All Together Now (The Farm song) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "All Together Now" |
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| Single by The Farm | ||||
| from the album Spartacus | ||||
| Released | 26 November 1990 (original) May 1995 (Everton release) 31 May 2004 (Euro 2004 version) |
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| Recorded | 1990 | |||
| Genre | Madchester | |||
| Length | 3:59 5:41 (album/12" version) |
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| Songwriter(s) | Johann Pachelbel, Peter Hooton and Steve Grimes | |||
| Producer(s) | Suggs | |||
| The Farm singles chronology | ||||
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"All Together Now" is a famous song by the British band The Farm. It was first released in November 1990. This song became the second single from their first album, Spartacus, which came out in 1991.
Peter Hooton, the band's singer, wrote the lyrics when he was in his early twenties. He was inspired after reading about the Christmas truce of 1914. This truce was a special moment during World War I when soldiers from opposing sides stopped fighting on Christmas Day. They even met in the middle of the battlefield to share gifts and play football.
The song was first recorded in 1983 with a different name, "No Man's Land". Later, in 1990, Peter Hooton added the famous chorus. This happened after Steve Grimes suggested using the lyrics of "No Man's Land" with the music from Pachelbel's Canon. The producer, Suggs from the band Madness, shortened the song for radio. He cut it from six verses to three.
Since its release, "All Together Now" has been used by many football teams. It was also played during rallies for the Labour Party in their 2017 election campaign.
Contents
Creating the Song and Its Release
The song was produced by Suggs, a member of the band Madness. It was recorded at Mayfair Studios. The lyrics tell the story of the Christmas truce that happened on Christmas Day in 1914. During this truce, soldiers from different armies put down their weapons. They met in the area between their trenches, known as no man's land. There, they exchanged small gifts and even played football together. The music for the song uses a chord sequence directly from Johann Pachelbel's famous piece, "Canon".
The song was first released on 26 November 1990. It quickly became popular, reaching No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart. It also hit No. 1 on the NME Independent chart. In the U.S., it reached No. 7 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The single's cover art showed a Subbuteo figure dressed in a soldier's uniform and holding a Bren machine gun.
Promoting the Song
The song has been used in many ways to promote different events. In March 1994, The Farm played the song live at Anfield stadium in Liverpool. They performed it with many local people in front of the famous Spion Kop stand. This was before the last ever Merseyside derby football match played in front of the old Kop, which was later rebuilt.
In 2007, "All Together Now" was used in TV adverts in Scotland for Clydesdale Bank. It was also used across the UK to promote Cancer Research UK's Race for Life event. The song is also the theme tune for Sky Sports' coverage of the Football League. Plus, it was the ending theme for the 1994 movie Double Dragon.
Different Versions of the Song
Over the years, "All Together Now" has been re-released and covered by other artists for various reasons, especially linked to football.
Everton Football Club Version
In May 1995, the song was released by Everton F.C. This was to celebrate their appearance in the 1995 FA Cup Final. This version was credited to "Everton FA Cup Squad 1995". It reached No. 24 on the UK Singles chart.
Euro 2004 Version
The song was used again in 2004 to support the England national football team. This was for their campaign during Euro 2004, a big football tournament held in Portugal. This version was called "Euro 2004 (All Together Now)". DJ Spoony edited it, and the St Francis Xavier Boys Choir of Liverpool added extra singing. This version came out on 31 May 2004 and reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart.
Atomic Kitten's Cover Version
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In 2006, the English girl band Atomic Kitten reunited. Liz McClarnon, Natasha Hamilton, and Jenny Frost recorded their own version of the song. They re-titled it "All Together Now (Strong Together)". This version was part of an album called Goleo VI Presents His 2006 FIFA World Cup Hits. This album was released for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. The FIFA mascot, Goleo VI, is also credited as an artist on this song. The lyrics were slightly changed for this version.
Music Video for Atomic Kitten's Version
The music video for this version uses computer animation. It shows the World Cup mascots, Goleo and Pille, traveling around the world. They eventually arrive at Berlin's Olympic Stadium. This stadium was the setting for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final.
Peace Collective Version
In 2014, on the 100th anniversary of the Christmas Day Truce, many famous UK music stars came together. They formed a group called the Peace Collective. They re-recorded "All Together Now" for charity. This new version included a choir of schoolboy footballers from the Premier League and the German Bundesliga. All the money made from this release went to the British Red Cross and the Shorncliffe Trust.
This 2014 version was produced by Simon Britton and Jon Moon. It featured many artists, including Gorgon City, Clean Bandit, Gabrielle, Alexandra Burke, Julian Lennon, David Gray, and Mick Jones from the Clash. This version reached number one on the UK Independent Singles Breakers Chart. It also reached number 70 on the main UK Singles Chart.
See also
- List of anti-war songs
Images for kids
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Atomic Kitten's cover art for "All Together Now (Strong Together)"
