The Millennium Prayer
Encyclopedia
"The Millennium Prayer" is a 1999 charity single
by Cliff Richard
. The song features Richard singing the words of the Lord's Prayer
to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne
". It was not written to be entered into the charts, instead being written to form part of the Share Jesus International
production, Hopes and Dreams by writer Stephen Deal and composer Paul Field
. While Richard did not sing during the production tour, he did feature on the CD released containing the songs from the production. The version released into the charts was a re-recording.
"Millennium Prayer" was released by an independent record label, Papillon Records, after Richard's own label EMI
refused to release it. Proceeds of the single went to aid charity Children's Promise. It was panned by the critics and many radio stations refused to play it.
Richard performed the song exclusively on An Audience with...
Cliff Richard, before a video had been made for it. Richard reportedly asked, during breaks, for a room with a camera and green screen; he would then record all of the footage of him to be used in the video for The Millennium Prayer in less than an hour.
The song was beaten to the British
Christmas number-one single for 1999 by Westlife
, having been number one for the two preceding weeks. It was also Richard's fourteenth #1 hit, and the third highest-selling single of his career. However, a 2004 VH1
poll labeled it the worst number one record of all time. The song also reached number 2 in a similar poll in 2003 run by Channel 4
. The song won the Ivor Novello award for the best selling single of 1999 but it was not awarded to Deal and Field until 2002 due to a legal wrangle.
Charity record
A charity record is a release of a song for a specific charitable cause. Some of the earliest charity records came from the Music for UNICEF Concert, with ABBA's Chiquitita and the Bee Gees' Too Much Heaven among them released as singles, with all the royalties going to UNICEF...
by Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
. The song features Richard singing the words of the Lord's Prayer
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne
Auld Lang Syne
"Auld Lang Syne" is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song . It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world; its traditional use being to celebrate the start of the New Year at the stroke of midnight...
". It was not written to be entered into the charts, instead being written to form part of the Share Jesus International
Share jesus international
Share Jesus International is a missionary agency whose goal is to share Jesus in many different contexts and countries.It is a visionary, radical movement, founded by Methodist minister, Rev Rob Frost, which brings together a diverse range of Christian denominations and mission agencies for...
production, Hopes and Dreams by writer Stephen Deal and composer Paul Field
Paul Field (Christian singer)
Paul Field is a British Christian musician and songwriter.Working as a professional composer, producer and musician since the mid-1970s Field has won an Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and a Dove Award from GMA in Nashville. He has also been...
. While Richard did not sing during the production tour, he did feature on the CD released containing the songs from the production. The version released into the charts was a re-recording.
"Millennium Prayer" was released by an independent record label, Papillon Records, after Richard's own label EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
refused to release it. Proceeds of the single went to aid charity Children's Promise. It was panned by the critics and many radio stations refused to play it.
Richard performed the song exclusively on An Audience with...
An Audience with...
An Audience with... is a British entertainment television show produced by ITV Studios, in which a host, usually a singer or comedian, performs for an invited audience of celebrity guests, interspersed with questions from the audience, in a light hearted revue/tribute style.The show began as An...
Cliff Richard, before a video had been made for it. Richard reportedly asked, during breaks, for a room with a camera and green screen; he would then record all of the footage of him to be used in the video for The Millennium Prayer in less than an hour.
The song was beaten to the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Christmas number-one single for 1999 by Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
, having been number one for the two preceding weeks. It was also Richard's fourteenth #1 hit, and the third highest-selling single of his career. However, a 2004 VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
poll labeled it the worst number one record of all time. The song also reached number 2 in a similar poll in 2003 run by Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
. The song won the Ivor Novello award for the best selling single of 1999 but it was not awarded to Deal and Field until 2002 due to a legal wrangle.