Wanted: House band for Reg anthem

Competition Some time back, we ran a competition to find a Reg corporate anthem, and a great success it was too.

The winner was one Peter Dykes, who penned a rousing Vulture Central lyric to the classic Red Flag. At the time, we thought it would be nice to get someone to knock up a backing track so we could offer it as a download. Then we forgot all about it - until now.

Cue an email from Daniel Vincent, resident of sunny Croydon. Daniel offered the services of his band, Onionjack, as Register house outfit. Naturally, we were very flattered, but after listening to Onionjack's meritorious efforts on www.mp3.com, decided that what we needed was not merely a house band, but a house band singing the Reg anthem.

So, we're inviting readers to record a version of our anthem which, as already noted, is to the tune of The Red Flag ("O Tannenbaum" - a quick Google should find you an mp3 version):

Don't be taken in by new IT
Without you've seen the full SP
There's only one place on the net
Where you can read the truth, you bet.

The URL, you know the one
Has all the news and lots of fun
The Register, The Register
Will tell you just what's going on.

If your OS is a bag of nails
And you're hacked off each time it fails
To find out why this thing should be
Just read The Reg and you will see

Monopolies are one big con
We will not rest till they are gone
The corporates and all their lies
Cannot escape the Vulture's eyes

The fingers lie in bloody pools
Of those who would the Vulture fool
Their hands are well and truly bit
And they feel like a sack of shit

If they had told the truth complete
They'd have the kit to beat their meat
But as it they can't even stick
Two fingers up at The Register

So all of you who live in fear
Of bastards trying to bend your ear
Dont listen to a word they say
But read The Register every day

Buy the shirt and you'll look slick
Have a vulture tatooed on your dick
Go down the pub and have a beer
We'll keep the Reg flag flying here

Yup, we want the whole thing with instruments and vocals and everything. The style is up to you - surprise us. We need the finished article in mp3 format and are allowing entrants until the end of May to complete their efforts. We'll give you a nudge as the deadline draws close.

And the prize? Well, apart from international fame and fortune - in the form of your pic and a suitably overblown puff piece on The Register - and the chance to have your anthem as a permanent downloadable fixture on the site, we'll throw in a raft of t-shirts and stuff. Who knows, if the standard is high enough, we may even give some kit to a few runners-up.

So, dust down your midi keyboards and get to it. Here are a few rules:

1. The anthem must use the above lyrics and be to the tune of The Red Flag
2. (See here for more on tune)
   
3. For reasons of length, entrants may choose to cut one or more verses, but not the first two or last two
4. 
   
5. It must be delivered in mp3 format to lester.haines@theregister.co.uk Send a lo-fi version first, and we'll get back to you
6. 
   
7. Closing date for entries is 5.00pm GMT on Saturday 31 May