McCartney records song for Mandela's Aids campaign

Paul McCartney has written and recorded a song for Nelson Mandela’s Aids campaign, it was announced today.

He teamed up with ex-Eurythmics star Dave Stewart to create the song Whole Life which will help to raise awareness of the deadly disease in Africa.

The track was written and recorded at the Abbey Road studios in London where the Beatles recorded most of their magical moments.

They set to work a day after former South African president Mandela visited the UK to launch the 46664 concert which takes place in Cape Town later this month.

The new track can be heard by visiting the campaign website (www.46664.com).

Dozens of stars are taking part in the concert which is designed to raise funds and raise awareness of the huge Aids catastrophe in Africa.

New additions to the concert bill today include Yusuf Islam, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens who has recently returned to live music after quitting the business in the late 1970s when he converted to Islam.

He will perform with Peter Gabriel at the concert in the city’s Greenpoint Stadium. Gabriel will also be playing his song Biko – a tribute to the anti-apartheid campaigner Steve Biko – for the first time in front of a South African audience.

Other stars to perform include Anastacia, Beyonce Knowles, Bono, The Corrs and Ms Dynamite.

The show on November 29 is expected to be broadcast around the world to more than 90 countries.

Queen’s Roger Taylor, who has been involved in staging the show, said: “It is really a meeting of the continents, bringing together a lot of South African artists, and a lot of great western artists.

“This mix is so important, because we want to reach young people; they are the people most affected. We want to reach them to let them know what this virus is, how you can prevent it, what measures you can take – and to demystify it as well.”