Fund-raising veterans Ure and Geldof: can they pull together another Christmas chart-topper? (Pic PA)
◼ ROCK LEGENDS SIR BOB GELDOF, 60, and his unknighted partner in charity, Mr James “Midge” Ure OBE, 61, plan to record a new fund-raising song, most likely destined to help fight ebola in West Africa. The 80s stars masterminded the 1984 chart-topper Do They Know It’s Christmas? by co-writing the song and amassing a Who Was Who of 45 rock stars to record it free, under the group name Band Aid. The track sold 3.7million copies in the UK alone and remained its best-selling single for 13 years.
Three decades on, One Direction are thought to have agreed to record the new tune, with other hot acts for Band Aid 30 tipped to include 20-something generationers Adele, Emeli Sandé, Ed Sheeran, Alt-J, Ellie Goulding, Paloma Faith, Jessie Ware, Bastille, Olly Murs, Ben Howard and Sam Smith.
The 1984 hit led directly to the globally televised Live Aid concerts of 1985, voted the most important music event of the past 30 years, which raised £150million to fight famine in Ethiopia.
Design by Tracey Emin
➢ Nov 10 update: One Direction confirmed at BBC News: One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Elbow and old-timers such as U2’s Bono and Coldplay’s Chris Martin are among the acts confirmed to record the fourth version of the Band Aid charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas?. Bob Geldof and Midge Ure said the song’s lyrics would be changed to reflect the ebola crisis. The new version will be recorded this Saturday and artwork has been designed by Tracey Emin.
Up for Band Aid 30: 1D’s Harry Styles tonight snapped in the recording studio with Polish photographer Patryk Spiker. Harry made no comment on the charity project
➢➢ Shapers of the 80s ➣➣ 