An “ultimate” model of Band Assist’s well-known festive hit Do They Know It is Christmas? is ready to be launched to mark the track’s fortieth anniversary, that includes the voices of authentic singers in addition to youthful artists.
The monitor will characteristic voices from Band Assist 1984 together with George Michael, Sting and Boy George, alongside the likes of Harry Types, Chris Martin, the Sugababes, and Ed Sheeran, who appeared on the Band Assist 20 and Band Assist 30 variations in 2004 and 2014.
It’ll additionally characteristic the vocals of a younger Bono, who recorded the track’s well-known line – “Well tonight thank God it’s them, instead of you” – singing along with his older self.
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The unique model included artists resembling Sting, Boy George, George Michael, and Bono. Pic: PA
The singers shall be backed by the Band Assist home band of Sir Paul McCartney, Sting, Duran Duran’s John Taylor, Phil Collins, Queen’s Roger Taylor, Supergrass’s Danny Goffey, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood, Paul Weller, Damon Albarn, Midge Ure, Gary Kemp and Justin Hawkins.
Different voices to characteristic on the fortieth anniversary remix embody Sam Smith, Elbow’s Man Garvey, Rita Ora, Bananarama, Seal, Sinead O’Connor, Robbie Williams, Kool And The Gang and Underworld, with proceeds going to the Band Assist Belief.
The historical past of Band Assist
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U2’s Bono additionally returned for the recording of Band Assist 30 in 2014. Pic: Anthony Devlin/PA
Led by Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof and Ultravox’s Ure, the unique Band Assist single noticed artists be part of forces in 1984 to assist charities working with ravenous kids in Ethiopia.
The track went straight to the highest of the charts that 12 months and on the time held the report because the fastest-selling single of all time within the UK, promoting 1,000,000 copies within the first week alone.
It remained at primary for 5 weeks and went on to promote greater than three million copies.
The motion led to the well-known Stay Assist concert events around the globe the next 12 months, with artists together with Queen, Bowie and Sir Elton John acting at Wembley within the UK.
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Harry Types featured on the 2014 model. Pic: AP
Do They Know It is Christmas? was launched once more with completely different generations of stars over the a long time, to lift cash for different causes.
In 1989, Inventory Aitken and Waterman produced Band Assist II, that includes simply two of the artists from the track’s first iteration – Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward of Bananarama.
Band Assist 20 raised funds for Sudan’s Darfur area, whereas the thirtieth anniversary supported these serving to all through the 2014 Ebola disaster.
In celebration of this monumental “instrument of change”, organisers of the brand new model have mentioned, producer Trevor Horn has taken the recordings and blended all of the voices “into one seamless whole”.
The Do They Know It is Christmas – 2024 Final Combine will premiere on UK breakfast radio and streaming on 25 November, the fortieth anniversary of the day artists went into the recording studio to create the unique track. It’ll even be launched bodily on CD and vinyl on 29 November.
It’ll characteristic on a compilation additionally together with the opposite recordings, plus the Stay Assist Wembley 1985 model.
Artist Sir Peter Blake, 93, who designed the unique sleeve – that includes a collage of Christmas card pictures alongside a hungry baby – has returned to create the brand new cowl.
