If I Ruled the World

"If I Ruled the World" is a popular song, composed by Leslie Bricusse and Cyril Ornadel, which was originally from the 1963 West End musical Pickwick (based on Charles Dickens's The Pickwick Papers). Background In the context of the stage musical, the song is sung by Samuel Pickwick, when he is mistaken for an election candidate and called on by the crowd to give his manifesto. Ornadel and Bricusse received the 1963 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. First recordings The song is usually associated with Sir Harry Secombe, who got the song to No 18 in the UK charts in 1963. Tony Bennett originally recorded the song in 1965, and had a number 34 hit with it on the U.S. pop singles charts and number 8 on the Middle-Road Singles chart. In a duet with Celine Dion, he returned to the song on his Grammy-winning 2006 album Duets: An American Classic. Other recordings It has been performed by other singers, notably: Nancy Wilson Robert Goulet James Brown Stevie Wonder The Supremes Tom Jones Regina Belle Jamie Cullum also recorded a version for his album The Pursuit, and performed it at his special performance at the Late Night Prom, number Prom 55, of The Proms in London, with The Heritage Ensemble, on Thursday 26 August 2010 between 22:15 and 13.45. As shown on BBC televisions' BBC Four on the following night.