A Monthy Python castmate, Elvis, and several world cup soccer players all walk into a $100 million cage…
It sounds like the start of a bad joke, doesn’t it?
If I told you they were there to play in a 3v3 8-team single elimination goal tournament, all to the sounds of a (then) 34-year-old song remade by a Dutch artist best known for working on Tomb Raider, it’d just get weird, right?
But24 years ago, that’s exactly what happened. Henry, Ronaldo, Scholes; they were all there, and they were all there to sell shoes.
Or, more specifically, Nike shoes.
The Scorpion KO tournament was part of an award-winning ad campaign, with star players competing in a secret tournament onboard a ghost ship.
Former Manchester United Star Eric Cantona was more emcee than referee, and the entire thing was directed by Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam.
That tournament spawned local versions worldwide, with an estimated 1–2 million kids participating worldwide.
The campaign was a huge success, with Nike president Mark Parker commenting, “This spring’s integrated football marketing initiative was the most comprehensive and successful global campaign ever executed by Nike.”
The game might’ve come easy, but the soundtrack? Not so much.
“The music was a real monkey wrench. We just could not land the right track to pull it together. If you turn the audio off and try to follow this thing, it’s pretty hectic beyond the colours of the jerseys. There was just no obvious tone or tenor. We tried rock, metal — dark, intense stuff — but it didn’t really underscore what we were seeing.
“We talked to all sorts of music producers, contracted a band, some hot producers. They brought in stuff to play, and we were very polite, but I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, this is a disaster’.
Somehow it all worked out in the end, with the song’s remix charted in dozens of countries, hitting #1 in several.
The song? JXL’s remake of Elvis Presley’s “A Little Less Conversation” originally released in 1968.
The official theme song was actually by… (checks notes) Vangelis, but no matter. For all intents and purposes, this was it.
Note: It will surprise absolutely no one, that for my money, this is the best World Cup song of all time.
Do you remember this commercial (or the 2002 World Cup)? Who ya got for this tourney?
KA—
On to the music…
This week what’s old is new again with a killer remix of New Order’s “Spooky.” We’ve also got some (actually) brand new tracks from Wishy, Vienna, The Mountain Goats, and Boston’s Good June. A great setlist to either liven up your commute, play on a road trip or soundtrack your next soccer tournament.
Side A is tracks 1-14. Side B is tracks 15-29.
Other sources: Apple | Qobuz | YouTube Music |
Now it’s your turn.
Any new releases or shows you’re looking forward to? Whatcha got? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Kevin Sent 