The United Kingdom has an interesting way of supporting their troops: million-pound record contracts. The British army regiment/band the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards have signed a deal with Universal Music to share their drums-and-bagpiping ways with the entire world. Their album, produced by Backstreet Boys vet Jon Cohen, will feature bagpipin’ covers of Paul McCartney and Rod Stewart songs, as well as the usual patriotic fare. The “band” will donate its royalties to military charities.
Making the above story only slightly less bizarre is the news from Jakarta, where Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has released his debut album, voter-baiting-titled My Longing For You. Yudhoyono, which probably rhymes with “Bono,” found inspiration during a trip to Australia to attend a summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) grouping in September. If an APEC conference doesn’t get your artistic juices flowing, we don’t know what will. “I took time in my busy schedule to express my feelings as an ordinary human being,” Yudhoyono said of his ten-track album of love songs and religious ballads. Releasing an album won’t guarantee re-election, however: Yudhoyono’s likely 2009 presidential opponent, Wiranto, has released his own album of love ballads, which could only result in a croon-off for the Indonesian presidency in two years.


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