‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’: The Band Aid Gift That Keeps On Giving

On the momentous date of November 25, 1984, an entire studio full of British pop stars gathered in London to raise funds for Ethiopian famine relief. They came to be known as Band Aid and helped the Bob Geldof and Midge Ure composition “Do They Know It’s Christmas” sell 3.75 million copies in the UK alone, and nearly 12 million worldwide by the end of the decade. With updated versions peopled by the new stars of each era, including a 40th anniversary edition in 2024, it truly is the song that keeps on giving.

The track was recorded at Sarm West Studios on that Sunday, as the British music industry rallied in the most extraordinary fashion to Geldof’s outrage at the plight of millions of victims of the Ethiopian famine, which had started in 1983. His initial hope was that the all-star single might raise perhaps £70,000 for the cause; it actually realised an estimated £8 million in a year, as the entire nation got involved in special events to add money to the swelling coffers.

The featured solos on the original “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” by such stars as Paul Young, Boy George, George Michael, and Bono, soon became instantly recognizable highlights. Other artists that appeared on the single included some surprising and sometimes incongruous contributors. These included members of Geldof’s Phonogram labelmates and soul-pop hitmakers Kool and the Gang; Jody Watley of another hit US soul crossover group, Shalamar, and Glenn Gregory of cutting-edge electronic band Heaven 17.

Several major British stars were unable to appear on the track because of prior commitments, including Paul McCartney and David Bowie; they added spoken messages to the B-side, as did Holly Johnson of the biggest new UK act of that year, Frankie Goes To Hollywood. It’s not always remembered, either, that Phil Collins is playing drums on the recording, or that John Taylor of Duran Duran is on bass.

Band Aid, Live Aid, and USA For Africa

“Do They Know It’s Christmas” entered the UK chart at No.1 in mid-December and stayed there for five weeks, well into January 1985. The original returned to the bestsellers the following Christmas, reaching No.3, by which time it, and the Live Aid extravaganza, had inspired the equivalent American contribution, USA For Africa’s “We Are The World.”

While the British song itself only made No.13 on the Billboard Hot 100, that was more of a reflection of less wall-to-wall airplay in the US than elsewhere; it was certified gold in the States even before the 1984 festive season arrived. After George Michael’s appearance on “Do They Know,” Wham! donated all the royalties from their own festive smash “Last Christmas”/“Everything She Wants” to the Band Aid Trust.

Bob and Midge’s song has continued to reappear in new all-star recordings on significant anniversaries. The fifth anniversary 1989 edition, billed as Band Aid II, was recorded at hit producers du jour Stock Aitken Waterman’s London studio, and featured stars they had collaborated with, such as Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Sonia, and Cliff Richard. Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward of Bananarama became the only artists to appear on both singles, and the 1989 version also featured artists ranging from Chris Rea and Kevin Godley to Jimmy Somerville and Wet Wet Wet. It was No.1 in the UK for three weeks, although it only spent three more in the Top 100.

The song’s 20th anniversary in 2004 prompted a Band Aid 20 update produced by Nigel Godrich, who had made his name as Radiohead’s studio confidant and subsequently worked with Beck, R.E.M., and Travis among others. Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood played on the Band Aid 20 incarnation, which featured Paul McCartney on bass and vocals by the similarly returning Bono. Stars of the period such as Snow Patrol, Natasha Bedingfield, Beverley Knight, Sugababes, Will Young, and Coldplay’s Chris Martin (one of the instigators of the update) all sang on the track, which spent all of December 2004 atop the UK chart.

In 2014, the song’s 30th anniversary was marked by the Band Aid 30 version of “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” produced by Paul Epworth (Adele, Florence + The Machine et al). This time, One Direction, Bastille, Ellie Goulding, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and, again, Bono, donated vocals to the single. It was No.1 in the UK for one week in late November.

An Ultimate Mix For 2024

More recently, this indestructible song and message rose again for the “Do They Know It’s Christmas? – 2024 Ultimate Mix,” produced and mixed by another British studio master, Trevor Horn, and incorporating vocals from all of its predecessors except the one from 1989. It ends with David Bowie’s spoken message from the 1984 B-side, on which he simply requests: “It would be wonderful if you could all buy copies of this record.” An excerpt from Michael Buerk’s BBC news report from Ethiopia in 1984, which first alerted Geldof to the urgency of the Ethiopian crisis, is also included.

In the digital era, streams of the original version have routinely taken it back into the Top 40, and indeed to the Top 10 in each year from 2018 to 2021. Even if public attitudes to charity fundraising may have shifted since 1984, “Do They Know It’s Christmas” remains one of pop’s most powerful calls to arms.

Listen to the best Christmas songs on Apple Music and Spotify.