World Cup Pie and Top Ten Hit! By Cheryl Wheatly

WHILST doing work experience at ThameNews.Net, I had the brilliant opportunity to interview sixties pop icon and actor, John Leyton.
He has just released a World Cup song, entitled ‘Hi Ho, Come on England,’released under the record label, Crash Records, based in Thame.
John is famous for his parts in such films as The Great Escape and Von Ryan?s Express. He is also remembered for his singing career, in particular the hit song, Johnny, Remember Me, released in 1962.
John?s personal taste in music is quite varied. He said that he sometimes listens to classical music but at other times he enjoys rap. He believes that besides the violent material some of the genre is notorious for, rap music is very clever and requires a great deal of talent and likened this type of music to acting. But he believes songs such as those by Eminem to be ?Vile and horrible and considered such music as ?Unnecessary.?
John?s favourite band is Oasis; he likes them because they are greatly influenced by The Beatles.
When asked which famous actors he had worked with were his favourites, John took some time to think about his answer. He said that it was a difficult question but after some consideration he decided on four actors, three of which he had worked with.
John worked with Charles Bronson in his film debut back in the sixties, in the classic, The Great Escape. John played the character Willy ? The Tunneller? Dickes. He said that he and Charles got on really well and he probably worked with Charles the most out of all his favourite colleagues.
Another of John?s favourite actors was Frank Sinatra, who he admired for winning an Oscar and making the successful transition from singer to actor. It was when working on the film Von Ryan?s Express that John worked with Sinatra, who according to John was ?A fabulous guy?.
Another of John?s favourite actors among those he had worked with, was Richard Attenborough. He had worked with him on two films. He said Attenborough was: ?A nice man and a joy to work with.? His final favourite colleague was ?the King of Cool? himself, Steve Mcqueen.
John also knew Elvis Presley, from when he was making a television show in America. The production of John?s show was taking place next to the studio where Elvis shot most of his films. John claims that Presley was also ?A really nice guy.? John was disappointed that he had not had the opportunity to ever work with ?The King?.

So how did John Leyton come to get involved in making an England World Cup hit?
He related how he was approached by music producers with the idea of him releasing a World Cup song to the tune of The Great Escape theme music because in the terraces of the stadium when England play, there is often a band playing that tune. However, during production it was decided that the tune wasn?t compatible with the music producers? vision of their World Cup song. So they decided to change the tune to that of Jeff Beck’s hit, ‘Hi Ho Silver Lining’. John said of the experience: ?It was all a bit of fun.?
When asked if he knew whether the England squad had heard his latest release, he said he didn?t know. ?There are a tremendous amount of World Cup songs.? John said, but considering that his song is in the top ten of the World Cup songs he guessed they probably had heard it.
He is publicising the record in many ways. He shot a video in Dartmouth, where the song was mixed and the video can be seen on the MTV network. He has also been travelling along the south coast of England doing radio and press interviews.
The song is being supported by Thame record label Crash Records. John says of the company, ?Crash Records has done a brilliant job.?
Whilst visiting Thame, he was given a unique present by the staff of Newitts, the local butchers’. They made him a world cup prize in the form of a pie. He said that he liked the area very much and that:?Thame has nice pies.?
The release of ‘Hi Ho Come on England’ has also put John in The Guiness Book of Records, because he hasn?t released a record since 1964. Apparently this is the longest gap between two records released by the same artist.

WIN a signed copy of John Leyton’s CD and a special ‘Hi Ho, Come On England’ T shirt, by emailing the answer to the following question:
What was the name of John Leton’s Top Ten Hit, ‘Johny, Remember Me?’