A new 40th-anniversary mix of Band Aid's iconic charity single, Do They Know It's Christmas? is set to bring together the voices of artists from across the generations.
The "ultimate" version, titled Do They Know It's Christmas? – 2024 Ultimate Mix, will premiere on UK breakfast radio and streaming platforms on November 25, marking the 40th anniversary of the original recording.
The new mix will feature vocals from three previous editions of the song, including Harry Styles, George Michael, and Chris Martin, blending young and old voices, such as Bono, in a unique collaboration. Produced by Trevor Horn, the track will be backed by an all-star Band Aid house band, comprising legendary musicians like Paul McCartney, Sting, and Phil Collins.
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Brian Aris/BBC/PA)The compilation album, released on November 29 on CD and vinyl, will include the new mix, as well as the original Band Aid, Band Aid 20, and Band Aid 30 versions of the song, plus the Live Aid Wembley 1985 performance. A fresh video by Oliver Murray, the creative mind behind The Beatles’ 2023 single Now And Then, will accompany the song.
It features David Bowie introducing the song’s stars and Michael Buerk’s BBC news report on the song. At the ripe age of 93, artist Sir Peter Blake has made a comeback to design a new cover for the latest version.
He was the one who designed the original Band Aid sleeve in 1984, which showcased a collage of standard Christmas card tropes set against the disgrace of a hungry child. When the single is sold on vinyl, a minimum of £5 will be donated to the Band Aid Trust.
If it's sold on CD, at least £1.50 will be donated, and when downloaded digitally, a minimum of 50p will be donated. The original Band Aid single saw artists unite in 1984, led by Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof and Ultravox’s Midge Ure, to aid charities working with starving children in Ethiopia.
Do They Know It’s Christmas? shot straight to number one that year and became the fastest-selling single of all time in the UK, selling a million copies in its first week alone. It stayed at number one for five weeks, eventually selling more than three million copies.
The song’s records were finally surpassed in 1997 by Sir Elton John’s double A-side of Candle In The Wind and Something About The Way You Look Tonight, released after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
A new rendition, Band Aid II, was released in 1989, produced by Stock Aitken and Waterman. It featured only two artists from the original song - Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward of Bananarama.
Subsequent versions, Band Aid 20 and Band Aid 30, were released on the 20th and 30th anniversaries of the song respectively. The proceeds from Band Aid 20 went towards aiding Sudan's troubled Darfur region, while Band Aid 30's proceeds were directed towards the 2014 Ebola crisis.
All versions of the song debuted at number one on the UK singles chart. This news follows the BBC's announcement of a new documentary – The Making Of Do They Know It’s Christmas? – which will reveal 75 minutes of original footage, shot on 16mm film, documenting how the song was recorded in a single day at a London studio.
The programme is set to air on BBC Four on November 29 at 9pm.
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