THE STORY BEHIND THE ICONIC RECORD
"We've Got The Whole World In Our Hands"
Back in 1978, Brian Clough and his players teamed up with the pop group
Paper Lace to make the iconic hit record 'We've Got The Whole World In Our Hands.' The song would become a Top Thirty single and was a much-needed boost for the Nottingham-based group whose popularity was beginning to fade after scoring a No.1 in 1974 with 'Billy Don't Be A Hero.'
In an exclusive interview for the award-winning Green Jumper podcast, the lead singer of the original Paper Lace describes behind-the-scenes stories of the recording session and the video. "It was a fantastic day and Brian was very easy to get along with," recalls Phil Wright - who also reveals he got a telling-off from the Forest boss!
"Brian came up to me and asked me what I thought to the tune," says Phil, whose reply prompted Clough to respond: "There's no need for language like that, young man!"
Adds Phil: "The video begins with us arriving at the City Ground in a Rolls Royce and I was the first one to get out and shook Brian's hand. From that moment onwards, things moved at 100 miles an hour," says Phil.
He also reveals that only a few of the Forest players could actually 'hold a note' so a small number of them were recorded for the final version and then over-dubbing techniques were used to make it sound like a team. The song reached No.24 in the UK and topped the charts in Holland.
"It's a great football record and still stands up today," says Phil, who tells pod host Marcus Alton that he's previously been asked to update the song.
Phil also talks about the group's rise to fame on the legendary TV talent show 'Opportunity Knocks' hosted by Hughie Green. "We took part in the auditions in Nottingham and thousands of people turned up to have a go.
"We were asked to do a few songs but we didn't appear on the show until a few years later. We won for several consecutive weeks, with people writing in to vote for us. It led to a whirlwind of success."
The group even played at the Royal Variety Performance and met the Queen Mother, who said how smart they all looked! There are archive cuttings, below.
