Bob Geldof says 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' supercut planned for 40th anniversary
TORONTO — Bob Geldof is diving into the archives to create a new version of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for its 40th anniversary this year.
The Irish musician tells The Canadian Press he's involved in a supercut of the charity single that blends vocals of pop stars from separate recordings made over the decades.
The original 1984 song was written by Geldof and Midge Ure and featured a who's who of British music stars of the era, including Paul McCartney, Sting and the late George Michael. Record sales raised funds to fight the famine in Ethiopia.
Other versions of the song were recorded in later years, including ones in 2004 and 2014 that featured vocals from Chris Martin of Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and the late Sinéad O'Connor.
Geldof says he envisions the voice of a young Bono from U2 singing alongside Harry Styles, who recorded the song 30 years later as a member of One Direction.
He says English producer Trevor Horn is shaping the idea
"If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't," he says.
"But it's fascinating unto itself, from our perspective."
Geldof is also involved in "Just For One Day," a stage musical retelling of the story behind the 1985 charity concert Live Aid, which he helped organize. The show rolls into Toronto for its North American premiere in January.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2024.
David Friend, The Canadian Press
