Put ’Em Under Pressure at 35: ‘The olé, olé, olé part lives on for people who weren’t even alive during Italia ’90’ Olé: The Story of Put ’Em Under Pressure’ airs on St Patrick’s Day at 2.15pm on RTÉ Radio 1 and the RTÉ Radio app It was both a football song and an anthem for a country that was developing a sense of confidence as the 1990s began. A new RTÉ documentary sheds light on how it was made Kevin Sheedy celebrates with teammates after scoring against England. Photo: Ray McManus/Sportsfile Ireland fans roar on Jackie's Army during their quarter-final against the hosts in Italia '90. Photo: Getty Images Jackie’s Army: Irish fans in Rome at the Italia ’90 World Cup. Photo: INM/Mediahuis archive Larry Mullen and Will Leahy Jack Charlton in the dugout during Italia 90. Photo: Peter Robinson/Getty Images Kevin Sheedy celebrates with teammates after scoring against England. Photo: Ray McManus/Sportsfile Ireland fans roar on Jackie's Army during their quarter-final against the hosts in Italia '90. Photo: Getty Images John Meagher Today at 02:30 The summer of 1990 was unlike any other, halcyon days that felt magical and surreal. Those of us who were teenage football fans were especially thrilled by Ireland’s first ever appearance in the World Cup finals but, in truth, it would have been hard to find anyone who wasn’t swept up in the excitement of ‘Jackie’s Army’ and our exploits on the green fields of Cagliari, Palermo, Genoa and Rome. For the entirety of summer — 13 consecutive weeks — one chart-topping song was inescapable. Put ’Em Under Pressure was both a football song and an anthem that captured a country that was moving out of the bleakness of the 1980s and into the promise of the last decade of the 20th century. At the time, it felt that society’s tectonic plates were shifting, and 35 years on, history tells us that it was a period of rebirth for the Ireland we know today. For the broadcaster, Will Leahy, Put ’Em Under Pressure is five minutes of music that captures that time and place better than any other. He has made an absorbing documentary on the song, and the Ireland in which it was released, and he has roped in some of the key players, including U2’s Larry Mullen, to tell their story. Jackie’s Army: Irish fans in Rome at the Italia ’90 World Cup. Photo: INM/Mediahuis archive Leahy, who was a 2FM DJ for several years and presents the breakfast show on RTÉ Gold, was 18 in the summer of 1990. He had just completed his Leaving Cert and Italia ’90 felt like the greatest gift imaginable. “We’ll never have a summer quite like it again,” he says. “Everything else seemed to grind to a standstill. The football was everything.” It was a momentous year. “The previous November, the Berlin Wall had come down and even though I was too young to appreciate the significance of that, there was a sense of liberation that you could feel,” he says. “The ’80s had been a miserable time in the country with high unemployment, mass emigration, and there was all that conflict around abortion and divorce. But things had begun to change towards the end of that decade. There was a renewed confidence, especially when it came to popular culture and sport. Shortly after that World Cup, we had Féile, our first proper music festival, and our first woman president [Mary Robinson] was elected that year. [U2’s] Achtung Baby, [Sinéad O’Connor’s] Nothing Compares 2 U and the first Cranberries album all came out within an 18-month period.” Kevin Sheedy celebrates with teammates after scoring against England. Photo: Ray McManus/Sportsfile But, first, there was a football tournament to play. “Qualifying for the World Cup for the first time was like nothing else. Remember, this was pre-internet, pre-Sky TV. It’s the sort of event that galvanised the entire nation. And, in that first match — against the mighty England with their all-star team of John Barnes and Gary Lineker — we scored, and if we weren’t all already infatuated with what was happening, that [Kevin Sheedy’s goal] ensured everyone was.” Put ‘Em Under Pressure was the perfect sonic accompaniment. “I was doing some DJing in Limerick after school,” he says, “and I remember playing it four times and everyone out on the dance floor loving it. And, when you listen to it in isolation now, it stands up as a great, great song.” Last year, when this newspaper invited 50 top people working in all facets of the music business to list their favourite Irish songs ever, Put ’Em Under Pressure was selected by many. It placed at number 27, sandwiched between Lankum’s Go Dig My Grave and U2’s The Fly. Leahy’s documentary fascinates because it punctures a number of myths. It’s quite a surprise to learn that the players don’t sing on the recorded track — the voices we hear are people who happened to be in Windmill Lane studio that day, as well as some Spanish tourists who happened to be outside. Read more The best Irish songs of all time — ranked: the definitive top 50 The secret to scoring a hit football song: keep it simple “The players themselves think it’s them singing,” Leahy clarifies, “but the version that was released doesn’t feature them at all.” And, despite being one of the best selling songs in Irish chart history, it made no money. Copyright infringements ensured payouts went to Horslips and the people behind Scotland’s 1978 World Cup song, Ally’s Tartan Army. More on that later. The song came about because members of the football squad were looking to enhance their earnings after qualification had been assured. This was, of course, long before megabucks Premier League salaries and lucrative image rights contracts. Sports agent Fintan Drury secured several deals for the players and thought there was money to be made in a football song. Well-known record industry figure Dave Pennefather came on board and it was he who approached Larry Mullen, the sole member of U2 who was interested in football. “Larry was adamant that he didn’t want to deliver a novelty hit,” Leahy says. “He wanted a song that would have significant artistic merit in its own right. This was pretty much the first thing he was doing outside of U2 and he wanted it to be as good as possible.” Larry Mullen and Will Leahy Mullen tends to eschew media interviews, but he talks to Leahy for this documentary. He’s a good get and is clearly proud of his work on the song. It was his idea to use the air of the American Civil War song, Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! and thought the riff of Horslip’s Dearg Doom would be ideal. Mullen is credited as co-producer and he certainly put in the hard yards. A crack team of musicians were sought out. There’s a great anecdote about the English violin player, Helen O’Hara, who had played the fiddle on Dexys Midnight Runners’ Come On Eileen. She had never heard of Mullen and when told that he was the drummer in U2, admitted she had never heard of the band. This was the post-Joshua Tree period where the Dubliners were arguably the world’s biggest group. Another surprise is the revelation that it’s not a sample of Dearg Doom that’s used on the finished track. Instead, the guitarist Anto Drennan was drafted in to play his own version. As the Horslips song is heavily inspired by the ancient battle tune, O’Neill’s March, it was wrongly assumed that it was out of copyright. But Dearg Doom features a different arrangement and a settlement was made with Horslips. Similarly, Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! formed the nucleus of Ally’s Tartan Army and the Scots successfully argued that they should be at least in part recompensed for the success of Put ’Em Under Pressure. Jack Charlton in the dugout during Italia 90. Photo: Peter Robinson/Getty Images Mullen says his focus was entirely on the creative side of things and assumed others were keeping an eye on legal and rights matters, although he seems to have little interest in attributing blame to anyone. Other football songs from the period, such as Liam Harrison’s Give It a Lash, Jack and Ooh Aah, Paul McGrath, from one hit wonders Watch Your House, have long since wormed themselves into the national consciousness, but none brought the artistic gravitas of Put ’Em Under Pressure, replete with that haunting Moya Brennan opening. The Clannad singer is said to be very proud of her contribution. “It stands up exceptionally well,” Leahy says. “Like World in Motion and Three Lions” — that pair of great English football tunes courtesy of, respectively, New Order and the Lightning Seeds, David Baddiel and Frank Skinner — “it’s a great song that doesn’t sound like a quickly dashed off novelty release. And that ‘Olé, olé, olé’ part lives on for a generation that weren’t even alive in 1990. Hearing that chanted is such a big part of the Irish concert experience today and it has been since the moment Put ’Em Under Pressure was first released.” ‘Olé: The Story of Put ’Em Under Pressure’ airs on St Patrick’s Day at 2.15pm on RTÉ Radio 1 and the RTÉ Radio app
Great stuff, brings back a lot of nostalgia, was surprised how much emotions that brought flooding back. I was 15, still vividly remember watching the penalty shootout. Brilliant summer.
The thing I remember most about that summer is pictures of the likes of O Connell St and not a sinner to be seen when the Ireland matches were on. Even if Ireland got to World Cup final now you would get near the same excitement or interest. If I had a Time Machine it probably the time I would choose to go back and experience. Was only 10 so it’s vague enough. Remember relatives of my Mam ringing home from Genoa to get money transferred as they had run out. Not sure my Dad ever saw it again though
That was what I remember most about that era. Everybody feeling the same excitement and everybody celebrating together. I'm not really one for getting emotional about famous people dying, it cringes me out a bit how over the top some people go for people they didn't even know. But Jack Charlton passing was emotional for me, and not just because of the joy of those days, it's because it reminded me this country will never experience it again. The 80's were very tough time for many, but there was something about the country that I can't put into words, that at some point during the Celtic Tiger,dissapeared. For lack of a better word,people became more selfish. Even if one day we had a team competing at that level again,it wouldn't be the same,because people aren't the same.
Decency in the people and everyone looking out for each other are my main memories of trips away back then
Amazing time, tickets to get into pubs to watch the match so you could control the size of the crowds in there, you would get it back with free drink or two. Everyone from my granny to the youngest chisler wearing something supporting the team. A country united as could be seen from the homecoming. Someone told my at the time the closest to it was when Ronnie Delaney was in the Olympics but that was on the wireless. We really got behind our sports stars on the international stage back then from Barry McGuigan, whether you liked the little bollix or not to Euro 88 and the 5 nations to Eamon Coughlan. even Pat Spillane in the All Stars.
I was ten and have a vivid memory of not seeing an adult for about 3 days. A street of kids raised themselves from Romania to Italy.
The reunion last night in the RDS was the best legends night i have been at. Brilliant from start to finish. Emotional tribute at the end to those who are no longer with us played to Nessun Dorma. I forgot Maurice Price was on the coaching staff. https://x.com/oranje_1979/status/1900827333830828398?s=46
Great story from last night The players went for a walk on the beach in Spain before a world cup qualifier for America in 94. Big Jack farted. Andy Townsend said I think you followed through Jack. He said he didn’t so they had a bet. Jack pulled down his pants and says old stuff doesn’t count
The pub just switched to Spain Holland. It's a different sport these lads are playing, Ireland are tough tough watch.
If we could just play teams worse than us all the time we’d be grand. Some of them teams relegated to league b their 3rd choice team would do us 4-0.
I am a lot more optimistic about the upcoming World Cup campaign than any time on under Kenny. That could be because the current squad seems to have a small increase in quality with Kelleher, Collins and O’Brien all premier league quality giving a solid base. Parrott is second top scorer in Dutch football and Idah scored in the Champions League. Midfield is the area where we desperately need a breakthrough player. Kenny picked up Ireland at a very low time quality wise and the current management may benefit from the work he did. Hungary games are massive now in WC
That was the hardest watch in a long time. We were so bad even our dog was cat. The damage the FAI have done to Irish Football is unbelievable. Premier League players looking like they couldn't be added against Armenia. FFS.