Do They Know It’s Christmas? will be released for the fourth time this year to raise money for charity with Bob Geldof, the man behind the original 1984 song, its subsequent incarnations and spin off Live Aid shows, expected to announce his line-up for the festive charity single tomorrow.
The single was first released in 1984 by Geldof and co-organiser Midge Ure from Eighties band Ultravox (pictured below) to raise money for famine-stricken Ethiopia. It featured a line-up of the then biggest stars in the musical world from UK shores, such as Bono from U2, George Michael and Duran Duran. It raised shedloads of money for charity, and was the inspiration behind the defining live gigs in London and Philadelphia the following year which alone raised upwards of $40M for charity, too.
The new single is expected to raise money to combat Ebola in West Africa.
The song has already been re-recorded and re-released twice, first in 1989 with stars such as Kylie and Jason Donovan, and then again to mark the 20th anniversary of the original in 2004 (featured below).
Where the original’s line up had long since faded into celebrity obscurity, for the most part, this latest version of the song featured then newcomers to the music scene such as Coldplay, Dido, Joss Stone, Travis and Dizzee Rascal who was praised for his rapping contribution.
Bono though returned and sang the same line that he had sung alongside the likes of Status Quo 20 years earlier.
It remains to be seen whether the Irishman will make yet another return to the much loved and adored Christmas song. Pop band One Direction though are hotly tipped to be on Geldof’s wish list for the single which is expected already to be the frontrunner for the Christmas number one spot in the UK singles charts.
Photo: via Getty.
