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War Child:10, a retrospective album to mark the 10th anniversary of War Child Canada’s founding in Canada, will be released on December 1st, 2009 by Universal Music Canada.  The album will feature a selection of some of the extraordinary music donated to the cause over the years, as well as exclusive new recordings. Proceeds from album sales will go to support War Child Canada, an award-winning charity that provides humanitarian assistance to war-affected children in some of the most devastated regions of the world. 

1.  Coldplay “How You See The World No. 2”
2.  The Kooks “Victoria”
3. *Jimmy Eat World “Firestarter”
4.  Beck “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat”
5. *Muse “House of the Rising Sun” 
6.  Radiohead “I Want None of This”
7. *New Order “Vietnam”
8. *Wolfmother “Don’t Let It Bring You Down” 
9.  Oasis  “Fade Away”
10.  Beth Orton “Ooh Child”
11. *Friends of War Child “People Have The Power”
12. *Sy’rai ft. A.U.C.A.Y.D. “Let It Rain” (bonus track)

WAR CHILD:10
Track by Track – The Stories:

Coldplay “How You See The World No. 2”

In 1995, War Child in the U.K. pulled off something of a miracle.  One Monday in September, the cream of Brit Pop gathered in studios across Europe to record songs in aid of war-torn Bosnia.  Just five days later, War Child’s Help album hit the stores and became instantly legendary, outselling every other album that week in just one day.

For the tenth anniversary of the first Help record, War Child needed something special.  The first Help album was recorded in a day and released five days later.  Ten years on, the internet had revolutionized everything. Recording for a new Help CD started at noon on September 8th, 2005, and at 6:00 pm the next day, the second album – Help: A Day In The Life -was released online, smashing War Child’s own record.

The day Help: A Day In the Life was recorded, Coldplay were on tour. No problem.  A version of “How You See The World” was recorded for the X&Y album but needed vocals.  So, with half a day off in New York, Chris Martin found a studio and recorded them before that night’s show.  The result?  New.  Coldplay. Classic.

The Kooks “Victoria”

The Kooks recorded much of their last album at Konk studios – owned by Ray Davies, front man of the quintessentially English combo, The Kinks.  So, it was only natural for Mr. Davies to nominate The Kooks to record his 1969 hit, “Victoria,” for War Child’s Heroes album, released March 2009.  So The Kooks do The Kinks at Konk, then.

Jimmy Eat World “Firestarter”

When the U.K. Singles Chart turned fifty in 2002, original publishers, NME Magazine, asked War Child if they fancied an album of cover versions of Number One hits.  Obviously, War Child said “yes please.” The result was the 1 Love album. 
The Prodigy had gone to number one in the U.K. with this notorious track just a few years earlier and it became an instant dance-punk classic.  Jimmy Eat World inject the song with a healthy dose of Emo and transforms it into a heart-rending indie ballad. To many, this was 1 Love’s stand-out track.

Beck “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat”

Being one of the all-time great songwriters, Bob Dylan couldn’t choose his favourite song for War Child’s Heroes album – where do you start, right?  So he picked the song he thought his chosen artist could do well.  Step forward Beck, and this re-working of the Blonde on Blonde gem.

Muse “House Of The Rising Sun”

From the album 1 Love, Muse’s version of the Animal’s 1964 chart-topper is everything you would expect.  Loud, grandiose, but never bombastic.  True to the original but turned up to eleven.

Radiohead “I Want None Of This”

Ten years after the first Help album, Help: A Day In The Life was released online, just over twenty-four hours after recording began. The War Child website collapsed repeatedly under the weight of demand for this – Radiohead’s first new material in over two years.  Let’s just say, no one complained about the technical problems once they’d heard it.

New Order “Vietnam”

This was a breakthrough on two levels.  New Order had never done a charity record before and had never recorded a cover.  But this Jimmy Cliff 60’s anti-Vietnam track seemed all too perfect for huge anti-Iraq protests that were being held at the time, and for the U.K. version of Peace Songs, Hope.

Wolfmother “Don’t Let It Bring You Down”

There have been many attempts to take Neil Young’s songs and reinterpret them in a new genre.  But when you’re dealing with a gold standard classic, sometimes respect
for the original is best.  This Aussie take on a Canadian masterpiece is exclusive to
War Child:10.

Oasis “Fade Away

The first song ever recorded for War Child and the opener on the U.K.’s 1995 album, Help.  As dawn was breaking on September 4th, 1995, Oasis stepped off a plane from Japan to London and immediately made their way to a studio to lay down this mellow version of the early classic, “Fade Away.”

Beth Orton “Ooh Child”

The Iraq war prompted War Child on both sides of the Atlantic to jump to action.  The result was War Child’s double album, Peace Songs.  This Beth Orton version of the 1979 Chicago soul classic is pretty much War Child’s mandate defined in song.

Friends Of War Child “People Have The Power”

This Patti Smith song’s message of empowerment resonates so powerfully with War Child’s vision that Chantal Kreviazuk, Liam Titcomb, Shiloh and Lucas Silveira of The Cliks came together to record a new version especially for War Child:10  and to commemorate War Child Canada’s 10th anniversary.

Sy’rai featuring A.U.C.A.Y.D “Let It Rain” (bonus track)