Bob Geldof has pulled together a stellar line up of celebrities and musicians for a 30th anniversary performance of Band Aid’s “Do they know it’s Christmas” to raise funds to help fight Ebola in Africa.
Bob Geldof has pulled together a stellar line up of celebrities and musicians for a 30th anniversary performance of Band Aid’s “Do they know it’s Christmas” to raise funds to help fight Ebola in Africa.
It’s been 30 years since the original song was released in 1984 and some of the veteran stars of the original song including Bob and U2’s Bono have reprised their original roles on the new version of the track. It’s the music world’s current young superstars who were grabbing headlines for their participation though including: boyband One Direction, British singer Ellie Goulding, Rita Ora, Ed Sheeran, Olly Murs, Sam Smith and Coldplay frontman (and believed beau of Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence).
The original track, featuring the lyrics “feed the world” was released as a Christmas song in 1984 and helped raise millions of dollars to fight the famine in Ethiopia. The lyrics of the new release have been updated to “heal the world” as it aims to fight the spread of Ebloa.
The Band Aid founder Bob Geldof premiered the new video live on UK television on Sunday night on ITV’s X-Factor where he also made an emotional appeal to the audience to buy the single and help fight the “most anti-human disease” there is.
Bob, who lost his own daughter Peaches under tragic circumstances earlier this year, said: “This is the most anti-human disease but we can stop it, and we will stop it, and we will support those immensely brave NHS doctors and soldiers who have volunteered, and the government who are leading the world on this”
The star studded video saw stars unite to raise funds for Ebola victims.
The new video is similar to the original Band Aid video from 1984 as it shows a myriad of music superstars in the recording studio as they belt out a new rendition of “Do They Know it’s Christmas”
The video showed stars including One Direction’s Harry Styles, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Olly Murs, Ellie Goulding, Sinead O’Connor and Ed Sheeran amongst others as they joked around while recording the charity song in London on the weekend.
Band Aid founder Bob Geldof seen arriving at the London recording studios amidst throngs of fans and photographers waiting outside.
Bono of U2, who was featured in the original Band Aid video 30 years ago was back to contribute again.
Chris Martin of Coldplay was seen arriving.
Boy-band heart-throbs Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles of One Direction.
British singing star Rita Ora
Seal was seen arriving wearing dark glasses before his solo in the new song.
Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, who collaborated on both the original track and the new cover, wave to fans as they arrive for the historic recording.
