Sam Fender covers “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” for the Christmas advert for the British brand John Lewis, with a brass section and a children’s choir from his old school. Mick Jagger, who says he is a fan of the singer, welcomed this new version of the Rolling Stones classic.
Mick Jagger sometimes gets satisfaction. Latest opportunity to date: when he discovered the cover of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by Rolling Stones by Sam Fender. “I’m a fan of Sam’s work, so I was happy to hear he covered one of my songs”Jagger said in a statement. “I think he did a very good job. »
Recorded for British department store chain John Lewis’ Christmas advert, Fender’s version lasts about half as long as the original, but it hits the mark on all counts. The brass instruments and the choir bring a sentimental dimension to the piece, while the singer’s voice expresses this hesitation in the face of truths that are difficult to accept, between disappointment and resignation. The eternal dilemma between what we want and what we really need.
Fender produced and recorded the track with Joe Atkinson and Dean Thompson, two members of his band, in the Tyneside region of northeast England. To support him, he called on training to which he is particularly attached. “It was a privilege to rework such a legendary song, by such a legendary group”he confides. “In the spirit of Christmas, we re-recorded the children’s choirs with students from my old school, John Spence Community High School, and we put together a brass section with the Easington Colliery Band. »
His latest album, People Watchingwas released in 2025 and won him the Mercury Prize that same year. Fender was also recognized at the 2026 BRIT Awards and received the Ivor Novello Award for Best Songwriter in May. His next tour, called Proper Massive Stadium Tourwill begin in June 2027 and will pass through the United Kingdom, Ireland and Belgium. No date has yet been announced in France.
By Kory Grow
