When AHMIR, the Number 1 R&B group on YouTube, offered to cover ‘The Rose’ for our Music For Pixels campaign, we were delighted because it is a classic song that beautifully articulates the themes of love, hope, courage and the strength to survive. These are themes that are central to many a survivor’s journey to rebuilding and thriving after the violence.

The closing verse in particular says what speaks to many a survivor’s heart and experience:

When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed
That with the sun’s love, in the spring
Becomes the rose

Amanda McBroom wrote ‘The Rose’ in 1977 as her answer to the question: “What do you think love is?”. She said:

“Suddenly, it was as if someone had opened a window in the top of my head. Words came pouring in. I had to keep reciting them to myself as I drove faster and faster towards home, so I wouldn’t forget them. I screeched into my drive way, ran into the house, past various bewildered dogs and cats and husband, and sat down at the piano. Ten minutes later, The Rose was there. I called my husband, George, into the room and played it for him, as I always did with my new songs. He listened, and quietly said to me, ‘You’ve just written a standard.'”

George was right and the song went on to be recorded by Bette Midler for ‘The Rose’ – the semi-fictionalised biopic of Janis Joplin. And over the years, the poignancy of the lyrics inspired artists as diverse as Conway Twitty, Joan Baez, Westlife and Bonnie Tyler to record and release their own interpretations of the song.

We invite all musicians – be you a singer, an instrumentalist, a group, a duo, a soloist – from all musical genres to cover ‘The Rose’ and submit your cover video to our YouTube Cover Carnival by 31 May 2012 as a way of using your talent to join AHMIR and The Pixel Project in saying NO to violence against women. It can be as simple or as elaborate a performance or arrangement as you like.

Need some inspiration? Here are 10 very different interpretations for your listening pleasure:

Cover Number 1: Amanda McBroom

Amanda McBroom wrote ‘The Rose’ and recorded her version of it in her seminal album, ‘Dreaming’. She is the first, the original, and we think, the best:

Cover Number 2: Bette Midler

Bette Midler was the artist who first performed – and immortalised – ‘The Rose’ in the movie of the same name:

Cover Number 3: Conway Twitty

American Country singer Conway Twitty recorded a cover version in 1983. His version, from his album Dream Maker, was a Number One country hit in U.S. and Canada. Conway Twitty’s version was his 30th number one single on the U.S. country chart.

Cover Number 4: Westlife

‘The Rose’ was covered in 2006 by Irish boyband Westlife and was released as the first and only single from their eighth studio album, The Love Album. It reached the top spot on the UK Singles Chart for one week in November 2006. This became the group’s 14th number-one single.

Cover Number 5: Bonnie Tyler

1980s Pop-Rock singer Bonnie Tyler recorded ‘The Rose’ in her trademark raspy vocals:

Cover Number 6: Sungha Jung

South Korean YouTube guitar prodigy Sungha Jung does an instrumental version of ‘The Rose’ that has garnered almost half a million views so far:

Cover Number 7: Joan Baez

One of the most recognisable names and voices in the 1960s Folk music and protest scene, Joan Baez, performs her interpretation of ‘The Rose’ live at her concerts. Here is one of the best clips of her version available:

Cover Number 8: Leanna Rimes

Leanne Rimes performs one of the most recent versions of ‘The Rose’ and gives it a Country twang:

Cover Number 9: Andre Rieu with Carla Mafioletti, Suxan Ehrens and Carmen Monarcha

Celebrity Classical Music violinist and conductor Andre Rieu does a modern Classical take  on ‘The Rose’ with three sopranos:

Cover Number 10: AHMIR

And finally, AHMIR’s cover of ‘The Rose’ in lush four-part R&B harmony for the Music For Pixels campaign. You can download the song from iTunes for just US$0.99 and 20% of proceeds will be donated to The Pixel Project’s Celebrity Male Role Model Pixel Reveal campaign in aid of the USA’s National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Malaysia’s Women’s Aid Organisation.

—————————————————————————————————

Music For Pixels is is the first social media-based music campaign to exclusively collaborate with YouTube artistes to raise awareness about Violence Against Women (VAW) through music video PSAs while raising funds for the cause via digital music downloads.and introducing the global audience to some of the best new YouTube-based artistes and music around.

The Music For Pixels YouTube Cover Carnival is the part of the campaign that gets musicians from all genres and walks of life to contribute their version of the campaign’s Song of the Month to help raise awareness about the campaign and violence against women. April’s song is ‘The Rose’.

To learn more and to submit your cover of ‘The Rose’ for our YouTube Cover Carnival, visit the submission page.

The deadline for submission is 20 April 2012 and all submissions will be compiled in a video carousel and shared through The Pixel Project and AHMIR’s social media channels that reach our thousands of supporters, followers and fans from around the world.

Still have questions? Email us at music4pixels@thepixelproject.net.