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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Harry Thompson

Who sang 'Together in Electric Dreams'? John Lewis advert song took 10 minutes to record

The eagerly anticipated annual John Lewis Christmas advert is officially out and the soundtrack will be in everyone's heads all winter.

This year's ad is called 'Unexpected Guests' and follows a young boy, Nathan and his new friend and space traveller, Skye.

The soundtrack, 'Together In Electric Dreams', is sung by the enormously talented Lola Young, a 20 year-old south London artist and BRIT school graduate.

But the song isn't an original composition and was first released in 1997.

Originally, the tune was created for the 1984 movie 'Electric Dreams', directed by Steve Barron.

It reportedly took about ten minutes to record yet went on to reach number 3 in the UK charts and is to this day regarded as a key song in 1980s synth canon.

The cover of the song appears on the John Lewis Christmas advert (John Lewis and Partners/PA Wire)

Who first sang 'Together In Electric Dreams'?

First released 24 years ago, the song was sung by Human League's front man and only constant member, Philip Oakey.

The song is one of Philip's solo ventures - which he took with composer Giorgio Moroder.

Giorgio Moroder was also known as the 'The Father of Disco.'

The founder of Oasis Records, he was at the forefront of electronic music's rise and is notable for his pioneering use of synthesizers.

Despite the success of Oakey's song 'Together in Electric Dreams', he is more widely known for his band Human League.

Human league is known for hits 'Sound of the Crowd' and 'Don't You Want Me' - the video of which was also directed by Steve Barron.

As a band the Human League have gone on to have huge success, performing to the thousands of people at gigs and festivals.

However, the story of Oakey and The Human League's rise to fame was not straight forward.

Following the departure of two of the band's founding members a week before a European tour, Oakey fought for and kept the title of the band in exchange for taking on all the debts and tour commitments.

Susan Ann Sulley, Philip Oakey and Joanne Catherall from the 1980's pop band Human League (Redferns)

With financial ruin staring him down and the tour organisers threatening to sue, Oakey had a week to put together a new band.

Without much of a plan he allegedly went to a Disco in Sheffield to find recruits where he stumbled upon to teenage girls who had heard of the band.

The two girls were Susan Ann Sulley and Joanne Catherall who would go on to be crucial in the band's rise.

Although it is reported that Oakey went on to have separate relationships with both Sulley and Catherall, the latter of which lasted many years, all three are to this day business partners in the band's current iteration.

Together with his new recruits, Oakey and the band managed a successful tour, upon return securing their first UK Top 20 hit with 'Sound of the Crowd'.

Four decades later and the success of The Human League is enduring, and Oakey is reaping the rewards of his serendipitous rise to the top.

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