Help!: A Day in the Life

Last updated
Help: A Day in the Life
Help-A Day in the Life Cover.jpg
Compilation album by
various artists
Released9 September 2005 (2005-09-09)
Recorded8–9 September 2005
Length87:12
Label Independiente
Producer War Child
War Child charity albums chronology
Hope
(2003)
Help: A Day in the Life
(2005)
War Child Presents Heroes
(2009)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Pitchfork Media (5.5/10) [2]

Help: A Day in the Life is a 2005 compilation album of music by contemporary artists from the United Kingdom and Canada. It was produced by the UK charity War Child to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their previous release, The Help Album , and to raise money to fund the charity's efforts in war-torn countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina. The name is a conglomeration of the titles of two Beatles songs, "Help!" (featured on the Help! album and film) and "A Day in the Life" (from the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ). On Wednesday 14 September 2005, five days after its release, it broke the record for the fastest-selling download album ever. [3]

Contents

Whereas The Help Album had broken records in 1995 by being released only five days after it was recorded, Help!: A Day in the Life was recorded and made available for purchase via the War Child Music website within approximately thirty hours. Recording began at 12pm BST on Thursday 8 September and was made available for purchase at around 6pm on Friday 9 September.

Notable contributions to the album include tracks by Radiohead and Manic Street Preachers, both of whom had contributed tracks to the original 1995 album; a cover of Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by War Child patrons Keane; a song from Gorillaz called "Hong Kong" which was played live various times by the band; a last-minute contribution from Coldplay; and a song by Emmanuel Jal, who was involved in the Sudan conflict as a child.

War Child Canada released a Canadian version of Help!: A Day in the Life in 2006. Contributions for the Canadian version included songs by Sam Roberts, The Dears, and Buck 65. A cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice It's Alright" by Emily Haines and James Shaw of Toronto's Metric was also included on the album.

The first single from the album was "Lebo's River", a song by Raine Maida, who helped produce the album, and Chantal Kreviazuk, his wife. The chorus was written by Lebo Kgasapane, an 18-year-old South African singer-songwriter who died of AIDS. The track features vocals by Lebo, as well as by Archie Khambula, a good friend of Lebo's.

The album cover was designed by John Squire.

Reworks

Tracks first released on this album were subsequently re-recorded for the albums D-Sides by Gorillaz, Once Upon a Time in the West by Hard-Fi, Razorlight by Razorlight and Aman Iman by Tinariwen.

Track listings

British track listing
  1. "How You See the World No. 2" Coldplay
  2. "Kirby's House" Razorlight
  3. "I Want None of This" Radiohead
  4. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" Keane with Faultline
  5. "Gua" Emmanuel Jal
  6. "Hong Kong" Gorillaz
  7. "Leviathan" Manic Street Preachers
  8. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" Kaiser Chiefs
  9. "Cross-Eyed Bear" Damien Rice
  10. "Gone Are the Days" The Magic Numbers
  11. "Cler Achel" Tinariwen
  12. "It Was Nothing" The Coral
  13. "Mars Needs Women" Mylo
  14. "Wasteland" Maxïmo Park
  15. "Snowball" Elbow
  16. "The Present" Bloc Party
  17. "Help Me Please" Hard-Fi
  18. "Phantom Broadcast" The Go! Team
  19. "From Bollywood to Battersea" Babyshambles
  20. "Happy Christmas, War Is Over" Boy George and Antony
Digital download track listing
  1. "I Want None of This" Radiohead
  2. "It Was Nothing" The Coral
  3. "Hello Conscience" The Zutons
  4. "Snowball" Elbow
  5. "Gone Are the Days" The Magic Numbers
  6. "Wasteland" Maxïmo Park
  7. "Phantom Broadcast" The Go! Team
  8. "Gua" Emmanuel Jal
  9. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" Keane with Faultline
  10. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" Kaiser Chiefs
  11. "The Present" Bloc Party
  12. "Help Me Please" Hard-Fi
  13. "Eighth Station of the Cross Kebab House" Belle and Sebastian
  14. "Cler Archel" Tinariwen
  15. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" Boy George and Antony
  16. "Hong Kong" Gorillaz
  17. "From Bollywood to Battersea" Babyshambles
  18. "Leviathan" Manic Street Preachers
  19. "Kirby's House" Razorlight
  20. "Cross-Eyed Bear" Damien Rice
  21. "Mars Needs Women" Mylo
  22. "How You See the World No. 2" Coldplay
Canadian track listing
  1. "How You See the World No. 2" Coldplay
  2. "Missing" City and Colour
  3. "Hong Kong" Gorillaz
  4. "I Want None of This" Radiohead
  5. "Magic on My Mind" Sam Roberts
  6. "Stand Alone" Bedouin Soundclash
  7. "Utilities" The Weakerthans
  8. "Ballad of Humankindness" The Dears
  9. "Cross-Eyed Bear" Damien Rice
  10. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" Keane with Faultline
  11. "At the Angels Feet" Payola$
  12. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" Kaiser Chiefs
  13. "Spooked" Buck 65
  14. "Get It Right" Jets Overhead
  15. "Surrender" – Surefire
  16. "The Present" Bloc Party
  17. "Don't Think Twice It's Alright" Emily Haines and James Shaw of Metric
  18. "Lebo's River – A Tribute" Raine Maida & Chantal Kreviazuk featuring Archie Khambula & Lebo Kgasapane

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coldplay</span> British rock band

Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University College London and began playing music together from 1997 to 1998, initially calling themselves Big Fat Noises and later Starfish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chantal Kreviazuk</span> Canadian singer-songwriter (born 1973)

Chantal Jennifer Kreviazuk is a Canadian singer, songwriter, composer, and pianist. Born in Winnipeg, she played music from a young age before signing with Columbia Records in the 1990s. Her debut studio album, Under These Rocks and Stones, was first released in Canada in 1996 and saw commercial success before being issued in the United States the following year to critical praise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Martin</span> English singer-songwriter (born 1977)

Christopher Anthony John Martin is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist, pianist, rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay. Born in Exeter, Devon, he went to University College London, where he formed the band with classmates Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion. They found worldwide fame with the release of the song "Yellow" in 2000, receiving acclaim for albums such as A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008) and others. He won seven Grammy Awards and nine Brit Awards as part of the band. They have sold over 100 million albums worldwide as of 2021, making them the most successful group of the 21st century. Martin appeared on Debrett's 2017 list of the most influential people in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tinariwen</span> Collective of Tuareg musicians from the western Sahara Desert

Tinariwen is a collective of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. Considered a pioneer of desert blues, the group's guitar-driven style combines traditional Tuareg and African music with Western rock music. They have released eight albums since their formation and have toured internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next</span> 1998 single by Manic Street Preachers

"If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 24 August 1998, through Epic Records as the first single from their fifth studio album, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours (1998). The track sold 156,000 copies in its first week and reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in August 1998. Outside the United Kingdom, the song reached number one in Iceland and the top 20 in Norway and Sweden. It became the band's only song to chart in North America, peaking at number 19 on the Canadian RPM Alternative 30 chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keane (band)</span> English alternative rock band

Keane are an English alternative rock band from Battle, East Sussex, formed in 1995. They met while at Tonbridge School together. The band currently comprises Tom Chaplin, Tim Rice-Oxley, Richard Hughes, and Jesse Quin. Their original line-up included founder and guitarist Dominic Scott, who left in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raine Maida</span> Canadian musician

Raine Maida is a Canadian musician best known as being the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the alternative rock band Our Lady Peace. He has come to be known for his unique countertenor nasal falsetto singing voice, as well as his cryptic and poetry-influenced song lyrics. He occasionally plays certain instruments, such as the acoustic guitar, while performing with Our Lady Peace. Following guitarist Mike Turner's departure from Our Lady Peace in 2001, Maida is the only remaining original member of the band.

Band Aid 20 was the 2004 incarnation of the charity supergroup Band Aid. The group, which included Daniel Bedingfield, Dido, Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Bono of U2, and Paul McCartney, re-recorded the 1984 song "Do They Know It's Christmas?", written by Band Aid organisers Bob Geldof and Midge Ure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War Child (charity)</span> Non-governmental organisation

War Child International is a network of three independent non-governmental organisations: War Child UK, War Child Holland, and War Child Canada, each legally, operationally, and financially independent but sharing a common brand identity and mission to support children and young people affected by armed conflict and war. They work with parents, caregivers, community members, NGOs, governments, corporations, and other partners worldwide to ensure children have access to protection, education and psychosocial support. War Child has its work rooted in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">V Festival</span> British music festival

V Festival, often referred to as V Fest or simply V, is an annual music festival held in the United Kingdom during the third weekend in August. The event was held at two parks simultaneously which shared the same bill; artists performed at one location on Saturday and then swapped on Sunday. The sites were located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and Weston Park in South Staffordshire. In 2017, the final year of this format, the capacity of each site was 90,000.

<i>The Help Album</i> 1995 compilation album by various artists

The Help Album is a 1995 charity album to raise funds for the War Child charity, which provided aid to war-stricken areas, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina. All the songs were recorded in a single day. The album features British and Irish artists including Paul McCartney, Paul Weller, Radiohead, Oasis, Blur and Manic Street Preachers. It was followed by 1 Love (2002), Hope (2003), Help!: A Day in the Life (2005) and War Child Presents Heroes (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spike Stent</span> English producer and mixer

Mark "Spike" Stent is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & the Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed Sheeran, Beth Orton, Harry Styles, Frank Ocean, Selena Gomez, All Saints, Spice Girls, Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Mansun, Maroon 5, Muse, Lily Allen, Gwen Stefani, Moby, No Doubt, Lenka, Usher, Kaiser Chiefs, Linkin Park, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Oasis, Keane, Massive Attack, Bastille, Diana Vickers and Take That.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmanuel Jal</span> Musical artist

Emmanuel Jal is a South Sudanese-Canadian artist, actor, former child soldier, and political activist. His autobiography, War Child: A Child Soldier's Story, was published in 2009.

<i>Demon Days Live</i> (film) 2006 video album by Gorillaz

Demon Days: Live at the Manchester Opera House is a live DVD by Gorillaz, released 27 March 2006 in the UK. It compiles the live performances from 1 to 5 November 2005 at the Manchester Opera House that recreated the Demon Days studio album and was directed by David Barnard and Grant Gee.

Cruella de Ville, formerly known as Blazer, was a band from Northern Ireland that presented a mixture of post-punk and gothic rock from 1982 to 1984. They were mostly a studio band, who performed on television on at least two occasions and released a number of singles. Their best-known song is "Those Two Dreadful Children", and their re-released single "I'll Do the Talking" topped the Irish charts in 1985.

The Q Awards were the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine Q. Since they began in 1990, the Q Awards became one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards. Locations for the awards ceremony included Abbey Road Studios and near the end of its life, The Park Lane Ballroom.

<i>Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends</i> 2008 studio album by Coldplay

Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, often referred to as simply Viva la Vida, is the fourth studio album by British rock band Coldplay, released on 12 June 2008 on the Parlophone label. "Viva la vida" is a Spanish phrase that translates into English as "long live life", "live the life", or simply "live life". Lyrically, the album contains references to love, life, death and war.

<i>Mylo Xyloto</i> 2011 studio album by Coldplay

Mylo Xyloto is the fifth studio album by British rock band Coldplay, released on 24 October 2011. The band worked closely with producer Brian Eno following their successful collaboration on Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), the band's previous album. Mylo Xyloto is a concept album and a thematic rock opera.

<i>The Inbetweeners Soundtrack</i> 2009 soundtrack album by The Inbetweeners and various artists

The Inbetweeners Soundtrack is a compilation album released as the soundtrack album for the British comedy series The Inbetweeners. It was released in November 2009 by EMI Records. It is a double album containing 48 tracks, featuring various artist tracks and sound bites from the first two series of the programme.

<i>Music of the Spheres</i> (Coldplay album) 2021 studio album by Coldplay

Music of the Spheres is the ninth studio album by British rock band Coldplay, released on 15 October 2021 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and Atlantic Records in the United States. The album was produced by Max Martin, who is a new producer to the band's discography. It features guest appearances from Selena Gomez, We Are King, Jacob Collier and BTS, as well as returning contributions from electronic producer Jon Hopkins.

References