Courtesy of Big Machine Records
Here’s a reminder that “#StandByMe (2020),” the recently reported star-studded cover of Ben E. King‘s classic 1960 hit “Stand by Me,” will be released as a charity single on Tuesday, October 27, 60 years to the day that the original version of tune hit stores.
John Oates of Hall & Oates, Peter Frampton, Dire Straits‘ Mark Knopfler, Bad Company‘s Paul Rodgers and ex-Yes keyboardists Rick Wakeman are among the music stars who contributed their talents to the remote recording.
Proceeds from the song will benefit Help Musicians, a U.K. organization that aids musicians adversely affected by the COVID-pandemic. Acclaimed British radio and TV presenter “Whispering Bob” Harris, who was the host of the famed U.K. performance series Old Grey Whistle Test, organized the recording and played triangle on the track.
The one-off group, which has been dubbed Whispering Bob’s All-Stars, also features guitar legend Duane Eddy, Hootie & the Blowfish singer Darius Rucker, PP Arnold, Rosanne Cash, Kiki Dee, Marc Cohn, Leo Sayer, Richard Thompson, Judie Tzuke, Leland Sklar, and Humble Pie‘s Jeremy Stacey, among many others.
You can check out an official music video for the tune at the Under the Apple Tree label’s official YouTube channel.
“COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the U.K. music scene,” notes Harris. “The artists who rely on live performances for their income have been particularly hard hit. For the past six years Under The Apple Tree has been a fantastic platform for emerging artists and now, in this time of difficulty, we want to raise funds to help the diverse and dedicated grass roots music community that we love so much.”
You can find out more about the recording, order the track and/or donate directly to Help Musicians by visiting GoFundMe.com.
By Matt Friedlander
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