Today (July 16) marks the 80th anniversary of the detonation of the first nuclear bomb, at the Alamogordo Bombing Range in New Mexico. To commemorate the dark occasion, and to promote the prevention of the proliferation of nuclear weapons, two star-studded new versions of Bob Dylan\u2019s classic 1963 protest song \u201cA Hard Rain\u2019s A-Gonna Fall\u201d have been released as part of a digital EP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The recordings feature the contributions of Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, Iggy Pop, Tom Morello, and dozens of other music artists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One version of the song features various artists alternately singing the verses and choruses, while the second features the lyrics recited by various contributors over a droning alternate backing track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The veteran contemporary classical string ensemble the Kronos Quartet recorded the main tracks with contributions from additional musicians and singers who are credited as The Hard Rain Collective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The debut of the reimagined \u201cA Hard Rain\u2019s A-Gonna Fall\u201d covers coincides with the Nobel Laureate Assembly for the Prevention of Nuclear War, a gathering of Laureates and nuclear experts taking place July 14 to 16 at the University of Chicago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the evening of July 16, the Kronos Quartet will perform \u201cA Hard Rain\u2019s A-Gonna Fall\u201d at the conference with singer\/songwriter Alison Russell. Russell is one of the vocalists featured on the sung version of the tune<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The artists featured on the sung version \u201cA Hard Rain\u2019s A-Gonna Fall\u201d include Nelson, Iggy Pop, Laurie Anderson, Magnetic Fields frontman Stephin Merritt, Deerhoof\u2019s Satomi Matsuzaki, and Alison Russell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the musicians who joined the Kronos Quartet on the track are Patti Smith drummer Jay Dee Daugherty, Belle & Sebastian keyboardist Chris Geddes and members of Deerhoof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The spoken-word version of \u201cA Hard Rain\u2019s A-Gonna Fall,\u201d titled \u201cHard Rain (Drone),\u201d features vocals from Starr, Nelson, Iggy Pop, Anderson, Matsuzaki, Morello, Merritt, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sleaford Mods, and Nadya Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anderson also played violin and synthesizer on the track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both versions of \u201cA Hard Rain\u2019s A-Gonna Fall\u201d also feature a choir made up of various Brooklyn, New York, vocalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Kronos Quartet and The Hard Rain Collective\u2019s Hard Rain<\/em> EP was released by the Red Hot organization. Red Hot is a not-for-profit organization that is \u201cdedicated to fusing advocacy with art.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dylan wrote \u201cA Hard Rain\u2019s A-Gonna Fall\u201d in October 1962 during the Cuban missile crisis, when there was an ominous threat of nuclear war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The song appeared on Dylan\u2019s second studio album, The Freewheelin\u2019 Bob Dylan<\/em>, released in May 1963. In the liner notes, Dylan described the tune as \u201ca desperate kind of song.\u201d He added, \u201cEvery line in it is actually the start of a whole song. But when I wrote it, I thought I wouldn\u2019t have enough time alive to write all those songs so I put all I could into this one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nMore About \u201cA Hard Rain\u2019s A-Gonna Fall\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n