Music stars unite for war charity

Oasis donated their version of Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody for the 1 Love album, which is released in the UK on Monday.

A line-up of 16 artists, which also includes Stereophonics, Sugababes and Darius, recorded their favourite number one songs of all time for the album.

It aims to raise money for War Child, which helps victims of war in countries like Afghanistan, Sudan and Congo.

The release comes seven years after Help, a hit album that saw the UK music industry raise £1.25m for War Child.

As with Help, a large proportion of the 1 Love's price will go to the charity.

"Help happened at the time of the Bosnian crisis, but this is actually worse," the charity's director James Topham told BBC News Online.

This album has been compiled with music magazine NME, and is partly a response to the 11 September attacks, Mr Topham said.

"I got the sense from last September onwards that the music industry was keen to do something."

It is hoped that the release will draw attention to War Child's work as well as raise money, he said.

"There's the money, which allows us to do a lot of serious work in places like Congo, where a seven-nation war has been going on since 1998.

"And it's as much about [raising] the profile of places like that as money."

Songs on the CD include Stereophonics' version of Nothing Compares 2 U, a hit for Sinead O'Connor in 1990, although originally written by Prince.

"Obviously it's for a good charity and we wanted to help raise money and awareness for War Child," Stereophonics singer Kelly Jones said.

Persuaded

Darius recorded Manfred Mann's 1966 hit Pretty Flamingo - and says that, unlike his Pop Idol co-stars, he is not easily persuaded to record a cover version.

"War Child is the only cause, and NME are the only people, that could get me to do a cover," he said.

Also on the CD, Badly Drawn Boy has teamed up with Jools Holland for Come On Eileen, Sugababes have covered Adamski's Killer and Prodigy's choice was The Specials' Ghost Town.

Dido guests with Faithless on Beats Internationals' 1990 hit Dub Be Good To Me, while Ms Dynamite joined soul group The Reelists for Soul II Soul's Back To Life.