| Help: A Day in the Life | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by various artists | ||||
| Released | 9 September 2005 | |||
| Recorded | 8–9 September 2005 | |||
| Length | 87:12 | |||
| Label | Independiente | |||
| Producer | War Child | |||
| War Child charity albums chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Pitchfork Media | (5.5/10)[2] |
Help: A Day in the Life is a 2005 compilation album of music by contemporary artists from the United Kingdom and Canada. It was produced by the UK charity War Child to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their previous release, The Help Album, and to raise money to fund the charity's efforts in war-torn countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina. The name is a conglomeration of the titles of two Beatles songs, "Help!" (featured on the Help! album and film) and "A Day in the Life" (from the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band). On Wednesday 14 September 2005, five days after its release, it broke the record for the fastest-selling download album ever.[3]
Whereas The Help Album had broken records in 1995 by being released only five days after it was recorded, Help!: A Day in the Life was recorded and made available for purchase via the War Child Music website within approximately thirty hours. Recording began at 12pm BST on Thursday 8 September and was made available for purchase at around 6pm on Friday 9 September.
Notable contributions to the album include tracks by Radiohead and Manic Street Preachers, both of whom had contributed tracks to the original 1995 album; a cover of Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by War Child patrons Keane; a song from Gorillaz called "Hong Kong" which was played live various times by the band; a last-minute contribution from Coldplay; and a song by Emmanuel Jal, who was involved in the Sudan conflict as a child.
War Child Canada released a Canadian version of Help!: A Day in the Life in 2006. Contributions for the Canadian version included songs by Sam Roberts, The Dears, and Buck 65. A cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice It's Alright" by Emily Haines and James Shaw of Toronto's Metric was also included on the album.
The first single from the album was "Lebo's River", a song by Raine Maida, who helped produce the album, and Chantal Kreviazuk, his wife. The chorus was written by Lebo Kgasapane, an 18-year-old South African singer-songwriter who died of AIDS. The track features vocals by Lebo, as well as by Archie Khambula, a good friend of Lebo's.
The album cover was designed by John Squire.