reigning world champions at the time, having won the 1966 World Cup, but were knocked out in the quarter finals after a 3-2 defeat by West Germany.

The song was also a hit in Ireland, reaching number two in the charts there. [3]

The England team failed to qualify for the next two World Cups and, although it did release records on qualification in 1982 and 1986, it did not reach number one again until 1990, when it topped the charts with the New Order collaboration "World in Motion". The song is one of four singles supporting the England team to have topped the UK chart, along with the aforementioned "World in Motion", "Three Lions" and "Shout for England".

The tune to the song was also used as the theme tune for popular BBC mid-1990s football/comedy TV programme Fantasy Football League .

The B side of the 7" vinyl single was called "Cinnamon Stick", and was also sung by the England football team. It began, "Sweet as sugar, twice as nice, cinnamon stick, cinnamon stick; see that twinkle in her eyes, cinnamon stick, cinnamon stick." After this, the tempo increases as the song goes into declarations of love. The b-side gained infamy during the 1998 World Cup, when Skinner and Baddiel mentioned it on their television show “Fantasy World Cup”, a spin-off of “Fantasy Football League”. Jeff Astle in his usual closing segment to the show, sung the song at the end of a later episode.

Charts

Chart (1970)Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA) [3] 2
UK Singles (OCC) [2] 1

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You'll Never Walk Alone</span> 1945 song from the musical Carousel

"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel. In the second act of the musical, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and encourage Julie when her husband, Billy Bigelow, the male lead, stabs himself with a knife whilst trying to run away after attempting a robbery with his mate Jigger and dies in her arms. The song is reprised in the final scene to encourage a graduation class of which Louise is a member. The now invisible Billy, who has been granted the chance to return to Earth for one day in order to redeem himself, watches the ceremony and is able to silently motivate Louise and Julie to join in with the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three Lions (song)</span> 1996 single by Baddiel, Skinner and the Lightning Seeds

"Three Lions", commonly referred to as "It's Coming Home" or "Football's Coming Home", is a song by the English comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner and the rock band the Lightning Seeds. It was released on 20 May 1996 to mark the England football team's participation in that year's UEFA European Championship, which England was hosting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swing Low, Sweet Chariot</span> African-American spiritual song

"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is an African-American spiritual song and one of the best-known Christian hymns. Originating in early oral and musical African-American traditions, the date it was composed is unknown. Performances by the Hampton Singers and the Fisk Jubilee Singers brought the song to the attention of wider audiences in the late 19th century. J. B. T. Marsh includes an early version of text and tune in his 1876 publication The Story of the Jubilee Singers, with Their Songs. The earliest known recording of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" was recorded in 1894, by the Standard Quartette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World in Motion</span> 1990 single by New Order

"World in Motion..." is a song by British band New Order. The song is New Order's only number-one song on the UK Singles Chart. It was produced for the England national football team's 1990 FIFA World Cup campaign, and features a guest rap by England footballer John Barnes and additional vocals by several members of the English team of 1990 and comedian Keith Allen, who had co-written the lyrics.

Philip Coulter is an Irish musician, songwriter and record producer from Derry, Northern Ireland. He was awarded the Gold Badge from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in October 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)</span> Popular song by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans

"Que Sera, Sera " is a song written by the team of Jay Livingston and Ray Evans that was first published in 1955. Doris Day introduced it in the Alfred Hitchcock film The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), singing it as a cue to their onscreen kidnapped son. The three verses of the song progress through the life of the narrator—from childhood, through young adulthood and falling in love, to parenthood—and each asks "What will I be?" or "What lies ahead?" The chorus repeats the answer: "What will be, will be."

Blue Is the Colour is a terrace chant associated with Chelsea Football Club. It was performed by players from the Chelsea squad and released in 1972 to coincide with the club's ultimately unsuccessful appearance in that year's League Cup Final against Stoke City. The record was issued by Penny Farthing Records and reached number 5 in the UK Charts and number 8 in Ireland in March 1972. It has become one of the most well-known English football songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marching On Together</span> 1972 single by Leeds United FC

"Leeds! Leeds! Leeds!" is the name of the anthem of Leeds United written by Les Reed and Barry Mason. The vocals on the original recording were sung by the 1972 team members of the Leeds United and their supporters. The record stayed in the UK Singles Chart for almost three months, peaking at number 10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Son of My Father</span> 1972 single by Chicory Tip

"Son of My Father" is a song popularised in 1972 by Chicory Tip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey! Baby</span> 1961 single by Bruce Channel

"Hey! Baby" is a song written by Margaret Cobb and Bruce Channel, first recorded at Clifford Herring Studios in Ft. Worth Tx, and recorded by Channel in 1961, first released on LeCam Records, a local Fort Worth, Texas label. After it hit, it was released on Smash Records for national distribution. Channel co-produced the song with Major Bill Smith and released it on Mercury Records' Smash label. It reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, starting the week ending March 10, 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come On You Reds</span> 1994 single by the Manchester United football squad featuring Status Quo

"Come on You Reds" is a song recorded by the 1994 Manchester United football squad, written and produced by the rock group Status Quo. It first entered the UK Singles Chart on 30 April 1994 and remained there for a total of 15 weeks, reaching a two-week peak of number one. The song is the only club side football single to reach number one on the UK chart; however, "Back Home" and "World in Motion" both topped the charts for the England national side. The song also reached number one in Denmark and became a top-10 hit in Ireland and Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnaval de Paris</span> 1998 single by Dario G

"Carnaval de Paris" is a song by English electronic music trio Dario G. The song was recorded for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France and was released as a single on 18 May 1998 in Europe. The following month, the track was issued in the United Kingdom and peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Old Arsenal</span> 1971 single by Arsenal F.C.

"Good Old Arsenal" was a single released by the English football team Arsenal in 1971. It reached number 16 in the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(Is This the Way to) Amarillo</span> 1971 single by Tony Christie

"(Is This the Way to) Amarillo" is a song written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. It is about a man traveling to Amarillo, Texas, to find his girlfriend Marie.

<i>The World Beaters Sing the World Beaters</i> 1970 studio album by The 1970 England World Cup Squad

The World Beaters Sing The World Beaters is an album by the 1970 England World Cup squad created as a spin-off to the success of the song "Back Home". The album featuring songs such as a recording of "Sugar Sugar" by Bobby Moore and Francis Lee. The album was issued by Pye with a football shaped sleeve, and reached the UK top 5. The album was arranged by Phil Coulter and produced by Coulter and Bill Martin. Aside from the single "Back Home" and B-side "Cinnamon Stick", the album featured a third original Martin-Coulter composition "Glory-O", which was re-recorded two years later by a marching band directed by Martin and Coulter as the B-side of the songwriter's Philips single of the Munich 1972 Summer Olympics fanfare composed by Herbert Rehbein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shang-a-Lang (song)</span> 1974 single by Bay City Rollers

"Shang-a-Lang" is a song from the Bay City Rollers 1974 debut album Rollin', from which it was the second advance single, the track being produced by the song's writers Bill Martin and Phil Coulter.

<i>The Beautiful Game</i> (compilation album) 1996 compilation album / studio album by various artists

The Beautiful Game, subtitled The Official Album of Euro '96, is an album of music by various artists released in 1996 by RCA and BMG Records as the official companion album to the UEFA Euro 1996 football tournament in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belfast Boy</span> 1970 single by Don Fardon

"Belfast Boy" is a song by the British singer Don Fardon. Released as a single in March 1970 it spent five weeks in the UK Singles Charts, peaking at number 32. It is a tribute to the Manchester United and Northern Ireland footballer George Best, then at the height of his career. It was featured in a BBC documentary of the same year The World of Georgie Best.

References

  1. "England World Cup Squad "70" - Back Home". Discogs. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  2. 1 2 "England World Cup Squad: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  3. 1 2 "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Back Home". Irish Singles Chart.