Band Aid 20 (band)
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Band Aid 20 was the 2004 incarnation of the charity group Band Aid. The group, consisting of such luminaries as Chris Martin and Bono of U2, re-recorded the 1984 song "Do They Know It's Christmas?", written by Band Aid organizers Bob Geldof and Midge Ure. Band Aid 20's efforts suffered some criticism as the new generation of singers, who differed greatly from those that appeared on the 1984 original, endeavored to fit their talents into a 20 year old template.[1] Joss Stone, born 2 years after the release of the original single, wasn't initially aware who Bob Geldof was.[2] The media reported that she repeatedly referred to him as Bob Gandalf.[3] This was perceived as highlighting his irrelevance to a younger audience.[4] It was recorded on 14 November 2004, to benefit Sudan's troubled Darfur region, and was released that same month. The single became the UK's biggest seller of 2004 as well as the Christmas Number 1.[5]
The Band Aid 20 single was first played simultaneously on the The Chris Moyles Show (on BBC Radio One) and the breakfast shows on Virgin and Capital radio, at 8am on 16 November 2004. The video was first broadcast in the UK simultaneously over multiple channels, including the five UK terrestrial channels, at 5.55pm on 18 November 2004, with an introduction by Madonna.
British artist Damien Hirst designed an intimidating cover for the Band Aid 20 single, featuring the grim reaper and a starving African child. However, this was later dropped after fears that it might scare children. The single was released on 29 November 2004, with all money raised going toward famine relief in the Darfur region of Sudan.
One of the new ways to buy the song, by downloading it from the Internet, hit a problem when Apple Computer's iTunes Music Store initially refused to supply it, due to their fixed-pricing policy. A partial solution was reached after a few days, enabling UK users to download the song at the standard iTunes price, with Apple donating an extra amount (equivalent to the price difference) to the Band Aid Trust.
The CD version sold over 200,000 copies in the first week, and became the fastest-selling single of the year.
[edit] Participants
Organisers and producers:
- Midge Ure – organizer
- Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Travis) and Bob Geldof – producers.
Instruments:
- Danny Goffey (Supergrass) – (drums)
- Thom Yorke – (piano) and Jonny Greenwood – (guitar) – (Radiohead)
- Sir Paul McCartney – bass guitar
- Francis Healy (Travis) – guitar
- Justin Hawkins (The Darkness) – guitar
- Dan Hawkins (The Darkness) – guitar
Vocals:
- Bono (U2)
- Daniel Bedingfield
- Natasha Bedingfield
- Vishal Das
- Busted
- Chris Martin (Coldplay)
- Dido – performed separately from a studio in Melbourne
- Dizzee Rascal – the only artist to add lyrics to the song
- Ms Dynamite
- Skye Edwards (Morcheeba)
- Estelle
- Neil Hannon (The Divine Comedy)
- Jamelia
- Tom Chaplin (Keane)
- Tim Rice-Oxley (Keane)
- Beverley Knight
- Lemar
- Shaznay Lewis (formerly of All Saints)
- Katie Melua
- Róisín Murphy (Moloko)
- Feeder
- Snow Patrol
- Rachel Stevens
- Joss Stone
- Sugababes
- The Thrills
- Turin Brakes
- Robbie Williams – performed separately from a studio in Los Angeles
- Will Young
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. There was a reported dispute over the line 'Tonight thank God it's them, instead of you', which Bono sang on the original version. Justin Hawkins, of The Darkness, laid down a version of the line, but Bono insisted on re-recording his version, which was eventually used on the record.
Strangely, although he wasn't invited, Blur's frontman and songwriter Damon Albarn appeared at the sessions, wanting to somehow assist the recording process of the charity single. He wasn't allowed to sing, but Bono advised him as to how to be most useful for the singers. 'I asked him to make the tea,' the U2 frontman explained to Xfm, 'I saw him on Thursday night. He said "I don't know what to do." I said, "Make tea." He said "You really think so?" I said, "Yeah, make tea!"' Albarn quite happily responded, and thus served biscuits and tea for the participants, as well as appearing briefly in the video, at which Bono 'fatherly' commented: 'Good on him. I always knew that boy would turn out good in the end.'
The single sold 72,000 copies in the first 24 hours when it was released on 29 November 2004, and went straight in at No. 1 in the UK charts on 5 December 2004. It stayed at No. 1 for Christmas and the week after, all in all holding onto the top spot for four weeks, just one week shorter than the original had done in 1984.
[edit] Who sings what on each version
| Lyrics | 1984 version | 1989 version | 2004 version |
|---|---|---|---|
| 'It's Christmas time, there's no need to be afraid' | Paul Young | Kylie Minogue | Chris Martin |
| 'At Christmas time, we let in light and we banish shade' | Paul Young | Chris Rea | Chris Martin |
| 'And in our world of plenty, we can spread a smile of joy' | Boy George | Jimmy Somerville | Dido |
| 'Throw your arms around the world, at Christmas time' | Boy George | Matt Goss | Dido |
| 'But say a prayer; Pray for the other ones' | George Michael | Cliff Richard | Robbie Williams |
| 'At Christmas time it's hard, but when you're having fun' | George Michael/Simon Le Bon | Jimmy Somerville/Matt Goss | Robbie Williams |
| 'There's a world outside your window, and it's a world of dread and fear' | Simon Le Bon/Sting/Tony Hadley | Marti Pellow/Jason Donovan | Sugababes |
| 'Where the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears' | Simon Le Bon/Sting/Bono | Jason/Kylie | Fran Healy & Sugababes |
| 'And the Christmas bells that ring there, are the clanging chimes of doom' | Sting/Bono | Cliff Richard/Marti Pellow | Fran Healy & Justin Hawkins |
| 'Well, tonight, thank God it's them, instead of you' | Bono | Jason Donovan/Matt Goss | Bono |
| 'And there won't be snow in Africa, this Christmas time' | Boy George/Paul Weller/Paul Young | Marti Pellow | Will Young & Jamelia |
| 'The greatest gift they'll get this year is life' | Bono/George Michael/Boy George | Sonia | Will Young & Jamelia |
| 'Where nothing ever grows' | Paul Young | Lisa Stansfield | Ms Dynamite & Beverley Knight |
| 'No rain nor rivers flow' | Glenn Gregory | Lisa Stansfield | Ms Dynamite & Beverley Knight |
| 'Do they know it's Christmas time at all?' | All | Sonia/Lisa Stansfield | All |
| 'Here's to you' | Marilyn/Glenn Gregory/Rick Parfitt/Francis Rossi | Kylie | Tom Chaplin |
| 'Raise a glass for everyone' | Paul Young | Kylie | Justin Hawkins |
| 'Spare a thought this yuletide for the deprived' 'If the table was turned would you survive?' |
2004 lines, not in the original version | Dizzee Rascal | |
| 'Here's to them' | Marilyn/Glenn/Rick/Francis | Matt Goss | Busted |
| 'Underneath that burning sun' | Paul Young | Matt Goss | Justin Hawkins |
| 'You ain't gotta feel guilt, just selfless' 'Give a little help, to the helpless' |
2004 lines, not in the original version | Dizzee Rascal | |
| 'Do they know it's Christmas time at all?' | Paul Young | Cliff Richard | Joss Stone and Justin Hawkins |
| 'Feed the World' (repeat) | All | All | Tom Chaplin |
| 'Feed the World, Let them know it's Christmas time again' (repeat) | All | All | All |
