Stars aim for No 1 spot with sound of silence

Musicians crowded into a London studio yesterday to record a silent Christmas charity single they hope will reach No 1.

Madness frontman Suggs, The Kooks, Orbital and Imogen Heap were among those who arrived at the Soho venue to record a cover version of experimental composer John Cage's silent work 4'33".

A spokesman said Billy Bragg had "recorded" his contribution via a phone.

The "Cage Against the Machine" campaign has attracted a huge amount of support on Face-book, with more than 63,000 people signing up to make the single the festive No 1.

Luke Pritchard of The Kooks said: "It's a really cool thing to do. A lot of my friends are involved."