SotD - Friends

Fifty years after The Beatles recorded Abbey Road, The London Metropolitan Orchestra visited the famous studios to record a Beatles-inspired orchestral version of ... the theme tune for Friends??...



Press Release



This new recording of the Friends theme song, I’ll Be There for You by The Rembrandts, has been made in honour of the show's 25th Anniversary. It was produced and arranged by Grammy winner Giles Martin, son of legendary Beatles producer Sir George Martin. Giles has remixed several albums from The Beatles, including The Beatles (“The White Album”), Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and 1. He also lent his expertise to the Ron Howard film Eight Days a Week, Martin Scorsese’s George Harrison: Living in a Material World, and A Hard Day’s Night. Additionally, he collaborated with his father on co-producing the live show and album release for The Beatles/Cirque du Soleil show Love, for which they won two Grammys — Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, and Best Surround Sound Album.



According to Giles, The London Metropolitan Orchestra’s orchestral version of the theme song “takes inspiration from The Beatles. We feel privileged to be brought into the world of Friends and add a bit of fun to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series.” Continued Giles, “Life throws different things at you, and much like Abbey Road, the legacy of which has lasted for generations, so has Friends. It further proves that although generations shift and age, things like Friends stay the same. You can go back to it and enjoy it the same way you always did.”



The song, the first studio-commissioned orchestral version of the iconic theme, was recorded with 74 members of the London Metropolitan Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios on September 2nd, 2019, where it was also mixed and mastered in just three total days. The famous “Mrs Mills” piano, named after performer/pianist Gladys Mills and sometimes used by The Beatles, was used for the recording.

Recording credits:


Produced and arranged by Giles Martin
Orchestrated and arranged by James Seymour Brett
Recorded and mixed by Sam Okell
Assisted by Stefano Civetta, Dan Hayden & Jack Cheetham
Orchestra conducted by James Seymour Brett
Orchestra contracted by Andy Brown, London Metropolitan Orchestra
Orchestra leader David Juritz
Music preparation by Dave Hage, Dakota Music Ltd
Mastering engineer Simon Gibson

“I’ll Be There for You (Friends 25th Anniversary – Orchestral Version)” is available to stream/download now on iTunes and other platforms.



Image & info - Warner Bros