Is there a "Hope for Haiti Now" CD?

[God, Part II]

I've read several online articles that refer to a "Hope for Haiti Now" CD available from iTunes, but investigating every dark corner of the iTunes store is yielding me only digital downloads.  Is this just careless phrasing on the part of the reporters or is there actually a physical option for this title that I'm missing?

[Aaron]

iTunes doesn't sell physical CDs to my knowledge.  I'd take this as poor phrasing by reporters.  I expect in time this will be pressed as a CD but for now I think only digital downloads at iTunes, amazon, etc.

The promo delivered to radio with the song by Bono and Jay Z wasn't even a physical CD, they received notice of a download (in mp3 or wav) of the song on Friday afternoon at 5pm. 

The press release sent out is as follows:

Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)

Featuring Jay-Z, Bono, The Edge and Rihanna

JAY Z, BONO, EDGE AND RHIANNA HAVE RECORDED THE ATTACHED CALLED 'STRANDED' (HAITI MON AMOUR) TO RAISE FUNDS FOR EARTHQUAKE RELIEF IN HAITI.

THE TRACK IS AVAILABLE ON ITUNES TO DOWNLOAD FROM FRIDAY EVENING JANUARY 22ND.

'STRANDED' (HAITI MON AMOUR) WILL BE RELEASED ON MTV RECORDS

UNIVERSAL MUSIC ARE SENDING YOU THE AUDIO OF THIS RELEASE OUT OF COURTESY.

FOR INFORMATION PLEASE SEE THE BELOW NOTICE AND CONTACT DETAILS

Newly recorded track "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)" to raise funds for Haiti Jay-Z, Bono, Edge and Rihanna have recorded a track called "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)" to raise funds for earthquake relief in Haiti.

Produced by Swizz Beatz and Declan Gaffney, "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)" will be performed live tonight from London by Jay-Z, Rihanna, Bono and Edge as part of the "Hope For Haiti Now" global telethon, produced by George Clooney, Wyclef Jean and MTV Networks.

"Sitting in the studio and watching Haiti hurting, I knew immediately I had to do something," said Swizz Beatz. "I reached out to my friends Bono and Jay-Z and asked for their help. Jay and Rihanna sent their vocals and that same night Bono and I went into the studio." Swizz Beatz added, "Its important we as a global community all come together to help. Haiti needs us right now."

The track will be available through iTunes this evening as part of a special package from the "Hope For Haiti Now" telethon airing Friday, January 22, 2010 8pmET/PT.  The relief organizations that will benefit from the telethon and special album are Partners in Health, Oxfam America, the Red Cross, UNICEF, Yéle Haiti Foundation, United Nations World Food Program and the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. Proceeds from Hope for Haiti Now will be split among each organization's individual funds for Haiti earthquake relief.

[Brad]

We shall see. I thought that "React Now!" set after Hurricane Katrina would end up as a CD, but it never did.

iTunes has never sold CDs AFAIK. They don't do anything that doesn't encourage iPod sales.

[God, Part II]

Which was my understanding, too, but again, just going on what (apparently comatose) reporters had written.  I would imagine, due to the time factor with the situation in Haiti, that if a benefits-raising CD were forthcoming, we'd at least know about it by now.  I've gone ahead and downloaded both the studio and live versions of the track with Bono, as well as Coldplay's "A Message 2010", from Amazon but, oh, I can't tell you how much I despise digital-download only tracks...

[jw]

We shall see. I thought that "React Now!" set after Hurricane Katrina would end up as a CD, but it never did.

Was React Now that thing on MTV/VH1, or was it the telethon on broadcast TV where they preformed One with Mary J Blige?  The one that was on broadcast TV was released on DVD, although it was a bare-bones release and I don't think it even had the full broadcast.

The telethon even that followed 9/11 got a double cd release and a complete DVD release.

[Brad]

Yes, React Now! was broadcast on MTV/VH1 after Hurricane Katrina. I didn't see it myself because I was actually living in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. U2 performed Love And Peace Or Else live via satellite.

Some of the tracks were released through Sony Connect and Rhapsody, but never on iTunes. There was never a CD or DVD release AFAIK.

Shelter From The Storm was a separate benefit concert; that's the one where U2 and MJB performed One, though I believe their performance was pre-recorded. In fact, that "live in studio" take is actually the version on the single, with some vocal overdubs by MJB.

[morgan1098]

Hope for Haiti is now the #1 album on Billboard, making it the first digital-only album EVER to debut at the top.  I hope things like this don't further accelerate the death of the CD format.  We need our CDs!  Digital downloads just don't cut it.

http://www.billboard.com/news#/news/hope-for-haiti-album-debuts-at-no-1-on-1004062445.story

[Brad]

Hope for Haiti is now the #1 album on Billboard, making it the first digital-only album EVER to debut at the top.  I hope things like this don't further accelerate the death of the CD format.  We need our CDs!  Digital downloads just don't cut it.

http://www.billboard.com/news#/news/hope-for-haiti-album-debuts-at-no-1-on-1004062445.story

Thanks for the link. An interesting bit of trivia, but I agree with you on the CD thing. If the industry is really going to dump physical media, I hope they at least start using a lossless codec first.

[Carl]

As someone who moves around a bit, I mourn not the loss of my circular space taking friends.