The organisers of the recent compilation ‘Dark Was The Night’ have revealed that the album made over £400,000 for charity.
Music and charity go together well. Almost from the beginning of pop music a series of concerts and releases have helped raise attention – and money – for a variety of causes.
Last year the HIV/AIDs charity Red Hot attempted to organise an ambitious new compilation. Bringing together a host of new and established acts, the charity aimed to present an overview of alternative music.
Produced by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National, ‘Dark Was The Night’ was an enormous success. Bringing together a mouth watering array of talent, acts such as Cat Power, Arcade Fire, David Byrne and more donated exclusive material.
A double album, ‘Dark Was The Night’ brought together some 31 tracks. Released on 4AD it immediately bowled over critics and became a huge talking point for music fans.
In a recent ceremony Martin Mills, the chairman of the Beggars Group of labels, passed on a cheque for £423,212 to the Red Hot Organisation.
The total amount raised from record sales in the first half of 2009, the cheque will be used to raise awareness of AIDs and help those affected by the disease.
“We want to thank all of the artists and everyone at 4AD again for helping us make ‘Dark Was The Night’ happen,” explained Aaron Dessner.
“We also want to thank everyone who has bought this record – your donations amount to a very significant contribution to Red Hot’s mission fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS. The initial amount raised from sales of the album exceeded our expectations and will only continue to grow.”