News | Entertainment
6 Nov 2025 13:33
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Gary Barlow's collaboration with James Corden was inspired by Morecambe and Wise

    The 49-year-old singer and James, 42, joined forces to record 'The Kind Of Friend I Need', and Gary has admitted that the tune was heavily inspired by the TV comedy legends Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise


    Speaking about the track - which takes a witty look at male friendships - Gary explained: "My dad used to love Morecambe and Wise.

    "We always used to sit down on a Sunday night and watch it and laugh. And one thing they had in their show, that I always wanted to write, was a buddy song. Not a love song, but two mates singing to one another.

    "And there's only one guy you get in for that - and that's James Corden. He's just got that smirk while he's singing."

    The celebrity duo initially planned to record the song in London in February, but they were ultimately forced to work over Zoom due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    Gary admitted there was a little bit of "back and forth" during the recording process.

    He told the BBC: "The thing is that I'm not funny. He's a comedian, so he'd be like, 'It'd be funnier if you said this'. There was a little bit of back and forth like that, which is fine."

    Meanwhile, Gary is famed for the speed at which he works, and at the peak of his songwriting powers, he was able to write some of Take That's best-known hits in the space of a week.

    The chart-topping singer said: "This is the crazy thing, I sat down and I wrote 'Sure', 'Back For Good', 'Nobody Else' - all in this one week."

    © 2025 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     06 Nov: Reese Witherspoon says her anxiety fuelled her career success
     06 Nov: Jennifer Aniston and her boyfriend Jim Curtis have gone Instagram official
     06 Nov: Jennifer Aniston and her boyfriend Jim Curtis have gone Instagram official
     06 Nov: Reese Witherspoon says her anxiety fuelled her career success
     06 Nov: F1 star Charles Leclerc is engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Alexandra Saint Mleux
     06 Nov: Patricia Arquette is "single" and loving life as a free agent
     06 Nov: Donald Trump has branded Seth Meyers' jokes about his trip to Asia on Late Night "probably illegal"
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Seven fresh faces for the Highlanders for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    New Zealand has outpaced Australia - in securing its own Michelin Guide More...



     Today's News

    Law and Order:
    A man's in hospital with serious injuries after an assault in his Opotiki home in the Bay of Plenty, early this morning 13:27

    Entertainment:
    Reese Witherspoon says her anxiety fuelled her career success 13:07

    Rugby:
    Seven fresh faces for the Highlanders for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season 13:07

    National:
    US election results suggest Trump’s coalition of voters is collapsing 13:07

    Entertainment:
    Jennifer Aniston and her boyfriend Jim Curtis have gone Instagram official 12:37

    Law and Order:
    Three men have been found guilty of murdering Waimate man, Anaru Moana 12:27

    Entertainment:
    Jennifer Aniston and her boyfriend Jim Curtis have gone Instagram official 12:07

    Soccer:
    Another day - another record for Norwegian football star Erling Haaland 12:07

    Politics:
    Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says Te Pati Maori backs its decisions 12:07

    Law and Order:
    Otago University students are likely to face disciplinary action after fireworks were fired at Police - for the second night 12:07


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd