This is the first song composed and recorded in space, the result of the collaboration of ISS Commander Chris Hadfield and Ed Robertson, the singer of the Barenaked Ladies. Together with the band and the Wexford Gleeks choir, they recorded I.S.S (Is Somebody Singing) using a live connection between the International Space Station and CBC Music’s studio in Toronto, Canada.
The theme talks about how it feels to travel to space and look to our Pale Blue Dot from outer space. In Robertson’s own words:
Hello Jesus.
Ed Robertson from Barenaked Ladies here. I’m an avid Giz reader. I think you guys should cover this really cool project I just did with Chris Hadfield. We wrote a song together, and then he recorded his parts ON THE ISS!!! He played along with a demo I’d made for him, and then we played Live in Toronto along with his performance from the ISS. It was all quite magical. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to drop me a line.
Cheers
Ed
I have to confess that I’m a fan of BNL since the 90s and I love this new song. It’s very uplifting. And yes, the idea that this was recorded between Earth and the ISS travelling at 28,163km/h (7.8km/s!) is magical. The orchestration and the wonderful choir really gives it a great kick.
Plus, it also shows that Hadfield can also sing without autotuning. One of his many talents. You can get the song here.