1984 Top of the Pops

“Do They Know It's Christmas” Band Aid
By Jeff Walker Special to The Weekender

In late 1984, the BBC ran a report about a devastating famine that was killing thousands in the African country of Ethiopia. The visual of malnourished little children crying for food hit singer Bob Geldof so hard, he decided to write a song to bring it to the attention of the world. He enlisted the help of fellow musician Midge Ure and they quickly wrote “Do They Know It's Christmas.”

Geldof then quickly assembled a band of superstar British and Irish singers and recorded and mixed the song in one 24 hour session. The most notable performers were Phil Collins, Sting, Bono, Simon LeBon, George Michael and Boy George. The opening lines of the song had been written specifically for David Bowie, who was unable to make it and was replaced by Paul Young. Boy George almost didn't make it either and had to be flown in at the last minute on the Concorde.

Despite the gathering of egos, the only real problem was Bono's reluctance to sing what might be the most powerful line in the song, where he belts out, “tonight thank God it's them, instead of you.” He felt it was a bit too harsh, but eventually agreed to sing it as it was written.

Geldof admits he took liberties with the lyrics where he depicts Ethiopia as a place where “nothing ever grows.” The reality is, the land is usually quite fertile and it's not a desert at all. But his goal was to raise as much money as quickly as possible by using the power of celebrities.

It worked miracles and raised millions for the cause as it raced to #13 in the U.S. in January of 1985.

http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/entertainment/16326058.htm