Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid Songfacts Songfacts This is a charity single organized by Bob Geldof, who was the lead singer of The Boomtown Rats. He got the idea after watching a BBC documentary on famine in Ethiopia. Geldof wrote the lyrics and Midge Ure from the band Ultravox wrote the music and produced the track, which was no easy task since so many voices were involved. In England, and much of the Northern Hemisphere, snow and numerous displays leave no doubt that Christmas is near. In most of Africa, however, it's quite warm on December 25, since it's summer there. This song asks us to think of those who are living in poverty and hunger in Africa during the Christmas season, reminding us that they might not even know it's Christmas. While the sentiment and melody are full of good tidings, the lyrics are quite bleak: "The Christmas bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of doom." Most of this song was recorded and mixed over a 24-hour period on Sunday, November 25, 1984. Sting and Simon LeBon had recorded their parts ahead of time, but everyone else came that day.

None of the vocalists heard the song before they arrived, so they learned their parts by listening to a guide vocal producer Midge Ure created, then recorded them. With such a tight schedule, there was no time to quibble. In the Songfacts interview with Ure , he said that this time constraint helped the effort. "Sometimes, that kind of pressure gets you to create something magical, gets you to eliminate the liberations that you end up having in the studio," he said. "We just had to nail it and get on with it. Get the vocal track from everyone that was acceptable. As it turns out, a lot of the vocal tracks were exceptional." The performers who sang verses were, in order: Paul Young, Boy George, George Michael, Simon Le Bon, and Bono. The chorus included David Bowie, Phil Collins, Paul McCartney, Geldof, Ure and many other artists who weren't given a verse but sang the "Feed The World" part and lent their images to the effort by appearing in the promotional photo. Check out the Band Aid photo with list of performers . The artists were not all friends, but they set aside their differences and were at least cordial to each other during the recording - with one exception.

In the book I Want My MTV, George Michael said: "The only person who didn't succumb to the charitable nature of the day was Paul Weller, who decided to have a go at me in front of everybody. I said, 'Don't be a wanker all your life. Have a day off.'" In the UK, this became the best-selling single ever. Elton John's " Candle In The Wind '97 " currently holds that record. Not everyone in the UK was a fan, however. Morrissey told Time Out in 1985 that the project was "diabolical," adding: "It was the most self-righteous platform ever in the history of popular music." This was the first of the big group charity efforts among musicians. A year later, US artists released " We Are The World ," and Geldof helped organize Live Aid. Other charity singles that followed include " Sun City " and " That's What Friends Are For ." The single raised $14 million for famine relief in Africa. Geldof is Irish, so he cannot be knighted, but he did receive a KBE, which is equivalent and is popularly known as Sir or Saint Bob.

>> Suggestion credit: Flo - London, England The video was directed by Nigel Dick, who had done some videos for The Boomtown Rats. He got the request to make the video on short notice, and had no idea what the song was going to be. He didn't have a budget either, so he simply set up two cameras - one outside and one inside - to capture the action. As the artists trickled in to record their parts, Dick filmed them entering the building and then recording. This footage was used not just for the music video, but also for a 30-minute behind-the-scenes piece documenting the making of the single. This video was also sold, with proceeds going to the relief effort. In our 2015 talk with Midge Ure, he said: "It's never been a great song. It's kind of grown into a better song than it ever was. But as a recording, as a production, I'm immensely proud of it. So is Bob. Because it did its job phenomenally.

As a record, you hear it now on the radio and the opening clang, the opening atmospherics, my multi-tracked vocal thing, all of that stuff, it still sends shivers up your spine. So as a record, as a production, it did a brilliant job despite the fact that the song was OK." Who gave the most inspired vocal performance on this song? To Midge Ure's ears, it was Bono. He told us: "When Bono took that line of the song - 'Tonight thank God it's them instead of you' - I had originally sung it on the guide vocal an octave lower, and he just decided to let it rip, and it was phenomenal. Electric. It was just sensational." Boy George was nearly a no-show, asleep in New York the day of recording. His band Culture Club was huge at the time and Bob Geldof was counting on him for a key vocal, so Geldof called him, woke him up, and told him to get on a Concorde. George flew to London, got behind the microphone and delivered the vocal they were looking for.

Trevor Horn, who was a member of the Buggles and Yes, donated the use of his studio (Sarm Studios in London) to record the song. He also pieced together the B-side of the single, which is an instrumental version with the artists delivering messages over the music. It is called "Feed The World" on the single. Bob Geldof wrote the original pre-chorus line as "There won't be snow in Ethiopia this Christmas." Midge Ure convinced him to swap "Ethiopia" for "Africa." "No matter how you try, you cannot scan 'Ethiopia,'" Ure told us. "That just does not work." John Taylor from Duran Duran played bass; Phil Collins played drums. The rest of the instrumentation was done by Midge Ure, who handed the programming and keyboards. Two versions of the single were released. The 7-inch, which is what radio stations usually play, runs 3:55. The 12-inch runs 6:18 and features spoken messages from some of the performers. The 7-inch single was re-released the next year, raising more money for famine relief in Africa.

Downloading didn't exist in 1984, so obtaining the rights needed to sell downloads of this song proved very difficult, and for many years it wasn't available on iTunes or Amazon except in knockoff versions. When Geldof wrote the basic part of this song, he envisioned it as a Boomtown Rats song, but when he played it for his bandmates they turned it down. The cover of the single was designed by Peter Blake, who is famous for shooting the cover of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Bob Geldof explained in the book I Want My MTV: "To me, the '80s were characterized by overwhelming generosity and kindness. Prior to Live Aid, People had been participating in this phenomenon for months. 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' was sold in butcher shops all during Christmas. For whatever reason, this song - not a particularly good song - tapped into a groundswell of compassion. We never said we'd eliminate world hunger, but we could draw attention to a monstrous human crime, a moral and intellectual absurdity.

It worked." In 1989, a group of artists including Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, and Bros (Featuring Luke Goss on drums) re-recorded this as Band Aid II. The only artists left over from the original Band Aid were Bananarama. This effort was produced by the team of Stock, Aitken And Waterman and once again raised money for African famine relief. In 2004, a new version recorded by a group of artists including Bono, Paul McCartney, Chris Martin and Dido was released as a single in the UK, with proceeds going to help victims of political and humanitarian crisis in Sudan. "Band Aid 20," as this collective was known, was produced by Nigel Godrich. Bono is the only artist on this version who was also on the original. In 2014, a fourth permutation of Band Aid was assembled to once again record this song. Known as "Band Aid 30," this rendition was produced by Paul Epworth with proceeds going to Ebola relief. Singers included One Direction, Sam Smith, and once again... Bono.

Bob "Humbug" Geldof told Australia's The Daily Telegraph in a 2010 interview: "I am responsible for two of the worst songs in history. One is 'Do They Know It's Christmas?', the other one is 'We Are The World.' Any day soon, I will go to the supermarket, head to the meat counter and it will be playing. Every f---ing Christmas." Geldof added that he gets irritated when carol singers perform the charity hit in front of his home during the holidays. "They think 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' is as old as ' Silent Night .' Sometimes I think that's wild because I wrote it. Or else I am thinking how much I want them to stop because they are doing it really badly." After this song generated about £10 million for famine relief, Bob Geldof traveled to Ethiopia to oversee distribution of the aid. He took a very hands-on approach, meeting with relief agencies to determine where the money could do the most good. To acknowledge the artists and the folks who bought the album, he made sure that "Love from Band Aid" was emblazoned on many of the supplies, including vehicles. Geldof never glorified the relief effort.

Asked if he was proud of his work to end hunger in a 1985 Radio Times interview, Geldof replied: "Not at all, It's exhausting and a total bore if you want to know truth. It's not fulfilling at all. I'm endlessly frustrated." Spin magazine later reported that the money Geldof brought to Ethiopia was used by the war-torn country's dictator to arm his forces and crush his enemies. According to the report, the Ethiopian famine was mostly caused by its government, which poisoned farms of its opponents. A high-profile absence from the Band Aid project was Queen, who weren't invited because they had played South Africa earlier that year, violating a boycott against the apartheid-torn country. Bob Geldof would later forgive them and invite Queen to perform at Live Aid, where their invigorating set was a highlight of the concerts. George Michael released " Last Christmas " around the same time. He gave all proceeds from the song to Geldof's relief effort. In 2003, Deftones lead singer Chino Moreno recorded a rock version of this song with the band Far for the A Santa Cause (It's A Punk Rock Christmas) compilation. The song spread thanks to peer-to-peer networks.

Band Aid at 30: Fascinating facts you never knew about charity single's line-ups, bust-ups and hiccups - Mirror Online Celebs Band Aid at 30: Fascinating facts you never knew about charity single's line-ups, bust-ups and hiccups From the original track in 1984, up to the jaunty 1989 version by Stock, Aitken and Waterman and the radical reworking of 2004, they’ve always proved eventfull Share Get celebs updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email As Bob Geldof unveils the stunning supergroup creating Band Aid 30 , we look back at the previous recordings of Do They Know It’s Christmas? From the original track in 1984, up to the jaunty 1989 version by Stock, Aitken and Waterman and the radical reworking of 2004, they’ve always proved eventful. Here are a dozen facts about the previous line-ups, bust-ups and hiccups.

Video Loading Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8Cancel Play now 1 Bob Geldof insisted Boy George fly from New York to London to take part in the 1984 recording - he eventually arrived late at the studio at 6pm. But the Culture Club frontman’s throat was so sore from the band’s gig on the previous night that he had to neck a bottle of brandy. Not surprisingly, he took the most takes to get his vocal right. 2 The first line of the 1984 version of Do They Know It’s Christmas? was written for David Bowie, but he was unable to attend on the day of the recording. It was performed by Paul “Wherever I Lay My Hat” Young instead. 3 The original Band Aid of 1984 sold over three million copies in the first week alone and stayed at number one in Britain for five weeks. 4 There have been a few hangers-on over the years.

Singer Marilyn, turned up to the original Band Aid recording in 1984 despite not being invited, and on the Band Aid 20 recording in 2004 Damon Albarn didn’t perform, he just made tea for the other stars while wearing a pink apron. Launch: Bob Geldof and Midge Ure yesterday (Photo: PA) 5 Soulful modfather Paul Weller was called upon to mime the line sung by husky U2 rocker Bono during a Band Aid performance on Top of the Pops in 1984. 6 During the recording of Band Aid 20 in 2004, Bono insisted he sang the same line again: “Well, tonight thank God it’s them, instead of you.” At the original recording in 1984 he was the only singer to record his line perfectly on the first attempt. 7 During the recording of the original Band Aid in 1984, cheeky chappies Status Quo spotted Spandau Ballet going to the studio’s toilets and thought it would be a hoot to lock them in there - but they didn’t stand for any of it, kicking in the loo door to make their escape.

8 The second Band Aid single, produced by Stock, Aitken and Waterman in 1989, featured a few big names like Kylie Minogue, Cliff Richard, Bros and Wet Wet Wet. However, unlike the 1984 original the line up, it also featured several artists who have been largely forgotten. Anybody recall Deuce, The Pasadenas or Big Fun? 9 There were apparently a few problems caused by rival egos during the recording of the original Band Aid single in 1984. Wham! star George Michael allegedly had a bust up with both Boy George and Paul Weller. 10 On the Band Aid 20 single of 2004 Bono, Paul McCartney and George Michael, who all performed on the original 1984 single, were asked to perform. The only artists to perform on the first and second Band Aid singles were two members of Bananarama. 11 The entire recording of the original Band Aid single of 1984 was done in 24 hours straight at the Notting Hill studios of uber producer Trevor Horn.

12 The first Band Aid single boasted a cover designed by Sir Peter Blake who also created the cover of The Beatles’ Seargent Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club band. For Band Aid 20 in 2004, Damien Hirst produced a cover featuring an African child under an image of the grim reaper, but it was considered to frightening to use. Like us on Facebook Most Read Most Recent Most Read Most Recent Band Aid 30: X Factor unveiling for Ebola charity song - BBC News BBC News Band Aid 30: X Factor unveiling for Ebola charity song 16 November 2014 Media captionBand Aid 30 had its international premiere on the X Factor on Sunday night The new Band Aid single has been broadcast for the first time. A video showing performers including One Direction, Rita Ora and Ed Sheeran singing the reworked Do They Know It's Christmas? was shown on ITV's X Factor. They were among the stars who recorded a cover of the 1984 song, to raise money to tackle Ebola, on Saturday. The current outbreak of the deadly virus was first reported in March and has killed more than 5,000 people, almost all in West Africa.

The UK government has said VAT will not have to be paid on the single. Organiser Bob Geldof, who was also behind the 1984 original, said he addressed the participants "like the headmaster" before they sang the chorus. "I explained the situation in West Africa, I explained what the UN were saying, explained what we could do, and just geed them up," he said. Speaking on X Factor to presenter Dermot O'Leary, Geldof described the new recording as a "little bit of pop history". He said the video - which began with shots of victims of Ebola - was "harrowing and not meant for an entertainment show" but was something the X Factor audience should see. Image copyright AFP Image caption Bob Geldof spoke to the singers before the track was recorded Other artists taking part included Emeli Sande, Ellie Goulding, Sam Smith, Chris Martin, Elbow, Seal, Jessie Ware, Fuse ODG, Sinead O'Connor, Angelique Kidjo, Olly Murs, Paloma Faith, Queen drummer Roger Taylor, Clean Bandit and Foals.

Bono, who featured on the original 1984 version, was also involved, as were YouTube video stars Zoella, Alfie Deyes and Joe Sugg. Geldof had suggested the song and video shown on X Factor may not be the finished versions. "We'll have a rough edit on the X Factor and we'll have a rough edit of the film," he said. The song will be available to download, costing 99p, from 08:00 GMT on Monday. A CD version will be released in three weeks, costing £4. Geldof and co-writer Midge Ure's first version of the song raised £8m for famine relief in Ethiopia. Do They Know It's Christmas? was recorded again in 1989 and 2004. The lyrics have been rewritten in parts for the new recording.

Image copyright Press release Image caption Artwork for the charity single has been designed by artist Tracey Emin Band Aid 30 lyrics It's Christmas time, and there's no need to be afraid At Christmas time, we let in light and banish shade And in our world of plenty, we can spread a smile of joy Throw your arms around the world At Christmas time But say a prayer, pray for the other ones At Christmas time, it's hard but while you're having fun There's a world outside your window, and it's a world of dread and fear Where a kiss of love can kill you, and there's death in every tear And the Christmas bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of doom Well tonight we're reaching out and touching you No peace and joy this Christmas in West Africa The only hope they'll have is being alive Where to comfort is to fear Where to touch is to be scared How can they know it's Christmas time at all Here's to you Raise a glass to everyone And here's to them And all their years to come Let them know it's Christmas time after all Feed the world, let them know it's Christmas time again Feel the world, let them know it's Christmas time again Heal the world, let them know it

's Christmas time again Band Aid 30 single storms to number one - BBC News BBC News Band Aid 30 single storms to number one 24 November 2014 Close share panel Image copyright Band Aid Trust/Brian Aris/Camera Press Band Aid 30's Do They Know It's Christmas?

has gone straight to number one in the UK and 62 other countries. The charity single shifted more than 312,000 copies last week, making it 2014's fastest-selling single so far. Organiser Bob Geldof thanked the nation on BBC Radio 1 and said he was "so proud". It is the fourth version of the track to be released, and featured artists include Bastille and Rita Ora. Each version has made it to number one. Geldof said the UK version of the song is also number one in France and 61 other countries. He added: "I expected it, but did I expect it in such vast and willing numbers? No." All proceeds from the song go towards the fight against Ebola in West Africa. Media captionBand Aid 30 had its international premiere on the X Factor on Sunday night Bono, Ed Sheeran, One Direction, Emile Sande and Ellie Goulding are also among those who perform on the single. The song outsold the rest of the top five combined, scoring the biggest one-week sales since Impossible by the X Factor's James Arthur shifted 489,000 copies in 2012.

The original Band Aid 1984 sold a million copies in the first week alone and became fastest-selling single at the time in the UK, raising £8m for famine relief. Sales of Band Aid 30 are expected to rise once a physical CD version is released on 8 December. The rest of the UK top five consisted mainly of new entries - Real Love from Clean Bandit FT Jess Glynne entered the chart at number two. Olly Murs was a new entry at three with Wrapped Up FT Travie McCoy. Ed Sheeran's former number one Thinking Out Loud dropped two places to number four, while David Guetta scored his 20th top 10 hit in the UK, going straight in at number five with Dangerous FT Sam Martin. Image copyright Other BBC Radio 1's Official Chart Show Last week's chart-topper, Children In Need single Wake Me Up from Gareth Malone's All Star Choir, fell to number seven. On the album chart, it was all about One Direction, with the band racking up its third consecutive UK number one with their latest offering, Four.

It debuted in the top spot with sales of 142,000, outselling its nearest rival by over 90,000 copies. Sheeran's X was at number two, while Sam Smith's debut, In The Lonely Hour, went up one place to three. Last week's number one from Pink Floyd, The Endless River, dropped three places to number four, while Foo Fighters' Sonic Highways also fell three places to round off the top five. Here's The History Of The Charity Single That One Direction And Sam Smith Just Recorded - MTV mtv Sasha Geffen sashageffen 11/16/2014 Yesterday (November 15), One Direction , Sam Smith , Ellie Goulding , and Coldplay all got together in a London studio to record a holiday song called "Do They Know It's Christmas?" The song was written by 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure when they co-founded the charity supergroup Band Aid to raise money for the impoverished in Ethopia. The song and video premiered on tonight's episode of "The X Factor" and you can listen below.

It's the fourth time the song has been recorded by some of the biggest acts in the UK, and this version will be released onMonday, November 17. This year all the proceeds will go to helping contain the spread of Ebola in West Africa . Band Aid has been around for 30 years, and the history of recording this song for charity is a fascinating one. Here's everything you need to know about the history of this best-selling single. The first Band Aid single was recorded in 1984 to help alleviate famine in Ethiopia. Bob Geldof, then the lead singer of the Irish band the Boomtown Rats, wanted to do something about the horrible famine that afflicted Ethiopia in the mid-80s. He'd been performing in charity events since 1981, and he figured he could use his musical talent to bring about real world change. Together with Midge Ure of the new wave band Ultravox, he penned "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Getty Images Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 Geldof and Ure enlisted some of the biggest stars in the UK to record the charity single.

Everyone from former Beatle Paul McCartney to U2's frontman Bono to glam rock superstar David Bowie signed on. The celebrity influence did the trick; the song shot straight to the top of the charts as soon as it was released, and stayed at number 1 for five weeks. It's still one of the best-selling UK singles of all time. Band Aid did it all again five years later. The supergroup didn't want to lose momentum on the money they'd raised, so in 1989 they went back into the studio to record the song again. The second iteration of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" featured a whole new roster of artists, including Kylie Minogue and Bananarama. It didn't sell quite as well as the first Band Aid hit, but it did stay at number 1 for three weeks after its release in December, becoming the 9th best-selling single of the year. The 20th anniversary edition of "Do They Know It's Christmas" included Snow Patrol and Coldplay's Chris Martin.

Twenty years after the original single rose to the top of the charts, Band Aid got back in the studio to raise funds for humanitarian aid in Darfur, where the Sudanese government was ethnically cleansing parts of the country's population. This time, Justin Hawkins of the Darkness, Chris Martin of Coldplay, and Natasha Bedingfield joined in for the recording session. The 2004 single featured a rap verse by Dizzee Rascal, and Bono and Paul McCartney came back for their second appearance, too. It also went straight to the top of the UK charts, selling 72,000 copies in the first 24 hours of its release. The Band Aid 30 version of the single drops tomorrow (November 17) and features One Direction and Sam Smith. This weekend, some of UK's biggest pop stars gathered in London to record the fourth version of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" at the very same studio where the original was laid to tape.

Getty Images Midge Ure and Bob Geldof in 2014 The lineup's just as star-studded as ever this time around, including contributions from Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons, Sinead O'Connor, and Bastille. Adele was reportedly invited, but couldn't make it out to the session. And yes, Bono will be back to sing his line, though it's been changed from "Tonight thank God it's them instead of you" to the more compassionate "Tonight we're reaching out and touching you." Getty Images Bono returns to record with Band Aid Other lyrics in the song have been updated to reflect the Ebola crisis specifically: "Where the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears" is now "Where a kiss of love can kill you, and there's death in every tear." Gedolf has encouraged fans to buy the single, not just listen to it online. In accordance with the charity's goals, the Band Aid 30 song won't be on Spotify or any other streaming platform until the holiday season is over in January. Band Aid — Do They Know It's Christmas?

— Listen, watch, download and discover music for free at Last.fm pop "Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 to raise money for relief of 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The original version was produced by Midge Ure and released by Band Aid on 29 November 1984. In late 1984, a BBC report by Michael Buerk was aired highlighting the famine that had hit the people of Ethiopia. Irish singer Bob Geldof saw the report and wanted to raise money. He… read more Don't want to see ads? Subscribe now Similar Tracks Band Aid 30 faces criticism for being damaging to Africa - CBBC Newsround Band Aid 30 faces criticism for being damaging to Africa 18 November 2014 Band Aid 30 had its international premiere on The X Factor on Sunday The new Band Aid 30 charity single has been criticised for being damaging to Africa.

The track, Do They Know It's Christmas, features top UK artists like One Direction, Ed Sheeran and Rita Ora and was released on Monday to raise money to help the fight against Ebola. Image copyright BAND AID TRUST / BRIAN ARIS / CAMERA PRESS Image caption The music stars who took part in Band Aid 30. It's already become the fastest-selling single of 2014, shifting 206,000 copies. But several African artists have claimed the song actually reinforces negative stereotypes of Africa. Criticism Carlos Chirinos, the producer of an educational record by some of west Africa's biggest music stars called "Africa Stop Ebola", has spoken out about the Band Aid single saying: "It's worth doing it for the money and the money is needed, however it comes at a cost and the cost is the way in which Africa is being portrayed to the rest of the world." Sir Bob Geldof: "This country leads the way on this stuff" He believes that the song could actually spread fear about Ebola and have a negative effect on tourism and trade on the continent.

Fuse ODG "felt awkward" The criticism follows the news that the British-Ghanaian rapper Fuse ODG pulled out of being involved in the Band Aid 30 single because he didn't agree with the message of the song. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Fuse ODG pulled out of the charity single at the last minute Sir Bob Geldof, who is a co-founder of Band Aid, has dismissed the general criticism of the record claiming it will raise much needed money for a good cause. Speaking about Fuse ODG specifically Geldof said: "His thing was that you had to be positive about Africa, but then you have Angelique Kidjo and Emeli Sande who were of the same attitude and I said (to them) there's the world's press, tell them about your point of view. "If there's a line you can't sing, change it and he (Fuse ODG) said he just felt awkward." In a statement Fuse ODG said he initially agreed to be part of Band Aid 30 when he was approached by Geldof.

But, on receiving the proposed lyrics, he felt the message of the Band Aid 30 song was not in line with the message of The New Africa movement, which is all about raising the profile of Africa and Africans. Rita Ora says the reaction to the song has been amazing In the UK, this is the fourth version of Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? The original was made thirty years ago and raised £8 million for famine relief in Ethiopia. It remains one of the biggest selling singles ever in the UK, having shifted 3.75 million copies. In the coming weeks more charity songs to raised funds for Ebola are due out in countries including France, Germany and the United States. Check out which artists did perform for Band Aid 30, and which lines they sing, by clicking here.

Stars record new charity Band Aid single to fight Ebola Stars record new charity Band Aid single to fight Ebola Dario Thuburn Share View photos Irish musician Bob Geldof arrives at a west London studio to record the new Band Aid 30 single on November 15, 2014 (AFP Photo/Andrew Cowie) More London (AFP) - Bob Geldof, One Direction, Bono and some 30 other stars gathered in a studio in London on Saturday to record a 30th anniversary version of the Band Aid charity single to raise money to fight Ebola. Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, Coldplay's Chris Martin and Sinead O'Connor were also among the rockers brought together by Geldof to sing the fourth version of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Musicians began arriving in the early morning and were expected to record all day and into the night before the single is aired for the first time on Sunday and then officially released on Monday. The Ebola outbreak has claimed more than 5,000 lives since last December, according to the World Health Organization -- almost all in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone -- while the number of infected cases registered worldwide has soared to more than 14,000.

"All pop singers can do is sing, write songs, give up whatever they're doing," Geldof told reporters and fans outside the Sarm Studios in Notting Hill. He said owning the single would be "a badge of honour" to support efforts against the deadly virus and urged people to buy it "whether you like it or not". Making his way into the studio, U2 frontman Bono hit out at the response of rich countries, saying if they "kept the promises they make at these big G8 meetings and the like we wouldn't have to be standing here." One Direction's Niall Horan said it was a "privilege" to take part. "Hopefully we'll get to number one and raise a lot of money for a really good cause," he said. In a video from inside the studios that was put up on a specially created app called "Bandapp", One Direction's 20-year-old frontman Harry Styles said: "Everyone's come together for the same thing." "There's one kind of focus and one goal," he said. The song became one of the world's biggest-selling singles ever after its release in 1984 to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia.

"I had to change the lyrics," Geldof said on the new version. The rocker-turned-activist said he had been spurred into action not out of nostalgia but by a call from the United Nations, concerned about not having the necessary funds to combat the epidemic. - 'Lovers can't hold each other' - "It's not just about what's happening in west Africa, it could happen here tomorrow," Geldof said. "We can stop this thing, we can allow mothers no matter where they are to be able to touch their dying children. "I hate that aspect of it that lovers can't hold each other in their last moments, that husbands can't comfort their wives, that parents can't comfort their children," Geldof said. The second and third verses of the song contain new lyrics referring to the risks of cross-infection from comforting Ebola victims. The track will cost 99 pence ($1.60, 1.30 euros) to download or £4 to buy as a physical record. Geldof said he had spoken to British finance minister George Osborne on Saturday who agreed not to levy sales tax from the single to ensure that 100 percent of the proceeds go to charity.

"He said: 'I've been expecting this call. It's a bit early for pop stars isn't it?'." The single is already a hot favourite to claim the prestigious Christmas number one spot in Britain, with bookmakers Coral quoting odds of 4-6. Reblog How Band Aid Changed Christmas | Saving Christmas Saving Christmas How Band Aid Changed Christmas Those of us old enough to remember Band Aid will recall what a momentous charitable event it was capturing the hearts and minds of people all over the world. From the great Christmas song release Do They Know it's Christmas? in 1984 millions and millions of pounds have been raised in Band Aid's name, while the spectacular Live Aid concert that followed in the Spring of 1985 did the same. Here we take a look at the story behind the event. Michael Buerk Michael Buerk was and still is a BBC news correspondent and reporter who back in 1984 produced a report from Ethiopia that would shock the world. The footage was hard to watch as thousands of men women and children were shown not only living in dire circumstances but also starving with hundreds dying on a daily basis.

Buerk's empathetic reporting that was factual, informative but not without feeling struck a chord with many including the lead singer of the Boomtown Rats, Bob Geldof and lead singer of Ultravox Midge Ure . Band Aid The Record Many artists and singers along with Geldof and Ure wanted to do something to help if they could. Geldof and Ure had the idea of involving lots of acts to sing on a record that would be released before Christmas. They called their super group Band Aid as it was akin to putting a sticking plaster of sorts, although they hoped for more, on the famine problem. The title of the song was "Do They Know It's Christmas? and was sung by a selection of mainly UK artists that were current at the time. The record was plugged on many radio shows that week with the enthusiasm it brought gaining momentum all the time. Geldof wrote the words while Ure wrote the music and all the artists gave their time freely in order to make the recording and the video. Geldof insisted that all the money raised by the record should go to the Ethiopian Famine Disaster with even the government of the day, run by Margaret Thatcher eventually backing down regarding VAT on the record.

They had previously said that they would not waive the cost of the VAT on the record. Do They Know It's Christmas? was released on November 29th 1984 and went straight to number one. People were overwhelmed by the Ethiopian people's plight and with Christmas just around the corner what better time to release a record asking this question. The songs lyrics told the Ethiopian story with lines such as "where nothing ever grows, no wind and rain or snow, do they know it's Christmas time at all? The underlying message of the song was, it's Christmas, we are well off, please let's help the starving people! The record sold over one million in its first week of release and sat at number one for five weeks. Three million copies were sold in all which at the time was a record. Artists Featured on the record included Band Aid | Duran Duran Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Bob Geldof, after watching a BBC television news report by Michael Buerk from famine-stricken Ethiopia, was so moved by the plight of starving children that he decided to try and raise money using his contacts in pop music.

The recording studio gave Band Aid no more than 24 free hours to record and mix the record.On 25 November 1984 the recording took place between 11am and 7pm, and was filmed by director Nigel Dick to be released as the pop video though some basic tracks had been recorded the day before at Midge Ure's home studio. The record was released on 3 December and went straight to No. 1 in the UK singles chart, outselling all the other records in the chart put together. It became the fastest-selling single of all time in the UK, selling a million copies in the first week alone. It stayed at No. 1 for five weeks, selling over three million copies and becoming easily the biggest-selling single of all time in the UK, as of 1984. After Live Aid , "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was re-released in late 1985 in a set that included a special-edition 'picture disc' version, modeled after the Live Aid logo with 'Band' in place of 'Live'. Participants The sleeve artist, Peter Blake , was also credited on the sleeve.

Band Aid II Edit This version, released in 1989, was produced by British songwriting and production team Stock Aitken Waterman. It stayed at number one for three weeks in the UK charts. Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward of Bananarama were the only artists from the original Band Aid that were featured again on this version. Band Aid 20 Edit The Band Aid 20 released on 29 November, 2004, with all money raised going toward famine relief in the Darfur region of Sudan. Bono, Paul McCartney and George Michael were the only artists from the original Band Aid who had been asked back to lend their voices to Band Aid 20.

Question: What is the title of the Band Aid charity single, released in December 1984?
Answer: Do They Know It’s Christmas