Sam Smith and Elton John team up for Children in Need charity single
Sir Elton John and recently-out singer Sam Smith have teamed up as part of a supergroup for this year’s Children in Need single.
The pair were part of a collective of big-name artists who took part in the BBC’s charity project, to cover The Beach Boys’ single God Only Knows.
The track, which also features Kylie Minogue and Queen guitarist Brian May, made its debut last night, when it was aired across all of the BBC’s TV and radio channels.
It was officially released at midnight last night, ahead of Children in Need on November 14.
The full list of participants includes Elton John, Sam Smith, Paul Simon, Florence Welch, Chrissie Hynde, One Direction, Stevie Wonder, Pharrell, Jake Bugg, Lorde, Emeli Sandé, Chris Martin, Kylie Minogue, Paloma Faith, Brian May, Dave Grohl, and Brian Wilson.
Sam Smith said: “Being part of this campaign was so incredible.
“For me, God Only Knows is a song that has been and will forever be part of pop history and to be singing it alongside my idols was overwhelming.
“Plus I got to meet Stevie Wonder which blew my mind.”
Bob Shennan, the director of BBC Music said: “This is an exciting moment for BBC Music as we launch to a global audience. With the 80-piece BBC Concert Orchestra at its heart and comprising an array of iconic music stars, from a wide range of musical genres, this ‘impossible’ orchestra is a celebration of all the talent, diversity and musical passion found every single day throughout the BBC.
“Our audiences are very clear in their passion for music and that’s why BBC Music exists: to create, curate and celebrate music – for the love of it.”
