Cowell has ruined Stipe and Cos genuinely, beautiful, statement of empathy, with bombast, commercialism and patronising sincerity for charity. Don't buy this crime against music, donate to DEC!
Good piece ash. I have no problem with charity records per say I just think the misuse and rape of certain already established tracks and the subsequent charidee mate nonsense, that appears to be as much about boosting world wide profile than the actual disaster sickens me. And yes they are usually shite. I had no problem with the orginal live aid/we are the world stuff because those were songs specfically made for that purposes and they were very effective but now its become another cynical pr excercise for everyone involved. Like I said before or maybe people should just download the orginal Everybody hurts and get that in the charts in the hope that REM will again wave their profits because the orginal although innapopriate in this instance, its obviously the best and most orginal version of the song...
But in reply to your other post, Bill. I'm not sure getting REM in the charts is going to help. OK, it'd be another media story, but so soon after RATM? Smacks of lack of originality. What we need is something - like Help! Haiti - to expolde. Something heartfelt and affectionate.
great article, even better is that Ninja song (I think?).
I'm someone who really loves gritty 80s REM as opposed to the stadium REM of the 90s/00s, but even I can see Everybody Hurts has been savaged by Cowell and cretins. Completely inappropriate song choice too as has been said, pretty distasteful isn't it.
Ash wrote: But in reply to your other post, Bill. I'm not sure getting REM in the charts is going to help. OK, it'd be another media story, but so soon after RATM? Smacks of lack of originality. What we need is something - like Help! Haiti - to expolde. Something heartfelt and affectionate.
You're probably right, I just get frustrated with mass marketed covers, if you're going to do a cover at least do something different with it that's what I say. Not turn a poigniant emotion into a bombastic Mariah fest... Yarrr let's get behind Ninja haha He's often be seen around Cardiff playing the bins like bongo drums: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/ninjahUK?ref=ts
I am now his fan. Yeah, we do need the world to stop buying cover versions. If anything, it'd stop pop music getting labelled and marketed as indie / alternative. That'd be a good start.
