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U.K. artist Sam Smith and American-born John Legend have teamed up to support the charity Comic Relief with a brand new recording of Smith’s song “Lay Me Down.” Comic Relief works to change the lives of poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged people across the U.K. and Africa. Founded in 1985, the organization has raised more than 950 million pounds to date.“Lay Me Down” – designated as the official Red Nose Day single by Comic Relief – is available now at all digital retailers.
The pair’s video for “Lay Me Down” premiered today on VEVO and can be seen HERE. The clip gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at their recording session, which took place at the Capitol Studios in Los Angeles earlier this year. The single was produced by Jimmy Napes and Steve Fitzmaurice. Smith and Legend will perform the ballad together for the first and only time on Friday, March 13, on Comic Relief – Face the Funny, broadcast live from the Palladium in London on BBC One.
“‘Lay Me Down’ holds a very special place in my heart. Not only did I perform it at the Brits, I’m now going to perform it live on the Red Nose Day show with the extremely talented John Legend, which is so exciting,” said Sam Smith. “I recently visited a Comic Relief funded project in my home town, which supports the young LGBT community in London. I’m extremely proud that my single will help raise money for projects like this and many others in the U.K. and across Africa.”
John Legend remarked, “Sam is such a talented artist. We’ve been looking forward to working together for a while now. I’m so glad we could collaborate on such a great song and for such a great cause.”
Universal will donate 100% of its profits from the sale of the single to Comic Relief. Sam Smith and John Legend will forgo any royalties due to them in connection with this charity single.
Red Nose Day comes along every two years and combines two very British things: having a laugh and helping others. People across the U.K. put on red noses and pull out all the stops to raise as much money as possible. Then, they tune into BBC One for top entertainment from their favorite comedians and to donate even more cash to Comic Relief.
The original version of “Lay Me Down” is Smith’s current single and can be found onhisdebut album, In The Lonely Hour, which has sold more than five million units worldwide and was awarded the GRAMMY® for Best Pop Vocal Album.With a total of four GRAMMY wins, Smith set a record for the most awards ever received by a U.K. artist following the release of a debut album. After hisperformance at the 2015 Brits, where Smith received two awards, In The Lonely Hour reclaimed the No. 1 spot on a historic edition of the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart – it was the first week that the chart reflected streaming data in addition to downloads and traditional sales. Smith will kick off a North American arena/theatre tour in July.
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