Tony Christie is perhaps best known for his hit (Is This The Way To) Amarillo, but this July he’s encouraging us all to sing our hearts out as part of a mass singalong paying tribute to the UK’s hard-working carers.
The singer has recorded a version of ‘Thank You For Being A Friend’, on behalf of Music For Dementia, alongside a host of famous musicians, a small orchestra from Manchester Camerata - the UKs most relentlessly pioneering orchestra and global leader in music and dementia - and five specially selected carers, representing Britain’s army of unsung heroes.
The song will form the centrepiece of this year’s Thank You Day celebrations on July 2, as organisers call on the nation to get together in their communities for a singalong and to say a special thank you to someone who has made a difference to them. This year, the day will focus on carers after a poll commissioned for Thank You Day found that Britain’s army of carers are the UK’s most under thanked group.
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Music for Dementia said more than 464,000 people have signed up to sing the song, which will beat the current UK record of 293,000 people, with the backing track and sheet music available to download now. Those already signed up to represent a whole host of organisations - from Girls Guides and Women’s Institute, to Asda Young Voices and community dementia choirs, plus 4,000 Care Homes as part of Care Home Open Week.
For Christie, who not long ago announced his own dementia diagnosis after struggling to remember people’s names, the song, originally recorded by American singer-songwriter Andrew Gold in 1978, is particularly poignant. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, the singer said: “When I was diagnosed with dementia I started going to a lot of charity events and met a lot of people who had dementia, but it was the carers who took my attention - they were not being appreciated.
“I asked them why they do it and they said because they have family members experiencing it and they feel that they have to help in some way.”
Christie recorded the song in London at British Grove Studios, and was joined by a host of famous musicians, singers and producers whose names are being kept a strict secret until the song is released in late June. Alongside Tony’s celebrity band, he was joined on the recording of the song by a small orchestra from Manchester Camerata.
“We often see the transformational impact carers can make during our Music and Dementia sessions,” says Samantha McShane, Creative Director Manchester Camerata. “So to provide an orchestra for this beautiful project with Tony Christie and our friends Music for Dementia for Thank You Day is just fantastic.
“Here at Camerata, we believe everybody's lives should be elevated and enhanced by exceptional music, and this project is an excellent way of doing just that.”
Led by its Music Director, Gábor Takács-Nagy, the orchestra collaborates with diverse international artists, from Martha Argerich to New Order and Aziz Ibrahim to Lewis Capaldi and community groups in Gorton and across Greater Manchester. With five-star reviews from national outlets, as well as the accolade of being hailed ‘Britain’s most adventurous orchestra’ by The Times, Camerata is as comfortable opening Glastonbury Festival as it is recording Mozart at the highest level or performing in care homes to residents living with dementia.
Christie, who is best known for his 1971 hit (Is This The Way To) Amarillo, which gained a whole new fanbase when it was re-released in aid of Comic Relief in 2005, featuring Peter Kay, said that the experience of recording with world-class artists, the orchestra and carers was a hugely memorable.
“It was a mental day recording it, lots of world famous musicians, people whose name I can’t say just yet, but it was just a magic experience and we recorded in a world-class studio,” The 80-year-old said. “The atmosphere was simply electric and two of my grandchildren also sang on the track.”
Christie also spoke about when he was first diagnosed with dementia and how important music has been for him in coming to terms with his diagnosis. “I’m very fortunate because I’m in the music business and my music is my life, I’ve been playing for well over 50 years.
“When I went to see the specialist, she said I was very fortunate because I had caught the very beginning of it and put me on very strong tablets. And she said I was lucky because one of the best things to help people with dementia is listening to music, it’s calming but can also stir something in people too.”
Christie, who is heading to America to record two albums in the coming weeks, and will be heading out on tour in July, says he’s taking the right medicine and it hasn’t affected his singing, but he does use an autocue for lyrics. “I’ve seen some of the biggest names in the world use them, and it’s just there in case I forget. I don’t want to forget a line in the song and ruin the experience for the audience.
Above all else though, there’s one particular message Christie has for those with dementia. “Don’t be ashamed. Admit you’ve got it, or go and see a doctor if you think you may have it because with the right medicines it can be slowed down. The doctor said to me ‘do not be afraid to speak about it, because it will help other people’.”
“I’ve had people in the street or supermarket stop me and just say 'thank you for what you did because my wife or my husband have dementia and they’re not ashamed of it anymore'. They’re coming out and not being afraid or ashamed of it - I’m proud of myself for that.”
The ‘Thank You for Being a Friend’ track will be sung as part of a mass sing-a-long at 3pm on Sunday 2 July. You can register your interest, download the song lyrics, or simply find out more about Thank You Day and the wider ways you can get involved visit here.
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