CityLife

Elbow take on U2 for War Child

Elbow at the 15th birthday of The Roadhouse

THE organisers of the latest War Child collection have sensibly made Elbow room for the Mercury Music Prize winners.

After a sparkling 12 months, the Bury quintet have recorded a cover of U2’s Running To Stand Still for the long-running charity aimed at raising for funds for children  trapped in war-torn regions of the world.

On why the band agreed to contribute to the February 16 release, Guy Garvey of Elbow commented: “War Child do exactly what it says on the tin. These kids shouldn't be in such circumstances in the first place, but they are, so thank god someone's doing something about it.”

Entitled Heroes, the album will feature a host of stars covering tracks by one of their favourites artists including; controversial popstress Lily Allen’s version of The Clash’s Straight To Hell, R&B sensation Estelle’s take on Stevie Wonder’s Superstition and New York bar room rockers doing Bruce Springsteen’s Atlantic City.

Elbow aren’t the only Greater Manchester act on the record either, thanks to electro-dance kids Hot Chip’s cover of Joy Division’s brutal Transmission.

Original started in 1995 (Oasis and The Stone Roses both contributed), EMI release the latest offering on its Parlophone label.

The tracklisting in full:
 
1.     Beck (Bob Dylan: Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat)
2.     Scissor Sisters (Roxy Music: Do The Strand)
3.     Lily Allen (The Clash: Straight To Hell)
4.     Duffy (Paul McCartney: Live And Let Die)
5.     Elbow (U2: Running To Stand Still)
6.     TV On The Radio (David Bowie: Heroes)
7.     Hot Chip (Joy Division: Transmission)
8.     The Kooks (The Kinks: Victoria)
9.     Estelle (Stevie Wonder: Superstition)
10.  Rufus Wainwright (Brian Wilson: Wonderful/ Song For Children)
11.  Peaches (Iggy Pop: Search And Destroy)
12.  The Hold Steady (Bruce Springsteen: Atlantic City)
13.  The Like (Elvis Costello: You Belong To Me)
14.  Yeah Yeah Yeahs (The Ramones: Sheena Is A Punk Rocker)
15.  Franz Ferdinand (Blondie: Call Me).

Parlophone are donating all their profits to War Child's work to protect the most marginalised children in war zones, who would otherwise be overlooked: street children, child soldiers and children in prison.