WATCH: ‘Too Sexy for Their Scrubs?’ Right Said Fred record new song for Shetland health workers
Andrew Hirst
Nineties pop group Right Said Fred penned a special version of their biggest hit to help Shetland health workers say thanks to the community.
NHS Shetland’s Claire Morris enlisted singer and musician Fred Fairbrass to record new lyrics for their chart-topping debut, I’m Too Sexy, paying tribute to to the Shetland Scrubs campaign.
The initiative has seen Shetland folk sew hundreds of medical scrubs using recycled materials, such as bedding, to help health workers on the front line against Covid-19.
Miss Morris, 26, originally planned to record a catwalk video of the staff modelling the various colourful scrubs – but the idea snowballed with the band’s help.
“The typical song for a catwalk is I’m Too Sexy by Right Said Fred,” she said.
“But it turned out that my dad was friends with Fred Fairbrass from the band.
“I asked if we could get in touch and they were more than happy to get involved.”
Miss Morris, whose father, Phil, made friends with the band during his time running a pub in England, made the most of her family’s connections.
She asked Fred to record a new version of the track and suggested some new phrases to include in keeping with the NHS’s advice around hygiene and hand washing. The new lyrics also mention Shetland and say thank you for the scrubs.
When asked what made him help out with the video, Fred said: “We felt recycling unwanted duvets and linen etc to make scrubs was ingenious.
“It’s an idea we were happy to support.”
After just a few days, the band had recorded the new track and sent it to Miss Morris to incorporate in the catwalk video.
“I think they did a brilliant job,” she said.
“I didn’t give them much to work with but they managed to include all the key words.”
Staff then used their break time or came in after shifts to strut their stuff on the catwalk.
“They did so well,” Miss Morris said.
“I didn’t know they had such model potential.
“They also really enjoyed doing it and it helped boost their morale during these strange times.”
Paying tribute to the many folk who have made scrubs for the campaign, she added: “I think they are incredible.
“The Shetland community is just amazing at times like these.
“I think we’ve now had more than 400 items that have gone to hospitals, and now they’re also going to care homes, which is so great.
“It seems to have given people a sense of purpose, something they can do to help.”
The video had been viewed more than 60,000 times by Thursday afternoon and received hundreds of appreciative comments.
