Sophie Ellis-Bextor:
“When I told my kids I’d been asked to sing Mog’s song, they couldn’t really believe it because Mog has been part of our world since my eldest was small, and he’s 20 next year! It feels really special.”
A trio of towering British musical talent has collaborated on the theme song for Channel 4 and Universal Pictures’ adaptation of Judith Kerr’s classic children’s book Mog’s Christmas.
Composer David Arnold and lyricist Don Black have penned “As Long as I Belong” which has been recorded for the film by singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
The ballad, which is about the importance of belonging, will play over a specially animated segment of the hand-drawn animated special and illustrates Mog’s dream as she falls asleep on a snowy rooftop on Christmas Eve.
David Arnold, composer:
“I’d have been really annoyed if they’d have asked someone else – it takes you back to the days when you were reading the book to your kids, so it’s a lovely thing to be asked to do.”
The music for “As Long as I Belong” and the original score for Mog’s Christmas has been composed David Arnold who, among his many credits, has scored five James Bond films and countless film and television shows, including Sherlock.
The song’s lyrics have been penned by Don Black, who has also provided lyrics for five James Bond films, as well as a number of classic hits, including ‘Born Free’ which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1966. Ellis-Bextor has released seven studio albums, including the most recent, Hana, and has won several awards including a Hungarian Music Award, two Ericsson Muzik Awards an AIM Independent Music Award and been nominated for three Brits.
Lyricist Don Black:
“We both had such a great time doing The Tiger Who Came To Tea that it was an easy decision to come back for Mog – it’s a dream project for a lyricist.”
Created by Judith Kerr the author/illustrator and based on the antics of her first family cat, the Mog series of books started with Mog the Forgetful Cat, which was first published in 1970 by HarperCollins Children’s Books and has never been out of print. The warm-hearted and funny adventures went on to inspire a further 17 picture books in the series, selling over four million copies worldwide and translated into 21 languages.
