20 YEARS AGO: The All Seeing I ft. Tony Christie - Walk Like A Panther

"Marie has set up home with a man who's half my age, a halfwit in a leotard stands on my stage..." The immortal opening line from this fantastic 1999 hit by The All Seeing I. Featuring Tony Christie singing from the viewpoint of a washed-up musical has-been, the defiant and self-mocking 'Walk Like A Panther' was written by the members of the band (Richard Barratt, Jason Buckle and Dean Honer) and Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker. It was written specifically for Christie, referencing his previous hits as well as his hometown of Sheffield (where Cocker and The All Seeing I were also from). Cocker personally contacted Christie, who was living in Spain at the time as this was where he was most successful, asking if he would contribute vocals to the song.

The music video was shot in Castle Market, Sheffield. The song peaked in January 1999 at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Christie's first UK hit for twenty five years. It would be the band's only top ten single. The song can be found on the group's 1999 album Pickled Eggs And Sherbert.

Also included below is a performance from Top Of The Pops, with Jarvis Cocker contributing the vocals. As well as being covered by The Pretenders, the track also inspired a 2018 film of the same name, which included the song being sung by none other than Rick Astley.