A little help from friends

Musicians join forces for Chris Knox. Photo / Herald on Sunday

He's well-connected, not to mention well-respected, that Chris Knox.

When the musician, artist and writer suffered a stroke at his Grey Lynn home in June, everyone wanted to chip in and help - none more so than his music-making mates. A bunch of them from New Zealand and around the world have recorded versions of his songs which make up the double album, Stroke - Songs For Chris Knox, out on November 16.

The songs, including the likes of Ain't It Nice, The Slide, and Not Given Lightly, cover his entire songwriting career - from the Enemy and Toy Love in the late 1970s, through to the Tall Dwarfs, his solo career, and his most recent band the Nothing.

Featuring a cover design by Knox's Tall Dwarfs bandmate Alec Bathgate - in Knox's favourite colours of yellow and black - the 32-track album includes cover versions by local artists like Shayne Carter, Boh Runga and the Finn family, as well as renowned overseas acts Yo La Tengo, Lambchop, and Will Oldham.

Rowdy Tennessee punk musician Jay Reatard kicks off the album with his version of Toy Love's Pull Down the Shades.

Following the release of the album there will be a party-cum-benefit gig at the Kings Arms on November 20 featuring Dimmer, playing cuts from Shayne Carter's back catalogue, Don McGlashan, David Kilgour, The Bellbirds, and Neil Finn's Pyjama Party.

Entry will be $30, which includes a copy of Stroke, with all proceeds contributing to Knox's recovery.

Track-by-track
Stroke - Songs For Chris Knox

YELLOW DISC
Pull Down The Shades (Toy Love) - Jay Reatard
Rebel (Toy Love) - The Checks
Ain't It Nice (Toy Love) - The Bleeding Allstars
Don't Catch Fire (Toy Love/The Enemy) - Peter Gutteridge
Luck Or Loveliness (Tall Dwarfs) - The Chills
Nothing's Going to Happen (Tall Dwarfs) - David Kilgour
All My Hollowness To You (Tall Dwarfs) - The Crying Wolfs
Beauty (Tall Dwarfs) - Stephin Merritt
Nostalgia's No Excuse (Chris Knox) - Portastatic
Crush (Tall Dwarfs) - The Mint Chicks
I've Left Memories Behind (Tall Dwarfs) - Jay & Sam Clarkson
Burning Blue (Tall Dwarfs) - Sky Green Leopards
The Slide (Tall Dwarfs) - Shayne Carter
Grand Mal (Chris Knox) - Pumice
Bonus track: Knoxed Out - Hamish Kilgour

BLACK DISC
Not Given Lightly (Chris Knox) - Boh Runga
Bodies (Tall Dwarfs) - Red & Zeke featuring Bill Doss and Neil Cleary.
Lapse (Chris Knox) - Bill Callahan
Growth Spurt (Chris Knox) - Genghis Smith
Coloured (Chris Knox) - Yo La Tengo
Dunno Much About Life But I know How To Breathe (Chris Knox) - AC Newman
Glide (Chris Knox) - Alec Bathgate
Inside Story (Chris Knox) - Don McGlashan
The Outer Skin (Chris Knox) - Sean Donnelly
What Goes Up (Tall Dwarfs) - Lambchop
Brave (Chris Knox) - The Mountain Goats
Round These Walls (Tall Dwarfs) - The Tokey Tones (and friends)
Just Do It (Tall Dwarfs) - The Bats
My Only Friend (Chris Knox) - Will Oldham
It's Love (Chris Knox) - The Finn Family
Becoming Something Other (Chris Knox) - Jordan Luck
Driftwood (The Nothing) - The Verlaines
Song of the Tall Poppy (The Nothing) - Lou Barlow
Napping In Lapland (The Nothing) - The Nothing
Sunday Song (Tall Dwarfs) - Tall Dwarfs