"On September 4th 1995 some of the best bands in Britain entered studios all over the Europe. Their intention was that by the end of the day they would have recorded a track for this album, with the aim of raising money for and focusing, attention on, the children caught up in the war in former Yugoslavia. This album was the result of everyone's HELP"
from www.warchild.org/artists/help/help.html
The Help album was released less than a week after the songs were recorded on September 9, 1995, selling over 71,000 copies that day alone. Album sales would raise nearly two million pounds on its first three days of release, which was used to provide humanitarian aid in Bosnia. Such was the haste in which the CD was recorded and mastered no track listing was provided in the packaging, so here is one now.
- Oasis and friends - Fade Away; the friends in the title include Kate Moss, this a rerecording of a track originally released as a b-side on Cigarettes and Alcohol.
- The Boo Radleys - Oh Brother; original song
- The Stone Roses - Love Spreads; live recording tof the final track of their 1994 album The Second Coming
- Radiohead - Lucky; original track that would later appear on OK Computer. Probably the outstanding track of the album it would later be released as lead track on the Help EP
- Orbital - Adnan; this is a shorter and original version of the track Adnan's that is on Orbital's 1996 album In Sides.
- Portishead - Mourning Air; original song, it would later be released on Portishead's eponymous 1997 album.
- Massive Attack - Fake the Aroma; a new version of their track Karmacoma ( from the 1994 album Protection, produced by Brian Eno and with Daddy G replacing Tricky on vocals)
- Suede - Shipbuilding; a cover of the classic Robert Wyatt track, written by Clive Langer and Elvis Costello
- The Charlatans - Time for Livin'; cover of Sly and the Family Stone song
- Stereo MC's - The Sweetest Truth (Show No Fear); original track
- Sinead O'Connor - Ode to Billy Joe; outstanding cover version of the Bobbie Gentry classic
- Levellers - Searchlights; cover of song written by Rev. Hammer, it would also feature as a b-side on their Fantasy single
- Manic Steet Preacers - Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head; cover of the Burt Bacharach song from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. This was their first recording after the disapperance of Richey Edwards.
- Terrorvision - Tom Petty Loves Veruca Salt; original song
- The One World Orchestra - The Magnificent; this was ex the KLF men Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty's contribution
- Planet 4 Folk Quartet - Message to Crommie; aka Andrew Weatherall and Dave Harrow
- Terry Hall and Salad - Dream a Little Dream of Me; cover of the Mamas and the Papas song
Neneh Cherry and Trout - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; original song based on the children's counting song, Once I Caught A Fish Alive- Blur - Eine Kleine Lift Musik; original song
- The Mojo Filters - Come Together - cover of the Beatles song by Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher and Paul McCartney
Inside the sleeve are notes by former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselvic. The cover of the album was designed by John Squire of The Stone Roses. The back sleeve contains a painting by 3D of Massive Attack. There are also photos of the devastation in Bosnia and of children helped by War Child, along with further contact information for War Child (www.warchild.org).
To try and maintain the momemtum their efforts had raised a Help EP was released to help promote the album, with Lucky by Radiohead as the lead track. Howver Radio 1 refused to playlist the single and general lack of promotion pervented the EP entering the UK Charts. Other tracks on the EP were - 50 ft Queenie by P.J. Harvey, Guru by Momentum and another untitled Portishead track. This means that Lucky was effectively the first single released off OK Computer albeit one few Radiohead fans actually possess.
A second single was released for the Christmas 1995 market. It was the Weller/Gallagher/McCartney version of Come Together although this time they were credited as The Smokin' Mojo Filters. B-sides were provided by The Beautiful South - A Minutes Silence, Dodgy - Is It Me, and Black Grape - In the Name of the Father(crown of thrones mix).
The Help album is a step above most other charity albums as it is actually listenable. Credit should go to Andy Macdonald and Tony Crean of Go! Discs who conceived the project. It used the popularity of Britpop in 1995 to good effect and was probably the most successful 'rock' charity beneift since Live Aid. War Child are now running projects in Bosnia Herzegovina, Kosovo and Serbia and in many other parts of the world.