Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur

Release

The rights to Lennon's songs and music publishing royalties were donated to Amnesty International by Yoko Ono. Amnesty International utilized 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.

This album will be used to harness the power of Lennon's music to inspire a new generation of activists to stand up for human rights.

"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," Ono says. "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 U.S.A., 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 U.S. on June 12 and the U.K. on June 25, 2007.

The digital version of the album made it to #1 on iTunes in Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Denmark and Luxembourg. The physical album made it to #1 in Ireland and Mexico. As of July 13, 2007 it had certified Gold Status in Italy and Ireland. As of July 11, 2007, the album has sold 107,689 copies in the US.

Disc Two

Borders Exclusive Bonus Tracks

(Only available on the special edition of the album courtesy of Borders on Disc Two)

iTunes Digital Bonus Tracks

(Only available for download on the expanded iTunes edition of the album)

All songs written by Lennon except "Oh, My Love" & "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" written by Lennon/Ono

The Complete Recordings

On October 8, 2007, iTunes released 'Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur (The Complete Recordings).

1. Nobody Told Me - Abdel Wright
2. Give Peace a Chance - Aerosmith ft. Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars
3. Imagine - Afroreggae
4. No. 9 Dream - a-ha
5. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - Angelique Kidlo with Naima
6. Love - Audrey de Montigny
7. Imagine - Avril Lavigne
8. Oh Yoko - Barenaked Ladies
9. Beautiful Boy - Ben Harper
10. Woman - Ben Jelen
11. Nobody Told Me - Big & Rich
12. Power to the People - Black Eyed Peas
13. Mother - Christina Aguilera ft. Bigelf
14. I'm Losing You - Corinne Bailey Rae
15. Watching the Wheels - David Usher
16. Jealous Guy - Deftones
17. Power to the People - Dj Emjay & The Atari Babies
18. Hold On - DobaCaracol
19. Instant Karma - Duran Duran
20. Oh My Love - Elvira Nikolaisen
21. Mother - Emmanuel Jal
22. Mind Games - Eskimo Joe
23. I Don't Want to Face It - The Fab Faux
24. Look At Me - Finger Eleven
25. (Just Like) Starting Over - The Flaming Lips
26. Beautiful Boy - Freshly Ground
27. Mind Games - Gavin Rossdale
28. Working Class Hero - Green Day
29. Imagine - Jack Johnson
30. God - Jack's Mannequin ft. Mick Fleetwood
31. Oh, My Love - Jackson Browne
32. Gimme Some Truth - Jaguares
33. Gimme Some Truth (Spanish) - Jaguares
34. Gimme Some Truth - Jakob Dylan ft. Dhani Harrison
35. Imagine - James Stewart
36. Imagine - Josh Groban
37. Jealous Guy - K-OS
38. Bless You - Leeroy
39. Cold Turkey - Lenny Kravitz
40. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night (Peu Importe Si tu Passe la Nuit) - Les Trois Accords
41. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night - Los Lonely Boys
42. I'm Losing You - Madrugada
43. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - Maroon 5
44. Watching the Wheels - Matisyahu
45. Imagine - Me'Shell Ndegeocello
46. Borrowed Time - O.A.R.
47. Woman - Paddy Casey
48. Grow Old With Me - The Postal Service
49. Working Class Hero - Racoon
50. Real Love - Regina Spektor
51. No.9 Dream - R.E.M.
52. Well Well Well - Rocky Dawuni
53. Isolation - Snow Patrol
54. Love - The Cure
55. One Day at a Time - The Raveonettes
56. Instant Karma - The Sheer
57. Instant Karma - The Waking Eyes
58. Working Class Hero - Tina Dickow
59. Instant Karma - Tokio Hotel
60. John Sinclair - Trevor Menear
61. Instant Karma - U2
62. Give Peace a Chance - The Voices of Asia
63. Crippled Inside - Widespread Panic
64. Imagine - Willie Nelson
65. Oh, My Love - Yellowcard
66. Jealous Guy - Youssou N'Dour

Other covers

Over 50 artists participated in the "Instant Karma" campaign for the "Make Some Noise" campaign around the world. Some of these covers are available for download on the international Make Some Noise website, but will not be featured on the album.

These covers include (in release date order):