Band Aid is BACK for 40th anniversary with epic Xmas track including George Michael and Harry Styles
Find out the exact date when you can stream and buy the new 2024 version
IT is one of the biggest songs in UK chart history, but Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? is about to get even bigger.
A new version of the song — being released to mark the 40th anniversary — will feature previous renditions melded into one.
So, like something out of a sci-fi film, listeners will hear Harry Styles singing alongside a young George Michael, and Sting collaborating with Sam Smith.
But sadly, it means we won’t get the current crop of stars such as Dua Lipa, Stormzy, Sam Fender, and Raye putting their own spin on the track, which was first recorded in 1984 and updated in 1989, 2004, and 2014.
A music insider said: “There was a lot of criticism when the last Band Aid single was recorded, so they decided to celebrate this anniversary differently.
“But it will be amazing to listen to, with so many different stars through the years seemingly collaborating with each other. It will still raise lots of money for charity.”
The track — which might just be the most star-studded song of all time, with 111 musicians featured — is being called the 2024 Ultimate Mix.
It will be released on streaming services on November 25 and four days later on CD, vinyl, and download sites.
Other acts who will be heard collaborating include Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Elbow’s Guy Garvey, Sugababes, Bananarama, Seal, Sinead O’Connor, Rita Ora, and Robbie Williams.
Bob Geldof came up with the original in 1984, and it became the fastest-selling single in UK chart history.
After subsequent versions were released, there were criticisms from artists including Emeli Sande and Fuse ODG, who said the song reinforced negative stereotypes about Africa and felt like a quick fix to a bigger problem.
That said, I’m sure it will still raise a shed-load of cash for charity — so that can only be a good thing.
Band Aid's incredible success
The original Band Aid single saw artists join forces in 1984, led by Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof and Ultravox’s Midge Ure to help charities working with starving children in Ethiopia.
Do They Know It’s Christmas? went straight to number one that year and became the fastest-selling single of all time in the UK, selling a million copies in the first week alone.
It remained at number one for five weeks, going on to sell more than three million copies.
The song’s records were eventually beaten in 1997 by 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 version, Band Aid II, followed in 1989, produced by Stock Aitken and Waterman which featuring just two of the artist’s from the song’s first iteration in Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward of Bananarama.
Band Aid 20 and Band Aid 30 were then released on the 20th and 30th anniversary years of the song respectively, with Band Aid 20 benefiting Sudan’s troubled Darfur region. Proceeds from Band Aid 30 went to help with the 2014