"Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?" is a satire of the song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" that was released on October 11 2005 by Vice Records by an all-star cast of rock artists and more, under the name, The North American Hallowe'en Prevention Initiative (NAHPI).

Like its inspiration, the song is a charity song, with all proceeds being donated to Unicef. According to the official press release, the song "stems from a frustration with other benefit songs" misguided, somewhat patronizing attitude, and Western-centric worldview. (See the July 15 New York Times editorial calling Live 8 an "insult both to Africans and to common sense".) Halloween is primarily a North American holiday, and this song asks the rest of the world to help us end this night of fear and terror."

Starring (in Alphabetical Order)

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Arcade Fire's Win & Régine, Beck, Buck 65, David Cross, Dessert's Liane Balaban Devendra Banhart (with Noah, Jona, & Luckey), Elvira, Feist, Gino Washington, Les Savy Fav's Syd Butler, Islands' J'Aime, Malcolm McLaren, Nardwuar the Human Serviette, Peaches, Postal Service's Jimmy Tamborello, Rilo Kiley's Jenny & Blake, Roky Erickson, Sloan's Chris Murphy, Smoosh's Asya & Chloe, Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, Sparks' Russell Mael, Subtitle, Sum 41's Stevo, Tagaq,That Dog's Anna Waronker, Wolf Parade's Dan & Spencer, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O.

NAHPI band

• Adam Gollner - Guitar
• Nick Diamonds - Keyboards
• Steve Macdonald - Bass
• Joey Waronker - Drums

• music & words by Nick Diamonds and Adam Gollner
• produced by Steven "Deadd Kross" McDonald, Adam "Ghoulner" Gollner, & Nick "Doomands" Thorburn
• mixed by Danny Kalb at The Boat, Los Angeles, CA
• NAHPI band recorded by Steve McDoanld at his studio in Los Angeles, CA

Additional engineers (vocals) by Jamie Thompson (Gino's kitchen, Detroit), Cornelius Rapp) (Studio Rapp, Berlin), Raf Katigbak (Studio 264, Manila), Greig Nori (bunkrock, Toronto), John Collins (JCDC, Vancouver), Russell Mael (Sparks' studio, L.A.), Danny Kalb (The Boat, L.A.), Mark Lawson (the White House, Casablanca), Stuart Sullivan (Wire Studios, Austin), Donn Devore (Avast! II, Seattle), Jona Becholt (VW camper, Estonia), Jay Ferguson (Jay's basement, Halifax), Matthew Illachewizch (Cambridge Bay Radio Station, Nunavut)

• choral leader: Anna Waronker
• additional throat singing: Tagaq
• additional sound effects: Régine Chassagne
• artwork & design by Nick Diamonds

track 3 remixed by Disco D at the Booty Barn, Brasil.

track 4 remixed by Th' Corn Gangg at Jamie's, Montreal.

Track listing

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1. "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?" - (5:58)
2. "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?" - (3:35) (radio edit)
3. "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?" - (3:48) (Disco D remix)
4. "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?" - (6:66) (Th' Corn Gangg remix)

2005 songs