Stairway to Heaven/Highway to Hell
1989 compilation album by Various artists
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Stairway to Heaven/Highway to Hell was a 1989 compilation album featuring bands that performed at the Moscow Music Peace Festival: Bon Jovi,[2] Skid Row, Scorpions,[3] Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, Cinderella, and Gorky Park.[4] The album closes with a few collaborative efforts including a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Moby Dick" and a live medley of songs from Elvis Presley and Led Zeppelin.
| Make a Difference Foundation: Stairway To Heaven/Highway To Hell | |
|---|---|
| |
| Compilation album by Various artists | |
| Released | November 1989 |
| Recorded | 1989 |
| Genres | |
| Length | 45:52 |
| Label | Mercury |
| Producer | Bruce Fairbairn |
The album was released by the Make a Difference Foundation, a nonprofit group formed by executive producer Doc McGhee, which fought youth alcohol and drug abuse.[4][5] Album proceeds were split between Make a Difference and the Soviet Union's All-Union Society for Sobriety. Each song is a cover of a famous solo artist or rock band who had suffered a drug- or alcohol-related death.[4] The album's liner notes include an extensive dedication list of such artists, along with a skeleton playing the guitar.[5]
Billboard magazine cited the album as "New and Noteworthy" after its release, describing it as, "Glittering array of headbangers assemble for one of the must-have collections of the season."[6]
The album title meshes the song titles of "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin and "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC. Although neither track appears on the album,[4] both Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and AC/DC singer Bon Scott had alcohol-related deaths in 1980.[7][8]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "My Generation" (Gorky Park) | Pete Townshend | The Who | 4:46 |
| 2. | "Holidays in the Sun" (Skid Row) | Paul Cook, Steve Jones, Glen Matlock, Johnny Rotten | Sex Pistols | 3:35 |
| 3. | "I Can't Explain" (Scorpions) | Pete Townshend | The Who | 3:21 |
| 4. | "Purple Haze" (Ozzy Osbourne) | Jimi Hendrix | The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 4:21 |
| 5. | "Teaser" (Mötley Crüe) | Tommy Bolin, Jeff Cook | Tommy Bolin | 5:18 |
| 6. | "The Boys Are Back in Town" (Bon Jovi) | Phil Lynott | Thin Lizzy | 4:03 |
| 7. | "Move Over" (Cinderella) | Janis Joplin | Janis Joplin | 3:24 |
| 8. | "Moby Dick" (Drum Madness) | John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page | Led Zeppelin | 5:54 |
| 9. | "Hound Dog" | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | Big Mama Thornton | 3:19 |
| 10. | "Long Tall Sally/Blue Suede Shoes" | Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, Enotris Johnson, Richard Penniman/Carl Perkins | Little Richard/Carl Perkins | 3:02 |
| 11. | "Rock & Roll" | John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant | Led Zeppelin | 4:49 |
| Total length: | 45:52 | |||