Paul Supports War Child 'Heroes' Album

War Child: Heroes is the ultimate covers album: an unprecedented coming together of music's greatest ever legends and today's best artists to support a great cause.

The album concept sees the biggest heroes in music history select a personal favourite track from their own back catalogue, and nominate an act from the next generation to create a modern reworking of that classic song.

The concept - believing that the next generation can do great things neatly echoes the work of War Child, helping the most disadvantaged children in the world's harshest war zones: like Iraq, Congo, Afghanistan.

* Legends supporting the album include: Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, The Kinks, Roxy Music, Joy Division, The Clash, The Ramones, Blondie and Iggy Pop. And modern artists recording include: Duffy, Scissor Sisters, Elbow, Beck, The Kooks, Rufus Wainwright, Estelle, Hot Chip, The Hold Steady and Lily Allen.

* The album was released on February 16 2009 on Parlophone. All profits will aid the real heroes: children affected by the brutalities of war.

The tracklist 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)

Heroes: Some Facts
Heroes is War Child's fifth album, Paul McCartney has supported three of them. Dating back to the reworking of Come Together by the Smokin Mojo Filters (McCartney, Weller and Noel Gallagher) for 1995's legendary Help album (alongside Blur, Oasis, Radiohead, Paul McCartney, Portishead, Stone Roses, Massive Attack)

The 15 legends supporting the project have combined global album sales of over 1.4bn

The new acts chosen to cover the classic tracks include the UK's biggest selling album artist of 2008, Duffy; the current Mercury prize winners, Elbow; and the act behind the most critically acclaimed album of 2008, TV On The Radio. They make up 11 Brit nominations and eight Grammy nominations.

The album was recorded over six months in studios in London, Manchester, Paris, Berlin, New York and Los Angeles. It was mastered at Abbey Road studios in London.

War Child’s albums have won awards at the Brit Awards, as well as from Q and NME and been nominated for the Mercury Prize.

Heroes: Background To War Child
  - 2.7 million children under 5 have died due to war in DRC
  - 1 in 4 children die before the age of 5 in Afghanistan
  - 2 million Iraqi children have had to leave their homes since war in 2003
  - Over 30,000 children were abducted and recruited by fighting forces in Uganda

War Child's Work
War Child is a unique charity. The only child protection agency operating in south Iraq. The only agency to have separated children from adults in Afghanistan prisons. The only international organisation working with ex-child soldiers in northern Democratic Republic of Congo. War Child is only able to work in these locations through a unique combination of security management and private funding. The media and music industry are at the heart of this private support.

War Child Facts
By working together with local organisations, War Child helps protect children by:
  -Reintegrating child soldiers with their families
  -Getting children off the streets, after war has forced them to leave home
  -Separating children from adults in prison
  -Rebuilding schools destroyed by war
  -Lobbying politicians to do more for children affected by war
  -Empowering the public to get involved

For more information go to:www.warchild.org.uk/heroes