Sport on Record 1
Created | Updated Mar 19, 2004
SPORTING WITH EGON
Welcome to my new column 'Sporting With Egon- On The Record', a column which will be dedicated to the section of popular culture where sport and music meet. Be it sportsmen singing songs, official anthems of sporting events, or a combination of the two, I should be featuring it here at some point
But before I get to bad John Barnes raps and Paul Gascoigne singles1, I'll be starting with a rare sporting musical event- a song by a sportsman which is actually good. Here we go:
You're Never Gone by Mark Butcher
Mark Butcher is a Surrey and England cricketer - an opening batsmen for Surrey who tends to bat number three for England. At this he is quite accomplished - He holds down a regular place in the England squad, and is one of the more reliable performers for both county and country
Butch is, however, more than a cricketer. He's also a fairly decent musician - often performing with bands including Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings. Butch is a vocalist and guitarist, although to date he has released just one single, and 'tis a rather special one.
The song is not some dreadful novelty hit, although there will be plenty of them in future columns. It is a heartfelt tribute to one of Butcher's closest friends - his team-mate Ben Hollioake, who died aged 24 in a car crash in March 2002.
The song is a gentle ballad in memory of Hollioake, which shows the hurt felt by those close to him. It is Butcher's way of saying goodbye - he actually performed it at Ben's memorial service before its single release.
The rousing chorus is something special, a reminder that Ben Hollioake will be remembered by his friends, family and the general cricket loving public - the lyrics of
You're Never Gone
You're Always There
Your perfect smile
You're everywhere
Although you're gone
An age to soon
reflects how people remember Hollioake - the dashing teenage all-rounder whipping the Aussies in '97. The unfulfilled potential.
A gospel riff thrown in towards the end adds to the feel-good nature of a song tinged with sadness. A mixture of celebration and commemoration, Butcher's tribute to his fallen team-mate is wondrous.
THe single was released in the summer of 2003 - over a year after it was written in the immediate aftermath of Hollioake's death. Every copy sold benefits the 'Ben Hollioake Fund' - a fund set up by Ben's brother, former England captain Adam to help children with terminal illnesses. It was released only through county cricket shops and an internet site due to a lack of a major label for the release, but anyone who's interest in Butcher's fledgling music career can check out the section about the song at the Ben Hollioake Fund website.
Next time this column surfaces, I will be examining a much more light-hearted sporting musical career. That of flawed Football genius Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne in the early 1990s. Watch out for it in the new year.
Egon
