‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ 2024: Band Aid Song Gets 40th Anniversary Remix, But Should This Holiday Classic Be Reworked?

In 1984, the music supergroup Band Aid was formed to record a holiday song for African family relief titled “Do They Know It’s Christmas.” The song has since become a seasonal classic. In celebration of the song’s 40th anniversary, it’s getting a modern remix. But should it be reworked again?

Details of ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ 40th anniversary remix

“Do They Know It’s Christmas” has been updated in honor of the song’s 40th anniversary. A remix will subsequently combine the original track with three prior versions to honor the relief efforts of the Bob Geldof, Midge Ure tune.

The confirmed vocal takes on the song’s 2024 version include George Michael, Boy George, Sting, Simon Le Bon, Robbie Williams, Dido, Sugababes, Ed Sheeran, Sinéad O’Connor, Sam Smith, Seal, Guy Garvey, and Harry Styles. There will also be two appearances by Chris Martin and three from Bono.

The original song was re-recorded three times. There is the original version, followed by re-recordings in 1989, 2004, and 2014, To accompany the remix, a music video will be released.

The backing band are members of the 1984 and 2004 versions of the song. These musicians include Paul McCartney, John Taylor, Thom Yorke, Phil Collins, and Justin and Dan Hawkins.

Per The Guardian, Bob Geldof says the song “tells the story not just of unbelievably great generational British talent, but still stands as a rebuke to that period in which it was first heard. The 80s proclaimed that ‘greed is good.’ This song says it isn’t. It says it’s stupid.”

Proceeds from the reworked version will benefit the Band Aid Charitable Trust, supporting health and anti-poverty initiatives across Africa.

Should ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ be reworked for its 40th anniversary?

Back in 1984, the idea of humanitarian efforts through music was unique. Therefore, when Bob Geldolf and Midge Ure brought together a host of huge British and Irish pop stars 40 years ago to raise money for Ethiopian famine relief, music fans took notice.

Thus, the one-off 45-record sold a million copies in its first week. At the time, it was the fastest-selling single in UK chart history and raised millions for famine relief efforts.

The song’s subsequent three versions thereafter piggybacked on the original song’s efforts. Monies were also raised to support the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

However, for its 40th anniversary, Band Aid should be perhaps remixed or remastered with the original singers and musicians and perhaps a few new lines to replace the questionable statements of the original lyrics. It would be a way to fix the song’s negative depiction of Africa and continue Geldof’s awareness of humanitarian causes.

But for those who recall the excitement surrounding the first version, it just cannot be topped. Perhaps it was the first time some teenagers were exposed to a political cause. Perhaps they just wanted to feel like they were helping someone outside of their small social circle.

Bob Geldof once reflected on the song negatively in an interview published in 2010 by the Daily Telegraph. “I am responsible for two of the worst songs in history. [One is] ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas? The other one is ‘We Are The World.’” Any day soon, I will go to the supermarket, head to the meat counter and it will be playing. Every f****** Christmas.”

How did Band Aid form?

Band Aid was formed by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, who called together some of the biggest names in the United Kingdom’s music scene to come together on Nov. 25, 1984, to record the track. Geldof secured the promises of everybody involved to provide their services free of charge.

The song was written by Geldof and Ure. It was meant to grab at the heartstrings of listeners regarding the ongoing Ethiopian famine.

The song was recorded in one day and videotaped. A subsequent music video became just as popular as the song, recording the time capsule moment.

SPIN  wrote an article about the song’s intent and its subsequent backlash. “People didn’t want to believe that Live Aid inadvertently caused more suffering and death than the mostly man-made famine and war,” former SPIN editor Bob Guccione, Jr. said. “They wanted to keep the fairy tale that buying a record and donating while watching the world’s biggest rock stars perform was fixing a problem.”

Geldof and Ure’s idea spawned several other efforts dedicated toward famine relief, including USA for Africa’s “We Are the World,” and Live Aid. This trio of ideas raised hundreds of millions of dollars for the cause.

“Do They Know It’s Christmas” 40th anniversary remix will be released on Nov. 25, 2024.