Does Rock n’ Roll Kill Braincells? We put Baddiel And Skinner to the test

From the archive: David Baddiel and Frank Skinner take the NME "Does Rock’N’Roll Kill Braincells?" memory test, in the run up to the launch of the 2010 World Cup. Interview by Rich Pelley.

QUESTION 1: Name the three commentators at the beginning of the original 1996 version of Three Lions.
Baddiel: “Hanson, Brooking, Hill.”
Skinner: “And the guy who says, “Good old England” I believe is [Mexican commentator] Jesús Bracamontes.

Correct. Alan Hanson, Trevor Brooking, Jimmy Hill

QUESTION 2: What breakfast cereal does Ian Broudie have in his kitchen in the video?
Baddiel: “Sugar Puffs?”
Skinner: “I’m going to say Corn Flakes.”

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Correct. Kellogg’s Corn Flakes

QUESTION 3: What is the headline on the front of David’s newspaper?

Baddiel: ““England’s going to blow it away?””
Incorrect. Front page: “It’s Twins. Pamela’s healthy bouncing pair.” Backpage: “England’s going to throw it away.”
Skinner: I’ve never noticed that!

QUESTION 4: Complete the following work-in-progress lyrics. “Three Lions on a shirt /Just near where it says Umbro…”
Baddiel: [Sings]. “Do it for Millichip Bert. [Sir Frederick Albert Millichip, FA Chairman 1981-1996 – Football Ed]. Something, something, rhymes with Umbro.”
Partial credit. The answer on the card is, “The white one shows the dirt/The grey one not as much though”
Skinner: “When you get old your memory gets so bad you can really laugh at your old jokes.”

QUESTION 5: What number did Three Lions reach in the German charts?
Both: “17?”
Incorrect. 16.
Skinner: “I was quite chuffed seeing them on the balcony singing “Football’s Coming Home””.
Baddiel: “I think they just thought [affects German accent], “We’ve von ze tournament so ve vill have ze song.””

QUESTION 6: Q Magazine once said, “Folk memory will eradicate the memory of David Baddiel’s singing as effectively as…”
Baddiel: ““…it has eradicated the memory of corpse-robbers during the Blitz.” I’m almost proud to be insulted at such a high level. Will people now say, “That’s a bit harsh on corpse robbers?””

Correct

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QUESTION 7: What football song was at number 10 when Three Lions 2010 entered the charts at number 21 in May of the same year?
Skinner: “The Leeds United song to celebrate their promotion.”
Correct. Leeds Leeds Leeds (Marching On Together).
Baddiel: “There was a football song called “Sunderland Are Back In The First Division”. I’ve always loved the sheer straightforwardness of the title.”

QUESTION 8: Which football song did Noel Gallagher pick as the greatest ever in NME’s World Cup special?
Baddiel: “I imagine World In Motion.”
Incorrect. He said, “They’re all shit”.
Baddiel: “That’s a trick question.”
Skinner: “That’s all right. That’s allowed.”

QUESTION 9: How much of the John Barnes rap from New Order’s World In Motion and now the Mars advert can you do?
Baddiel: “’You’ve got to hold and give/And do it at the right time.’ And I imagine if you’re John Barnes, eat a Mars and eat another Mars.”
Skinner: “The advert seems to be saying, “We can take very athletic men and make them quite fat.””

Correct

QUESTION 10: Now do any of Dizzee Rascal’s rap from this year’s unofficial England song.
Skinner: “We’re going to SA/We’ll learn how to play/We’ll play it right/We’ll play it tight/We’ll be at the back/We’ll play with Jack.”
Erm. Incorrect.
“Come on England/We need to sort it out/Put the champs down, pull your finger out, leave the Wags alone/Set aside your ego, we’re tired of bragging about 40-odd years ago/We need a victory, quick, fast.”

Total score 5.5/10

Baddiel: “That’s pretty good”
Skinner: “There were some tough questions. Breakfast cereal? I don’t watch those videos on a regular basis whatever your readers might think.”

Skinner and Baddiel host World Cup podcasts this summer at www.absoluteradio.co.uk with Sony Ericsson

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