Mozart’s Symphony no. 41 – reworked and performed by UK multi-faceted musical outfit, Unkle – will be the opening title for BBC Sports News on the European Football Championship.
UNKLE’s music will be the soundtrack of an animation sequence including animated versions of the football players Cristiano Ronaldo, Michael Ballack, Fernando Torres, Gennaro Gattuso, William Gallas, as well as of the legendary player and manager Marco van Basten. BBC Executive Producer, Phil Bigwood, said: "We wanted the title sequence to reflect just how much footballing talent viewers can expect to see at the Euros. There will nearly 50 players at this year's tournament who play regularly in the Premier League. So even without any Home Nation teams involved viewers will get to watch footballers they recognise – meaning a lot of familiar faces to make the games more appealing." UNKLE just finished the work on a new album “End Titles... Stories for Film”, that will be officially launched the beginning of July. The new L.P. will have 22 tracks and will include featurings with Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Black Mountain, James Petralli (White Denim) and Joel Cadbury (South).
UNKLE is not the only artist to perform at B’ESTFEST who is linked to football: in 2004, the song “Forca” on Nelly Furtado’s second album was the official anthem of the European Football Championship. The Kaiser Chiefs are big fans of Leeds United: the concert at the end of May that took place on Elland Road Stadium in front of 35.000 people was dedicated to the football team in West Yorkshire and its supporters!