Rocking For Haiti: Top Names Raise Funds

The recent Haitian tragedy has stirred the rock community into action with various projects currently under way to raise money to aid victims of the earthquake. Just to keep you in touch, Classic Rock thought as many as possible should be mentioned.

First off there’s The Haiti Project, a 16-track download-only album, released by Round Records. This features the first song from The Sonic Graffiti, a band with Ginger (Wildhearts), Billy Morrison (Camp Freddy, The Cult), Michael Butler (Jetboy) and Scott Lips. Their contribution is a song title Mystery Number. The full track listing for the album is:

1. The Sonic Graffiti – Mystery Number (Exclusive)
2. Eureka Machines – Being Good Is Ok, But Being Betters Better
3. Electric Six – Newark Airport Boogie
4. Jackdaw 4 – Jesus Wants My Soul Back
5. The Loyalties – Sofa Surfin’ UK (Acoustic)
6. Antiproduct – When We Find Love
7. The Organ Beats – Happy Birthday/Come On Home
8. The Wildhearts – Unbroken
9. Tragedy: All Metal Tribute To The Bee Gees – Nights On Broadway
10. Radio Dead Ones – Take It On Trust
11. Ricky Warwick – Love Owes
12. Brijitte West (Feat. Jesse Malin) – How To Be Good
13. Moi? – This Is All That I Wanted
14. Laika Dog – Piano Song
15. Sorry & The Sinatras – Riverside
16. Children Of The Unicorn – Nightshark

This album costs just a fiver, from www.musicglue.com

Global Sound Lodge is a new ‘musical consciousness’ project put together by Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum and guitarist/producer Lanny Cordola. Their first song, Hands Together, is now available through iTunes, and has been written in support of the Haitian people. It features a guitar solo from Slash.

Fine out more about the whole project at www.globalsoundlodge.com

Slash has been very busy helping to raise both awareness and funds for Haiti. He donated the previously unreleased song Mother Maria to the album Download To Donate For Haiti. This was launched by the organisation Music For Relief, which was started by Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington. The idea is that people download songs, and then make a donation to the charity being highlighted, in this case Haiti.

Go to www.musicforrelief.org for the whole story.

As previously reported on the Classic Rock website, Girlschool’s appropriately titled classic Emergency has been re-recorded by Cornish youth music charity Livewire. This is being done with the backing of Girlschool themselves, and is to be released by Steve Vai’s Favored Nations label, with Vai himself expected to play a solo on this. Graham Bonnet is also to be featured and it’s all being recorded by Mike Exeter, a producer who’s worked with Black Sabbath.

This is to be released via iTunes and also on limited edition CD.

Find out more here.

Shane MacGowan has teamed up with a number of friends for a new version of I Put A Spell On You. Joining him are Chrissie Hynde, Nick Cave, Bobby Gillespie, Glen Matlock, Johnny Depp, Paloma Faith and Eliza Doolittle. All the proceeds from this will go to Concern, a charity who provide support for the poorest countries in the world, including Haiti. See the video for the song here. Get the single in the UK or Ireland.

Apart from getting involved with recording songs, many other artists are making tangible efforts. For example, John 5′s personal Marilyn Manson jacket from the 2003 tour is up for grabs. This is being auctioned by a fan who owns it, with the full approval of the guitarist, and 30 percent of the proceeds will go to AmeriCares to help provide much needed medical supplies.

Creed, Godsmack and Tom Morello got together to help outfit a plane with supplies and medical personnel, while Evanescence partnered with the United Nations Foundation to help raise money. Fear Factory’s Christian Olde Wolbers and Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones are to take part of a football tournament in New York. They’ll be part of the Hollywood United team, not only competing for the Setanta Cup, but also raising money for Hollywood Unites For Haiti. The tournament happens on April 11.

Doubtless there are many other rock-related find raising events going on. Tell everyone about them in the Comments section below.