Next month, War Child Records will unveil HELP(2), a star-studded charity compilation record that’s among the most jam-packed offerings we’ve seen in some time. We’ve already heard a couple of the 23 such A-list offerings: Arctic Monkeys’ “Opening Night” (their first new song since 2022) and the Damon Albarn-led “Flags.” Today, organizers have shared yet another prime cut courtesy of Pulp.
“Begging For Change” features the very same kids’ choir from “Flags,” with Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker (who also appeared on that track) asking the youngsters to add boisterous screams to this “primal anthem,” per a press release. The song also makes use of a second, slightly more famous choir that features Albarn, Kae Tempest, The Libertines’ Carl Barat, and Fontaines D.C.’s Grian Chatten.
The resulting song (mixed by James Ford and Animesh Raval) is, per the release, Pulp at “their most intense — stripped-back, urgent, and unapologetic.” Perhaps it’s not the kind of tune you’d immediately associate with a charity comp, but then this is Pulp after all, and the end result still feels like it speaks to something emotionally essential about this project.
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Pulp’s contribution to HELP(2) also has some interesting context attached. Way back in 1996, the band took home the Mercury Prize for Different Class, beating out, among other records, the first HELP comp. Cocker’s acceptance speech then saw him dedicate the win to War Child UK, and the band even donated the £25,000 prize money.
“This year we have given more,” Cocker said in a statement. “How much more? You’ll have to wait and see.”
Aside from these teaser tracks, the compilation boasts Olivia Rodrigo covering The Magnetic Fields’ “The Book of Love,” Fontaines D.C.’s rendition of Sinéad O’Connor’s “Black Boys on Mopeds,” and new recordings from Cameron Winter, Beabadoobee, Foals, Depeche Mode, Pulp, Big Thief, Wet Leg, Beth Gibbons, Arooj Aftab and Beck, Arlo Parks, The Last Dinner Party, Sampha, Young Fathers, and King Krule, among several others.
HELP(2) also includes a companion film produced by creative director and filmmaker Jonathan Glazer. Using the concept “By Children, For Children,” Glazer lent dozens of cameras to children throughout the album’s recording sessions, allowing them to film each artist in the studio without any restrictions.
Serving as a sequel to the original HELP charity compilation from 1995, HELP(2) supports the global children’s charity War Child UK. The project will arrive in full on March 6th; pre-orders are now ongoing.
HELP(2) Artwork:
HELP(2) Tracklist:
01. Arctic Monkeys – “Opening Night”
02. Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten & Kae Tempest – “Flags”
03. Black Country, New Road – “Strangers”
04. The Last Dinner Party – “Let’s do it again!”
05. Beth Gibbons – “Sunday Morning”
06. Arooj Aftab & Beck – “Lilac Wine”
07. King Krule – “The 343 Loop”
08. Depeche Mode – “Universal Soldier”
09. Ezra Collective & Greentea Peng – “Helicopters”
10. Arlo Parks – “Nothing I Could Hide”
11. English Teacher & Graham Coxon – “Parasite”
12. Beabadoobee – “Say Yes”
13. Big Thief – “Relive, Redie”
14. Fontaines D.C. – “Black Boys on Mopeds”
15. Cameron Winter – “Warning”
16. Young Fathers – “Don’t Fight the Young”
17. Pulp – “Begging for Change”
18. Sampha – “Naboo”
19. Wet Leg – “Obvious”
20. Foals – “When the War is Finally Done”
21. Bat For Lashes – “Carried my girl”
22. Anna Calvi, Ellie Rowsell, Nilüfer Yanya & Dove Ellis – “Sunday Light”
23. Olivia Rodrigo – “The Book of Love”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source consequence.net ’
