LONDON, UK (Top40 Charts) Liverpool FC football legend Kenny Dalglish was this morning joined by comedian John Bishop and performers from The
Justice Collective including Lawson's Andy Brown and The Farm's Pete Hooton at HMV's Liverpool store to officially launch their bid for the Christmas No.1 with a cover of The Hollies' 1969 classic "
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother". The single is being released in aid of the Hillsborough Families campaign.
Hundreds of fans have been visiting the HMV store this morning in the Liverpool One Shopping Centre to purchase a copy of the CD single, which bookies
William Hill are tipping to rival
James Arthur's "
Impossible" for the Christmas No.1. The very first customer in line, who was surprised to be served by Kenny Dalglish in person, was Frankie Feeney, 51 from Liverpool.
The MD Ian Ayre MD of Liverpool Football Club also attended to pick up a copy, while many customers have been purchasing multiple copies of the single including one local lad in his twenties, who bought 96 copies in tribute to the number of fans who tragically lost their lives at Hillsborough.
HMV's Gennaro Castaldo, comments:"It looks like being a straight race between the X-Factor and The
Justice Collective to top the Christmas charts.
James Arthur's 'Impossible' impressively sold just under half a million copies last week to take him to No.1, but he's unlikely to generate the same level of sales in this final week whereas much of the momentum will now be with TJC. It will be close but we think they can do it, which will hopefully be wonderful news for the Hillsborough families."
Already a firm favourite with
William Hill and other bookies' to top the festive charts, He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother, which was originally recorded and made famous by The Hollies in 1969, features a stellar line-up of artists led by Sir
Paul McCartney and Robbie Williams. The cover also features Liverpool's own Rebecca Ferguson, Melanie C, Andy Brown (Lawson), Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes to Hollywood),
Peter Hooton (The Farm and TJC), Dave McCabe (The Zutons), Chris Sharrock (Beady Eye), John Power (Cast) and Gerry Marsden as well as further contributions from Paloma Faith,
Eliza Doolittle, Beverley Knight, Mick Jones (The Clash),
Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze), Ren Harvieu, Paul Heaton (The Beautiful South), Hollie Cook and Jon McClure (Reverend & The Makers) - all donating their time to record and promote the single with the aim of getting it to No.1 in the Christmas charts.
He Ain't Heavy, He's My
Brother is produced by the award-winning Guy Chambers, and proceeds from the sale of the single will go towards the Hillsborough Families' legal costs in their continuing fight for justice. The single can also be pre-ordered for mobile download by texting JUSTICE to 80010.
