The news broke a few hours ago that Bob Geldof and Midge Ure are putting the band back together to rerecord their 1984 charity hit ‘Do they know it’s Christmas?’.
The song, first produced 30 years ago after Bob Geldof saw a report on the BBC news depicting the famine ravaging Ethiopia, has become one of the most iconic Christmas songs of all time – and has twice been rereleased (in 1989 and 2004) and secured the coveted Christmas Number One spot in the British and Irish singles charts.
Band Aid 30 will start production next weekend, with a host of contemporary music stars scheduled to take part, including One Direction, Adele, Florence Welch, Sam Smith, Chris Martin, and Bono – who is the only artist from the original song to be featured on this one.
The new version, which will have new lyrics and raise money for the Ebola crisis in western Africa, will go on sale on Monday, but in the meantime, here’s our definitive ranking of the versions of the song to date…
5: TV Allstars
In 2003, a version of the single was released for charity in Germany, made up of various singers from German pop-music competitions like Popstars, Star Search and Deutschland sucht den Superstar.
Their cover of the song only made it to number three in the charts, and almost all of the featured artists have faded into obscurity.
But the Internet never forgets...
4: Live Aid ends with Band Aid's Do they know it's Christmas?
While this version of the song was never actually released as a single, it deserves a mention given the prominence of Bob Geldof in the performance, and the sheer difficulty of translating a song about Christmas to the stage in Wembley in July.
As performances go, it’s a little… unrehearsed.
It opens with David Bowie, while several 80s pop idols beam and bounce in the background, clapping to the rhythm, and Bob snaps his fingers and pouts. When he finally starts singing, Geldof’s promise to “spread a smile of joy” is delivered like a threat, and then he commits to belting it out like it’s karaoke at your office Christmas party.
As the camera pans to Sting, nobody is having more fun than Andrew Ridgeley of Wham!, whose enthusiastic clapping will never waiver throughout the entire performance. Most of the singers are holding the sheet music and reading the lyrics, despite this being only seven months after the original sold more than 6m copies.
Bono stands in wait, moving into position, mullet flying behind him, to wrestle the mic and complete his line.
But it’s when the camera pulls angle shifts, and the huge crowd is seen facing the stage, that the dodgy version of the song finds its footing, and you’re reminded of the cultural impact Live Aid had.
But the singing is still terrible.
3: Band Aid II
Five years after the original, and the second version of the single was released to raise money for another famine in Ethiopia. Michael Buerk, the BBC journalist whose news bulletin inspired Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to produce the first song, is featured at the beginning and end of the version, reporting from Ethiopia.
Band Aid II was produced by Stock, Aitken and Waterman, and features numerous artists who were signed to the label that came to define British pop music in the late 80s.
No Bono this time, as the U2 frontman’s plaintive line “Well tonight thank god it’s them instead of you,” is performed by Jason Donovan and Matt Goss of Bros, and the only artists from the original to appear on this one are two members of Bananarama – though they don’t get a solo.
The song reached number one in the charts, and is tied together by a bravura performance from Cliff Richard and Lisa Stansfield's hat.
2: Band Aid 20
20 years after the original came Band Aid 20, 2004’s effort to raise much-needed money for the Darfur crisis in Sudan.
The song was plagued with controversies; the album art created by Damien Hirst for the single’s release, which featured a child and the grim reaper, was deemed too frightening for children, and had to be scrapped at the last minute. Bono allegedly insisted on flying in to rerecord his line for the song, despite the fact that Darkness singer Justin Hawkins has already completed that part of the song. Apple also faced harsh criticism when it was revealed that iTunes would not distribute ‘Do they know its Christmas?’, due to the fixed-price policy of the company’s downloads – although iTunes eventually did agree to donate an equal amount of money to the charity cause.
The song opens with Chris Martin and works its way through a number of artists popular in the early years of the 21st century. Band Aid 20 spent four weeks at the top of the charts.
The song is altered slightly from the original, as Dizzee Rascal wrote his own rap lyrics that play out between the song’s original lines.
The song was a critical failure, with music critics not embracing the more sombre version of the melody – and several questioning whether it was ever a good song to begin with.
1: Band Aid
The original and the best, this supergroup charity single redefined what a pop record could do for awareness and raising money. With major rock and pop stars gathered together for the first time, the song has been the subject of documentaries and dramatisations, and is a perennial tune included on Christmas album compilations.
Egos were left at the door, Geldof is often quoted as having said, though 30 years on many of the line-up have faded into obscurity. Still though, more of them seem more likely of a career renaissance than any of the other versions dimly-lit limelighters.
It’s best enjoyed by relishing in George Michael’s warbling and ignoring the casual references to Africa that crumble under the slightest scrutiny. And yes, even Bono’s line is worthy of singling out as the emotional arc of the entire thing - he'll be back to record again (presumably Matt Goss was busy).
Five weeks at the top spot and six million sales later, it leaves some rather big shoes for Band Aid 30 to fill…
