Photo credit: Adama Jalloh
Britrock icons, Pulp, have just released the brand new single, “Begging For Change.” Coming with a recording session video, the track is taken from the forthcoming HELP(2) album. The collaborative charity compilation is due out on Friday 6th March, via War Child Records. Catch the new video and more below.
Stream “Begging For Change” here: https://warchildrecs.ffm.to/beggingforchange
Pre-order here: https://warchildrecs.ffm.to/help2
“Thirty years ago we gave our Mercury Prize (and the prize money) to War Child. This year we have given more. How much more? You’ll have to wait and see..” – Jarvis Cocker
Recorded at Abbey Road Studios and produced and mixed by James Ford and Animesh Raval, “Begging For Change” captures Pulp at their most intense – stripped-back, urgent and unapologetic. Jarvis Cocker requested the same kids’ choir that featured on recent HELP(2) single “Flags” to add screams to this primal anthem, with an all star choir including Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten, Kae Tempest and Carl Barat adding backing vocals to the beginning of the song too.
Pulp’s inclusion on HELP(2) feels like a poetic return. In 1996, their album Different Class was nominated alongside the original HELP compilation for the Mercury Prize. After taking home the award, Cocker dedicated the moment to War Child UK, donating the £25,000 prize money to the charity during his acceptance speech.
“Begging For Change” follows recent releases taken from the HELP(2) record, including “Opening Night” by Arctic Monkeys, “Flags” by Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten & Kae Tempest and “Let’s Do It Again!” by The Last Dinner Party.
HELP(2) is a brand new collaborative album inspired by the landmark 1995 release HELP to engage music lovers globally in support of War Child’s vital work delivering immediate aid, education, specialist mental health support, and protection to children affected by conflict around the world. The new album, like the original, speaks to the urgency of the humanitarian situation globally today.
HELP(2) carries forward the spirit of the original HELP album and was brought to life through a close collaboration with Abbey Road Studios, recorded predominantly across one extraordinary week in November 2025 under the stewardship of acclaimed producer James Ford.
HELP(2) features an incredible line-up of contributors including Anna Calvi, Arctic Monkeys, Arlo Parks, Arooj Aftab, Bat For Lashes, Beabadoobee, Beck, Beth Gibbons, Big Thief, Black Country, New Road, Cameron Winter, Damon Albarn, Depeche Mode, Dove Ellis, Ellie Rowsell, English Teacher, Ezra Collective, Foals, Fontaines D.C., Graham Coxon, Greentea Peng, Grian Chatten, Kae Tempest, King Krule, Nilüfer Yanya, Olivia Rodrigo, Pulp, Sampha, The Last Dinner Party, Wet Leg and Young Fathers. You can find the full HELP(2) tracklist below.
The spirit of the original record was reflected in the collaborative nature of the recording process with numerous impromptu moments unfolding in the studio. Damon Albarn’s session for “Flags” saw him joined by Johnny Marr on guitar and Kae Tempest and Grian Chatten of Fontaines D.C. on vocals; and Olivia Rodrigo was connected with Graham Coxon resulting in the guitarist performing on her cover of The Magnetic Fields’ “The Book of Love.”
In addition to the stellar cast of musicians involved, renowned filmmaker and Academy Award Winner Jonathan Glazer acted as creative director for HELP(2), working with Academy Films to assemble a team of brilliant creatives and overseeing the filming and art direction for the project. Glazer and Mica Levi’s concept was simple – “By Children, For Children” – with his team handing the cameras over to children in order to see the world through their eyes and serve as a constant reminder of the reason for the endeavor to the audience and all involved.
Each child operated their own small camera and was invited into the studios to film the artists recording without any restrictions. In addition, Glazer’s team worked with fixers and filmmakers in Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen and Sudan to gather footage filmed by children on the ground in these conflict zones. The results are a stunning piece of work that, ultimately, connects the album to the children the music seeks to help.
Recorded in a single day in 1995, the original HELP album raised over £1.2 million, enabling War Child UK to provide vital support to thousands of children caught in the Bosnian conflict. However, when HELP was first released, around 10% of the world’s children were affected by conflict. Today, that figure has almost doubled to nearly 1 in 5, or 520 million children worldwide; more than at any time since the Second World War. With conflicts escalating and funding cuts hitting hard, War Child UK’s work has never been more urgent and the need for these artists to carry forward the original album’s spirit of collective action could not be more vital.
“HELP(2) is more than an album. It’s a powerful example of what can happen when the music industry comes together around a shared purpose. It has united a diverse group of artists and creatives in support of War Child’s vital work with children affected by the devastating impacts of war. We are immensely grateful to all the artists and teams who have donated their voices, talent and time to support our mission to ensure that no child is caught up in conflict zones. We hope this record not only raises vital funds, but also awareness of the urgent need to turn compassion into action and do more to protect children living through war.” – Rich Clarke, head of music at War Child UK
War Child UK is driven by a single goal – ensuring a safe future for every child affected by war. Using 30 years of experience and proven methodologies, War Child UK aims to reach children as quickly as possible when conflict breaks out and stays long after the cameras have gone to support them through their recovery.
Together with its partners, War Child UK delivers vital work in 14 countries across the globe, including Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, and more. Every day, its local teams are in communities and refugee camps creating safe spaces for children to play, learn, and access psychological support. War Child UK also specialises in responding rapidly to emergency crisis situations as they happen, offering immediate and critical aid impartially to keep children safe and help them through their trauma.
Led by Brian Eno, the original HELP album has become one of the most celebrated charity records ever made, featuring contributions from Oasis, Blur, Radiohead, Massive Attack, Portishead, Sinéad O’Connor, Paul McCartney, Paul Weller and more.
The story behind the record and its recording is now legend: all of the songs were recorded on one single day, Monday 4th September 1995, mixed the following day, and released to the buying public a few days later, on Saturday 9th September. The idea to record in 24 hours came from John Lennon, who, when discussing his 1970 record Instant Karma said that records should be like newspapers, reflecting events as they are happening.
HELP sold over 70,000 copies on day one and reached number one in the UK compilation charts and would have reached number one on the UK albums chart had it been eligible. Following its release, the record won both a specially created BRIT Award, collected by Thom Yorke, and a Q Award to recognise its impact. It was also nominated for the 1996 Mercury Prize; Pulp won that year with Different Class but donated the prize fund to War Child UK.
HELP captured a defining cultural moment and, nearly three decades on, its unparalleled influence continues to resonate with a globally-conscious generation of listeners. No child should be a part of war. Ever.
HELP(2)’ tracklisting:
01 Arctic Monkeys – Opening Night
02 Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten & Kae Tempest – Flags
03 Black Country, New Road – Strangers
04 The Last Dinner Party – Let’s Do It Again!
05 Beth Gibbons – Sunday Morning
06 Arooj Aftab & Beck – Lilac Wine
07 King Krule – The 343 Loop
08 Depeche Mode – Universal Soldier
09 Ezra Collective & Greentea Peng – Helicopters
10 Arlo Parks – Nothing I Could Hide
11 English Teacher & Graham Coxon – Parasite
12 Beabadoobee – Say Yes
13 Big Thief – Relive, Redie
14 Fontaines D.C. – Black Boys on Mopeds
15 Cameron Winter – Warning
16 Young Fathers – Don’t Fight the Young
17 Pulp – Begging for Change
18 Sampha – Naboo
19 Wet Leg – Obvious
20 Foals – When the War is Finally Done
21 Bat For Lashes – Carried my girl
22 Anna Calvi, Ellie Rowsell, Nilüfer Yanya & Dove Ellis – Sunday Light
23 Olivia Rodrigo – The Book of Love
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