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The John Lewis 2026 Christmas advert has officially launched, and the music is going to get everyone talking just as much as Kristin Scott Thomas’ magical adventure.
Not only is the track performed by Sam Fender, a favourite to headline Glastonbury Music Festival in 2027, but it’s a cover of a song by renowned rock band The Rolling Stones – and it’s received the official seal from Mick Jagger himself.
The retailer’s new campaign, which spreads the message ‘Don’t give up on giving’, follows a grandma called Gloria who can’t work out what she should give her two grandchildren for Christmas.
At one point, it appears she’s going to give up on trying as she pops some money in envelopes for them. But a wooden dog toy called Pickles, voiced by Paul Whitehouse, encourages her to jet out of the house and head to London in search of inspiration.
She eventually comes up with the idea of creating a ‘Gran Cave’ at home, where she and her grandchildren Maggie and Freddie can be silly and dance together, while music plays on the vinyl record player in the room.
John Lewis selected the song You Can’t Always Get What You Want for the campaign, which was originally released by The Rolling Stones in 1969 from their eighth studio album Let It Bleed.
Sam, 32, said that it was a ‘privilege to rework such an iconic song by such a legendary band’.
What made his performance even more special is that he also involved a choir of kids who attend his old school.
‘In the spirit of Christmas, we re-recorded the children’s choir with the kids from my old school, John Spence Community High School, and we arranged a brass section with the Easington Colliery Band,’ he said.
Throughout his career, Sam has received five Brit Awards, two Ivor Novello Awards and the highly esteemed Mercury Prize.
Last year, his track Rein Me In with Olivia Dean went viral, being named the Song of the Year at the Brit Awards and becoming the longest-running chart-topping single in British music history.
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In 2018, he opened up in an interview with Music Week about his career aspirations, saying: ‘My ultimate ambition is to still be writing stuff that’s good when I’m 50. That’s the dream…’
You Can’t Always Get What You Want was written by The Rolling Stones bandmates Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and the former revealed what he thought of the new cover chosen to feature in the John Lewis Christmas advert.
‘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,’ the 83-year-old rock legend shared.
John Lewis will be selling physical copies of Sam’s cover on seven-inch vinyls and on CD on the retailer’s website. It’ll also be backed with the musician’s 2020 cover of Winter Song, which is available to purchase physically for the first time.
All of the profits from record sales will be donated to the charity Action for Children, which supports children and young people.
Sam will also be selling physical copies of his rendition of You Can’t Always Get What You Want on his website, with profits from physical sales being donated to the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Sam joins a long line of artists who’ve sang for the John Lewis Christmas campaign, including Alison Limerick and Labrinth last year, Andrea Bocelli in 2023, Lola Young five years ago, Elton John in 2018 for The Boy and the Piano and Lily Allen’s Somewhere Only We Know in 2013.
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