Hard Times (Plan B song)

"Hard Times" is the seventh single from British rapper and songwriter Plan B's second studio album, The Defamation of Strickland Banks. On 19 May 2011, it was released as a digital download, featuring newly recorded vocal parts by Elton John and Paloma Faith, recorded as a charity single with all the proceeds benefiting victims of the 2010 Pakistan floods and 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[1]

"Hard Times"
Single by Plan B featuring Elton John and Paloma Faith
from the album The Defamation of Strickland Banks
Released19 May 2011 (2011-05-19)
RecordedApril 2011
Genre
Length4:05
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)Ben Drew
Producer(s)
Plan B singles chronology
"Writing's on the Wall"
(2011)
"Hard Times"
(2011)
"Ill Manors"
(2012)
Elton John singles chronology
"If It Wasn't for Bad"
(2010)
"Hard Times"
(2011)
"Good Morning to the Night"
(2012)
Paloma Faith singles chronology
"Smoke & Mirrors"
(2010)
"Hard Times"
(2011)
"Picking Up the Pieces"
(2012)

Track listing

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  • Digital download[2]
  1. "Hard Times" (featuring Elton John & Paloma Faith) - 4:05
  • Promotional CD single
  1. "Hard Times" (featuring Elton John & Paloma Faith) - 4:05
  2. "Hard Times" (Live) (featuring Elton John & Paloma Faith) - 5:44
  3. "Hard Times" (Edit) - 3:48

Personnel

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  • Plan B – vocals, producer[3]
Production[3]
  • David McEwan – producer
  • Eric Appapoulay – additional producer
  • Mark "Top" Rankin – engineer, mixing
Additional musicians (single version)
  • Elton John – piano, vocals
  • Paloma Faith – vocals
Additional musicians (album version)[3]
  • Tom Wright-Goss – guitar
  • Eric Appapoulay – bass, backing vocals
  • Richard Cassell – drums
  • Everton Newson – violin
  • Louisa Fuller – violin
  • Sally Herbert – violin
  • Warren Zielinski – violin
  • Bruce White – viola
  • Sonia Slany – viola
  • Ian Burdge – cello

Chart performance

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Chart (2011) Peak
position
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[4] 147

Release history

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Region Date Label Format
United Kingdom 19 May 2011[5] Atlantic Digital download

References

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  1. ^ "CHARITY RELEASE: 'HARD TIMES' FT. SIR ELTON JOHN AND PALOMA FAITH". Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  2. ^ "Hard Times (Featuring Elton John and Paloma Faith): Plan B: Amazon.co.uk: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  3. ^ a b c "Relationships for track: Hard Times". MusicBrainz.
  4. ^ "CHART: CLUK Update 28.05.2011 (wk20) CHART LOG UK: NEW ENTRIES UPDATE". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  5. ^ Hard Times (feat. Elton John & Paloma Faith) - Single by Plan B itunes.apple.com/gb/