10:48am Tuesday 9th February 2010
By Carl Brown
A WORLD Cup 2010 song co-written by a music producer from Chingford has become an internet sensation.
Brian Hodgson, of Horsley Road, has along with Pete Lincoln, current frontman of glam rock band Sweet, written a tune called The Hope & Glory Road for the football world cup.
Mr Hodgson, 65, said: “My publisher asked us to do something about football, which for us is not an obvious thing to do.
“We went in the studio and the thing happened so quickly, we just knew it was right.”
The rock anthem, with its catchy chorus, has already struck a chord with both sports and music fans across the country.
A video to the song, made up of famous football clips, has attracted 2,300 hits in just over a week.
The tune has been played on various radio stations and a Facebook campaign to make it the official England song of the tournament has been launched.
Mr Hodgson, who plays bass on the record, said: “I'm gobsmacked by how quickly this has all happened, it's different to the old days, when you had to wait for a label to release a record.
“People are listening to it in Germany, USA and Japan.”
So will The Hope & Glory Road equal the success of Back Home in 1970 or World in Motion in 1990?
The 65-year-old said: “When you think about the World Cup, you think about passion, so we wanted something that was passionate and anthemic.
“It differs from most football songs because it is more tuneful and does not have the team singing on it.
“But it can be sung on the terraces, there is a bit in the middle where it breaks down and is a flag-waving song.”
The 65-year-old has been in the music business for decades as a musician, artiste, composer and producer.
He has toured with Billy Fury and in the 1970s worked with George Harrison and Eric Idle on the comedy television series Rutland Weekend Television.
He has written and produced for a wide variety of stars, including Shakin' Stevens, Dennis Waterman, Johnny Hallyday, Sonny Curtis and Kirstie McCall.
He was a member of 1980s British rockabilly band Matchbox and more recently has written music for television programmes, including Jeremy Clarkson's show Clarkson.
He is also no stranger to writing football tunes, having co-written Manchester United's 1993 title-winning song United (We Love You), at a time when his son Paul was playing football in the same team as David Beckham.
To hear the song visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjvYZTiTDS8
The Hope & Glory Road
Stand tall forever in our thoughts and in our hearts
A million voices call out your name
Be your nation’s pride
Keep the dream alive
And do it all for the hope and glory road.
Where legends and dreams are made
We’ll keep right on track but we’ll always look back
Down the hope and glory road
Walk on together hand in hand with the best
You hold the world at your feet
Carve another name in football’s hall of fame
And do it all for the hope and glory road
Where legends and dreams are made
We’ll keep right on track but we’ll always look back
Down the hope and glory road
Heroes of the game you’re gonna live forever
Can you hear them say “We’re all part of football’s story
On the road of hope and glory”
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