The Justice Collective’s cover of the Hollies’ “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” got to the coveted spot as the UK’s Christmas number one. The single features Paul McCartney, who has appeared on seven other Christmas number ones, as a Beatle, a Wing, and as part of Band Aid.
The Justice Collective is a group of artists, mainly but not entirely from Liverpool, gathered by producer Guy Chambers to raise funds for the legal battles still being fought by the families of 96 Liverpool Football Club fans killed in the infamous 1989 tragedy at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield. The track features also features Gerry Marsden (Gerry & the Pacemakers), Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes To Hollywood), Melanie Chisholm (Spice Girls), Peter Hooton (The Farm), John Power (Cast) and Rebecca Ferguson plus other notables including Robbie Williams, Paloma Faith, Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze), Mick Jones (Clash, Big Audio Dynamite et al) and Beverley Knight.