"The Official BBC Children in Need Medley" is a single by Peter Kay's Animated All Star Band. It is the official Children in Need Single for 2009, and was released on 21 November 2009. The song was shown for the first time on Children in Need 2009. The cover art is a parody of the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles. The single has sold over 452,000 copies in the UK, earning it gold status from the BPI.
History According to a news interview, Kay conceptualised the single while working with animation director Tim Harper. Harper said that he would "love to do something like that" but he and Kay regarded it mostly as a joke.
After some time away from the subject, Kay brought it up again, this time with the actual intent to produce it. Tim Harper said that he and Kay "just sat down one lunchtime and wrote a list", with as many characters recorded on it as they could think of from their childhoods, as well as some modern favourites and US cartoon characters. The song was recorded at Hullabaloo Studios by the Voice and Music Company.
The project was carried out in top secret at the request of executive producer Kay. Celebrities and voice artists who voiced characters' original vocals were brought in without being told details of the project. When contacted by Cartoon Network Studios, Casey Kasem agreed to take part on the condition that Shaggy Rogers was shown to be a vegetarian and asked not to be given credit as he was officially retired.
The project took 5 and a half days to mix the vocals of the seven songs, eight months to animate, and around two years in total. Many of the original character models had been packed away, given to museums or cremated. Where possible the originals were found and transported to Chapman Studios in Altrincham from all over the world. In cases where the original models no longer existed, such as the characters from Camberwick Green and Trumpton,I Love 1967 BBC Cult, November 2008 – Interview mentioning burnt Trumpton models new copies of the original models were created.
Because permission was not given by Royal Mail to use their more up to date logo, Postman Pat's van was a modified design with only the number plate PAT 4.Royal Mail drops Postman Pat Brand Republic, 20 November 2000
The single raised at least £170,000 for Children in Need after more than 265,000 CD, DVD and download sales by mid-December 2009.
Music video
The music video shows various British (and sometimes American) animated television series characters meeting and recording the song in a studio, spoofing other charity songs in the style of Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?", with Big Chris, the character voiced by Kay in Roary the Racing Car, first arranging the recording session and then leading the singing.
The music video features over 100 cartoon characters from different production companies. Nearly all of the characters with singing parts are voiced by their original UK voice artists including Ringo Starr (who was a member of the Beatles who recorded "Hey Jude", which is sung here) as Thomas the Tank Engine. Most of the contributions are stop motion characters. Some 2D animated characters appear on TV screens within the stop motion world "via satellite", including American cartoon characters Shaggy Rogers, Scooby-Doo, and Ben Tennyson. British cartoon characters Roobarb and Custard, Peppa Pig, George Pig and Muffin the Mule are also included. SpongeBob SquarePants and Angelina Ballerina appear on Big Chris' smartphone during the ending medley.
The video opens at night with Big Chris talking to Pat Clifton on the phone, saying he wants to get everyone together for the recording. In the morning, Bob the Builder sings The Jacksons' "Can You Feel It", joined by Postman Pat, Fireman Sam, the Teletubbies and other characters. Next, other characters, such as Station Officer Steele, Ted Glen, the Koala Brothers, The Wombles, Aloysius Parker, the Little Robots, and the Rubbadubbers, sing Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop". Fifi Forget-Me-Not sings The Pussycat Dolls' "Jai Ho", accompanied by Penny, Wendy, Marsha, Primrose, Big Christine and Nisha Bains, with Nisha's husband Ajay joining in, much to the disapproval and annoyance of Sam, Elvis, Steele, Pat, Bob, Big Chris, and Mr. Carburettor. Ajay then realizes his mistake and joins the men, accompanied by Parker, Virgil Tracy, and Brains, for their new rendition of Chumbawamba's "Tubthumping". The entire cast then sings a montage of Take That's "Never Forget", with Pingu and the characters of In the Night Garden... joining everyone for the concluding performance of the Beatles' "Hey Jude" and Elbow's "One Day Like This". At the end of the video, Chippy Minton appears, only to be informed by Big Chris that they have just finished.
Featured characters and voice actors
Hit Entertainment/Mattel Television Fireman Sam/Sam Tân Fireman Sam Jones (voiced by Steven Kynman) Firefighter Elvis Cridlington (voiced by Steven Kynman) Station Officer Norris Steele (voiced by David Carling) Firefighter Penny Morris (voiced by Tegwen Tucker)
Thomas & Friends Thomas the Tank Engine (voiced by Ringo Starr)Independent.ie. (2009). Children In Need single revealed. [online] Available at: https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/children-in-need-single-revealed/26584007.html [Accessed 8 Oct. 2023].Moshiri, M. (2010). Roll Along Thomas: The Thomas and Friends News Blog - The Archive: Kay's 'All-Star Animated Band' a runner-up. [online] Roll Along Thomas. Available at: http://rollalongthomas.blogspot.com/2010/11/kays-all-star-animated-band-runner-up.html [Accessed 8 Oct. 2023]. Sir Topham Hatt Bob the Builder Bob the Builder (voiced by Neil Morrissey) Wendy (voiced by Kate Harbour) Spud (voiced by Rob Rackstraw) Scoop** (voiced by Rob Rackstraw) Pilchard** Pingu Pingu (voiced by Marcello Magni) Rubbadubbers Tubb (voiced by John Gordon Sinclair) Terence (voiced by John Gordon Sinclair) Finbar (voiced by Sean Hughes) Sploshy (voiced by Maria Darling) Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps Angelina Ballerina (voiced by Charlotte Spencer) Other incidental characters from Bob the Builder Five unnamed photographers** The cameraman** The man at the mixing desk** ’’’NBCUniversal’’’ Entertainment Rights Woodland Animations Ltd: Postman Pat Postman Pat Clifton (voiced by Lewis MacLeod)The Drum. (n.d.). The Drum talks voices with Lewis Macleod. [online] Available at: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2009/12/08/drum-talks-voices-lewis-macleod [Accessed 11 Oct. 2023]. Jess** Ajay Bains Nisha Bains** Mrs. Goggins (voiced by Carole Boyd) Ted Glen (voiced by Ken Barrie) News, I. (2016). Ken Barrie, the voice of Postman Pat, dies at the age of 83. [online] ITV News. Available at: https://www.itv.com/news/london/2016-07-29/ken-barrie-the-voice-of-postman-pat-dies-at-the-age-of-73 [Accessed 8 Oct. 2023].BBC News. (2016). Postman Pat voice actor Ken Barrie dies. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36924472.amp [Accessed 8 Oct. 2023]. Meera Bains* Chapman Entertainment Roary the Racing Car Roary the Racing Car (voiced by Maria Darling) Big Chris (voiced by Peter Kay) Mirror.co.uk (2009). Peter Andre, Peter Kay and a host of celebs help Children In Need to be on course for record year. [online] mirror. Available at: https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/peter-andre-peter-kay-and-a-host-432546 [Accessed 8 Oct. 2023]. Marsha** (also voiced by Maria Darling) Mr. Carburettor (voiced by Tim Whitnall) Rusty** (voiced by Dominic Frisby) Flash** (voiced by Marc Silk) Big Christine Farmer Green (voiced by Tim Whitnall) Fifi and the Flowertots Fifi Forget-Me-Not (voiced by Jane Horrocks) Mo** Stingo (voiced by Tim Whitnall) Violet (voiced by Maria Darling) Bumble** (voiced by Marc Silk) Primrose (voiced by Jane Horrocks) Slugsy (voiced by Marc Silk) Buttercup (voiced by Joanna Ruiz) Daisy (voiced by Janet James) Flutterby* Raa Raa the Noisy Lion Raa Raa the Noisy Lion**
Spellbound Entertainment Ltd The Koala Brothers Frank the Koala (voiced by Keith Wickham) Buster the Koala (voiced by Rob Rackstraw) Create Media Ventures Little Robots Tiny (voiced by Hayley Carmichael) Stretchy (voiced by Jimmy Hibbert) Sporty Scary (voiced by Mike Hayley) Noisy BBC Worldwide Muffin the Mule The Woodentops Daddy Woodentop Mummy Woodentop Flower Pot Men/Bill and Ben Bill (voiced by John Thomson) Ben (voiced by Jimmy Hibbert) Andy Pandy Andy Pandy Looby Loo Teddy Children in Need Pudsey Bear
Ragdoll Productions/WildBrain Teletubbies Tinky Winky (voiced by Mark Heenehan) Dipsy (voiced by John Simmit) Laa-Laa (voiced by Nikky Smedley) Po (voiced by Pui Fan Lee) In the Night Garden... Igglepiggle Upsy Daisy Makka Pakka Tombliboos Pinky Ponk** Cookie Jar Entertainment: Paddington Paddington Bear The Wombles Alderney** (voiced by Bernard Cribbins) Orinoco (voiced by Bernard Cribbins) Bungo (voiced by Bernard Cribbins) Wellington (voiced by Bernard Cribbins) Great Uncle Bulgaria* Entertainment One and Hasbro Peppa Pig Peppa Pig (voiced by Harley Bird) George Pig (voiced by Oliver May and Alice May) ITV Studios International Media Limited Thunderbirds Virgil Tracy Brains (voiced by Marc Silk) Aloysius Parker (voiced by Marc Silk) Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward Alan Tracy* Gordon Tracy* Thunderbird 2* Smallfilms Bagpuss Bagpuss Cosgrove Hall Films Ltd Engie Benjy Engie Benjy Jollop the Dog** Hanna-Barbera and Cartoon Network Studios Ben 10: Alien Force Ben Tennyson (voiced by Yuri Lowenthal) Scooby-Doo Scooby-Doo (voiced by Frank Welker) Shaggy Rogers (voiced by Casey Kasem; uncredited) Nickelodeon SpongeBob SquarePants SpongeBob SquarePants Monster Animation & Design / A&B TV Roobarb Roobarb Custard Fluffy Gardens Paolo the Cat Mavis the Pony Small Green Thing** ITV Studios Rainbow Zippy (voiced by Roy Skelton and puppeteered by Ronnie Le Drew) George (voiced by Roy Skelton) The Sooty Show Sooty (voiced and puppeteered by Brian Sandford) Sweep (voiced and puppeteered by Jimmy Hibbert) Soo (voiced and puppeteered by Brenda Longman) Gordon Murray's Productions Camberwick Green Windy Miller** Trumpton Chippy Minton Miss Lovelace**
Characters with an asterisk (*) after their names, appear on the album cover but not in the music video itself. Characters with two asterisks (**) after their names, appear in the music video but not on the album cover itself.
Composition
The single is a medley of multiple songs played out in the following order: "Can You Feel It" – originally performed by the Jacksons (1981) (0:00–1:08) "Don't Stop" – originally performed by Fleetwood Mac (1976) (1:08–2:27) "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" from the film Slumdog Millionaire – originally performed by A.R. Rahman and the Pussycat Dolls (2009) (2:12–2:41) "Tubthumping" – originally performed by Chumbawamba (1997) (2:41–3:00) "Never Forget" – originally performed by Take That (1995) (3:00–3:18) "Hey Jude" – originally performed by the Beatles (1968) (3:18–4:30) "One Day Like This" – originally performed by Elbow (2008) (3:37–4:30)
Chart performance