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"Well Tonight Thank God It's Them Instead Of You" Bono 1984

Writer's picture: Robbie - The 80s Rewind Show PodcastRobbie - The 80s Rewind Show Podcast


"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a charity single originally recorded by the supergroup Band-Aid in 1984 to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. Bob Geldof, the lead singer of the Boomtown Rats, and Midge Ure, the lead singer of Ultravox, in response to a BBC news report on the famine crisis in Ethiopia, wrote the song.

The single was recorded in just one day on November 25, 1984, at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, London. The song features vocals from some of the biggest names in British music at the time, including Bono, Phil Collins, Sting, Boy George, and George Michael.

The single was released on December 3, 1984, and became an instant success, selling over a million copies in the first week alone. It reached number one in the UK singles chart and stayed there for five weeks, becoming the fastest-selling single in UK chart history. The song also became a massive hit worldwide, reaching the top ten in over 20 countries.

The success of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" inspired other charity supergroups, such as USA for Africa's "We Are the World," recorded in 1985, and Band Aid II and Band Aid 20, recorded in 1989 and 2004, respectively.

The money raised from the sale of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" went to the Band-Aid Trust, which was set up to administer the funds raised by the single. The trust distributed the money to various charities working to alleviate the famine in Ethiopia.

Overall, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was a massive commercial success and a groundbreaking charity single that raised awareness of the famine crisis in Ethiopia and inspired millions of people worldwide to donate to the cause.




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