A Thai School & Celtic Fans Aims To Top Uk Charts

[jerseytim]

A SCOTS Music mogul has teamed up with special needs kids in Thailand for a charity single tribute to a murdered Scots teen.

Songwriter and producer John McLaughlin has joined forces with the Good Child Foundation charity in Thailand for children with Downs Syndrome to record a special version of the Depeche Mode song Just Cant Get Enough in tribute to tragic Celtic fan Reamonn Gormley.

The Blantyre-born student had taught English at the special needs school before he was stabbed to death in his home town earlier this year.

The kids at the school became a YouTube sensation when a video of them performing the song - adopted as a club anthem by Celtic fans this season - with special lyrics paying tribute to 19 year old Reamonn, and now John has remixed their version into a catchy pop single which is being released in the charts this Sunday, May 8, in a bid to get it to number one next week.

John, who has worked with bands like Westlife, 911, and Busted has produced the song with the help of the fans website Celtic Quick News and the Celtic Charity Fund, and proceeds from the single will go to benefit the Thai charity and also to Crimestoppers to help prevent other tragic knife attacks.

John said: "It would be great if we could get the song into the charts or even to number one, but the most important thing is raising money for these incredible kids.

"I defy anybody to watch their videos on YouTube and not be compelled to do something.

"The Good Child Foundation is a great cause, they do a really beautiful thing and anything we can do to raise money for them, and make something good come out of the tragedy of Reamonn's death, would be a great tribute to him."

The project came about when Celtic fans launched a charity campaign in Reamonn Gormley's name in February shortly after the knife attack which shocked all of Scotland.

Two men have been arrested in connection with the murder, which happened as he was on the way home from watching football in the pub with a friend.

The Scots teen was well known to many Celtic fans after appearing in other YouTube clips of the Good Child Foundation kids singing Celtic songs, and they started raising money for the charity in his name through an online appeal which has now raised almost s30,000 in just over two months, exceeding their original target of s1,967 by 15 times over.

And when the kids at the Foundation, nicknamed the Thai Tims, recorded the version of Just Can't Get Enough, fans at website Celtic Quick News contacted Celtic fan John.

He had previously collaborated with then Celtic manager Martin O Neill for hit single The Best Day of Our Lives, which made the Top 20 in 2002 to mark the 35th Anniversary of the club's European Cup win, and also got a song featuring late Celtic star Jimmy Johnstone into the charts in 2006.

The new version of the Depeche Mode classic includes the tribute line: "Reamonn, Jinky Johnstone and Tommy Burns, will be smiling down from heaven on all of us."

John, who also sings on the track, got permission from Sony Music to re-record the song and has produced the new version which he hopes to take to the top of the charts in memory of the beloved teen Reamonn.

He said: "When the Thai Tims video of Just Can't Get Enough hit YouTube I saw how many hits it had got and I was asked to help out so I got involved with Paul Lennon from the Good Child Foundation, and also with the Celtic Charity Fund to make it happen.

"Sony were really helpful and we rewrote that parts that needed rewritten and produced it to make the song sound a bit more like the original.

"I put it together with my band Johnny Mac and the Faithful and we eventually got it all sorted.

"The idea is to get it to number one to highlight the charity. A lot of people don't really know much about it but the work they do for kids is amazing, and if we get them into the charts then people all over the country will find out more about them.

"It's not about me or Celtic or Celtic fans, its all about raising money for these kids. If the single raises s10k, then that's the equivalent of s200k for their spend. Even s100 can make a huge difference for them.

"Celtic fans are great at supporting good causes like this, but it also goes beyond football. A lot of my mates are big Rangers fans who have said they will buy it to support the charity.

"To get to number one we would need 30 or 40 thousand, maybe even 50,000 so that's a big ask but its all about doing what we can to raise money for them. There is also money going to Crimestoppers because what happened to Reamonn was really heartbreaking and we can also highlight that to help fight knife crime in Scotland."

Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell said: "The passing of Reamonn was a tragic event. Reamonn was an extremely fine young man and someone who will always be in our thoughts.

"We are delighted to be able to be involved in this project in his memory and were sure it will be a great success in supporting two very worthy causes.

Paul Lennon of the Good Child Foundation added: "Everyone here adored Reamonn and we miss him every day. He was a very special young man and friend and we were blessed to spend time with him here in Thailand.

"The children feel very honoured to be involved in the release of this single in Reamonn's memory and would like to take this opportunity to thank the Celtic fans for their wonderful support and encouragement to date and for getting behind our charity version of Just Can't Get Enough."

Kate Jackson, Assistant National Manager for Crimestoppers Scotland said the support would help assist Crimestoppers in campaigning against knife crime in communities across Scotland.

The Thai Tims version of Just Can't Get Enough is released on download this Sunday, May 8, on the iTunes store and other major online retailers, and you can also donate to the Celtic Charity Fund for Reamonn at www.everyclick.com/rememberingreamonngormley

http://www.dailyreco...86908-23111389/

Help raise money for this fantastic charity and buy the download from itunes

http://itunes.apple....gle/id435841712 (Please buy all three tracks seperately as the "b sides" count as an extra download)

For rmore info on the good child foundation, visit the website

http://www.goodchild...n.com/Home.aspx

Hail Hail

[jerseytim]

I am not sure how to embed the video, but here is the original video of the kids singing the song. It has over half a million views !

[rgs2001uk]

In the youtube video clip, can you please explain the reference to the green brigade that appears not once but twice.

For casual readers who may not be aware, here is a link to the green brigade,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Brigade

What exactly is a Thai Tim?

I seem to remember a former pope making less than complimenty remarks about Bhuddism.

Yes this young mans death is tragic.

[jerseytim]

In the youtube video clip, can you please explain the reference to the green brigade that appears not once but twice.

For casual readers who may not be aware, here is a link to the green brigade,

http://en.wikipedia....i/Green_Brigade

What exactly is a Thai Tim?

I seem to remember a former pope making less than complimenty remarks about Bhuddism.

Yes this young mans death is tragic.

I will humour you, from the wiki you have just posted ...

"The Green Brigade is an ultras group consisting of fans of Celtic Football Club. The group describes itself as a "a broad front of anti-fascist, anti-racist and anti-sectarian Celtic supporters"

There isn't a formal link between Green Brigade & the Good Child Foundation. The GB have organised fundraising nights, collected replica football tops to send to the kids in Thailand and have been at the forefront of Just Can't Get Enough, catching on in Celtic Park and other grounds round Scotland. They do a great deal for the Good Child Foundation and also refugees and immigrants charities in Scotland

A Tim, as you quite obviously know, is nickname for Celtic fans (hence my name on here).

What this has to do with a former pope and his comments on buddism is lost on me

and just for you rgs2001 here are 60,000 Celtic fans singing just can't get enough, in a recent match against their Glasgow rivals

[mca]

Just watched the vid. Bless their hearts.

[Patsycat]

Just watched the vid. Bless their hearts.

Me too!!

[jerseytim]

It is a tragic but also a genuinely heart warming story.

I am proud, as a Celtic fan, that the support and now also the club itself has embraced the cause and are determined to continue to help the school in any way we can.

A permanent memorial has been erected at the school in memory of Raemonn and the aim now is to raise enough cash to build a sports hall (in a Celtic theme) named after young Raemonn Gormley

Below is a selection of some photos of the building and erecting the memorial

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fourleafclover/sets/72157626325843751/

Help support a worthy cause and buy the charity single

http://itunes.apple....gle/id435841712