Michael Stipe
|
R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe has organized some of his friends from around the music world for a digital charity EP, with all proceeds going to Mercy Corps to aid Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Katrina. The EP features six different cover versions of Joseph Arthur's "In The Sun." The song is covered by Stipe alone, as a duet with Chris Martin of Coldplay, again dueting with Justin Timberlake (with will.i.am contributing to the mix) and again as a duet with Arthur himself. Fountains Of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger and James Iha of A Perfect Circle also perform on the tune.In a statement, Stipe says, "The news cycle has moved on and I don't want the public to forget about those who were affected by Katrina or to believe that everything is fine now. Things are not fine. The storm is still impacting people's lives in very real ways and many have been left desperate. I want to remind each of us that as humans, and certainly as Americans, it is our responsibility to help those in need."
The version with Stipe and Martin will debut during the post-Super Bowl episode of Grey's Anatomy on ABC this Sunday, and will arrive on the iTunes Music Store the following day. Stipe says he chose the song because "the first time Joseph and I spoke, he was in New Orleans, and I had to call a New Orleans number to reach him to have that first conversation. When I saw what happened with Katrina, 'In the Sun' came to mind. He writes from a very deep, intuitive place."
R.E.M. also recorded their classic album Automatic For The People in New Orleans, and Stipe says of the city, "It's a city that has its own legend. It's a unique place, not only to this country but to the world. I had to do something as a Southerner. I had to do something as a public figure. The one thing I can do is sing, and it's probably the best way to get people to pay attention." A documentary on the aftermath of Katrina, also called In The Sun, will air on the Sundance Channel this spring.
