When you hear Do They Know It’s Christmas, it is a beautiful song. However, when you listen to the lyrics, it is a really fucked up record. Yet, every year, we still listen to it and sing along.
The single, which was released in 1984, came about when Bob Geldof, Midge Ure, and Trevor Horn decided to write a song to help those who were suffering from starvation in Africa, and they asked their musician friends to join them on the track. It worked.
On November 25th, we are getting a new version on streaming music services, which is a mashup of the previous releases, Band Aid (1984), Band Aid 20 (2004), and Band Aid 30 (2014).
On Band Aid – 2024 Ultimate Mix you will hear a young Sting sing alongside a young Ed Sheeran. A young Boy George with a young Sam Smith. A young George Michael beside a young Harry Styles. The young Bono with an older Bono, Chris Martin with Guy Garvey, the Sugababes and Bananarama, Seal and Sinead O’Connor, Rita Ora and Robbie Williams, Kool and the Gang and Underworld.
The voices sing on against the Band Aid house band of Paul McCartney, Sting, John Taylor (bass), Phil Collins, Roger Taylor, Danny Goffey (drums), Thom Yorke (piano), Paul Weller, Damon Albarn, Midge Ure, Johnny Greenwood, Gary Kemp and Justin Hawkins (guitar).
