Hard Times (Plan B song)

"Hard Times"
"Hard Times"
Single by Plan B featuring Elton John and Paloma Faith
from the album The Defamation of Strickland Banks
Released	19 May 2011
Recorded	April 2011
Genre	Soul ; pop ;
Length	4:05
Label	Atlantic
Songwriter(s)	Ben Drew
Producer(s)	Ben Drew ; David McEwan ; Eric Appapoulay (add.);
Plan B singles chronology
Elton John singles chronology

Last updated May 13, 2025

Plan B – vocals, producer^[4]

Production^[4]

David McEwan – producer
Eric Appapoulay – additional producer
Mark "Top" Rankin – engineer, mixing

Additional musicians (single version)

Elton John – piano, vocals
Paloma Faith – vocals

Additional musicians (album version)^[4]

Tom Wright-Goss – guitar
Eric Appapoulay – bass, backing vocals
Richard Cassell – drums
Everton Newson – violin
Louisa Fuller – violin
Sally Herbert – violin
Warren Zielinski – violin
Bruce White – viola
Sonia Slany – viola
Ian Burdge – cello

Chart performance

Chart (2011)	Peak position
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)^[5]	147

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format
United Kingdom	19 May 2011^[6]	Atlantic	Digital download

References

↑ "CHARITY RELEASE: 'HARD TIMES' FT. SIR ELTON JOHN AND PALOMA FAITH". Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
↑ Dylan Squires (25 June 2024). Crystal Palace vs West Brom - 26th April 2010 Sky Sports Intro . Retrieved 12 May 2025– via YouTube.
↑ "Hard Times (Featuring Elton John and Paloma Faith): Plan B: Amazon.co.uk: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
1 2 3 "Relationships for track: Hard Times". MusicBrainz.
↑ "CHART: CLUK Update 28.05.2011 (wk20) CHART LOG UK: NEW ENTRIES UPDATE". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
↑ Hard Times (feat. Elton John & Paloma Faith) - Single by Plan B itunes.apple.com/gb/

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[1] "CHARITY RELEASE: 'HARD TIMES' FT. SIR ELTON JOHN AND PALOMA FAITH". Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2011.

[2] Dylan Squires (25 June 2024). Crystal Palace vs West Brom - 26th April 2010 Sky Sports Intro . Retrieved 12 May 2025– via YouTube.

[3] "Hard Times (Featuring Elton John and Paloma Faith): Plan B: Amazon.co.uk: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2012.

[HardTimesMusicBrainz-4] 1 2 3 "Relationships for track: Hard Times". MusicBrainz.

[5] "CHART: CLUK Update 28.05.2011 (wk20) CHART LOG UK: NEW ENTRIES UPDATE". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 16 September 2012.

[6] Hard Times (feat. Elton John & Paloma Faith) - Single by Plan B itunes.apple.com/gb/

[4]

[5]

[6]

v t e Plan B
Awards and nominations Discography Songs
Studio albums	Who Needs Actions When You Got Words (2006) The Defamation of Strickland Banks (2010) Heaven Before All Hell Breaks Loose (2018)
Soundtrack albums	Ill Manors (2012)
Singles	"Mama (Loves a Crackhead)" "Stay Too Long" "She Said" "Prayin'" "The Recluse" "Love Goes Down" "Hard Times" "Ill Manors" "Lost My Way" "Deepest Shame" "Playing with Fire"
Featured singles	"Pieces" "Shifty" "End Credits"
Tours	Who Needs Actions When You Got Words Tour The Defamation of Strickland Banks Tour
Related articles	679 Artists Chase & Status Riz Ahmed Ill Manors
Category Template

v t e Paloma Faith
Discography
Studio albums	Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? Fall to Grace A Perfect Contradiction The Architect Infinite Things The Glorification of Sadness
Singles	"Stone Cold Sober" "New York" "Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?" "Upside Down" "Smoke & Mirrors" "Picking Up the Pieces" "30 Minute Love Affair" "Never Tear Us Apart" "Just Be" "Can't Rely on You" "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" "Trouble with My Baby" "Ready for the Good Life" "Crybaby" "Lullaby" "Make Your Own Kind of Music" "I've Gotta Be Me" "Mistakes" "Better Than This" "How You Leave a Man" "Sweatpants"
Featured singles	"Keep Moving" "Hard Times" "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" "Changing"
Concert tours	Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful Tour
See also	Youth

v t e Elton John songs
Discography
1960s	"I've Been Loving You" (1968) "Skyline Pigeon" (1968) "Lady Samantha" (1969) "It's Me That You Need" (1969)
1970s	"Border Song" (1970) "Rock and Roll Madonna" (1970) "From Denver to L.A." (1970) "Take Me to the Pilot" (1970) "Your Song" (1970) "Come Down in Time" (1970) "Friends" (1971) "Levon" (1971) "Indian Sunset" (1971) "Tiny Dancer" (1972) "Rocket Man" (1972) "Honky Cat" (1972) "I Think I'm Going to Kill Myself" (1972) "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" (1972) "Crocodile Rock" (1972) "Elderberry Wine" (1972) "Daniel" (1972) "Have Mercy on the Criminal" (1972) "Teacher I Need You" (1973) "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" (1973) "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" (1973) "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973) "Step into Christmas" (1973) "Candle in the Wind" (1974) "Bennie and the Jets" (1974) "Harmony" (1974) "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (1974) "The Bitch Is Back" (1974) "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (1974) "Philadelphia Freedom" (1975) "I Saw Her Standing There" (1975) "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" (1975) "We All Fall in Love Sometimes" (1975) "Island Girl" (1975) "Grow Some Funk of Your Own" (1976) "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)" (1976) "Pinball Wizard" (1976) "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (1976) "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" (1976) "Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance!)" (1977) "Crazy Water" (1977) "The Goaldiggers Song" (1977) "Ego" (1978) "Part-Time Love" (1978) "Song for Guy" (1978) "Are You Ready for Love" (1979) "Mama Can't Buy You Love" (1979) "Johnny B. Goode" (1979)
1980s	"Little Jeannie" (1980) "Sartorial Eloquence (Don't Ya Wanna Play This Game No More?)" (1980) "Dear God" (1980) "Whatever Gets You thru the Night" (1981) "Nobody Wins" (1981) "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" (1981) "Blue Eyes" (1982) "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)" (1982) "Ball and Chain" (1982) "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1982) "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" (1983) "I'm Still Standing" (1983) "Kiss the Bride" (1983) "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" (1984) "Passengers" (1984) "Who Wears These Shoes? (1984) "Nikita" (1985) "That's What Friends Are For" (1985) "Wrap Her Up" (1985) "Heartache All Over the World" (1986) "Slow Rivers" (1986) "Take Me to the Pilot" (1988) "I Don't Wanna Go On with You Like That" (1988) "Town of Plenty" (1988) "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two)" (1988) "Through the Storm" (1989) "Healing Hands" (1989) "Sacrifice" (1989)
1990s	"Club at the End of the Street" (1990) "You Gotta Love Someone" (1990) "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (1991) "The One" (1992) "Runaway Train" (1992) "The Last Song" (1992) "Simple Life" (1993) "True Love" (1993) "Shakey Ground" (1994) "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (1994) "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (1994) "Circle of Life" (1994) "Believe" (1995) "Made in England" (1995) "When the Money's Gone" (1995) "You Can Make History (Young Again)" (1996) "Live Like Horses" (1996) "The Madness of King Scar" (1997) "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" (1997) "Candle in the Wind 1997" (1997) "Written in the Stars" (1999)
2000s	"Someday Out of the Blue" (2000) "I Want Love" (2001) "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" (2002) "Original Sin" (2002) "Are You Ready for Love" (2003) "Ghetto Gospel" (2005) "Electricity" (2005) "The Bridge" (2006) "Joseph, Better You than Me" (2008) "Tiny Dancer (Hold Me Closer)" (2009)
2010s	"All of the Lights" (2010) "Good Morning to the Night" (2012) "Sad" (2012) "Looking Up" (2015) "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" (2019)
2020s	"Ordinary Man" (2020) "Sine from Above" (2020) "The Pink Phantom" (2020) "It's a Sin" (2021) "Cold Heart (Pnau remix)" (2021) "Merry Christmas" (2021) "Sausage Rolls for Everyone" (2021) "Hold Me Closer" (2022) "Never Too Late" (2024)
Related	Albums discography Videography
Category:Elton John