Their Hearts Caught Fire is a British charity project that was founded in the UK in 2007 to raise money for Cancer Research UK. The project is based around an album of covers of songs by Dogs D'Amour, recorded by fans of the band, and the name of the project was taken from the first line of the Dogs song ‘’“The Prettiest Girl In The World”’’.
Contents
Origins of the project
The project was conceived by Bruce Cunnington. In 2001, inspired by an earlier Dogs D’Amour tribute album (1999, Bullet Proof Poems ) Bruce discussed with a small group of fans the idea of producing a “by the fans, for the fans” album of acoustic Dogs D’Amour covers, however the time and cost involved prevented this from becoming a reality. By early 2007, with the rise to prominence of the internet download as a method of releasing music, the idea resurfaced, this time with the added motivation that it would be a way of paying tribute to Trace Warnaby, a well-known and much-loved figure in rock fan circles, who had died in December 2006 and who also inspired the Mad As Badgers fundraising project for the same cause. Tyla, vocalist and songwriter of Dogs D’Amour, gave his blessing to the project, even re-recording one song himself under the alias of Gabriel O’Keefe.
Promotion and awareness
The project was publicised mainly by the fans themselves, using the internet. Fans’ messageboards carried links to the Hearts website. The group became a visible presence on Myspace, with those involved actively posting bulletins and banners on their own pages to spread word of the project. A group was set up on Facebook, and Trig.com also featured a page for the Hearts project.
Songs recorded
How Do You Fall In Love Again?
In August 2007, members of the Hearts team gathered at a studio just outside London to record their version of “How Do You Fall In Love Again?”. Those who had some musical talent played drums, guitar, and bass. Those with enthusiasm gathered for a group singalong of the chorus. Each member then recorded a solo lead vocal track. The song was then mixed by Jason Knight, and received its debut airing on the project’s Myspace page on 29 August 2007, with the promo video – filmed on the day of recording by Darren Stockford – being shown for the first time on 8 September 2007, also on the project’s Myspace page. While the original plan was for an internet-only release for the album, a limited edition CD was also released to increase the amount of money that could be raised through the project.
Other fundraising
The project, fortunately and coincidentally, was in full swing when Tyla announced that he would be touring the UK at the end of 2007. The fundraising efforts were focussed on the Norwich date of the tour, which was organised and promoted by a member of the Hearts team. On earlier dates of the tour, raffle tickets were sold at the merchandise stand, the draw taking place at Norwich with the top prizes being a piece of original artwork, painted and donated by Tyla and, as the fundraising was all about raising money for Cancer Research, a mammogram at a Harley Street clinic. Other prizes include t-shirts and signed memorabilia, while several fans also donated items from their own record collections.
Burning Hearts Brighton Bash
The August Bank Holiday weekend of 2008 saw an all-day fundraising concert take place in Brighton, once again with Cancer Research UK as the beneficiaries. The event, which was christened "The Burning Hearts Brighton Bash", featured several of the bands who had recorded tracks for the album and was headlined by The Gasoline Queens, who had made up part of the most recent Dogs D'Amour line-up. Fundraising activities on the day included a raffle and a BBQ, which saw members of the bands who appeared on the day cooking burgers and hot dogs for the fans who were present.