Band Aid (band)
Band Aid (actually "music group aid", but derived from a sticking plaster of the same name meaning band = bandage) was a band project of international pop stars founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure with the aim of raising money for victims of famine in Ethiopia. The song Do They Know It's Christmas? is now one of the Christmas song classics, returning to the charts in many countries at Christmas time. Three versions have been Christmas number one hits in the UK.
Band Aid
On 28 November 1984, the single Do They Know It's Christmas? was released in the UK. The song reached number 1 in 13 countries, including the Federal Republic of Germany.
Following the success of Band Aid, Bob Geldof organised a worldwide benefit concert Live Aid on 13 July 1985. The first Band Aid project involved (according to the order on the record cover):
- Freddie Mercury
- Adam Clayton (U2)
- Phil Collins (Genesis)
- Bob Geldof
- Steve Norman (Spandau Ballet)
- Chris Cross (Ultravox)
- John Taylor (Duran Duran)
- Paul Young
- Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet)
- Glenn Gregory (Heaven 17)
- Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran)
- Simon Crowe (The Boomtown Rats)
- Marilyn
- Keren Woodward (Bananarama)
- Martin Kemp (Spandau Ballet)
- Jody Watley (Shalamar)
- Bono (U2)
- Paul Weller
- James "JT" Taylor (Kool & The Gang)
- George Michael
- Midge Ure (Ultravox)
- Martyn Ware (Heaven 17)
- John Keeble (Spandau Ballet)
- Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet)
- Roger Taylor (Duran Duran)
- Sarah Dallin (Bananarama)
- Siobhan Fahey (Bananarama)
- Pete Briquette (The Boomtown Rats)
- Francis Rossi (Status Quo)
- Robert "Kool" Bell (Kool & The Gang)
- Dennis Thomas (Kool & The Gang)
- Andy Taylor (Duran Duran)
- Jon Moss (Culture Club)
- Sting (The Police)
- Rick Parfitt (Status Quo)
- Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran)
- Johnnie Fingers (The Boomtown Rats)
- David Bowie
- Boy George
- Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes to Hollywood)
- Paul McCartney
The designer of the record cover, Peter Blake, was also mentioned.
Not on the album cover of the Phonogram single, but were named in the booklet of The Story of the Official Band Aid Video:
- Stuart Adamson (Big Country)
- Bruce Watson (Big Country)
- Tony Butler (Big Country)
- Mark Brzezicki (Big Country)
Also listed there is Paula Yates, Geldof's then partner and later wife.
Band-Aid singles from the Mercury label additionally list Annie Lennox (Eurythmics) and Nigel Planer (from the comedy series The Young Ones) as contributors.
The example of Band Aid was followed by pop stars in other countries. In the USA, USA for Africa was founded in early 1985. The worldwide success of their single We Are the World also helped to alleviate the need in Africa. In Germany, the Band for Africa project initiated by Herbert Grönemeyer reached number 3 in the charts with the single Nackt im Wind.
Band Aid II
Five years later, in 1989, after another drought in Ethiopia, a second Band Aid project was formed. Under the name Band Aid II, Do They Know It's Christmas? was recorded a second time; this time in the typical sound of the producers Stock Aitken Waterman. This recording also reached #1 in the UK charts, though it flopped in all other countries.
Band Aid II consisted of:
Bananarama, Big Fun, Bros, Cathy Dennis, D Mob, Jason Donovan, Kevin Godley, Glen Goldsmith, Kylie Minogue, The Pasadenas, Chris Rea, Cliff Richard, Jimmy Somerville, Sonia, Lisa Stansfield, Technotronic and Wet Wet Wet.
