Warchild: Heroes

When war broke out in Ukraine, War Child were quick to respond.

Their teams are already on the ground working to understand the impact on children and supporting local volunteers and non-governmental organisations who operate in the border regions to Ukraine to get children vital aid and psychological care – fast. Here, millions of children and families are seeking refuge; arriving with little more than the clothes on their backs, and little access to food, water and shelter.

War Child Presents Heroes is the ultimate covers album - an unprecedented coming together of music’s greatest ever legends and with their favourite artists of the time to support children whose lives have been torn apart by war. 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. Legends supporting the album include David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, The Kinks, Roxy Music, Joy Division, The Clash, The Ramones, Blondie and Iggy Pop. And the artists taking on those covers includes Scissor Sisters, Elbow, Beck, The Kooks, Rufus Wainwright, Estelle, Hot Chip, The Hold Steady and Lily Allen. Some legends selected one of their all-time classic standards like Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’, covered by Estelle, and Blondie’s ‘Call Me’, covered by Franz Ferdinand. Others selected favourite tracks that deserve to be rediscovered as with Scissor Sister’s exhilarating version of Roxy Music’s ‘Do The Strand’ (not originally released as a single in the UK) and Lily Allen’s stunning take on The Clash’s ‘Straight To Hell’ featuring backing vocals and guitar from Mick Jones (originally the B-side of ‘Should I Stay, Or Should I Go’). 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. Estelle got to record her track in the original studio where Stevie Wonder recorded Supersititon and used the exact same keyboards whilst The Kooks recorded their version of Victoria in The Kinks’ original studios Konk. TV On The Radio’s version of Heroes features Karen O from YYYs on backing vocals. War Child Presents Heroes is part of a series of four re-releases by War Child Records making the amazing music artists have donated to the charity available on DSPs and vinyl for the first time. All proceeds from these releases will directly fund War Child’s life saving work with children affected by conflict.