The producer is Damian Harris aka Midfield General and the subject is:

I believe that some of you might have heard about him. He played somewhere in N17.

He recently took a position with the Ajax backroom staff and has said that he wouldn’t turn down a coaching role with that struggling North London club if the opportunity ever arose.

I don’t need to write any more about him. Go here for the previous entry (including music).

I want to talk about the creator of the following tunes, which are entitled about the above subject.

Damian Harris moved down to Brighton and eventually became a DJ, then a few years later got a job at a record label who had one Norman Cook signed to them. After this he co-founded Skint Records and Cook joined under the Fatboy Slim moniker.

F&M Factoid: They were the Brighton & Hove Albion shirt sponsor for 9 years.

Under the Midfield General guise in 1997 he released the Devil In Sports Casual single.
One of the tracks on EP was named after the Dutch master:

- Also from the 2007 album General Disarray was the following track, which contains the euphoric Dutch TV commentator Jack van Gelder:

(Also on that album was “Midfielding” – a collaboration with Noel Fielding of The Mighty Boosh)

Additionally… found this via YouTube which is a home made video tribute to Bergkamp:

Extra Time: The title tracks from the Devil In Sports Casual EP:

[See post to listen to audio] » Midfield General – Devil In Sports Casual [See post to listen to audio] » Devil In Sports Casual (Fatboy Slim’s ‘Does My Beat Look This Big’ Mix)

If you like this sort of thing then I highly recommend you visit Acid Ted for more of the same.

Those other remixers/producers:

You’ve probably noticed that there’s bugger all done here in relation to the nether regions. Sorry… I’ll read that again… the Loew country… ah a Freudian slip there…I meant Holland.

That’s because there is bugger all really. The music that comes out of the Netherlands is usually a very fast BPM/rave minimal lyrics: “No, no, no no no no, no no no…there’s no limits” type of thing – or even stranger are some Dutch players doing a rap song…

So I’ve had to dig into the archives and chosen an old traditional Dutch refrain: “Hup, Holland Hup !”

This from the Dutch Word of the Day:

You might be wondering what everyone’s singing these days during soccer games. “Hup Holland Hup” is one of the most heard phrases and can be translated to something like “Go Holland Go”. In the pronunciation link above, it is pronounced in a serious tone, but in reality it is usually shouted enthusiastically by excited supporters. As was explained in the DWOTD “Knuppel”, the word “hup” is only used in this alliteration. In all other circumstances it would be very archaic (however, it can be used to encourage somebody to hurry up a bit). “Hup Holland Hup” is the first line of the chorus of a popular song that has been sung since 1974:

“Hup Holland hup
Laat de leeuw niet in z’n hempie staan
Hup Holland hup
Trek het beessie geen pantoffels aan
Hup Holland hup
Laat je uit ‘t veld niet slaan
Want de leeuw op voetbalschoenen
Durft de hele wereld aan”

“Go Holland go
Don’t make the lion look foolish (Lit.: “Don’t let the lion stand in his little vest”. Note that “hempie” is a popular diminutive for “hemd” which can be translated as “shirt”. The formal diminutive for “hemd” is “hempje”.)
Go Holland go
Release the animal (Lit.: “Don’t let the animal wear slippers”. Note that “beessie” is a popular diminutive for “beest” which can be translated as “animal”. The formal diminutive for “beest” is “beestje”.)
Go Holland go
Don’t let them take you aback (Lit.: “Don’t let them beat you out of the field”. Note that the order of the words in this sentence is altered to better fit the melody.)
Because the lion wearing football shoes
Can take on the whole world”

…A few variations on that theme:

Traditional:

Classical:

Lastly as mentioned above, they like to have a bit of a rave:

ADDITIONALLY – This from a previous (Euro 2008) post:

“EK2008 Cowbell Unlimited which hit the famous “Go Holland Go ‘new Swiss reinvigoration by a Après-Ski turn to give. It is thus transformed into “Höb Holland Höb (après-ski)”

The band have a bit of an “umpah, umpah” thing going with a female lead singer:

…After the previous swimsuit round (with a slight embarrassment for Miss England who forgot her costume and subsequently went out wearing nothing but a knotted hankie on her head) – we now come to the talent part of the competition…

Thank you Uruguay for entertaining us with their balloon animals, and Ghana with the piano recital during the break – it’s now the turn for Miss Germany… Here tonight being represented by Franz “Der Kaiser to you and me, kick and rush football not for him” Beckenbauer.

“Take it away, Franz !”

[See post to listen to audio] » Franz Beckenbauer – 1-0 fuer Deine Liebe (English: One-nil for your love)

- German Lyrics 1:0 für deine Liebe 1:0 hast du gesiegt Denn ich weiß, dass Alles Glück in meinem Leben Ganz allein in deinen Händen liegt 1:0 für deine Liebe 1:0 für dich allein Hab ich dich, dann Kann mir gar nichts mehr passieren Deine Liebe lässt mich glücklich sein 1:0 für deine Liebe 1:0 hast du gesiegt Denn ich weiß, dass Alles Glück in meinem Leben Ganz allein in deinen Händen liegt 1:0 für deine Liebe 1:0 für dich allein Hab ich dich, dann Kann mir gar nichts mehr passieren Deine Liebe lässt mich glücklich sein

- (Google Translated) English Lyrics 1:0 for your love 1:0, you have triumphed Because I know that All happiness in my life All alone in your hands 1:0 for your love 1:0 for you alone Hab ich dich, then Can I do nothing happens Your love makes me happy 1:0 for your love 1:0, you have triumphed Because I know that All happiness in my life All alone in your hands 1:0 for your love 1:0 for you alone Hab ich dich, then Can I do nothing happens Your love makes me happy

» More here.

Ah ha… thank you for that… lovely…

Now for our next contestant – All the way from the Argentines (Don’t mention the Malvinas !) down there in the Americas… it’s the effervescent and always smiling Diego Armando “drug taking, tax evading, hand of god cheating” Maradona. Who in this instance gets into a three way:

[See post to listen to audio] » Pimpinela and Diego Maradona – Querida Amiga - There is a video too.

» More here.

Scintillating…just scintillating…

Going back to Europa again and to the low countries… to the Netherlands…Holland… the land of the Holland..ish peoples, who is being represented by Ruud “a big management failure at Newcastle, Feyenoord and even LA Galaxy” Gullit, who admits to being:

» Ruud Gullit – Not The Dancing Kind

» More here – Including an anti-Apartheid song.

“Super…super… schexy indeed…”

So once again we take an intercontinental passage back to South America and the beaches of Rio… the sand… the samba… and representing them is Edson “El Rey” Pele :

[See post to listen to audio] » Pelé & Gracinha Leporace – Meu Mundo E Uma Bola (My World Is A Ball)

» More here.

Thank you for that. Captivating…

“Join us again after the break where to entertain us whilst the judges are making their decisions… Kevin Keegan will perform a medley of his greatest hi.. some of the singles he’s released… “

Don’t really need to introduce you to the man who said those now famous words…

… But I’m still going to because I like to fill in some space before I post the music.

The son of a Afro-Surinamese migrant and his mistress, Ruud Gullit started playing and developed his football skills on the street. In 1978 he signed for (the now defunct) HFC Haarlem by the coach and former West Brom player Barry Hughes. In his time there he scored 32 goals in 91 appearances. Then in 1982 he moved to Feyenoord and Ruud played alongside Johan Cruijff. The season after they won the league and cup double plus Gullit was named the Dutch Footballer of the Year. There was another move in 1985 when he signed for PSV and bagged 46 goals in 68 league appearances as well as another Footballer of the Year award.

By now, with his international performances also gaining attention, it was AC Milan who came calling in the form of that shrinking violet Silvio Berlusconi who paid a then record fee for him. Gullit slotted into a team that already had his compatriots Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard, along with Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi. More success came to him and the club when they won their first Scudetto in 9 years. In the following seasons Milan won back-to-back European Cups.

With his playing career and himself slowing down Gullit was signed to Chelsea by Glenn Hoddle, initially to play as a sweeper but eventually moved into midfield where he started scoring goals.
A year later Hoddle would leave to become another disappointing England manager and Ruud was appointed as the player-manager. Then a season later he led Chelsea to their first major trophy in 26 years when they won the FA Cup.

That first time as a boss was the highlight of his management career because after this…   well let’s get to the tunes shall we ?

Winding back to 1984 when Ruud was the darling of the (Dutch) game. Feyenoord had won the double plus Gullit had won his first Footballer of the Year award. He was in the papers all the time and he could do no wrong.

Then the big fan of reggae music did what every other footballer does when this spotlight is shone upon them. He released a single:

» Ruud Gullit – Not The Dancing Kind

A turgid effort but it didn’t matter to his fans, one remark I spotted said:

“This actually made the top 10 in the Netherlands, but Ruud was so popular back then that a record of him farting would have made the top 10 too.”

In 1987 a Dutch reggae band who Ruud had befriended (he had even occasionally played bass with them) released a single in praise of the dreadlocked midfielder:

» Revelation Time – Captain Dread (live) - Video

Sample lyrics:
"He runs like lightning / Thunder when he kicks the ball / Don't try to stop him / Natty dreadlocks a go pass them all
Captain dread / Captain dreadlocks at the ball / Captain Dread, natty dread /Bongo natty dreadlocks in full control"

In that same year Ruud had won the Ballon d’Or and in his acceptance speech he brought attention to South Africa’s apartheid regime.   Via an article in The Times:

The gesture was intended to raise awareness. It certainly raised eyebrows. Ruud Gullit, 25 years old at the time, had just been named European Footballer of the Year and, on receiving the award, he dedicated it to the world’s most famous political prisoner. “This is for Nelson Mandela,” declared the Dutchman, then of AC Milan. “In Italy,” Gullit recalls with a smile, “that made a big stir. There wasn’t such an activism about apartheid over there.”

Then in 1988 he got together with the Revelation Time band to record a single, once again to raise awareness of what was going on with South Africa:

» Revelation Time (feat. Ruud Gullit) – South Africa

So what has Ruud been up to lately…?
He’s been named as the president of the joint bid by Belgium and The Netherlands to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.
Other bidder they are up against include England, the USA, Australia, Spain/Portugal, and Japan.

Plus I’m sure he will be on some pundit couch for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa – In which he wants to see Holland win ugly.

The two songs here are done by some Arsenal supporting musical acts about his time at Highbury, but I want give a mention to one of the greatest World Cup goals I’ve ever witnessed…

[For those of you at werk who can't click on that link to watch the YouTube clip] It was the 1998 World Cup – the Quarter Finals and Holland were drawing with the Argies.

It was the 89th minute and the thought of extra time was beginning to cross our minds, but then Argentina flashed the ball past the Holland goal. Frank de Boer collected the ball and brought it out of the area. He looked up and then did a bit of the old fashioned Route 1 football… well diagonally anyway… when he sent a 60 yard pass across and up the field to Dennis. Three touches: [1] To catch and control the pass. [2] To take the ball away from the Argentinian defender and [3] With the outside of his right boot curled it round the keeper into the net. 2-1 the game won.

I’m going to launch a cliché with a double entendre here because it needs one:
He didn't fly but his balls did.

F’nar.

- Better give a mention though to those who were paying his weekly wage…

What about that one against Newcastle eh ?
Alright I’m rubbing it in… even Hurry up Harry’s wife could have scored against them.

Ah there I go again.

Butinallseriousness: Voted in an Arsenal poll as the 2nd greatest player of all time (behind Henry) and unlike Shearer (ooh I’m sticking it in today) when he opens the doors, has a cupboard full of silver to look at:

Three Premier Leagues: 1997-98, 2001-02, 2003-04 and Four F.A. Cups:1998, 2002, 2003, 2005.

- -

The following (started out as a chant and turned into a) song which boasted the fact that:

[See post to listen to audio]
» Rufus Stone – We’ve Got Dennis Bergkamp

…and this next one is a bit of a man crush from Don Sebastiano (more about him in a future post) who recorded this one under yet another band name* which is difficult when searching for any info:

[See post to listen to audio]
» Yeah – Mr Bergkamp

*Other pain the ass difficult names to google: The The, Pele, Mexico 70 and !!!, amongst others.

I never thought that I would hear a footie/Crimbo carol version of “We Three Kings”, but I was wrong.

Didn’t think somebody would destroy “Jingle Bells” in such a way. Not to mention the assault on “Come All Ye Faithful”.

- Or even find a footie&musical version of “Hallelujah” done months and months before a TV reality show made the song famous again.

So therefore it came as no surprise to me to find a Voetbal en muziek version of Auld Lang Syne…

This Dutch version of that familiar Scotia tune was done for the Euro 1988 Finals and features the Netherlands team with players such as that very successful (natch) Ruud Gullit.

It was performed by André Hazes, now sadly departed.

It is said that many Dutch football players can’t sing the Dutch national anthem, but can sing the entire text of this song.

[See post to listen to audio] » André Hazes (featuring the 1988 Holland team) – Wij houden van Oranje

» Wikipedia has the lyrics. In Dutch and a translated English version.

In 2006 a Dutch rapper… named Ali B did a cover of the song which included Andre’s vocals.

- -

So we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, For auld lang syne.

See all of you next year.

It always ends with a big falling out with them leaving and moving as far away as possible.

Maybe even to another country…

This happened a couple of years ago when Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij was the apple in Alex F’s eye.

But then a younger more attractive prospect arrived and soon became Fergie’s latest crush.

Little Ronn had become the darling of the play(training) ground. Everybody crowding around him, eager to be near this new pretty young thing.

Big Ruud saw this and that Fergie was constantly watching ‘ickle Cristian and not him anymore… Ruudi didn’t like this. Ruud was getting angrier and angrier.

Near to the end of the season he was told to sit on the park bench and look at whilst everybody else got to play a game.

And then one day…

Via Wikipedia:

“On 9th May 2006, Setanta Sports reported that van Nistelrooy’s exclusion from the squad was due to a training-session fight between him and teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. Van Nistelrooy allegedly criticised Ronaldo’s tendency to hold onto the ball instead of passing to his teammates, which sparked the fight, after which van Nistelrooy remarked, “Go crying to your daddy.” The article claimed that this was not a reference to Ronaldo’s father (who had died earlier in the season), but to United’s Portuguese assistant coach, Carlos Queiroz.

For the final game he was told that he would still be benched, forced to watch all the others and that was it. He took his ball and stomped off in a huff.

Soon after he packed his bags, flew off to Madrid and has never been seen in or near Manchester ever since.

It wasn’t the first time that AlexF had fallen out with his BFF, it had happened many years before. This time it wasn’t with a one trick pony who was good with the free kicks, it was with an out and out front performer who liked to knock them in.

But as we saw with last season, Ruudi has all been forgotten about now thanks to Fergie’s latest squeeze.

» Tune about Ruud sung in Dutch (it isn’t SteMcL singing though). I hope it isn’t actually rude:

[See post to listen to audio]
» Jan the Frallan – The Ruud van Nistelrooy Song

I’m going to post some randomly selected tunes from what I’ve collected and split this into two, maybe three parts because there are so many.

The Google translation of this one sez:
“Hatsjikideee with “Behind Orange Are” band from Apeldoorn with pretty new Oranjelied!”
Bit of a reggae tinge to it. Not too bad.

Listen:
[See post to listen to audio]
» Hatsjikideee – Behind The Orange

- Video here

. . .

The translation of this one said:
“EK2008 Cowbell Unlimited which hit the famous “Go Holland Go ‘new Swiss reinvigoration by a Après-Ski turn to give. It is thus transformed into “Höb Holland Höb (après-ski)”
The band have a bit of an “umpah, umpah” thing going with a female lead singer.

Listen:
[See post to listen to audio]
» Cowbells Unlimited – Go Holland Go

- Video here

. . .

Don’t know anything about this I’m afraid. It has a very traditional Dutch sound.

Listen:
[See post to listen to audio]
» Crazy2 – Trots op Oranje

. . .

Lastly for now here’s one where in the video a bunch of orange suit wearing middle aged blokes get together a have a bit of a conga through Amsterdam.

Listen:
[See post to listen to audio]
» De Dikdakkers – Schreeuw