The Go Go Posse is a compilation album released in 1988. The album consists of nine original songs recorded by prominent Washington, D.C.-based go-go bands and hip hop artists, and includes the anti-violence song “D.C. Don’t Stand for Dodge City”.
The “Go Go Posse” was a supergroup consisting of D.C. Scorpio, Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers, Rare Essence, Little Benny & the Masters, and E.U. The song “D.C. Don’t Stand for Dodge City” was an anti-violence song recorded and released as a single in 1988. The song was released in response to the dramatic increase in violent and drug-related murders in D.C. during the crack epidemic in the late-80s. During this time period, D.C. was labeled the “Murder Capital of the United States” and go-go and hip hop culture received much of the blame for the increasing crime rates. The “Go Go Posse” united to release this song as a response to the growing criticism of go-go music, and to encourage it patrons to stop the violence.
“Everybody Hurts” is a song by American rock band R.E.M., originally released on the band’s 1992 album Automatic for the People and was also released as a single in 1993. In an attempt to raise money for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown asked Simon Cowell to arrange a charity single. Cowell chose “Everybody Hurts”, Brown agreed to waive VAT on the single and R.E.M. agreed to waive all royalties. The release was under the name Helping Haiti.
The song is performed by the following artists (in order of appearance): Leona Lewis, Rod Stewart, Mariah Carey, Cheryl Cole, Mika, Michael Bublé, Joe McElderry, Miley Cyrus, James Blunt, Gary Barlow (of Take That), Mark Owen (of Take That), Jon Bon Jovi, James Morrison, Alexandra Burke, Jason Orange (of Take That), Susan Boyle, JLS, Mark Feehily (of Westlife), Shane Filan (of Westlife), Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, Kian Egan (of Westlife), Nicky Byrne (of Westlife), David Archuleta.
“Let the Music Heal Your Soul” was released as a single by the Bravo All Stars on May 18, 1998. The band consisted of: Touché, The Boyz, The Moffatts, Scooter, Aaron Carter, The Backstreet Boys, Mr. President, ‘N Sync, Squeezer, Blümchen, R’n’G and Gil. The idea behind it was conceived by Alex Christensen, to benefit charity. Each artist took turns singing two lines from each verse, while all of the singers sang the chorus together. “Let the Music Heal Your Soul” reached #36 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1998. The song reached also the Billboard Hot 100 Charts peaking at #60 in 1998.