The project is being co-ordinated by Legend Music Recording Studio in Koh Kaew, owned and operated by producer and composer, and long-term Phuket expat, Gary Crause.
Gary was one of the driving forces behind Phuket artists coming together in June to produce their own version of ‘Lean on Me’ to boost food security relief efforts driven by the Help Phuket Today campaign, also created to help people in Phuket suffering without any form of income during the ongoing crisis.
The latest installment to keep the Lean On Me Food Donation drive going through the Christmas period is their latest recording and video of ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ recorded by students, teachers and parents of the Phuket Academy of Performing Arts and the UWC Thailand Junior School Choir, Gary recently announced.
The ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ video was released on Nov 1 and the final song ‘Shine A Loving Light’, is planned for release on Dec 1, he added.
The recording of ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ was performed by students and teachers from the Phuket Academy of Performing Arts. In total, more than 70 people were involved in the effort.
The video can be seen on Facebook (click here) and on YouTube (click here).
Meanwhile, ‘Shine A Loving Light’, to be released on Dec 1, was written by Gary and songwriting partner Rob nearly 10 years ago to help raise relief funds in the aftermath of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March 2011. The disaster left a reported 15,897 people dead.
“The song was originally recorded back then, but it has now been remixed so it can be relaunched to help with the current campaign,” Gary explained to The Phuket News.
‘Shine A Loving Light’ was originally recorded by the Phuket Musicians Collective. “Most of those artists are still on the island, and most were involved in the ‘Lean on Me’ recording,” Gary said.
Both songs make up a single that is available for pre-order on iTunes, with all sales going to the Lean On Me Food Donation program.
The singles are the lead into a 24-track Christmas album ‘Our Christmas Gift’, recorded by students of the Phuket Academy of Performing Arts which will be released mid-November, Gary noted.
“The problem just gets worse and worse,” Gary told The Phuket News today (Nov 16).
“Whoever can still help it would be much appreciated,” he urged.
To contribute to the relief efforts, simply scan and pay for Lean On Me food packs at any Villa Market in Phuket, or order the packs online via Villa Market’s online shopping portal.