All Blacks song a YouTube hit
BY TRACEY BOND
What do you think of Franko's We Are One single?
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An aspiring musician is hoping that his song will be used in the buildup to next year's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
We Are One is performed by 25-year-old singer Franko Heke Yates, better known as Franko, who wrote the song two years ago with a friend when he was studying at the Nelson School of Music.
"I'm not commissioned to do it. I'm just an amatuer, unknown, Kiwi musician, so I thought I'd just chuck it up on YouTube and see how it went."
The clip received 2,000 hits on the video-sharing website the day it was uploaded and now a month later has received nearly 20,000 hits.
"It's cool when it's at the tipping point and it's not just friends and family watching," he says of the song's success.
The track has been picked up by American global distribution company Rocket Science, who are due to release it on iTunes next week.
The song was originally recorded over a few days in the bedroom of his friend 17-year-old Jimmy Wong.
"It was two guys, in a bedroom, making magic, putting a tune together," jokes Wong.
"Franko came to me with a skeleton of a song, with just an acoustic guitar and we were able to make it into something with so much more energy!"
The song has now had a choir added and been sent off to Los Angeles to be mastered by Grammy award nominee David Donnelly, who has previously mixed tracks for Aerosmith, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Pink.
"One day I'd like it to be recognised as the anthem people associate with the All Blacks, " Franko told Stuff.co.nz.
And he's encouraging Kiwis to video themselves singing the chorus and upload the clips to YouTube.
"We can have all these videos of New Zealanders, which I like to think of as 4 million All Blacks, getting behind one song and getting the cup back."
Mike Jaspers, spokesman for Rugby New Zealand 2011, said he hadn't heard the song yet.
"We're working through details of a possible song competition for the Rugby World Cup, so I'd prefer not to comment on individual songs,'' he said.
Franko is auctioning off a signed first pressed copy of We Are One, a live performance, and a credit on the song on TradeMe to help raise funds to travel to Los Angeles to record his next single.
- With NZPA
Listen to the song on YouTube and post your comments below.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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Wow that is a great definite drummer beat song. I got moving to it & I am 60+!!! It's the type of music that will get a crowd up and moving. Awesome...
"We Are One" is a fantastic song for the World Rugby Cup and for developing national pride in our now multi-cultural country. We lack so few nationals songs outside our great Maori Waiata, "Join Together" (1974 Commonwealth Games theme) plus of course Dave Dobbyn's "Loyal" and the amazing Crowed House songs. Congratulations to Franko Heke Yates on a great song created on a low budget. I trust the NZ Rugby Union will take this great song as the anthem for the World Rugby Cup.
Let's get some pride back in our great country.
David Naylor HOD One Tree Hill College Auckland
its a nice song BUT a lot of people are forgetting, the World Cup song isn't supposed to be only sung by New Zealanders. Were are hosting a WORLD EVENT. We are having people from all over the world coming to support their team. The song should be celebrating the event itself and all teams coming together. Of course having Kiwi Influence is a necessity. Something upbeat, catchy and able to be sung by everyone who has come to enjoy the event not just here us banging on about how awesome we are
whats wrong with "give em a taste of kiwi" classic song... great for crowds as well.... take a jump franco
Great anthem! I looked up the lyrics at www.weareonenz.com and they're awesome and say "We are A team new zealand" so really no relevance to sailing. This guys got something here. Well done
Please no. We need a world cup song that sounds like New Zealand music, not American. Something by Supergroove, The Exponents or Th' Dudes would go down a treat. And why is it so far the only two songs that have any connection with the world cup are so downbuzz? We need something upbeat, something fun and exciting, that says that this world cup is going to be awesome
Nickelback just called,they want there song back....
Good on him, and HELLO HOTTIE, but I don't like it. I'd rather have an upbeat type song I guess.
Has anyone come up with anything better, thought if the NZRU dont use it - then Team New Zealand with the America's Cup should.. I personally think its great - good job. WE DO NEED A KIWI SONG WITH THE WORLD CUP, WE HAVE SO MUCH TALENT HERE IN NZ...
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It's an awesome song! Great lyrics, great singing and tune, back up guitar and all. Will sound epic with even more back up probably. Let's use it - unless you want a rap song like mine ha ha!