00:00Sam Fender has brought together pupils from his former school in North Shields and musicians
00:05from County Durham for a recording with a national Christmas audience. Children at John Spence
00:10Community High School provided the choir for his cover of the Rolling Stones song
00:14You Can't Always Get What You Want, which was used in this year's John Lewis Christmas advert.
00:18The invitation came after Fender met his former music teacher Damien Gratzer during the summer
00:23holidays. Gratzer, who's worked at the school for more than 20 years, said the request came as a
00:28real shock. The pupils were not told what the recording was for, they had just one day to
00:33rehearse before Fender arrived towards the end of the session. Gratzer said the singer's appearance
00:38made the experience especially memorable for the children. He also recalled Fender saying that
00:43seeing the school tie-in uniform brought back fond memories of his time there and of his teachers.
00:48The recording brings together familiar musical partners as well. Fender worked again with
00:53Easington Colliery Band after collaborating with them on his previous album People Watching.
00:58The band also performed with him during his stadium tour last year. Principal cornet player
01:03Dan Robson said the relationship had developed beyond a single job and described the latest
01:08invitation as another brilliant opportunity. The advert features Fender's version of the
01:13Rolling Stones classic, while the single also includes his 2020 cover of Winter Song. Proceeds
01:19from sales of the single will go to two charities, Teenage Cancer Trust and Action for Children.
01:24Their voice is now featured together in a major national Christmas advertising campaign.
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