Sam Fender Shares Rolling Stones Cover for John Lewis Ad
The recording features a choir from Fender’s former school and brass from the Easington Colliery Band.
Sam Fender has covered the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” for John Lewis’ Christmas advert. The recording features a choir from Fender’s former school and brass musicians from a local colliery band, bringing collaborators from his home region into the new version.
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Fender produced the track with bandmates Joe Atkinson and Dean Thompson. They recorded it in Tyneside, England, with the choir from John Spence Community High School in North Shields, where Fender was a pupil, and the Easington Colliery Band. The song accompanies the 20th edition of UK retailer John Lewis’ Christmas advert.
Fender said the project gave him the chance to rework a song by a band he admires. “It was a privilege to rework such an iconic song by such a legendary band. 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.” Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger said he was pleased with the cover, adding, “I think he’s done a great job with it.”
The release follows Fender’s 2025 album People Watching, which won that year’s Mercury Prize. “Rein Me In,” his duet with Olivia Dean, reached No. 1 for 23 non-consecutive weeks in 2026 and won the BRIT Award for Song of the Year. Fender also received two BRIT Awards in 2026 and an Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year.
Fender’s 2027 Proper Massive Stadium Tour will include headline shows at Wembley Stadium on June 18 and 20, and September 2. The initial nine dates sold out within a day, prompting additional shows in Cardiff, Edinburgh, and London. The itinerary also includes stadium dates in Newcastle and Manchester, as well as a July headline appearance at Dublin’s Marlay Park.
