Interesting idea.

from bjork.com

We documented back in January of Björk's idea of releasing a charity record for UNICEF and setting the target to raise £250,000 within the first 10 days of release. We are now getting seriously closer to seeing this idea being realised!

Prompted by the recent events in SE Asia, Björk decided to release a collection of cover versions and mixes of her song ‘Army Of Me’ with all of the proceeds to go to UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund).

Over the years, Björk’s work has been re-interpreted and covered by a hugely eclectic wide range of remixers and musicians. Björk discovered whilst doing some online research that ‘Army Of Me’ had been her most popular song to cover and mix.

Keen to give everyone an equal chance of being included on the album on 9th January 2005, we posted an invitation to musicians to submit their very own remixes and cover versions of the track ‘Army Of Me’ through bjork.com.

The musicians were given a week or so to submit their contributions. Astoundingly, Björk received well over 600 submissions. Realising the almighty task of the selection process ahead of her, she decided to ask the co-writer of ‘Army Of Me’ Graham Massey to give her a hand.

Inspired no doubt by the growling techno-metal of the original, and the eclectic mixes that featured on the original singles, the submissions of mixes and cover versions were very varied. The final chosen tracks range from Canadian band ‘Interzone’s brutal extreme metal, to the soothing country sounds from ‘The Messengers Of God’, with an electro-clash number in the middle from Spain.

Everyone involved in this project from the artists through to the manufacturers have given their services for free.
Tracklisting, and of course all artist performing Army of Me:

01. Interzone - Interzone - Canada
02. Grisbi - reinterpreted by Grisbi - French
03. 50hertz feat. häxor och porr, slagsmålsklubben - Sweden
04. The Messengers Of God - English / American
05. Dr Syntax'n'CB Turbo v Rivethead - British
06. Dr. Gunni - Icelandic
07. Martin White Accordion Mix - British
08. Hemp - French
09. Lunamoth - British / Irish / German
10. Bersarinplatz Mix - German
11. Baker Mix - English
12. Random - English
13. Atoi coverversion - Danish
14. R.Luvbeats (The Liquid Riot Mix) - New York City
15. Pink Battle Mash Up - Spanish
16. Army Of Klaus Remix - British
17. Rise And Dawn Of Me
18. Liliom - a(r)mour - France
19. 'Once More' in CoF Minor - by Mikhail Karikis - Greek
20. Tor Bruce - Sweden


Full release dates are being finalised, we should though expect the record to be available first through bjork.com prior to general release.

Cloudbuster said:

Anyways. I like the idea.

HamsterHuey said:

Me too. Except I wish they were all of different songs.

GangstaFam said:

LoL

Me too. Or the entire new album remixed, just for the fun of it...

HamsterHuey said:

Speaking of that, I just made a disc with all the extra stuff from Medulla singles. It's great!

GangstaFam said:

Isn't it! What is your favorite?


!-edit
[Edited 3/14/05 1:36am]

HamsterHuey said:

You have all that stuff already?

I'm loving a bunch of 'em. The Desired Constellation remixes really get me. That's probably my favorite song from the album too.

GangstaFam said:

Well, it's the one that she played live on the previous tour already, so I guess it's her fave too...

HamsterHuey said:

Which remixes are you liking?

GangstaFam said:

Well, with the nature of the album, alot of White Labels slammed onto the market...

But of the official remixes I really like Kelis's versionof Oceania and the Who Is It [Bell Choir Mix]

I love remixes when they kind of turn a song upside down... or subtly add to a song...

This idea has been done before.

Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner" had a whole album of cover versions once.

http://www.vega.net/albumpages/tom/