Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur is a compilation album of various artists covering songs of John Lennon to benefit Amnesty International's campaign to alleviate the crisis in Darfur. The album and campaign is part of Amnesty International's global "Make Some Noise" project.

Release Lennon's songs and music publishing royalties were donated to Amnesty International by Yoko Ono. Amnesty International used the songs to start the "Make Some Noise" project, which later led to the subsidiary campaign "Instant Karma". Eventually, enough momentum was achieved through the project to amount to an album.

Ono said: "It's wonderful that, through this campaign, music that is so familiar to many people of my era will now be embraced by a whole new generation. John's music set out to inspire change, and in standing up for human rights, and selling more records, we really can make the world a better place."

Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International USA, added: "We know music's power to unite and inspire people. With hundreds of thousands dead, millions driven from their burned out villages and rape being used as a tactic in the Darfur conflict, the world needs a mass mobilization demanding action and justice. The 'Instant Karma' campaign combines John Lennon's passionate desire for us to imagine a more peaceful world with Amnesty International's expertise in achieving justice. 'Instant Karma' allows ordinary people to lend their hand in saving lives – a notion we think would make John proud."

"John Lennon was not just a famous Beatle, he was the social conscience of his generation," says Jeff Ayeroff, one of the album's executive producers. "By reinterpreting his music and reintroducing it to a new generation, we shine a light on the darkness that is Darfur. Yoko Ono's gift of John's music to Amnesty International, whose work points out the pain and injustice in the world, is a true beacon of light. Give peace a chance is all we are saying."

Proceeds from CD and digital sales will support Amnesty International and its campaign to focus attention and mobilize activism around the urgent catastrophe in Darfur, and other human rights crises. It was released in the US on June 12 and the UK on June 25, 2007.

Track listings

US release

There were two CD versions released in the United States. The primary version was a two-disc set containing 23 tracks. The second version was a two-disc set sold only at Borders retail outlets that was identical to the primary version save that disc 2 contained an additional two bonus tracks.

There was an iTunes-only expanded digital release in the United States that added 11 further tracks to the 23 tracks on the primary CD release – making for a 34-track digital set.

Disc one #TitlePerformer(s)Producer(s)Time1"Instant Karma!"U2Larry Mullen Jr. and Tal Herzberg3:142"#9 Dream"R.E.M.David Barbe & R.E.M.4:383"Mother"Christina Aguilera (featuring Bigelf)Linda Perry4:484"Give Peace a Chance"Aerosmith featuring Sierra Leone's Refugee All StarsMarti Frederiksen4:355"Cold Turkey"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz4:436"Whatever Gets You Thru the Night"Los Lonely BoysLos Lonely Boys3:357"I'm Losing You"Corinne Bailey RaeSteve Chrisanthou4:018"Gimme Some Truth"Jakob Dylan featuring Dhani HarrisonTony Berg3:539"Oh, My Love"Jackson BrowneJackson Browne2:3910"Imagine"Avril LavigneButch Walker3:1211"Nobody Told Me"Big & RichAdam Shoenfeld3:3012"Jealous Guy"Youssou N'DourPrince N'Dour3:59

Disc two #TitlePerformer(s)Producer(s)Time1"Working Class Hero"Green DayGreen Day4:252"Power to the People"Black Eyed PeasWill.I.Am3:353"Imagine"Jack JohnsonJack Johnson & Robert Carranza3:404"Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)"Ben HarperBen Harper3:485"Isolation"Snow PatrolGarrett "Jacknife" Lee2:366"Watching the Wheels"Matisyahu & Dub TrioDavid Kahne3:197"Grow Old with Me"The Postal ServiceJimmy Tamborello & Benjamin Gibbard2:308"Gimme Some Truth"JaguaresSaúl Hernández, Alfonso André & Adrian Belew3:089"(Just Like) Starting Over"The Flaming LipsThe Flaming Lips3:3610"God"Jack's Mannequin featuring Mick FleetwoodJim Wirt, Andrew McMahon & Robert "Raw" Anderson4:2011"Real Love"Regina SpektorRegina Spektor & Joe Mendelson3:57

Borders exclusive bonus tracks (Only available on the special edition of the album courtesy of Borders on Disc Two) #TitlePerformer(s)Time12"Imagine"Willie Nelson3:3313"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"Angelique Kidjo3:04

iTunes bonus tracks (Only available for download on the expanded iTunes edition of the album) #TitlePerformer(s)Time1"Instant Karma!"Duran Duran3:562"Jealous Guy"Deftones4:073"Mind Games"Gavin Rossdale4:134"Oh My Love"Yellowcard3:205"Crippled Inside"Widespread Panic4:066"Borrowed Time"O.A.R.5:557"Woman"Ben Jelen3:418"Imagine"Me'Shell NdegéOcello3:169"Well Well Well"Rocky Dawuni5:0010"Mother"Emmanuel Jal6:0311"I Don't Wanna Face It"The Fab Faux2:49

All songs written by Lennon except "Imagine", "Oh, My Love" and "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" written by Lennon–Ono

International release (outside the United States)

The CD version released outside the United States was a two-disc set containing 28 tracks.

Disc one #TitlePerformer(s)Producer(s)Time1"Instant Karma!"U2Tal Herzberg; additional production by Larry Mullen Jr. & The Edge3:142"#9 Dream"R.E.M.David Barbe & R.E.M.4:383"Mother"Christina Aguilera (featuring Bigelf)Linda Perry4:484"Give Peace a Chance"Aerosmith featuring Sierra Leone's Refugee All StarsMarti Frederiksen4:355"Cold Turkey"Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz4:436"Love"The CureThe Cure3:167"I'm Losing You"Corinne Bailey RaeSteve Chrisanthou4:018"Gimme Some Truth"Jakob Dylan featuring Dhani HarrisonTony Berg3:539"Oh, My Love"Jackson BrowneJackson Browne2:3910"One Day At A Time"The RaveonettesRichard Gottehrer3:2211"Imagine"Avril LavigneButch Walker3:1212"Nobody Told Me"Big & RichAdam Shoenfeld3:3013"Mind Games"Eskimo JoeMatt Lovell, Eskimo Joe4:0414"Jealous Guy"Youssou N'DourPrince N'Dour3:59

Disc two #TitlePerformer(s)Producer(s)Time1"Working Class Hero"Green DayGreen Day4:242"Power to the People"Black Eyed PeasWill.I.Am3:353"Imagine"Jack JohnsonJack Johnson & Robert Carranza3:404"Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)"Ben HarperBen Harper3:485"Isolation"Snow PatrolGarrett "Jacknife" Lee2:366"Watching the Wheels"MatisyahuDavid Kahne3:197"Grow Old With Me"The Postal ServiceJimmy Tamborello & Benjamin Gibbard2:308"Gimme Some Truth"JaguaresSaúl Hernández, Alfonso André & Adrian Belew3:089"(Just Like) Starting Over"The Flaming LipsThe Flaming Lips3:3610"God"Jack's Mannequin featuring Mick FleetwoodJim Wirt, Andrew McMahon & Robert "Raw" Anderson4:2011"Instant Karma!"Duran DuranDuran Duran and Paul Logus3:5512"#9 Dream"a-haa-ha4:0613"Instant Karma!"Tokio HotelDave Roth, Peter Hoffman, Pat Benzer & David Jost3:0914"Real Love"Regina SpektorRegina Spektor & Joe Mendelson3:57

Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur (The Complete Recordings) On October 8, 2007, iTunes released a collection of 61 recordings, including 23 previously unreleased tracks contributed to the project.

Notwithstanding the title The Complete Recordings there were some other tracks prepared for the project that were not included on this digital release. (See below).

This is the listing of the 61 tracks that comprise the iTunes digital release The Complete Recordings:

Nobody Told Me – Abdel Wright Give Peace a Chance – Aerosmith featuring Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars Imagine – Afroreggae No. 9 Dream – a-ha Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – Angelique Kidjo with Naima Love – Audrey de Montigny Imagine – Avril Lavigne Oh Yoko – Barenaked Ladies Beautiful Boy – Ben Harper Woman – Ben Jelen Nobody Told Me – Big & Rich Power to the People – Black Eyed Peas Mother – Christina Aguilera featuring Bigelf I'm Losing You – Corinne Bailey Rae Watching the Wheels – David Usher Jealous Guy – Deftones Power to the People – Dj Emjay & The Atari Babies Hold On – DobaCaracol Instant Karma – Duran Duran Oh My Love – Elvira Nikolaisen Mother – Emmanuel Jal Mind Games – Eskimo Joe I Don't Want to Face It – The Fab Faux Look At Me – Finger Eleven (Just Like) Starting Over – The Flaming Lips Beautiful Boy – Freshly Ground Mind Games – Gavin Rossdale Working Class Hero – Green Day Imagine – Jack Johnson God – Jack's Mannequin featuring Mick Fleetwood Oh, My Love – Jackson Browne Gimme Some Truth – Jaguares Gimme Some Truth (Spanish) – Jaguares Gimme Some Truth – Jakob Dylan featuring Dhani Harrison Imagine – James Stewart Bless You – Leeroy Cold Turkey – Lenny Kravitz Whatever Gets You Thru the Night (Peu Importe Si tu Passe la Nuit) – Les Trois Accords Whatever Gets You Thru the Night – Los Lonely Boys I'm Losing You – Madrugada Watching the Wheels – Matisyahu Imagine – Me'Shell Ndegeocello Borrowed Time – O.A.R. Woman – Paddy Casey Grow Old With Me – The Postal Service Real Love – Regina Spektor No.9 Dream – R.E.M. Well Well Well – Rocky Dawuni Isolation – Snow Patrol Love – The Cure One Day at a Time – The Raveonettes Instant Karma – The Waking Eyes Working Class Hero – Tina Dickow Instant Karma – Tokio Hotel John Sinclair – Trevor Menear Instant Karma – U2 Give Peace a Chance – The Voices of Asia Crippled Inside – Widespread Panic Imagine – Willie Nelson Oh, My Love – Yellowcard Jealous Guy – Youssou N'Dour

Unreleased recordings

The Instant Karma project and the Make Some Noise initiative that preceded it stimulated a desire by many artists to contribute recordings. In addition to the 61 tracks released through the various CD and digital configurations of Instant Karma there were 8 tracks created for the project that did not get included in any format. One track was released subsequently by Amnesty as a separate high-profile project. (Detailed below). These are the 7 tracks created for the Instant Karma project that have not to date been released by Amnesty:

"Mind Games" – MIA. "Give Peace a Chance" – Puppetmastaz featuring Angie Reed "Imagine" – Josh Groban "Jealous Guy" – K-OS "Working Class Hero" – Racoon "Instant Karma!" – The Sheer "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" – Maroon 5

Ozzy Osbourne tribute to Lennon In 2007, Ozzy Osbourne recorded a version of "How?" specially for the Instant Karma produced by Mark Hudson. For reasons never publicly disclosed the recording was not incorporated in any of the released versions of the album.

In 2010, Osbourne was working on an unrelated TV project with longtime Amnesty producer Martin Lewis, who three decades earlier had instigated Amnesty's outreach to rock musicians by recruiting and producing Pete Townshend, Sting, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Bob Geldof and others for Amnesty.

Lewis encouraged Osbourne to re-purpose his unused Lennon recording for a new project saluting Lennon. Osbourne agreed to donate his track for a special iTunes charity single benefiting Amnesty to be released in October 2010 in conjunction with multiple celebrations of the 70th anniversary of Lennon's birth including an all-star concert for Amnesty in New York City.

Osbourne then made a special music video shot in Manhattan paying his very personal tribute to Lennon, produced by Lewis and directed by filmmaker Ernie Fritz.

The charity release was blessed by Yoko Ono who stated "John's spirit and influence is stronger than ever. John shared a common purpose with Amnesty International - shining a light on wrongs and campaigning to protect people's rights. We all shine on!"

References

External links