Elbow and Girls Aloud Covered In Fairtrade Project

Cover versions are nothing new but what makes for a cracking rendition is when new life is breathed into familiar material. This is something that composer and producer Daniel Pemberton knows better than most -- he's just completed an unusual assignment for Fairtrade Fortnight, a project aimed at promoting fair trade with Third World suppliers.

Heading to Ghana, Pemberton was charged with creating new versions of songs by Elbow ('One Day Like This'), Goldfrapp ('Ooh La LA'), Girls Aloud ('Sound Of The Underground'), EMF ('Unbelievable') and Dead Or Alive ('You Spin Me Round') among others with local musicians the Big Ghana Band. Featuring the best in Ghanaian music, the songs are infused with driving percussion, horns, bamboo flutes and even recordings made in the field.

The Guardian reported that Pemberton faced huge odds attempting to complete the project. Working in the ramshackle Mastermix Studios, located near the Ghanian capital Accra, the producer was hit by power cuts, singers going missing and engineers taking unscheduled breaks.

Yet despite the odds, the project was successfully completed and the results are now available for free download at the website of chocolate manufacturer Cadbury, who are looking to display their commitment to fair trade.