Red Hot 4 U

Dark Was The Night is the fifteenth collection from the Red Hot Organisation, dedicated to fighting Aids through pop culture. Paul Mitchell looks at four of the highlights from the past twenty years.

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Red Hot + Blue (1990)

The original in the series. Prince turned it down, but Sinead O'Connor, David Byrne, Tom Waits and U2, among others, were happy to perform a series of Cole Porter covers. What made the compilation extra special was the fact that almost every song had an accompanying video portraying the effect of Aids on society. These videos were directed by the likes of Neil Jordan, Jonathan Demme and Jim Jarmusch.

Video: U2 - Night & Day

No Alternative (1994)

Indie rock was riding the crest of a wave when this appeared. Pavement, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Sonic Youth and even a hidden Nirvana track conspired to really capture the zeitgeist. Now, as a snapshot of that era, the collection remains an important cultural landmark, not least because the Goo Goo Dolls are on there with a song that isn't Iris.

America is Dying Slowly (1996)

The hip-hop answer to No Alternative, the collection was ostensibly designed to appeal to young African-American men, but the line-up is so good almost everybody bought it. Biz Markie, Wu-Tang Clan and Common were among the producers and rappers all pulling together for some once-in-a-lifetime collaborations. Star turn was, of course, Celebrity Big Brother's very own Coolio, with a track other than Gangsta's Par...oh hang on, I've done that one.

Video: Wu-Tang Clan - American is Dying Slowly

Red Hot + Riot (2002)

Over 70% of the world's estimated 30 million HIV/Aids sufferers live in Sub-Saharan Africa. This collection paid tribute to the work of late Nigerian Afrobeat founder Fela Kuti with all proceeds going towards Aids related projects in Africa. Spanning hip-hop, jazz, 'world' music, and electronica, contributors included Macy Gray, Kelis, Bugz in the Attic, Blackalicious, Nile Rodgers and Kuti's son Femi.