Well not exactly. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=795&e=5&u=/eo/20050120/en_music_eo/15750 Elton, Ozzy Shed "Tears" Elton John (news), Ozzy Osbourne, Phil Collins (news) and Rod Stewart (news) are piping up for tsunami relief. The quartet is among several music stars who have begun recording a new version of Eric Clapton (news)'s somber 1992 hit, "Tears in Heaven," to help raise money for survivors of last month's devastating earthquake-induced tsunami in Southeast Asia that killed upward of 226,000 people. First up was "Sad Songs" singer John, who recorded his part Thursday night in London. Pop-tenor Andrea Bocelli (news - web sites) is scheduled to make his contribution on Friday. He'll be followed by Collins, who will lay down his track from his home in Switzerland, while Ozzy and daughter Kelly will record their take in Los Angeles. Other artists contributing vocals for the all-star remake include Gwen Stefani (news), Pink, Josh Groban (news), Aerosmith (news - web sites) frontman Steven Tyler, and even Robert Downey Jr. (news - web sites). Other stars rumored to be participating include Velvet Revolver and Robbie Williams (news). The charity single was dreamed up by Sharon Osbourne and American Idol's Simon Cowell, who wanted to do something to benefit the victims and the massive reconstruction currently under way. The original "Tears" was penned by Clapton following the death of his infant son, Conor, who fell from a New York City apartment building in 1991. Proceeds raised from the new version will go to Save the Children Fund, a tsunami-aid organization already operating in the region. A release date has not yet been scheduled. "Tears in Heaven" isn't the only charity tune in the works. Boy George, former Bee Gees Robin and Barry Gibb, Steve Winwood (news) and ex-Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman (news) are putting the wraps on their own single, "Grief Never Grows Old." Clapton, meanwhile, is involved in his own tsunami-related fundraiser, having agreed to perform at a Live Aid-style charity concert set to be held at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, this Saturday and Sunday. There's still no word whether U2 and Coldplay will play the show, which has sold more than 40,000 tickets. At last report, promoters were in talks with both groups to participate. Already on the bill: the Darkness, Elton John and Franz Ferdinand, along with U.K. rockers Feeder and singers Lemar, Katherine Jenkins and Aled Jones. Other musicians have also stepped up. Sting, who had to scrap a Feb. 9 concert in Sri Lanka because of the catastrophe, has pledged to give 100 percent of the net profits from his Feb. 10 concert in Perth, Australia, to tsunami recovery. Queen guitarist Brian May (news) donated the proceeds from the 1,000th London performance of the Queen-based musical We Will Rock You on Jan. 12 to the Disaster Emergency Committee. Paul McCartney (news) kicked in nearly $2 million to the International Rescue Committee, Hilary Duff pledged a portion of profits from her sold-out Most Wanted Tour to the United Nations (news - web sites). Celine Dion (news) and Bjrk are also doing music-related projects for UNICEF (news - web sites), while Incubus and Linkin Park are contributing to the American Red Cross (news - web sites) And much closer to the disaster area, MTV is putting together a massive concert of its own in Bangkok that will air on its cable channels worldwide, including MTV2 in the U.S., on Feb. 3. The MTV Asia Aid Benefit will feature live sets from Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson (news), Good Charlotte Hoobastank and Simple Plan, as well a prerecorded performance contributed by Jennifer Lopez (news) who's unable to attend. Proceeds from that concert, which will also include some of Asia's biggest music stars, will be given to UNICEF and local charities.
When I was in junior high 11-12 years ago, I used to scour bookstores for every tome they had that related to rock and roll, then flip to the index to see if they had even a passing mention to Queen. I used to do the same at libraries, and on the newfangled "Internet" when we got on that in 1993 or so. I used to go to libraries and pump dimes in the copier machine to get photocopies of tiny blurbs about Queen in whatever rock books they had. I was obsessed. And all this was going on on the DL while I kept up my Replacements/Dinosaur Jr. front in front of my "hip" friends. It's 2005, the band hasn't put out an album in ten years and Freddie's been gone for 13 years now, and I can't even keep up with the news. Now I see a picture of Brian May next to Ashlee Simpson or someone in Rolling Stone's "Random Notes," and it's a yawn. Amazing how this band continues to grow.
Damn, that album cover really shows what a midget Dio is. I don't know how anyone who could be crushed underfoot could be named one of metal's biggest badasses by VH1. I hate music made for charity - it brings out the sappiest of the performers. I never liked Tears in Heaven - there was something awfully hypocritical about Clapton using his dead son (whom he otherwise neglected while alive) as the subject of a pop song - and I'm sure this performance of it will take it to new levels of suckitude. But I guess it's not all bad if it earns a bunch of money for people who really need it.
I agree, subtomic. Call me a cynic, but am I the only one who thinks there are ulterior motives to all of this? (ie. good publicity) I know, I know, it's for a good cause. But if they shoot a video, I'll bet they have a HUGE lavish expensive after-party with unlimited booze and the whole 9 yards.
ima: I think it puts musicians in a catch-22 though. They either participate and get called grandstanders or don't participate and be criticized for not getting involved. The after parties are also donated by vendors (I had a friend who worked a couple of these things in the past). I'm sure there are some who just go becauuse their publicist tells them to, but I have to believe that there are people who genuinely think they can make a difference.
And then there are those who come up with these awful ideas who should be shot, crucified or at least beaten severely. Just write a check and be done with instead of subjecting us to Ozzy and that awful little sow of a daughter (who can't sing) with Elton John and others taking a big fat poop on Eric Clapton's song.
