Further education’s singing principal is back – and this time he’s enlisted some help.
Bedford Colleges Group chief executive Ian Pryce has released a further education cover of Always on My Mind – a song that has been a hit for Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson – and recruited a “choir” of 12 college principals for the music video.
The song has been released to mark the start of Colleges Week 2020, an annual event that celebrates the work and achievements of colleges up and down the country.
This is the latest in a long list of songs that Mr Pryce has adapted for FE – previous releases include Here's to you, Gavin Williamson, Somebody to Love and Justine.
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The principals featured are:
Ali Hadawi, Central Bedfordshire College
Angela Foulkes, Sheffield College
Corrienne Peasgood, City College Norwich
David Pomfret, College of West Anglia
Graham Razey, East Kent Colleges Group
Karen Redhead, West London College
Karen Spencer, Harlow College
Karen Buchanan, Burnley College
Lis Smith, Preston’s College
Mike Welsh, East Riding College
Ros Parker, Southend Adult Community College
Stuart Rimmer, East Coast College
The lyrics in full
(Now You’re) Always on Our Mind
Maybe we haven’t loved you
Quite as well as we could have
Maybe we didn’t fund you
Quite as highly as we should have
If we made you feel second best
Let your pay fall well behind
You were never on our mind
You were never on our mind
Now we battle with Covid
Find we need you more and more
Won’t freeze your base rates just like Gove did
Technical FE is at the fore
Of our recovery in GDP
This really is your time
Now you’re always on our mind
Now you’re always on our mind
Tell us
Tell us what investment you provide
We’ll give you
A white paper that will keep you satisfied
We’ll keep you satisfied
There are things we should have said and done
But we will show our love this time
Now you’re always on our mind
Now you’re always on our mind
Now you’re always on our mind
Now you’re always on our mind