World in Motion

This article is about the New Order single. For the albums, see World in Motion (Jackson Browne album) and World in Motion (DJ BoBo album).
"World in Motion"
Single by New Order
B-side "The B-side" (1990)
"Such a Good Thing" (2002)
Released 21 May 1990
Format CD, cassette, 12", 7"
Recorded The Mill, Buckinghamshire, March 1990
Genre Synthpop, dance music[1]
Length 4:30
Label Factory - FAC 293
Writer(s) Keith Allen, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert[2]
Producer(s) New Order, Stephen Hague
New Order singles chronology
"Run 2"
(1989)		 "World in Motion"
(1990)		 "Regret"
(1993)

"World in Motion" is a song by British musical group New Order (credited as England New Order), featuring additional vocals from England footballer John Barnes. It was New Order's only number one hit in the UK Singles Chart.[3] The song was produced for the England football team's 1990 FIFA World Cup campaign, and features several members of the 1990 English team, as well as Keith Allen, who co-wrote the lyric. Originally it was going to be called "E for England" but the Football Association vetoed the title, worried that it would be taken as a reference to the drug ecstasy.

Song

The backing track for the chorus of "World in Motion" bore some similarities to the instrumental theme tune for the DEF II current-affairs show, Reportage,[4] which had been written for the show by Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert of New Order. "World in Motion" was produced by Stephen Hague, who had also produced one of the group's earlier hits, "True Faith". The single was released in May 1990 with the catalogue number FAC 293. It was New Order's last release on Factory Records.

A rap is performed by England player John Barnes towards the end of the track. Barnes was selected to perform the rap after a contest with other players including Peter Beardsley, Paul Gascoigne, and Chris Waddle.[5] The sleeve credits Barnes, Beardsley, Gascoigne, Waddle, Steve McMahon and Des Walker as providing vocals, though the entire squad is seen miming to the refrain in the video. The squad shout "Express yourself" in the verses and sing the refrain at the end; in the "Carabinieri mix" they are also heard providing backing vocals in the chorus.

The single's B-side, an early version of the A-side, was titled "The B-Side", extending the football theme of the release. It was produced by former Swans member Roli Mosimann. Besides a different arrangement and some different lyrics, this version lacks the commentary samples and squad vocals, with Keith Allen's "naff football chants and JB impersonation" (as credited on the sleeve) in their place.

Like "True Faith", "Fine Time" and "Round & Round" before it, the single was issued on two separate 12" singles, the first featuring the original mix of the song, the second containing reinterpretations by outside remixers. This would be the last New Order single released in this way. Remixers Andrew Weatherall and Terry Farley were supplied with an alternative chorus vocal, with the result that the chorus hook on their mixes runs "We've got the world in motion" rather than the original "Love's got the world in motion".

In 1996, LFO's Mark Bell remixed version of the song appeared on The Beautiful Game, which was released to tie in with Euro 96.

The single was re-released for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, this time with the track "Such a Good Thing" replacing "The B-Side". It failed to enter the UK Top 40. The 2002 version was planned to have David Beckham performing the rap, but the F.A. vetoed the idea.[6] It was due to have been re-released again in remixed form for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, however despite a UK release date of 29 May 2006 a last minute decision was taken to shelve this release and the remix has never surfaced.

The "They think it's all over" quotation uttered by football commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme at the end of the 1966 World Cup Final between England and West Germany is utilised at the beginning and end of the track (though not the original; Wolstenholme re-recorded the phrase specially for the producers), and somewhat less known samples, such as "A beauty scored by Bobby Charlton" and "We Want Goals", are taken from Goal!, the official documentary film on the 1966 tournament; the voice is that of actor Nigel Patrick.

In 2010 a reworked version of the song was used in a commercial for the Mars Bar.[7] The A-side features heavily in the film Butterfly Kiss; both the song itself is heard as well as the two main actresses singing versions of it.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Keith Allen, Gillian Gilbert, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner; except where indicated. 

12" #1: FAC 293 / 7": FAC-7 293 / Cassette: FAC 293C (UK)
No. Title Length
1. "World in Motion..."   4:30
2. "World in Motion... (The B-Side)"   4:48
12" #2: FAC 293R (UK) / 12": Qwest 9 21582-0 (US) / Cassette: 9 21582-4 (US)
No. Title Length
1. "World in Motion... (Subbuteo Mix)" (Remixed by Graeme Park and Mike Pickering) 5:08
2. "World in Motion... (Subbuteo Dub)" (Remixed by Graeme Park and Mike Pickering) 4:13
3. "World in Motion... (Carabinieri Mix)" (Remixed by Andrew Weatherall and Terry Farley) 5:52
4. "World in Motion... (No Alla Violenza Mix)" (Remixed by Andrew Weatherall and Terry Farley) 4:12
CD: FACD 293 (UK)
No. Title Length
1. "World in Motion..."   4:30
2. "World in Motion... (The B-Side)"   4:14
3. "World in Motion... (No Alla Violenza Mix)" (Remixed by Andrew Weatherall and Terry Farley) 5:19
4. "World in Motion... (Subbuteo Mix" (Remixed by Graeme Park and Mike Pickering) 5:08
CD: NUOCD12 (UK) - 2002 release
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "World in Motion..."    4:30
2. "Such a Good Thing" (Produced by New Order and Steve Osborne, BBC Radio Five Live World Cup Theme)New Order 4:10
3. "World in Motion... (No Alla Violenza Mix)" (Remixed by Andrew Weatherall and Terry Farley)  4:12

Chart positions

Chart (1990) Peak
position
Australia ARIA Singles Chart 21
German Media Control Singles Chart[8] 21
Irish Singles Chart[9] 7
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart 8
UK Singles Chart[10] 1
UK Indie Chart 1
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 10
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales 5
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 5
Chart (2002, NUOCD12 release) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[10] 43
Chart (2010) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart 22
Preceded by
"Killer" by Adamski featuring Seal		 UK number one single
3–16 June 1990 		Succeeded by
"Sacrifice/Healing Hands" by Elton John

References and footnotes

  1. ↑ Osborne, Ben (19 June 1998). "A decade of dance 1990.". The Guardian. p. 17.
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 515. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  4. ↑ Jones, Ian, Everyone Must Be Young and Beautiful: DEF II Revisited, Part One: "I Want To Subvert Mainstream TV", "Off the Telly". Article dated October 2001, retrieved 5 February 2010.
  5. ↑ Hart, Simon (30 May 2010). "Perfect backing track as Barnes rap hits target". The Independent (London).
  6. ↑ Interview with Peter Hook on Soccer AM - 10 October 2009
  7. ↑ Mark Sweney. "John Barnes to reprise World in Motion rap for Mars ad". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
  8. ↑ "Charts Surfer - UK, German and French charts". charts-surfer.de. Retrieved 3 September 2008.
  9. ↑ "The Irish Charts". IRMA. Retrieved 2 October 2008.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Chart Stats - New Order". chartstats.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2008.

External links