Every year, the UK department store John Lewis unveils a big Christmas TV commercial, which always involves a cover of an extremely recognizable song. This has been happening for 20 years now, and it's apparently become a traditional part of UK culture, like our Macy's Thanksgiving Parade or something. Some of those John Lewis-commissioned covers become actual hits over there, too; Lily Allen's take on Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know" and Gabrielle Aplin's version of Frankie Goes To Hollywood's "The Power Of Love" both topped the UK singles chart. The song from this year's ad seems likely to be a big deal, too, since it's Sam Fender doing the Rolling Stones.
Sam Fender! You hear about this guy? Big deal over there. He won the Mercury Prize last year. He's touring stadiums next year. Most impressively, Fender's Olivia Dean duet "Rein Me In" is now the longest-running #1 hit in UK history. (That song is platinum over here now, too.) It's kind of funny for this guy, specifically, to cover "You Can't Always Get What You Want" when it seems like he actually does always get what he wants.
"You Can't Always Get What You Want," the Stones' glorious choir-assisted singalong, is one of the all-time great epic rock 'n' roll songs, and you probably didn't need me to tell you that. Fender recorded his version in his Tyneside hometown, and it features the choir the John Spence Community High School, his alma mater, as well as the brass section from the Easington Colliery Band. His version is a little slower and sparer, but it's not like he's taking tremendous liberties with the track.
In a press release, Fender says, "It was a privilege to rework such an iconic song by such a legendary band." There's also a quote from Mick Jagger, who says, "’I'm a fan of Sam’s work, so I was pleased to hear he was covering one of my songs. I think he’s done a great job with it." And now that song soundtracks an ad where Dame Kirsten Scott Thomas plays a grandmother who struggles to connect with her grandkids during Christmas. Below, check out Fender's version and the Stones' original video.
