Natalie Rushdie has described her re-recorded charity single from musical Blood Brothers as “the perfect song” to honour the late Dame Deborah James who had a “Marilyn Monroe-esque star quality”.
The jazz singer, whose father-in-law is Booker Prize-winning author Sir Salman Rushdie, first performed Tell Me It’s Not True at Dame Deborah’s funeral last year, having been personally asked the week before her death.
You, Me And The Big C podcast host Dame Deborah, who set up the Bowelbabe cancer research fund, died in June 2022 at the age of 40 after suffering from bowel cancer.
Rushdie has since re-recorded the musical track at the request of Dame Deborah’s parents at Abbey Road Studios with 25 musicians and world-renowned producer Haydn Bendall – who has previously worked with Kate Bush, Tina Turner and The Pet Shop Boys.
Proceeds from the charity single, including the publishing and writing royalties, will be donated directly to the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research – which has raised more than £10 million so far.
Rushdie told the PA news agency that the charity single “snowballed” when the Abbey Road Studios got involved, with conductors and producers who had been “touched and moved” by Dame Deborah’s story wanting to help out.
She went on to describe the recording experience as “bittersweet”.
“I think every singer’s dream is to record at Abbey Road Studio, but then at the same time you’re doing it for one of your closest friends,” she said.
“But the room was filled with so much love and warmth and her parents came and that was really emotional just having them there.
“They very kindly did a little speech to all the musicians and talked about why Deborah had chosen that song, which was really touching.
“But it definitely was a bittersweet moment where you’re like ‘this is my absolute dream’ but at the same time I’m doing it for my friend and I wish she was here.”
Rushdie said Dame Deborah – who became a close friend after they both survived sepsis – would have loved the recording and thought it was “completely and utterly mad”.
“I will say that we Deborah-fied the song, she always brought sparkle to whatever she was doing”, she said.
“It’s a beautiful song and I think it is a tragedy that she passed away so young, she did have that sort of Marilyn Monroe-esque star quality because at the end, she just blew up (in reference to her becoming a Dame).”
Willy Russell, who wrote the original score for Blood Brothers, is said to be in “full support” of the charity single.
Rushdie said: “It’s made me cry a lot of times. It’s just the perfect song for Deborah.
“The words and the lyrics talking about that she was like a movie and Marilyn Monroe, she just was that sort of person.
“She would just sparkle into the room and she was there for everyone, regardless of what you were going through. If she was having chemo, she’d just be a phone call away.
“If you have health problems, she would send you 10 different scientific studies and who to go to and how she could help.
“She was always thinking about how she could help other people.”
Dame Deborah’s parents Heather and Alistair James said she would have been “delighted and honoured” that Tell Me It’s Not True has been recorded to support the Bowelbabe Fund.
They said: “She would be smiling knowing it was being recorded at the iconic Studio 2 at Abbey Road.
“It is wonderful to give so many people the opportunity to hear this song which was so special to Deborah.”
Meanwhile Dame Deborah’s husband Sebastien Bowen said: “It’s so touching to have Natalie pay tribute to Deborah, by immortalising this song which meant so much to her.
“She performed it beautifully at Deborah’s funeral, and this production is simply breath-taking. I have known Zafar (Natalie’s husband) for over 25 years, and it was through this close friendship that Deborah and I got to know Natalie.”
The Prince of Wales, who has been a supporter of Dame Deborah since he honoured her with the damehood last May, previously said of the single: “Dame Debs would be so proud. She inspired the nation. Her legacy will be countless lives saved from bowel cancer.
“I’m wishing Natalie all the very best for her single release to raise money for such an important cause.”
Tell Me It’s Not True by Natalie Rushdie will be available on Monday July 3 from all major streaming and download platforms.