Single available on itunes December 13th
On Monday 6th December it finally happened; some of the most gifted and talented artists around today packed themselves into the legendary Dean Street Studios to re-record John Cage’s classic composition 4’ 33”.
And, with the aptly re-titled ‘Cage Against The Machine’, the organisers hope to captivate the imagination of a nation and make this year’s Christmas No1 a truly ‘Silent Night’.
Cage Against The Machine was started by London-based artist Dave Hilliard in the summer 2010 as a grassroots Facebook campaign to get John Cage's famous "silent" composition 4'33" to number one this Christmas. The idea soon reached tens of thousands of people, and stepped up a gear in October 2010 with the help of Xfm's Eddy Temple Morris, Joe Hutchinson (Ou Est Le Swimming Pool) and Mark Jones (Wall Of Sound) who joined forces to rally some of the most influential artists, producers and directors around today to make Hilliard’s vision a reality.
The Facebook community at www.facebook.com/cageagainstthemachine has reached over seventy thousand people committed to buying this single.
All the proceeds from sales will go to five charities. These music-related charities were chosen by the Cage Against The Machine Facebook community's organisers as something they feel John Cage would have whole heartedly approved of:
1. The British Tinnitus Association (BTA): When Cage's 4'33" begins, anyone with Tinnitus will just hear their own dreadful ringing. This condition can drive people suicidal and affects musicians more than any other illness. BTA can't even afford to fund a single phone line 24 hours a day to help cope with suicidal calls from sufferers. We can change that.
2. Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): When Chazz Haddon, singer of Ou Est Le Swimming Pool, tragically ended his own life at Pukkelpop festival in August, a spotlight was put on the fact that the biggest killer (aside from road accidents) of men under the age of 35 in the UK is suicide. Men are 4 times more likely to kill themselves than women. CALM is the only charity to soley focus upon addressing young male suicide.
3. Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy: Nordoff Robbins brings music's transforming power to children and adults in need, through the delivery of music therapy services.
4. Youth Music: Youth Music is the leading UK charity using music to transform the lives of disadvantaged children and young people.
5. Sound And Music: Promotes challenging new music and sound art. "Your support enables us to conceive, experiment and pioneer programmes to engage and inspire audiences of all ages."
See below for a full list of artists involved (in alphabetical order):
ADAM F, AEROPLANE, ALEXANDER WOLFE, ALICE RUSSELL, ANNE PIGALLE, BARRY ASHWORTH, BILLY BRAGG, BISHI, BO NINGEN, CHAS SMASH, CRYSTAL FIGHTERS, DANE LE SAC, DOES IT OFFEND YOU YEAH?, DUB PISTOLS, ENTER SHIKARI, FENECH SOLER, FYFE DANGERFIELD,GALLOWS, GUILLEMOTS, HEAVEN 17, IMOGEN HEAP, INFADELS, JAPANESE POPSTERS, JARRA YORK, JOHN FOXX, JOHN MCLURE, KILFORD THE MUSIC PAINTER, KOOKS, LOOSE CANNONS, MAN LIKE ME, RIZ MC, MONARCHY, MR HUDSON, NAPOLEAN IIIrd, OLLY WRIDE, ORBITAL, OU EST LE SWIMMING POOL, PENGUIN PRISON, SCROOBIUS PIP, SOUTH CENTRAL, SUGGS, TEETH!!!, TOM ALISON, TOM MILSOM, UNKLE, VENUS IN FURS, WHITEY….
Producers: Paul Epworth (Friendly Fires/Florence & The Machine and producer of CATM on the day)/Clive Langer (Madness's producer)/Charlie Rapino (Take That, Kylie Minogue) .The whole event was filmed for a documentary and promo release by Dick Carruthers (Led Zeppelin, Oasis).
Read our review of 4'33" here.
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