Rednex cottoning on to dirt

WHAT is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Rednex? These days it is Swedish country techno and not southern-states hillbillies.

The Swedish pop band's first song, Cotton Eye Joe , has reached the No 1 position in nine countries across Europe, including Britain and Germany, where it has become the largest selling single of the last decade, selling 2.5 million copies in Europe.

Cotton Joe Tree was written by Janne Ericsson and Oban and Pat Reiniz, who is also the producer of the song.

Rednex is a five-piece band from the south of Stockholm.

Vocalists are Mary Joe and Ken Tacky, who also plays the banjo.

In the video that accompanies Cotton Eye Joe , Rednex and several other unruly hillbillies have a hootenanny. 'The concept is to make the band members look filthy and uncouth,' said the Swedish producer, Pat Reiniz, 'to give people the chance to let go of the beauty complex, because people do not really want to feel that pressure to be clean and orderly. I think this is part of why everybody responds so well to the songs.' Mr Reiniz named the band Rednex because of their sun-burned necks from working in the fields. He brought them back to his hometown in Sweden to produce their first album, Sex and Violin. Cotton Eye Joe was the first single to be released from the album.