After hearing Nelson Mandela talk about the AIDS epidemic in South Africa, Annie Lennox took action by launching the SING campaign to support relief efforts and take away the stigma often associated with the disease.
"Sing" is a benefit single she wrote for the cause. It features a choir of 23 women Lennox invited to participate, including Anastacia, Dido, Celine Dion, Melissa Etheridge, Fergie, Faith Hill, Beverley Knight, Gladys Knight, kd lang, Madonna, Sarah McLachlan, Beth Orton, Pink, Bonnie Raitt, Shakira, Joss Stone, The Sugababes and KT Tunstall.
Annie Lennox recalls in the New York Times, October 30, 2007: "I wrote down a mission statement and sent a letter to a list of women that I thought would be really good contenders. I had no idea if anybody would want to get on board with me. It's the first time I've really ever done anything like this. And I just thought, 'Oh, be prepared for rejection.'" However nearly everyone she invited appeared on the song, recording in studios around the world and sending tracks for Annie Lennox and her producers to mix.
Lennox told This Week In Texas magazine about how the name of her album was inspired by the weapons of mass destruction that were the justification for the invasion of Iraq. She told the magazine: "I'm just sort of outraged at what I feel the human race has done, and is doing, to the planet. We have such potential for incredible creativity, yet it seems that we have still to come out of the dark ages in terms of savage warfare, exploitation and the abuse of resources. On top of that, I was amazed at how the US and UK governments managed to trick people into going into Iraq with the blatant lie of Saddam having weapons of mass destruction."
On December 11, 2007 in Oslo, Lennox took part in a concert to honor Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, who share the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to raise awareness of global warming. At the event, Lennox remarked: "Can celebrities save the world? It rankles. What kind of place are we in when people are looking to Hollywood or celebrities to save the world? Where are the people who really should be stepping up to the plate and leading us? Where is the leadership? Red light. Emergency. Help. This is something that has been flashing for the past 40 years."
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Suggestion credit:
Bertrand - Paris, France
In a blog promoting The Annie Lennox Collection the Scottish singer explained why she created this anthem for women and HIV AIDS. "SING is an expression of solidarity. The issue of HIV/AIDS is surrounded with so much stigma, and people are ashamed and afraid to speak up. Singing is a metaphor for speaking up. We must break the silence about AIDS. Women need to express themselves and let their voices be heard for protection, for treatment, and for human rights."
Glen Ballard, who produced and co-wrote Alanis Morissette's
Jagged Little Pill album, produced the
Songs Of Mass Destruction album. She recorded it with a live band, which was a new experience for her. "She was a little skeptical of that but she ended up really loving it," Ballard said in a
Songfacts interview. "My band was always terrified every day when we were in there with her because we wanted to make sure that she loved it. She's incredible - I just love her so much."
