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The Number One Project

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Number One Project Live, ECHO Arena, Liverpool
Jan 20 2008
by Alan O'Hare, Liverpool Echo
taken from www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/capital-of-culture/numberoneproject/ 

And relax ... that was good, wasn't it?

After the hit and miss of last week's big musical events, the Number One Project delivered live at Albert Dock last night.

An electric atmosphere - combined with some truly great music - helped bring the new ECHO Arena to life on a very miserable, wet January evening.

Music, good music that is, can do that to you - forget the weather, roll your sleeves up and get stuck into having a good time.

A few dodgy moments aside (Big Brother Craig and the Hollyoakes girls anyone?), the gig was a commercial and artistic success, with something for everyone.

Ray Quinn and ex-Eton Road star Anthony Hannah got the young girls going, The Farm and Shack hit the spot with the hardcore Scouse music fans, Gerry Marsden and Doctor and the Medics gave the grannies what they wanted and Thea Gilmore, Ian McNabb, The Sums and Amsterdam stole the show.

When you try and be all things to everyone, very often you end up being nothing to no-one - but last night was different.

Maybe it was to do with Scouse pride; maybe it was to do with the fantastic, new ECHO Arena or maybe it was due to the fact that Ringo was nowhere to be seen miming his new single - but there was something very real about last night.

Something tangible, something alive - something that mattered.

To have 56 chart-topping singles from one city is an amazing feat, and last night just turned into one giant celebration.

Yeah, we know Ray Quinn and Anthony Hannah couldn't tune up John Lennon's guitars if their lives depended on it - but the Number One Project is about songs and songs only.

The likes of Shack (who got a groove and a half out of Day Tripper), Amsterdam (comfortably at home on the big stage), Thea Gilmore (who should release her Dead or Alive cover) and Ian McNabb (what a voice) provided the musical punch.

Surprises came from ex-Frankie Goes To Hollywood guitarist Nasher, performing a show-stopping version of The Power Of Love, alongside Scouse blues singer Connie Lush; Doctor and the Medics bringing the house down with a pulsating Two Tribes and Atomic Kitten's Whole Again, becoming the great pop anthem it's always threatened to be.

With hindsight, it may have been a mistake to ask Gerry Marsden to close the gig with You'll Never Walk Alone - predictably, it split the arena in two - but it would be churlish to suggest it brought the show down.

It was a night to be positive, raise your half-full glass up in the air and toast the capital of pop, alongside some of its most sublime and ridiculous artists.

The sublime and the ridiculous - that's what pop music and number one records are all about.

Isn't it?

The Number One Project and what it's about...

"The Number One Project" - the largest music based charity event the city has ever seen aims to mark Liverpool's status as European Capital of Culture for 2008 with a celebration of its world beating 56 number one singles.

All proceeds from the project will be distributed among 6 of the city's leading charities; The Liverpool Echo Sunrise Fund, The Marina Dalglish Appeal, Alder Hey IMAGINE Appeal, Marie Curie Hospice Liverpool, Radio City's Give A Child A Chance and Radio Merseyside's Charitable Trust.

The project will see the release of an album, a single and a star studded concert which will showcase unique cover versions of Liverpool's 56 Number One songs over the past 50 years.

The project kicks off on January 19th with a huge charity concert at Liverpool's brand new Liverpool Echo Arena on the King's Dock where a galaxy of stars will perform “Liverpool – The Number Ones Album”, the collection of 28 of the 56 Number One covers along with a whole host of hits from the artists taking part. The show is being promoted by Chas Cole at CMP Entertainment who is responsible for the city's hugely successful Summer Pops series among many other world class shows. The arena has a capacity of 10,000 and there are still some tickets available.

The concert is followed on January 27th with the release of the classic Cilla Black number one song “Anyone Who Had a Heart” which has been beautifully covered by multi platinum selling girlband Atomic Kitten. The single will be a double A side produced by Martyn Phillips and will also feature a stunningly original cover of The Beatles 'Hard Days Night' by underground Merseyside DJ Sonny J.

The single will be available on all download platforms, and is followed on February 4th by Liverpool - The Number Ones Album, an album celebrating Liverpool's world record for being the city with the most number one chart topping singles. The hottest nationally and internationally acclaimed artists from Merseyside's past and present have also each recorded their unique versions of one of the 56 number one songs, 28 of which feature on the album.

The single and album are being released by The Beatles’ label EMI.  The album will be available to buy at all major record stores across the UK and in digital download formats while sponsors Bacardi are investing heavily in helping us directly market the records online and at retail.

The list of songs and artists is hugely exciting and the album will be a must have item for anyone who is a fan not just of Liverpool but of great songs and great recordings.

The key media in the region have come together in a unique partnership to promote the project across their networks and readerships as have the six charities. The combined reach of all these organisations and their databases is huge and we are adding associates and affiliates to the list daily.

All proceeds from the project are going to the charities, we really hope you find the project an exciting proposition and can help us in whatever way you can in making it a success and helping properly celebrate our fabulous city in its proudest year.

The 56 Number Ones