Ellis and May To Release 'Nothing Has Really Changed'

Queen guitarist Brian May is launching a new music video, collaborating not only with his long-time singing partner Kerry Ellis, but also with legendary British screen actress Virginia McKenna.

The track is a haunting version of Virginia McKenna's original song "Nothing Really Has Changed".

The release of the track forms part of May's hard-fought campaign to oppose the continued slaughter of thousands of Britain's badgers under the Government's 'roll out' of the cull which would see the killing of thousands of mostly healthy animals.

It was recorded during Ellis and May's live performance at the recent Montreux Jazz Festival, as part of their 'Acoustic By Candlelight' tour, and the video for the song is now available to view on YouTube here and to buy on iTunes here. All profits from the sale of this track will go to the 'Sponsor Badger Vaccination Fund'. Viewers can also donate to the Fund on YouTube.

Both compassionate animal rights campaigners, May and Virginia McKenna met at a Hay-on-Wye literary festival some years ago, where they were both presenting lectures. They were drawn together through the wildlife work of Virginia's BORN FREE Foundation, formed in 1984 to fight for to keep the world's wild animals in the wild, and May's Save-Me campaign, created as a voice for Britain's wildlife, especially foxes and badgers, both threatened under the present government's agendas.

Impressed by the work being done by the BORN FREE foundation to fight animal exploitation and to protect and conserve threatened species, particularly Africa's magnificent lions, May and Ellis flew out to work in Virginia's South African reserve, Shamwari; and Virginia reciprocated by committing her energies to supporting Save-Me's campaign to save Britain's badgers. This created a permanent bond between the two campaigns, both now signatories to Team Badger.

May and singing partner Kerry Ellis have played two highly successful UK concert tours to promote and benefit the Born Free Foundation.

Now Virginia's song, recorded by May and Ellis, is being released to highlight the plight of the badgers whose families have been devastated by the recent 'pilot' badger culls in West Somerset and Gloucestershire.

May comments: "The so-called trials are going ahead despite fierce public opinion, under conditions of secrecy - nobody is allowed in the areas of the cull, and no photographs may be taken - and with absolutely no form of public accountability. The Government continues to ignore the whole scientific community, and the view of the public. The cull is a disaster as was predicted; it was never on the cards that culling could eradicate bTB - only vaccination can do that. Nobody benefits - certainly not The Farmers, or the taxpayer. The Government has plunged, blinkered into this mess. So, after all this, what will have changed ?"

Virginia's song, 'Nothing Really Has Changed' is the perfect message for this time.

Says May: "Virginia McKenna wrote this beautiful song about 30 years ago. It never really saw the light of day, and when we all met up in Africa, Virginia said it would be fantastic if Kerry could sing it, and I could make an arrangement to make that happen. We performed it on tour with a background of badger rescuees, and it perfectly conveys the sadness of the pointless and barbaric killing of these highly intelligent native animals.

Virginia McKenna, through films including "Carve Her Name In Pride", "A Town Like Alice" and "Born Free", became a household name and one of Britain's most loved actresses. She says: " How touched I am that the visuals behind my song, 'Nothing Really has Changed' are images of one of the world's most beautiful creatures. A creature that is being controversially killed, in parts of our country, under conditions of secrecy. It is almost impossible to believe that, one day, badgers and their families may no longer roam the countryside - their home, just as much as it is ours. Should this happen, it may look, but it will never be, the same. Once it has gone you can never put nature back, and badgers will not be the only losers."