Two Minute Silence

Album: Single Release Only (2010)
Charted: 20
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Songfacts®:

  • This unusual charity single was released by The Royal British Legion to coincide with Remembrance Day on November 11, 2010. The song does what it says on the tin by being two minutes of silence. Royal British Legion Director General Chris Simpkins said: "Rather than record a song, we felt the UK public would recognise the poignancy of silence and its clear association with remembrance."
  • All proceeds from the sales of the song go towards helping members of the armed forces and their families.
  • The song is in essence the "soundtrack" to the accompanying video, which features a star studded list of contributors paying their own silent tribute to the fallen for a few brief seconds each. Among the host of famous faces to appear are Thom Yorke, Mark Ronson, Bryan Ferry, Bob Hoskins, David Tennant, Andy Murray and the British Prime Minister David Cameron.
  • This is not the first recording to be made up of silence. In 1952, American experimental composer John Cage composed the piece "4.33," which consisted of four minutes and 33 seconds of no sounds.
  • The song debuted at #20 making David Cameron the first British Prime Minister to appear on a hit single.

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