HEALTH-EBOLA/BAND AID UPDATE Midge Ure: Band Aid stars record new charity single amid ‘organised chaos’

Record ID: 565675

  • Title: HEALTH-EBOLA/BAND AID UPDATE Midge Ure: Band Aid stars record new charity single amid ‘organised chaos’
  • Date: 15th November 2014
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (NOVEMBER 15, 2014) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** BAND AID CO-WRITER MIDGE URE, PRODUCER PAUL EPWORTH AND BOB GELDOF POSING FOR MEDIA OUTSIDE RECORDING STUDIO (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIDGE URE, SAYING: "As you can imagine it's - organised chaos. We have a wealth of artists in there, some serious talent, they're all sitting up there just now, chatting like it's a bit of a party, now aren't they? We've had a couple of fantastic vocals so far. Rita Ora was in at 8 o'clock this morning, God bless her, in there doing a great vocal track. Ed Sheeran could have done the entire track on his own because he's brilliant. So we're about to go up and do the choral vocals." GELDOF GREETING BRITISH SINGER SAM SMITH (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIDGE URE, SAYING: "We're trying to keep the essence of the original version; the atmospherics and the sensitivity of it along with the balance of the big sing along kind of glory ending. And I think we've got that. But we've dragged it into the 21st century. It sounds very contemporary." GELDOF TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) BOB GELDOF, SAYING: "I did a little talk before like the headmaster and said, "OK, this is why we're here, this is what it's about. When you sing this, be aware that the rest of the world will be singing it with you. Put all the feeling of what it is you want to say into it'." BRITISH SINGER PALOMA FAITH LEAVING RECORDING STUDIO (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH SINGER, PALOMA FAITH, SAYING: "Everyone is very nice and encouraging. There's like a good sense of like camaraderie between everyone. So my nerves [INAUDIBLE]." REPORTER, SAYING: "So does it sound like fresh and different to the others?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH SINGER, PALOMA FAITH, SAYING: "Yes, it sounds very uplifting and Bob (Geldof) said to me afterwards that my performance was very sad. And I was like, 'Oh no did I make a mistake?' And he said, 'Oh no, it's different to what we used to'." PHOTOGRAPHERS / FAITH GETTING INTO WAITING CAR BRITISH SINGER ELLIE GOULDING LEAVING RECORDING STUDIO (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH SINGER, ELLIE GOULDING, SAYING: "I'm still kind of buzzing, it was so kind of like, I haven't quite you know - haven't quite, what's the word?" REPORTER, SAYING: "Processed it?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH SINGER, ELLIE GOULDING, SAYING: "Processed it. That's the word, I haven't processed it. But - yes, it was amazing, yes." GOULDING GETTING INTO CAR ONE DIRECTION SINGER LIAM PAYNE LEAVING RECORDING STUDIO AND STOPS BRIEFLY TO TALK TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) ONE DIRECTION BAND MEMBER, LIAM PAYNE, SAYING: "It's so amazing, it's great to be involved in something like this. Obviously charity is so important but something like this but what a prestigious thing with so many great legends of music. It's been really, really good." REPORTER, SAYING: "It must have been very moving." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ONE DIRECTION BAND MEMBER, LIAM PAYNE, SAYING: "Oh yes, it was and Sir Bob did a little speech at the start which really like kind of settled home for us of what this is all about, how it's going. It's been so, so good. We just can't believe that we're involved in something like this." PAYNE WAVING TO FANS FANS WAVING BLACK CAR WITH PAYNE INSIDE DRIVING OFF U2'S BONO LEAVING RECORDING STUDIO AND GETTING INTO WAITING CAR CAR CARRYING BONO DRIVING OFF
  • Embargoed: 30th November 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA2RO3MJZ6YQ9E1D34MLOB54P62
  • Story Text: A new version of the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was recorded at a London recording studio on Saturday (November 14) to aid victims of the Ebola crisis.
    Throughout the day there's been a steady flow of artists coming and leaving the studio.
    The Project, Band Aid 30, takes place almost 30 years after musician and philanthropist Bob Geldof invited some of the biggest stars at the time to record a charity single, to help those affected by famine in Ethiopia.
    The latest lineup includes British pop band One Direction as well as singers Ed Sheeran, Ellie Goulding, Emeli Sande, Paloma Faith and Sam Smith.
    U2's Bono is so far the only artist from the original lineup returning, with Coldplay's Chris Martin also contributing.
    Geldof and Midge Ure, who co-wrote the first Band Aid track, stepped outside the studio several times throughout the day to give waiting media an update about the recording process.
    "As you can imagine it's - organised chaos," Ure said. "We have a wealth of artists in there, some serious talent, they're all sitting up there just now, chatting like it's a bit of a party, now aren't they? We've had a couple of fantastic vocals so far.
    "Rita Ora was in at 8 o'clock this morning, God bless her, in there doing a great vocal track. Ed Sheeran could have done the entire track on his own because he's brilliant. So we're about to go up and do the choral vocals."
    During a news conference earlier this week Ure and Geldof confirmed that the original version would be tweaked to play down the previous emphasis on feeding the hungry and instead reflect the current situation. Ure said he was pleased with the process so far.
    "We're trying to keep the essence of the original version; the atmospherics and the sensitivity of it along with the balance of the big sing along kind of glory ending," Ure said. "And I think we've got that. But we've dragged it into the 21st century. It sounds very contemporary."
    Geldof, frontman for Irish new wave band The Boomtown Rats, also said how he tried to get all the artists into the right mood ahead of the recording.
    "I did a little talk before like the headmaster and said, "OK, this is why we're here, this is what it's about. When you sing this, be aware that the rest of the world will be singing it with you. Put all the feeling of what it is you want to say into it'," Geldof said.
    One after the other stars started leaving the studio once they had finished their vocal part.
    Describing the atmosphere inside, singer Paloma Faith said: "Everyone is very nice and encouraging. There's like a good sense of like camaraderie between everyone
    Ellie Goulding, who also left shortly after lunchtime, said she got caught up in the atmosphere inside.
    "I'm still kind of buzzing, it was so kind of like, I haven't quite you know - haven't quite, what's the word? Processed it. That's the word, I haven't processed it. But - yes, it was amazing, yes," Goulding said.
    One Direction band member Liam Payne said he felt honoured to be part of such an important project.
    "It's so amazing, it's great to be involved in something like this," Payne said. "Obviously charity is so important but something like this but what a prestigious thing with so many great legends of music. It's been really, really good.
    "Sir Bob did a little speech at the start which really like kind of settled home for us of what this is all about, how it's going. It's been so, so good. We just can't believe that we're involved in something like this."
    A video to accompany the single is set to premiere on Sunday evening (November 16) on British TV talent show X Factor.
    The song will be available for 99 pence ($ 1.55) as a download from Monday (November 17). A physical copy, costing £4 ($6.27), will follow in three weeks with the artwork done by British artist Tracey Emin.
    In an effort to encourage people buy the song, it will only become available on music streaming platforms like Spotify from January 2015.
    Proceeds of the single will benefit the Band Aid Trust "In the global fight against Ebola," according to a statement.
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