File this one under “awesome idea combined with a great cause.” The War Child International charity, which provides aid to children in war-torn countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, recently asked 16 legendary musicians, including Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Bruce Springsteen, to choose a song from their catalogue and a contemporary artist to reinterpret the tune. The result:Heroes, a new compilation out February 24 via Astralwerks.
Recorded over six months in London, Manchester, Paris, Berlin, New York, and Los Angeles, Heroes features appearances from artists such as Beck (reworking Dylan’s “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat”), Lily Allen (covering the Clash’s “Straight To Hell” with guitarist Mick Jones), and current SPIN cover boys TV on the Radio (interpreting Bowie’s “Heroes”). Contributions from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Franz Ferdinand, Hot Chip, the Hold Steady, and others round out the tracklist, which you can check out below.
Guy Garvey, whose Mercury Music Prize-winning band Elbow contributed a version of U2’s “Running To Stand Still,” commented on the charity and the homeless and impoverished children it serves: “These kids shouldn’t be in such circumstances in the first place, but they are, so thank God someone’s doing something about it.”
“It’s important to realize that they are real people, real children, and that they need real help and real love,” added Rufus Wainwright, who covers Brian Wilson’s “Wonderful/Song For Children.”
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Heroes tracklist:
1. Beck, “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat” (Bob Dylan)
2. The Kooks, “Victoria” (The Kinks)
3. The Hold Steady, “Atlantic City” (Bruce Springsteen)
4. Hot Chip, “Transmission” (Joy Division)
5. Lily Allen feat. Mick Jones, “Straight To Hell” (The Clash)
6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker” (The Ramones)
7. Franz Ferdinand, “Call Me” (Blondie)
8. Duffy, “Live And Let Die” (Paul McCartney)
9. Estelle, “Superstition” (Stevie Wonder)
10. Rufus Wainwright, “Wonderful/Song For Children” (Brian Wilson)
11. Scissor Sisters, “Do The Strand” (Roxy Music)
12. Peaches, “Search And Destroy” (Iggy Pop)
13. Adam Cohen, “Take This Waltz” (Leonard Cohen)
14. Elbow, “Running To Stand Still” (U2)
15. The Like, “You Belong To Me” (Elvis Costello)
16. TV on the Radio, “Heroes” (David Bowie)
