Who are D:Ream? The band whose song played during Rishi Sunak’s election speech (2024)

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Staff Reporter

22 May 2024 8:05 PM

Rishi Sunak made his announcement of a General Election on July 4 while the song Things Can Only Get Better by D:Ream blasted in the background.

The Prime Minister had to battle both the rain and the sounds of the New Labour anthem, which came from beyond the Downing Street gates.

Mr Sunak said he would “fight for every vote” as he attempts to overturn a 20-point opinion poll deficit.

– Who are D:Ream?

D:Ream are a pop group comprised of vocalist Peter Cunnah and DJ Alan Mackenzie.

Professor Brian Cox, who has presented a number of highly acclaimed science programmes for the BBC, was formerly a keyboard player with the band.

Cunnah is from Northern Ireland and went to Ulster University before he moved to London where he met Mackenzie in a club in 1991 and started D:Ream.

After their first album Mackenzie left the band but the pair reunited years later and are set to perform on the Glade stage at Glastonbury Festival this year.

– What are their hit songs?

The band’s biggest hit is Things Can Only Get Better which went to number one on the UK chart in 1994 after it was re-released.

TheLabour Party used the song in its successful 1997 campaign which saw Tony Blair elected prime minister.

The band’s other hits include U R The Best Thing, which peaked at number four in the charts, and Take Me Away, which went to number 18.

They released their debut album D:Ream On Vol.1 in 1993 and followed this with World in 1995 – both peaking at number five in the UK chart.

In 2023 they released a compilation, The Best Thing, which includes remastered versions of their songs.

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