New War Child album

Charity record for download 10 years on

08 Aug 05 - Radiohead, Manic Street Preachers and Damon Albarn have all signed up again to a War Child charity album - ten years on from the original Help project.

This week the charity will mark the tenth anniversary of Help, which was released on 9 September 1995.  It was famously recorded on a Monday and in the shops the following Saturday - going straight to number one after just one day's sales.

The bands involved will have just one day to record a new piece of music. Radiohead, Gorillaz, The Zutons, The Coral and Elbow are among 20 bands who'll record songs for immediate release via download on 9 September, with a CD release to follow a few weeks later. The Manics have confirmed their song is called Leviathan.

The album, Help: A Day In The Life, will raise funds to help children affected by war in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and The Democratic Republic of Congo. It will be available from the War Child website and other sites later the same day.

The original Help album was intended to aid children caught up in the conflict in the former Yugoslavia.

Other acts lined up for the 2005 version include The Magic Numbers, Maximo Park, Bloc Party and Hard-Fi, while John Squire has agreed to design a cover.

War Child boss Mark Waddington said: "It's a tall order but we feel with the support of amazing artists we can make it happen and help a new generation of children affected by war."

"It's a tall order but we feel with the support of amazing artists we can make it happen"
War Child's Mark Waddington

Radiohead recorded Lucky for the original Help, while the Manics contributed a version of Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head and Blur's effort was Eine Kleine Lift Musik.

Other artists on the 1995 album included Oasis, Stone Roses and Suede.

Andre Paine