The larks, still bravely singing, fly

November 9, 2010 1:40 PM

Up against Take That's new single, the Royal British Legion are hoping that the recent support for all things Remembrance will translate into best-seller sales and funds to support serving and ex-service personnel.

The Royal British Legion are hoping to make it to the top of the British charts this weekend with two minutes of silence. Various celebrities and serving and ex-serving personnel feature in the video (a short clip of it here).
The British Legion are not the only ones hoping for a number one with a silent track - Cage Against the Machine are hoping to follow the success of Rage Against the Machine which had a Christmas number one with 'Killing in the Name Of' thanks to a Facebook campaign to make sure an X-factor winner didn't get the top spot. (Previously on MeFi).

Say what you like about the commercialisation of Remembrance Day and selling a single of silence, at least it is less tacky than crystal poppies .

posted by Megami (6 comments total)

I had a generational moment with this-- I thought, at first, you want this to be at Number One? Who's going to listen to two minutes of silence on the radio? And then I realised that in 2010, a number one record is calculated on downloads, not chart play.

Can't help but notice that there's not a single woman involved in the video, at least going by the list of those appearing.
posted by jokeefe at 1:47 PM on November 9, 2010

Number one in the UK singles chart has always been ranked on sales and not play time.
posted by Virtblue at 2:03 PM on November 9, 2010

It's Blur Vs oasis all over again!
posted by Artw at 2:15 PM on November 9, 2010

Telegraph has a bit more on Two Minutes, including a nod to Orbital's silent "remix" against The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, which included laws to control or shut down raves, specifically events where “music” includes sounds wholly or predominantly characterised by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:17 PM on November 9, 2010

Also, poet Ian McMillan chose 4'33" as one of his Desert Island Discs on Sunday.
posted by DanCall at 4:08 AM on November 10, 2010

I bought it, for whatever that's worth. I guess it's my ex-pat equivalent of picking up a poppy.
posted by Artw at 2:15 PM on November 11, 2010