McCartney Sings for Mandela

Paul McCartney and the Eurythmics' Dave Stewart have written and recorded a new song called "Whole Life" for Nelson Mandela's AIDS awareness campaign. The song is available for download at 46664.com, along with tracks featuring Sting, Jimmy Cliff, Bono, Queen and Anastacia. Proceeds from purchases will benefit the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

"Whole World," a bluesy rocker, was recorded at London's Abbey Road Studios on October 22nd, the day after Mandela visited the U.K. to promote his campaign.

Stewart is one of the organizers of the November 29th 46664 concert at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa. The lineup includes Beyonce, Bono, the Corrs, Eurythmics, Paul Oakenfold, Queen, Peter Gabriel and Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens). 46664 was Mandela's prison number during his eighteen-year prison stay on Robben Island, near Cape Town.

A 46664 CD/DVD, tentatively scheduled for release in January, is slated to include the new songs as well as a live disc from the Cape Town concert.

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Song Stories

“The A Team”

Ed Sheeran | 2011

This debut track from the then-20-year-old British singer-songwriter has a dark story behind it. Sheeran says he culls songwriting inspiration from "viewing other people's situations," which, for the heroine in "The A Team," involves drug addiction and prostitution that began as a teen. Sheeran paints the woman's trials with haunting imagery such as "But lately her face seems/Slowly sinking, wasting/Crumbling like pastries." "I did a gig at a homeless shelter, [and the song] is about one of the women there. It's her story," he said.

More Song Stories entries »

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