Let’s go back to the very start and create a post for every single Comic Relief single there’s ever been (well one’s that I can find on YouTube)
1986
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGOU0o9K89g]
1987
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPuRA1rZuTA]
1988
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJY7KW_YAac]
1991
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iwA2oRs8dk]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lpLS51omQs]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozTBcB_qwag]
1992
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXvACE5Pe9Q]
1993
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LunNy7lcQ3Q]
1994
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YjDMmjgKec]
1995
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7uP3Bbu_pQ]
1997
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvwx3RdQOwI]
1999
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjudr5YlzuE]
2001
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3j0fLAXsSc]
2003
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tyD9vCjxHo]
2005
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mUFbdW0XwY]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrIboqSqBAc]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqLLDZvbG-U]
2007
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D83rOfh6Khc]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNjHJOjRGzM]
2009
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfGzWntCbxY]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAE1YyDm66A]
2011
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu_J4QPr8To]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om-IfoFd8fs]
In April 1986 the first Comic Relief charity single was released. It featured Cliff Richard and the cast of The Young Ones in a rendition of “Living Doll”.
Some of the money raised from the sale of each single is donated to Comic Relief. Normally a song is released just before the official Red Nose Day. There have been exceptions, such as “(I want to be) Elected” which was released to coincide with the 1992 UK general election. Before 1995’s song, they were all more-or-less comedy records, mostly involving an actual band or singer, and a comedy group. From 1995 on, they have been generally more serious, although the videos still feature comical moments.
2003 saw a return to the format of old. From 2005 onwards, two comic relief songs have been released each red nose day, a song by a mainstream artist, and a comedy song.
Release
date |
Title | Artist(s) | Highest chart
position reached |
---|---|---|---|
April 1986 | “Living Doll“ |
Cliff Richard and the cast of The Young Ones |
No. 1 |
December 1987 | “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree“ |
Mel & Kim (Mel Smith and Kim Wilde) |
No. 3 |
February 1989 | “Help!“ | Bananarama & La na nee nee noo noo (French and Saunders with Kathy Burke) |
No. 3 |
March 1991 | “The Stonk” | Hale and Pace (backing band includes David Gilmour and Brian May) |
No. 1 |
March 1991 | “Helping Hand” | Numerous children’s TV puppet personalities, including characters from ‘The House of Gristle’, ‘Fraggle Rock’, ‘Rainbow’, ‘Roland Rat’, ‘Thunderbirds’, ‘Round the Bend’, ‘Bill & Ben’, ‘The Gophers’, ‘Spitting Image’, ‘Jim Hensons Tale of the Bunny Picnic’ and more! |
No. |
April 1992 | “(I Want to Be) Elected“ |
Smear Campaign (Bruce Dickinson, Rowan Atkinson, Angus Deayton) |
No. 9 |
February 1993 | “Stick It Out“ |
Right Said Fred | No. 4 |
May 1994 | “Absolutely Fabulous“ |
Absolutely Fabulous (Pet Shop Boys, Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley) |
No. 6 |
March 1995 | “Love Can Build a Bridge“ |
Cher, Chrissie Hynde, Neneh Cherry and Eric Clapton |
No. 1 |
3 March 1997 | “Mama” / “Who Do You Think You Are“ |
Spice Girls | No. 1 |
1 March 1999 | “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going“ |
Boyzone | No. 1 |
March 2001 | “Uptown Girl“ |
Westlife | No. 1 |
March 2003 | “Spirit in the Sky“ |
Gareth Gates and the Kumars |
No. 1 |
7 March 2005 | “All About You”/”You’ve Got a Friend” |
McFly | No. 1 |
14 March 2005 | “Is This the Way to Amarillo” 1 |
Tony Christie & Peter Kay |
No. 1 |
12 March 2007 | “Walk This Way“ |
Sugababes vs. Girls Aloud |
No. 1 |
19 March 2007 | “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” 2 |
The Proclaimers & Brian Potter & Andy Pipkin 2 |
No. 1 |
2 March 2009 | “Just Can’t Get Enough“ |
The Saturdays | No. 2 |
8 March 2009 | “Barry Islands in the Stream“ |
Ruth Jones and Rob Brydon, featuring Tom Jones and |
No. 1 |
13 March 2011 | “Gold Forever” | The Wanted | TBR |
13 March 2011 | “True Faith“ |
George Michael | TBR |