The DJ who steered Rage Against The Machine to Christmas number one in a protest against the X Factor today added his name to a campaign to repeat the trick with Rik Mayall’s “lost” World Cup anthem.
Self-styled ‘charts hijacker’ Jon Morter has thrown his weight behind a social media drive to get Mayall’s song Noble England - which failed to chart in 2010 - into the top ten as a timely tribute to the comedian who died yesterday.
The song featured Mayall delivering lines from the famous speech from Shakespeare’s Henry V, backed by a catchy football chant.
At the time of its recording, the comedian said: “Football chants are one of the great traditions of following football and Shakespeare is also part of our national heritage. It seemed only natural that they should go together.”
But amid scores of competing anthems, the song flopped. This time around it may stand a better chance.
Rik Mayall 1958-2014 - a career in pictures
With just days to go before the tournament kicks off, there is no official England World Cup song after a cover of Take That’s Greatest Day by Gary Barlow and Michael Owen was sidelined by the FA.
Other unofficial contenders include Monty Python’s reworked Always Look on the Bright Side of Life and Lily Allen’s Bass Like Home.
Five years ago Mr Morter, 40, and his then-wife Tracy gained national headlines after they successfully pushed rap-rock anthem Killing in the Name to number one after four consecutive years of X Factor Christmas chart toppers.
Mr Morter said: “It would be a great thing for Rik’s memory. He was a comedy legend. Rage Against The Machine was more of a protest whereas this campaign seems to be a way of displaying respect. It’s a vehicle for a lot of people to say something and it would be a great accolade.
“In 2010 the song didn’t do so well because there were so many others out there. It’s a cruel irony that on the eve of the World Cup we have lost him. It’s now time for everyone to wake up to this fantastic song.”
A Facebook page dedicated to making Noble England number one had received more than 2,500 ‘likes’ within a few hours of it being posted yesterday. To buy the track, go to: http://bit.ly/rikitunes
