I never got chance to post anything about them… Like everybody else I was expecting to be watching them in the Quarters… maybe not the Semi’s looking at the spreadsheet in which I put some hypotheticals before all this began, but at least still in the competition. But now it’s the 2nd time that a World Cup holder has gone out in the group stages. Weird. All very weird.

But as they say… FOOTBALL !       Well… as we say.. They say Calcio.

Although I have to admit when I was looking at their teamsheet, in years gone nearly all the Italian players were household names. This time though I wasn’t familiar with most of their squad. Some people will defend them saying that this was a transitional team. The veterans in were still showing the new kids the ropes.

It’s all very sad and unlike with the French farce there is some sympathy for them. But also some puzzlement and the question: What went wrong ?

ESPN USA use this tagline on their World Cup coverage: “One game changes everything.”

Boy did it.

Some music to play them out… and this via goal.com (which fixes a typo on their article):

World Cup 2010: Italy Coach Marcello Lippi Sings The Song Of Faith

Marcello Lippi hopes a song entitled ‘Italy My Love’ (‘Italia, Amore Mio’) strikes a chord with the players ahead of the World Cup.

Lippi will be a guest at the San Remo music festival on February 19 and hopes the song will help players fine tune their motivation for South Africa.

“I accepted the invite, but I will not be singing,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I am happy to be there and I hope the song ‘Italy my love’ is a good omen for us in light of the World Cup in South Africa.

“I have great faith in the team and the players are really proud of wearing the Italy shirt.

“It’s like a dream for them and I hope we can share this with all Italians so we can deserve their love.”

» Full article

» Pupo, Emanuele Filiberto & Luca Canonici – Italia, Amore Mio [See post to listen to audio]

Additional note: This song as mentioned above was first aired at the Sanremo Festival where there was a bit of controversy. This from Billboard.bz:

Valerio Scanu Wins Controversial Sanremo Festival

Valerio Scanu was the winner of the 60th edition of Italy’s flagship Sanremo Festival. The competition concluded chaotically on Saturday (Feb. 20) amid concerns about the voting system.

Scanu came first with the song “Per Tutte le Volte Che” (“For All the Times That”), while a trio consisting of Pupo, Emanuele Filiberto and the tenor Luca Canonici came second with “Italia, Amore Mio” (“Italy, My Love”). The third place went to Marco Mengoni with “Credimi Ancora” (“Still Believe Me”).

However, there were concerns about some unusual results.

On one evening, the elimination voting system was entrusted to the festival’s orchestra and a jury that had been picked to represent the demographics of the Italian population. Scanu and the Pupo-Filiberto-Canonici trio were initially eliminated from the competition, but were readmitted when the vote was left to TV viewers, who could express their preference by text message.

Many observers – and several festival competitors – were incensed by the apparently special treatment accorded to the Pupo-Filiberti-Canonici trio. Emanuele Filiberto is the grandson of the Italian king Umberto II, who was exiled at the end of the second world war. The family was readmitted to Italy in 2002 and since then the 37-year-old Filiberto (who was born and raised in Switzerland) has carved out a career as a (largely non-musical) media personality.

Critics felt that his trio’s over-the-top patriotic song was given an unfair advantage in winning phone votes when Marcello Lippi, coach of Italy’s national soccer team, appeared as a Sanremo guest and expressed his liking for it. On that occasion Emanuele and his partners even sang a slightly altered version of the lyrics, which is technically against the Festival regulations.

On the final night, when it was announced that Pupo-Filiberto-Canonici had come second, the members of the Sanremo Festival orchestra tore up their sheet music in protest. The consumer rights group Codacons has even called for the Festival result to be suspended, amid claims that the telephone vote may have been rigged.

Extra Time - From The Italian Job soundtrack:

» Matt Monro – On Days Like These [See post to listen to audio]

You may have read reports that directly after West Ham’s defeat to Stoke last Saturday, Gianfranco Zola immediately flew back to Sardinia to consider his future. Well that wasn’t the case. The real reason was because Paolo, the bloke who was running his side business for him was sick and Gianfranco went to cover for him.

So if you were in the bar at the airport Holiday Inn in Cagliari on Sunday night, you might have seen “Francesco” (as he likes to call himself when belting out a few numbers to get the crowd warmed up) providing your entertainment.

- I heard that “Francesco” altered the words to one of the songs that he did and some of the punters in the bar that night would have heard him address his current plight. I managed to get hold of a transcript, stuck it through the translator and this is what he (allegedly) sung:
[To the tune of Peal Jam's - 'Alive']

“Gold..he said… have I got a little story for you.
What you thought was your safety, was nothing but a…
While you were sitting home alone in Ealing Broadway,
Your deal was err… it was dying…
Sorry you didn’t see it, but I’m glad we talked…

But I… I still arrived/for training/I still arrived.

Oh Steve Clarke walked slowly, across the training pitch.
He said I’m ready…ready for the fight,
‘I can’t remember any’ (he said), to this very day
except the look…the look of the fans,
now I can see… that Sullivan in the stands,

But I… I’m still here and I… I’m going to strive…

Is something wrong ? I said. Of course there is, Gold replied; You’re still around, I said – Do I deserve to be ? Is that the question ? and if so,…if so… who answers? who answers?

I’m… I’m still in charge,yeah yeah yeah yeah…I’m…. I’m still in charge…”

Thank you, thank you… and now we have 60′s singer turned-70′s Carry On actress Anita Harris with a Hammers classic. Sing along now:

[See post to listen to audio] » Anita Harris – I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles ..who also recorded this Northern Soul classic: [See post to listen to audio] » Anita Harris – The Playground

The producer under the spotlight today is Jonathan Saul Kane:

Wikipedia has a very short entry about him:

“Jonathan Saul Kane is an English DJ, producer and musician – releasing material since 1988 as Depth Charge, Octagon Man and Eon. He is also the owner of the record labels Vinyl Solution, DC Recordings and Electron Industries.

He is well known for his pioneering use of samples, particularly from cult films in the martial arts, spaghetti western, and prOnographic genres. Jonathan Saul Kane is often credited for inventing “trip-hop” and “big beat”; he used kung-fu film samples before Wu-Tang Clan. His other aliases are Octagon Man, Alexanders Dark Band, T.E.T and Grimm Death.

…but luckily this website has a more in depth bio of the man also known as J. Saul Kane.

- This particular output was done under the Depth Charge name is chock full of footballing samples. The crowd as well as the commentators – and this is where it gets interesting…

» LATE EDIT: If you don’t want/can’t be bothered to read this little investigation/observation related to the featured tracks then go and have a listen below. – If you are interested then click here.

A little bit of a story now:

Remember Channel 4 and their Football Italia ?

Of course you do.

Saturday near-lunchtimes in the 90′s would not be complete without James Richardson popping in to see his best mate Paul Ince and them sharing some iced tea with Gazza out on the balcony of the villa that overlooked the Mediterranean sea.

You will also remember well the theme tune for the programme, which sampled a commentator exclaiming: “Golaccio !“

That shout/sample came from a former Brazilian footballer, turned Serie A commentator José Altafini.

The song, redone for the show is called “I’m Stronger Now” [link to stream/download] and was performed by Definitive Two and released on the Deconstruction label in 1992. The track was written by Ben Chapman and Steve Duberry.

As it says above the song is a version done by Ben Chapman & Steve (no relation to Michael) Duberry. Nothing further can be found about Ben Chapman, but Steve Duberry has composed other well known telly theme tunes such as Channel 4 Racing The Morning Line amongst others. » Additional football connection: He also did the FA Cup title music which is seen worldwide.

But getting back to Football Italia and that theme. Specifically the José Altafini “Golaccio!” sample at the end:
[See post to listen to audio]» Channel 4 Football Italia Theme

In 2005 a query about the sample was answered by the Guardian’s Knowledge section and if I may draw your attention to this bit:

…”Programme makers Chrysalis reveal that the man who wrote the theme music, Steve Duberry, ‘sort of imagined it from a phantom Brazilian/Italian memory’ and recorded it as part of the music.

Duberry didn’t imagine it. He must have heard it in the song below, released by Depth Charge in 1990 which was 2 years before the Definitive Two single and Football Italia theme.

Now I’m not saying that he nicked the idea, it was after all a sample and these things get reused often in many other songs. What I’m saying is that it was done by Jonathon Saul Kane and Depth Charge before him and that they should receive some recognition.

UPDATE: A snippet from this Monday’s (August 24th) Guardian Football Weekly podcast where Sean Ingle asks AC Jimbo about that “Goal-atzzo” :
[See post to listen to audio]

Enough with this. Go and listen to the tracks:

[See post to listen to audio] » Depth Charge – Goal (First Half, Yellow Card [See post to listen to audio] » Depth Charge – Goal (Second Half + Extra Time) [See post to listen to audio] » Depth Charge – Goal (Sudden Death Penalty Shoot Out)

» More images here

Talking of death…
Bonus songs:

[See post to listen to audio] » Depth Charge – Dead By Dawn
[See post to listen to audio] » Depth Charge – Space Mutant
[See post to listen to audio] » Depth Charge – Dead By Dub

» You can find more on Depth Charge over on Acid Ted.

» A feature article on J.Saul Kane and DC Recordings.

There was another Depth Charge/footballing outing which I’ll wheel out another time.

I wanted to pay tribute to the footballing legend who was always one of the first names I added in my fantasy football selections.

Maldini played for 22 years for the same club and look what he won in that time:

Serie A: 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004
Coppa Italia: 2003
Italian Super Cup: 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2005
UEFA Champions League: 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007
European Super Cup: 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007
Intercontinental Cup: 1989, 1990
FIFA Club World Cup: 2007

Sadly no European or World Cup medals, but look at how many Serie A titles. Look at how many Champions League trophies. He will be unmatched by anybody for a long time.

I would imagine he’ll follow his Dad and go into coaching.
There is another generation of Maldini by the way – his 12 year old son plays for the Milan youth team.

- Henri Winter in the Telegraph did a good write up about him in this article dated 4th December 2007.

I wanted to find an appropriate song to accompany this tribute (Simply The Best obviously ruled out and banned straight away) and the one I thought of is from Pink Floyd who actually wrote it in tribute to Syd Barrett.

Taken from a live concert in Madison Square Garden in 1977:

[See post to listen to audio]
» Pink Floyd – Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Live at Madison Square Garden)

Maybe not the best one. If you can think of a more fitting song post it in the comments.

I’m going to beat them to the punch by posting the obvious song which the red tops will use punningly in their upcoming battles with Capello.

Oh and of course they’ll throw in The Italian Job too.

- For the tabloid journo’s plus Fabio and his backroom staff – to help you improve your Inglese/Italian, you’d better bookmark this site.

It is sad that there was no decent English born candidate for the job, but what’s even sadder is that there isn’t any on the horizon either. Looking at the list of current managers in the football leagues, there are a few names coaching in the lower divisions that I hope will flourish in the future, but for now… Benvenuto Fabio !

Edit: I’m worried about the amount of cash the FA has wasted on all this – They gave £2 million to McSven for his failure to qualify for Euro2008 and now they are paying Capello £6.5 mill per year…

» Bananarama – Robert De Niro’s Waiting

Bonus song: - from The Italian Job soundtrack:

» Matt Monro – On Days Like These

MSNBC: Luciano Pavarotti, whose vibrant high C’s and ebullient showmanship made him one of the world’s most beloved tenors, has died, his manager told The Associated Press. He was 71.

“The Maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer, which eventually took his life. In fitting with the approach that characterized his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness,” the statement said.

Watch: (click on the image)

Listen:
[See post to listen to audio]

D/load:
» Luciano Pavarotti – Nessun Dorma

[BBC] Tributes paid

“The BBC World Cup theme for Italia 90… Gary Lineker…. an evening with him ? Marvellous.”