As the country attempts to break the record for the greatest number of non sports fans ever to bunk off work to watch a test match, a bunch of scruffy oiks (a.k.a musicians) are attempting to break another record, that of the fastest album ever recorded.
As of midday today a host of bands, wherever they are in the world, entered the studio to record a track (either a new track, reworking or a cover) for Help: A Day In The Life, which will be made available to download from midday tomorrow. A hard copy version will be available on the 26th, slightly over the week it took to release War Child's seminal Help album 10 years ago.
Help raised over £1.25 million for children in Bosnia, and this year the money raised will be targeted towards providing material and psychological support and rehabilitation to children in 30 war zones across the world.
The line up, now confirmed is as follows (and yes, beside the good work this record will bring about and the sadness that it's still required, it's a damn fine line up - a solid pick list of current British talent, a little something for everyone and nice to see the inclusion of Tinariwen and Emmanuel Jal to balance the field):
Antony and the Johnsons - Happy Xmas War is Over
Belle & Sebastian - The Eighth Station of the Cross Kebab House
Bloc Party - The Present
The Coral – It Was Nothing
Damien Rice - Crosseyed Bear
Elbow - Snowball
Emmanuel Jal - Gua
The Go! Team - Phantom Broadcast
Gorillaz - Hong Kong
Hard-Fi - Help Me Please
Kaiser Chiefs - I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Keane and Faultline - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
The Magic Numbers - Gone Are the Days
The Manic Street Preachers - Leviathan
Maximo Park - Wasteland
Mylo - to be confirmed
Radiohead - I Want None of It
Razorlight - Kirby's House
Tinariwen - to be confirmed
The Zutons - Hello Conscience
