VARIOUS: BRITISH MUSICIANS RECORD NEW VERSION OF SONG "DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS"

Record ID: 836599

  • Title: VARIOUS: BRITISH MUSICIANS RECORD NEW VERSION OF SONG "DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS"
  • Date: 16th November 2004
  • Summary: (W8) LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, (NOVEMBER 14, 2004) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) BOB GELDOF SAYING: "It just seems to exist as a little cultural artefact that can be used to make a political point and to move the political agenda. And in so doing, collect money that will keep many, many, many people alive. That's what it seems to exist for and what ever intent we started off, off it went into the world with its own life and it continues today."
  • Embargoed: 1st December 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM/MAKALE AND KOREM, ETHIOPIA
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom Ethiopia
  • Topics: Entertainment,General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8C7WMH0LKXDLD7TIE2RUIYABB
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: British musicians record a new version of the song 'Do they know it's Christmas' - 20 years after it was first released.
    Twenty years after the release of one of the biggest singles of all time, leading music artists have gathered to re-record the Bob Geldof-inspired charity hit "Do They Know It's Christmas?"
    The new line-up, including international stars such as such Dido, Robbie Williams and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, is called Band Aid 20 to mark the two decades that have passed since the original version hit the shelves, selling more than 3.5 million copies in the UK alone.
    The artists, following in the footsteps of David Bowie, Duran Duran and George Michael arrived at a North London studio on Sunday (November 14) to record the chorus lines to the single, which bookmakers have already tipped for the Christmas number one spot.
    Jamelia, Joss Stone, Chris Martin and The Darkness were among those taking part in the recording session, closely followed by Band Aid organisers, Bob Geldof and Midge Ure.
    Geldof, after seeing harrowing news footage of the famine in Ethiopia, together with Ultravox singer Midge Ure Midge Ure created Band Aid, a supergroup of 40 artists, in 1984.
    The disaster in Ethiopia went long ignored and did not catch global attention until the situation was turning catastrophic. Due to the initiative of local Reuters camera operator Mo hammed Amin the crisis in Ethiopia became a leading issue in the agenda of international politics.
    Geldof and Ure, with their star line-up raised over 10 million pounds with the first 'Do They Know It's Christmas' single for famine relief in Ethiopia.
    Geldof, who travelled to Ethiopia earlier this month as part of the British-sponsored Commission for Africa group, became the public face of Band Aid and the subsequent Live Aid concert which raised more than 60 million pounds.
    He emphasised funds raised from the new Band Aid single will go straight to those who need them. This time the proceeds are going to Sudan's volatile Darfur region, where tens of thousands have died since March from disease and malnutrition.
    Geldof, speaking to reporters on Sunday, stressed that although the money made from the new single was of high importance, tackling the cause of the problems and suffering, failings in political decisions, had to be done in order to change the conditions in Africa.
    "Twenty years ago we asked for political change, we pushed on political agenda, we got it at the top of political agenda with Live Aid. This generation is now making a political demand that in the year of the British G8, the British presence in the EU, that this Live Aid Prime Minister, who cut his teeth in that concert, do something finally, significantly," he said.
    Some of Geldof's ideals had clearly rubbed off to his young line-up, who after being shown news footage from the Ethiopian famine, wiping their eyes, spoke very passionately about what they hoped the new single to achieve.
    "It's going to be short-lived if the governments don't drop the debt. I suppose it raises awareness for that issue. There's still a big problem in Africa, bigger now than it was in 1984," said Fran Healy from Travis. "And I guess if you are a singer, all you can do is sing, so, you can only hope it raises money and it raises awareness and maybe puts slightly more pressure on the governments to drop the debt," he concluded.
    R'n'B princess Jamelia, who at the time of the first Band Aid single was only three-years-old, hoped that the single would help people of her generation become more aware of what goes on in Africa.
    "Our generation of people are probably not as aware as they should be of all the poverty that is going on in Africa. And I think that is why we are all in here today, to create that kind of awareness and to show people that these people need help and we have the capabilities to do that, so, you know, I feel that everyone needs to be aware and I'm glad to be part of it and in creating this awareness," she said.
    Ure has described the latest line-up as a "who's who of coolness" after he managed to get big names like Robbie Williams and Dido on board for the slightly re-arranged song.
    Robbie Williams and Dido, having recorded their parts in California and Australia, were absent on Sunday, but that did not slow down the enthusiastic crowd gathered in the recording studio.
    The artists, speaking to reporters upon departure, spoke highly of each other and said that if any rivalry exists between them, there were no signs of it as they went through the chorus lines together. Although no-one was keen to give out too much information on what the new version sounds like, the efforts of Joss Stone and Dizzee Rascal were much praised.
    However, news of Bono suddenly planning on returning to a recording studio later in the same evening to re-record his lines, soon signalled something was wrong in the happy camp.
    Self-assured Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins explained that he had bettered a line originally sang by Bono, which had caused problems.
    "I did one yesterday and I think, Bono did one, he did the whole song, you know, and sent it through, and he said that, he didn't feel like he'd done that line to the best of his abilities but the other stuff he had done was better almost. So, I did it, and I did it better than him, you know. So, his management got kick of the stink, and it obviously means a lot to him and it's a valuable line to him and he needs it, so, I think he's gonna fly back and try again, to try to beat me. If not, I think they are gonna use the original one from twenty years ago, when he was actually my age." The question mark now hangs over how the lines have been divided between the many stars lending their voices for the single, and whether the original song is still recognisable through the new take of it.
    'Do They Know It's Christmas' is released on November 29, and will be sold on CD for £3.99 (UK Pounds Sterling.) It will also be available as a download.
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