“Live-in World” is a song recorded by the Anti-Heroin Project, a collaboration between numerous musical artists and singers. It was released as a charity single by EMI Records on 27 October 1986 to benefit the Phoenix House Charity. The song, which was written and produced by Charley Foskett, features Steve Harley as one of the vocal contributors. It reached number 142 in the UK Singles Chart.
Background
The Anti-Heroin Project was organised by the musician and record producer Charley Foskett and was entirely funded by EMI Records. A large number of musicians and singers were recruited to record “Live-in World” at Abbey Road Studios in London, including Holly Johnson, Fish, Nik Kershaw, Cliff Richard, Kim Wilde and Bonnie Tyler. Harley contributed by singing a short line in the second pre-chorus and he also made an appearance in the music video.
The royalties from the sale of the charity single were donated to the Phoenix House Charity to aid their recovery centres across the UK for people with drug problems. David Tomlinson, the executive director of Pheonix House, told the press at the time: “The money from the record will enable us to make more treatment service directly available to people seeking help, not just in this country but through our numerous contacts all over the world, including our sister centres in West Germany and the United States. In Britain, the cash will be used to expand available treatment resources with a short-term goal of helping those people who are currently being turned down because of the shortage of beds and with a longer term aim of creating services for the future. The record serves a more immediate purpose in that its aim is to identify the music industry with a positive approach to drugs. This is not a campaign to scare off potential users but rather to engage them in healthy alternatives. It is a voice reaching out to young people who use drugs, inviting them to come out of the twilight world of addiction and seek help. Much imagination and hard work has gone into the making of this record, all freely given by people who in the words of the single have opened up their hearts to the plight of people entrapped by drug addiction.”
Release
The single was released by EMI Records on 27 October 1986. It was a commercial disappointment, stalling at number 142 in the UK Singles Chart and selling only 357 copies in its only week within the top 200. The single suffered from a lack of airplay in the UK after BBC Radio 1 refused to add it to their playlist as the producers claimed that they were “sick and tired” of charity records. Speaking to the Daily Express in 1986, contributor Cliff Richard stated: “I think it’s terrible if that’s their attitude – I really do. It doesn’t make sense. To actually say they won’t play it because there are too many charity records, that should not be the criterion. If they hate the record, fair enough, but I think it’s good – it’s very commercial sounding. There’s a lot of talent on it, after all. Some of the biggest names in this business.”
The single was followed by a double LP album, It’s a Live-in World, on 17 November 1986, which had contributions from various artists, including Wham!, Bucks Fizz, Bananarama, Dire Straits, Elvis Costello, Chris Rea, Eurythmics, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. It contained 17 tracks that had been written and recorded specially for the project and 13 previously released, “donated” songs. The album was also a commercial disappointment.
Critical reception
Upon its release, John Lee of the Huddersfield Daily Examiner praised the “excellent” project and believed that the single “should raise a packet” due to the “whole load of rock and pop stars behind it”. Peter Kinghorn of the Evening Chronicle noted that the “all star cast deliver [a] powerful message”. Jerry Smith of Music Week stated, “Yet another charity record and it’s very much in the Band Aid mould with a few stars getting a line each. A diverse enough bunch from Cliff Richard to Genesis P. Orridge, but will probably suffer from the glut of these sort of records however worthy.”
Stuart Bailie of Record Mirror called the project “very laudable”, but was critical of the song itself and some of its contributors. He wrote, “You’re prepared to overlook the fact that the song isn’t so hot when the proceeds are to fund recovery centres thoroughout the country. At the risk of sounding flippant, though, I’d say that impressionable youngsters most certainly won’t be swayed by the inclusion of dullards like Cliff Richard and Nik Kershaw.” Frank Gillespie of Number One commented, “A multitude of well-known popstars provide the rocky refrain. Would it not be better to put an end to these en masse efforts – donating royalities from their individual recordings or, better still, addressing the causes in their own works along the lines of the Specials’ ‘Free Nelson Mandela’ – song that has both a potent message and sound?”
Track listing
7-inch single (UK, Europe and New Zealand)
- “Live-in World” – 4:12
- “Something Better” – 4:18
12-inch single (UK, Europe and New Zealand)
- “Live-in World” – 4:12
- Lenny Henry – “On the Street” – 2:21
- “Something Better” – 4:18
- Ringo Starr – “You Know It Makes Sense” – 4:55
Personnel
The Anti-Smack Band
- Tommy Eyre – keyboards
- Dave Stewart – keyboards
- Don Snow – keyboards
- Jeremy Alsop – bass guitar
- Mel Collins – solo saxophone
- Pete Thoms – trombone, horns
- Gary Barnacle – tenor saxophone, horns
- Luke Tunney – trumpet, horns
- John Thirkle – trumpet, horns
- Tony Beard – drums
- Julian Littman – backing vocals
- Gillian Mason – backing vocals
- Bobby Tench – backing vocals
- Lizzy Welch – backing vocals
- Lauren Field – backing vocals
- Vince Edwards – backing vocals
- Finchley Children’s Choir – backing vocals
The Crowd
- Holly Johnson
- Fish (Marillion)
- Nik Kershaw
- Cliff Richard
- Hazel O’Connor
- Hazell Dean
- Precious Wilson
- Sinitta
- Kim Wilde
- Sheila Ferguson
- Edwin Starr
- Daryl Pandy
- Phil Fearon
- Elkie Brooks
- John Parr
- Mel Collins
- Robin Gibb
- Mike Peters (The Alarm)
- Eddie MacDonald (The Alarm)
- Jim Diamond
- Steve Harley
- Bobby Tench
- Julian Littman
- Bonnie Tyler
- Suggs (Madness)
- Brinsley Ford (Aswad)
- Drummie Zeb (Aswad)
- Bobby Gee (Bucks Fizz)
- Mike Nolan (Bucks Fizz)
- Shelley Preston (Bucks Fizz)
- Chas and Dave
- Roy Harper
- Helena
- Nick Heyward
- Ian McNabb (The Icicle Works)
- Chris Layhe (The Icicle Works)
- Chris Sharrock (The Icicle Works)
- John McCoy
- Hayley Mills
- Bill Oddie
- Genesis P. Orridge (Psychic TV)
- Paula (Psychic TV)
- Kate Robbins
- Christopher Ryan
- Zak Starkey
- Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin
- Poly Styrene
- Thompson Twins
- Tom Watt
- Bobby Whitlock
- Gordon Bonnar (Heavy Pettin’)
- Hamie Hayman (Heavy Pettin’)
- Dutch Michaels (Heavy Pettin’)
- Jimmy Pursey
- Dave Wakeling (General Public)
Production
- Charley Foskett – producer
- Tony Clark – engineer
- Daren Goodwin – assistant engineer
- Alan Winstanley – mixing (“Live-in World”)
- John Brand – mixing (“Live-in World”)
- Roz Graham – project co-ordinator
Other
- The Artful Dodgers – sleeve design
- Christopher Bissell – photography
Charts
UK Singles Chart: 142
