Sounds a tough gig
We know they’ve got acting talent, but now Suranne Jones, David Tennant and other screen stars hope to impress us – and help kids – with their ability to belt out a pop hit
From Elvis Presley and Lady Gaga to David Bowie and Billie Piper, pop stars have long moonlighted as actors – so now it’s time for the thespians to get their own back.
In this entertaining documentary, some of Britain’s most famous luvvies warm up their vocal cords to record an album of cover songs for a great cause.
The Children in Need project sees the likes of Suranne Jones, David Tennant, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent tackling classic tunes by Stevie Wonder, The Killers, Coldplay and others.
But this is no glorified pub karaoke session. The actors will lay down their tracks at London’s Abbey Road Studios – favoured by The Beatles – plus receive
guidance from producer Guy Chambers and vocal coach Mark De-Lisser. Doctor Foster star Suranne belted out Symphony by Clean Bandit for her song, and admits it was daunting.
She said: “I was so anxious. It made me more nervous than I’ve been on anything.
“I sang in choral groups when I was younger and wanted to be in musicals, but this was scary because I haven’t done it for so long. Recording the song was hard, but I’m so glad I did it – and you can’t say no to Children In Need.”
David Tennant stayed true to his Scottish roots by having a go at Sunshine on Leith by Edinburgh twins The Proclaimers.
David said: “They’ve been the soundtrack to my life. And this is a beautiful, soaring, wonderful song.
“The recording session was scary and intense. But luckily we have Guy and his very clever mixing desk, which will hopefully make me sound, if not like a professional singer, then at least not like a very unprofessional actor.”
The documentary, narrated by Dervla Kirwan, takes us behind the scenes of the recording process, as well as shining a light on some of the projects funded by Children in Need. l The Got It Covered album is released on November 1.