Watch Band Aid 30 “Do They Know it’s Christmas”
For the 30th anniversary of Band Aid, musician and renowned philanthropist, Bob Geldof, recently brought together a star-studded cast of UK and Irish performers to record, “Do They Know it’s Christmas,” a charity single that’s designed to raise money to help combat the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.
The single, which is available on iTunes now for $1.29, features performances by Bono, Chris Martin (Coldplay), Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin), Roger Taylor (Queen), Ellie Goulding, Seal, Sinead O’Connor, One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, and more.
After the single was premiered last night on the UK version of The X Factor, Geldof said that it raised £1million in five minutes.
“It really doesn’t matter if you don’t like this song,” offered Geldof. “It really doesn’t matter if you don’t like the artists, it really doesn’t matter if it turns out to be a lousy recording — what you have to do is buy this thing.”
The first incarnation of “Do They Know it’s Christmas” was recorded in 1984 as a way to raise money for those in Ethiopia affected by famine. The track was also re-recorded for other charitable endeavours in 1989 and 2004.
A physical version of Band Aid 30’s “Do They Know it’s Christmas” will be released on December 8.
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