Climate Song: The Beds Are Burning But Where's Chris Martin?

The low-star wattage means this charity single is unlikely to become the rallying anthem for the climate-conscious generation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBTZOg6l6cA

 

 

Paul MacInnes Oct 1 2009

The first thing that strikes you about the climate cover version of Beds are Burning, is the distinct absence of Chris Martin. Where is he? The clock is ticking towards Copenhagen, the awareness-raising single has been recorded, and yet the philanthropic lead singer of the world's biggest group is nowhere to be seen.

He's not the only one who's missing. There's no Bono, no Sting, no Shakira, not even, and for this relief much thanks, the Black Eyed Peas. In fact none of the usual suspects appear on this charity record at all, despite its undoubted significance. The best they can offer is Simon Le Bon and a couple of Scorpions.

The cast list of a charity single is crucial, far more important than the quality of the song itself. Midge Ure may have written and produced a veritable dirge in Do They Know It's Christmas, but the awesome effect of watching a singing relay that passed from George Michael, to Le Bon (backed by Sting) and Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley occasioned spines to tingle across the world. The response, it's safe to say, will not be the same when listeners hear former French tennis star Yannick Noah pass the baton to model-cum-actress-cum-designer Milla Jovovich.

A massive turnout of stars for the ultimately underwhelming Live Earth concerts proved that there is support for the cause, so the absence of big names here may have more to do with the song's origin, in the belly of the Geneva-based Global Humanitarian Forum. Perhaps lacking the connections to pull in household names, they may also have decided that diversity (thereare Chinese pop stars alongside European rockers) was the way to go.

Whatever the explanation, the low-star wattage means Beds Are Burning is unlikely ever to become the rallying anthem for the climate-conscious generation. In fact, it's not even a particularly good version of the song, originally composed by Australian band Midnight Oil as a call for reparations to the Aboriginal community. The tempo's slow, the melody of the chorus has been tweaked for the worse. In fact, the best bit of the whole thing is Kofi Annan's menacing introduction.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2009/oct/01/beds-are-burning-climate-song-review