Instant Karma on The Leak

MTV.com - The Leak: Various Artists 'Instant Karma'

Launched Tuesday, June 5th, 2007

Beyond his well-documented contributions to the musical canon, in life and death, John Lennon remains a symbol of peace. It is apt then that a selection of some of his greatest songs are the basis for Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur, a compilation being released June 12 to support Amnesty International's campaign to focus attention and mobilize activism around the crisis in the Sudan: genocide at the hands of the Janjaweed militias -- bands of fighters backed by the Sudanese government -- a campaign of violence that began in February 2003.

The album was led by Green Day's interpretation of Lennon's "Working Class Hero," the Samuel Bayer-directed video for which premiered exclusively on MTV.

"We wanted to do 'Working Class Hero' because its themes of alienation, class, and social status really resonated with us," says Green Day singer-guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong on Amnesty International's http://www.instantkarma.org site. "It's such a raw, aggressive song... we felt we could really sink our teeth into it. I hope we've done him justice.

The set also includes U2's cover of "Instant Karma," Christina Aguilera's spin on "Mother," R.E.M.'s rendition of "#9 Dream," the Cure tackling "Love," Snow Patrol doing "Isolation" and "Power to the People" performed by the Black Eyed Peas.

Rounding out Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur are Lennon covers by the likes of Aerosmith (with The Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars), Lenny Kravitz, Los Lonely Boys, Corinne Bailey Rae, Jakob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Avril Lavigne, Big & Rich, Youssou N'Dour, Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, Matisyahu, Postal Service, Jaguares, Flaming Lips, Jack's Mannequin (featuring Mick Fleetwood) and Regina Spektor.

In addition to spreading awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, the project also encourages individuals to take a stand by putting their name to Amnesty International's global petition, which declares, "as a citizen of the world, I demand and end to the killing and mass atrocities in Darfur, Sudan."

Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur is available for purchase June 12, but can be heard here on "The Leak" on MTV.com for a full week prior to its release. While listening to some of the most profound music by one of the 20th Century's most revered artists covered by a selection of superstars and up-and-coming artists, visit mtvU's comprehensive Darfur Web site, darfurisdying.com to learn more about the crisis and what you can do.
Thank's to http://www.greendaymusic.com/