An Altrincham man has assembled former members of The Smiths, The Fall and Sub Sub for a unofficial World Cup anthem that he says came to him “in a dream”.
Nigel Carr wrote the song Come on England (You Better Believe It) in just 20 minutes after his nocturnal vision.
The track caught the attention of music producer Mike Bennett, who’s previously worked with the likes of Toyah Willcox, Ian Brown and The Specials, and the finished tune has now been released under the name My Beating Heart to coincide with England’s participation in Qatar.
Come on England features an all-star line-up of artists including Melanie Williams, of Hacienda Classical and Sub Sub fame, Jay Stapley (Roger Waters Band/Suede), Craig Gannon (The Smiths) on guitar, Si Wolstencroft (The Fall) on drums, David Gleave (The Naughty Boys/Gustaffson) on guitar, John Robb (The Membranes) on eBow Guitar, and Mike Bennett (The Blockheads) on backing vocals.
Listen to the track here:
It was produced by Carr and Mike Bennett, with Pete Gleadall (The Pet Shop Boys/George Michael) also helping out.
Speaking about Melanie Williams, who fronts the song, Bennett said: “Melanie is a genius, not just a singer but a vocal acrobat and artist.
“As soon as she heard the song, she not only got behind the microphone to add her magic but had the vision to pick up on Nigel’s vision of a school choir (School’s Out, Another Brick in The Wall) and arranged for Chorlton High School Choir to sing on the track.
“She has absolutely made the record as far as I’m concerned, not just because of her own brilliant talent but her tenacity and passion. I can’t thank her enough.”
Carr’s connections to Altrincham run deep – his parents used to run Carr’s Greengrocers on Oxford Road.
Come on England (You Better Believe It) is out now on all streaming platforms and download sites. You can listen here
