A 4K version of the 1984 charity song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” from supergroup Band Aid was uploaded to the video streaming service YouTube last month—while a mash-up combining elements of the original, the 20th and 30th-anniversary versions, was also released to mark the 40th-anniversary milestone.
The update of the original video has already been seen more than 4.2 million times.
Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas? (Official Video) [4K]
Do They Know It’s Christmas? (2024 Ultimate Mix)
The song, which was composed by Irish singer-songwriter Bob Geldof of the Boom Town Rats and Scottish singer-songwriter Midge Ure of Ultravox, featured popular British and Irish musical acts to raise money for the 1983-1985 famine in Ethiopia. It included members of Duran Duran, Culture Club, Spandau Ballet, the Police, Bananarama and Wham! Recorded in a single day, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” was released in the UK on December 7, 1984, becoming a Christmas number one.
The original goal was to raise about £1 million, but it went on to earn £8 million, selling more than a million copies in the first week. Though it reached number one in 13 other countries, it fell short of the Billboard Hot 100’s top ten due to a lack of airplay in the United States.
A Milestone In Charity Songs
The international success of the holiday song led to other charity singles, notably 1985’s “We Are the World,” by USA for Africa and notably the 1985 Live Aid concert.
“Wow, 40 years,” said Bruce Barber, professional in residence and general manager of 88.7 WNHU at the University of New Haven.
“It was a cultural moment in which the MTV generation of the eighties met the political activism of the sixties,” Barber explained. “With “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”—and Later Live Aid—Bob Geldof revitalized the politically-driven work of Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, and Crosby, Stills and Nash to great effect in the Reagan era—which seems in hindsight to be no small feat.”
Geldof recently dismissed repeated criticism the song has received over the past four decades; specifically that it relied too much on old colonial tropes of Africa as a wasteland that required salvation, notably from a nation that was once the dominant colonial power.
“This little pop song has kept hundreds of thousands if not millions of people alive,” Geldof told The Conversation last month. “Band Aid has given hundreds of thousands of pounds to help those running from the mass slaughter in Sudan and enough cash to feed a further 8,000 children in the same affected areas of Ethiopia as 1984.”
A Christmas Staple
Were it released today, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” may have faced fierce competition as pop stars strive to record and release the next holiday classic. Yet, when it was released in 1985, holiday pop songs were a little less common, especially in the United States. Although such acts as the Elvis, the Kinks, The Waitresses and even former Beatle Paul McCartney had previously released Christmas songs, it wasn’t so common.
Band Aid’s pop tune has endured as one most popular holiday tunes around the world.
“It’s not Christmas without hearing ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?” in December, and there’s nothing like hearing that first haunting bell chime and drumbeat,” said Ryh-Ming Poon, chief strategy officer and co-founder of social utility app BUDDY.
The release may have kept one of the largest pop groups of the era from scoring a much coveted UK number one.
Singer George Michael of Wham! took part in the charity song, but that resulted in the pop group’s “Last Christmas,” released days earlier, having to settle for the number two spot. Michael and bandmate Andrew Ridgeley didn’t seem that bothered, however, as they donated their royalties to the Band Aid Trust.
New Documentary Also Available
In addition to the new 4K release of the original video on YouTube, Live Aid has made available a new documentary with footage that had never been seen before. It provided insight into the efforts to record the song in just a single day.
Band Aid – The Making Of The Original ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ (New Documentary, 2024) [4K]
“I can’t believe it’s been 40 years, but when Band Aid first came out with that beautiful and poignant song, I was enthralled,” said Poon. “It was so inspiring seeing all of these big pop stars donating their time and voices for a sad but massive cause. The footage coming out on the famine was heartbreaking, but it felt like everyone could make a difference by donating a little bit when it spawned Live Aid and We Are the World.”
