The annual John Lewis Christmas commercial has spent years relying on familiar anthems reworked into fragile, understated arrangements. For 2026, the retail chain has turned to Sam Fender to provide the soundtrack, handing him one of rock music's most enduring compositions. Fender has recorded a new version of The Rolling Stones' 1969 classic You Can't Always Get What You Want, placing his voice in front of television audiences across the holiday season.
First released on the Stones' Let It Bleed LP, the original track was distinguished by its choral arrangements and grand instrumentation. Rather than turning to session regulars, Fender built his take around musicians from his home region in the North East. The recording features pupils from the choir at John Spence Community High School in North Shields, where Fender was educated, alongside brass played by County Durham's Easington Colliery Band. Discussing the project, Fender noted that it felt like a privilege to interpret a song of that stature by such a legendary group. He explained that, keeping with the spirit of Christmas, the team arranged a complete brass section with the Easington players and brought in students from his old school to re-record the children's vocal parts.
Covering material of this profile can be risky, but the new cut carries an endorsement from the original singer. Mick Jagger gave the track his public approval, stating that he is a fan of Fender's catalogue, was pleased to see the song selected, and felt the songwriter had done a great job with the arrangement.
The accompanying film stars Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, the BAFTA and Olivier Award winner known for Four Weddings And A Funeral and Slow Horses. Scott Thomas plays a grandmother enduring the familiar seasonal scramble to track down appropriate presents for her grandchildren, a premise that plays directly into the pragmatic message of the song's refrain.
Securing the department store's seasonal sync has reliably delivered massive exposure to its chosen artists. Past campaigns have featured vocal turns from Andrea Bocelli, Richard Ashcroft, Lily Allen, Aurora, Lola Young, and Tom Odell, working through material originally written by John Lennon, Oasis, The Smiths, Keane, and Blink-182. Last year, the campaign took a different turn by transforming Alison Limerick's 1990 club single Where Love Lives into a slow piano arrangement sung by Labrinth. The commercial reach of the slot has occasionally come with huge budgets, highlighted in 2018 when Elton John revealed he was paid five million pounds to take part.
Alongside its television run, Fender's cover will receive a standalone physical release on both CD and seven-inch vinyl. The reverse side features his 2020 recording of Lindisfarne's Winter Song, marking the track's first appearance on any physical format. Sales from the release will support two separate charities. Every penny of net profit generated through Fender's official web store will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust, while the retail profits gathered by John Lewis from sales inside their shops will be given to Action for Children to assist young people who grew up in care as they work toward stable lives.
The high-profile advertising slot arrives during an exceptionally busy stretch for the Mercury Prize winner. Fender is currently preparing for his Proper Massive stadium tour across the UK and Ireland next year, which recently added extra dates to keep up with demand. With talk circulating about a potential headline slot at Glastonbury in 2027 and another studio album in the pipeline, this festive single lands just as he prepares for some of the largest venues of his career.
