The Official BBC Children In Need Medley

Album: Single Release Only (2009)
Charted: 1
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This tune is a medley of seven pop songs all performed by over 100 animated characters past and present. All proceeds of the single went to BBC's Children in Need charity.
  • The seven songs that make up the medley are: "Can You Feel It" by The Jacksons
    "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac"
    "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" by A.R. Rahman & The Pussycat Dolls
    "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba
    "Never Forget" by Take That
    "Hey Jude" by The Beatles
    "One Day Like This" by Elbow
  • The man behind the single was Nigel Wright, the Grammy-nominated co-producer of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Love Never Dies. It took him 132 hours to mix the vocals of the seven different songs.
  • The video, which shows the Animated All Star Band meeting and recording the song in a studio, took two years to create. It features over 100 animated characters past and present, including The Teletubbies, Bill and Ben, Andy Pandy, Thomas the Tank Engine, Paddington Bear and Scooby Doo. They were voiced in nearly all the cases by the actors who did the vocals for characters in their original series.
  • The project was fronted by comedian Peter Kay, who in 2005 appeared in the video for Tony Christie's Comic Relief hit "(Is This the Way To) Amarillo." He said: "Children, parents, grandparents - in fact everybody is going to enjoy this. I can't believe it's come together and I'm extremely proud of all the work and time everybody has given to the project."
  • This reached #1 in its second week on the UK singles chart. Two out of the seven songs on the medley, "Never Forget" and "Hey Jude," were previously chart-toppers in their own right.
  • Here are some other UK #1 singles that were sung by animated or puppet characters.
    1969 The Archies Sugar, Sugar
    1986 Spitting Image The Chicken Song
    1991 The Simpsons Do The Bartman
    1998 Chef Chocolate Salty Balls
    2005 Gorillaz Dare

Comments: 1

  • Flynn And Belle from Cranbournecharacters like dennis gnasher noddy shaun the sheep wallace gromit and rastamouse have to be in a animated crossover music video with horrid henry
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Gary Brooker of Procol Harum

Gary Brooker of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer and pianist for Procol Harum, Gary talks about finding the musical ideas to match the words.

Andy McClusky of OMD

Andy McClusky of OMDSongwriter Interviews

Known in America for the hit "If You Leave," OMD is a huge influence on modern electronic music.

Waiting For The Break of Day: Three Classic Songs About All-Nighters

Waiting For The Break of Day: Three Classic Songs About All-NightersSong Writing

These Three famous songs actually describe how they were written - late into the evening.

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

Graham Nash

Graham NashSongwriter Interviews

Graham Nash tells the stories behind some of his famous songs and photos, and is asked about "yacht rock" for the first time.

Michael Sweet of Stryper

Michael Sweet of StryperSongwriter Interviews

Find out how God and glam metal go together from the Stryper frontman.