Band Aid

Band Aid was a multi-member supergroup set up in 1984 by Bob Geldof in order to make a record to raise money for anti-famine efforts in Ethiopia. Geldof was moved by a BBC News report on famine conditions in the country and contacted Midge Ure in order to write a song to be performed by leading UK and Irish pop artists of the time.

The recording of Do They Know It's Christmas? took place in one day on Sunday 25 November 1984 and the single was released four days later, going straight to no.1 in the UK the following week.

Participating artists
Bands and artists who participated were:

lead vocalists in bold


 * Paul Young, Boy George & Culture Club, ivU2 (Bono Vox & Adam Clayton), Sting, Duran Duran (Simon Le Bon), Heaven 17, Kool & the Gang, Status Quo, The Boomtown Rats, Bananarama, Paul Weller (The Style Council), George Michael, Ultravox, Status Quo, Marilyn, Phil Collins.
 * spoken voice recordings on single B-side: Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, members of Big Country

Spin-offs
The Band Aid project spawned the global Live Aid event in July 1985 as well as several similar projects such as Ferry Aid, USA For Africa, Band Aid II, Band Aid 20 and Band Aid 30.

Live Aid
see page

Band Aid II
The only artists from the original Band Aid to be featured in this new line-up were Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward of Bananarama. Their new version of Do They Know It's Christmas?, produced by Stock, Aitken & Waterman, reached no.1 at Christmas 1989.


 * Bananarama, Big Fun, Bros, Cathy Dennis, D Mob, Jason Donovan, Kevin Godley, Glen Goldsmith, Kylie Minogue, The Pasadenas, Chris Rea, Cliff Richard, Jimmy Somerville, Sonia, Lisa Stansfield, Technotronic, Wet Wet Wet.

tbc