SIR BOB Geldof and Midge Ure have announced that the Band Aid classic Do They Know It’s Christmas? will be rerecorded for the fourth time, this time to raise funds for the fight against Ebola in west Africa.
The track, written in 1984 by Geldof and Ure to raise money for the famine in Ethiopia, is to be covered by some of the biggest-selling British pop acts, from Emeli Sandé, One Direction, Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran to Adele Ellie Goulding, reported The Guardian.
The original 80s track, which featured the voices of George Michael, Bono, Duran Duran and Bananarama, sold 3.7m copies and raised £8m for famine relief in Ethiopia. It was re-recorded again in 1989 and the most recent reincarnation was in 2004, featuring Jamelia, Ms Dynamite and Will Young, as well as a rap from Dizzee Rascal.
During a press conference, Geldof pleaded with people to put aside their reservations about the song in aid of a good cause. “It really doesn’t matter if you hate this song or you don’t like this song, you have to buy this thing,” he said.
“I really urge everyone. Don’t download it, don’t look at it on YouTube. It’s a couple of quid. It’s a great thing to do at Christmas.”
He added: “It’s tragic that modernity has released this beast in the world. This Ebola. This illness renders humans untouchable.”
The Ebola virus, which has called over 5000 people across West Africa since spring this year, is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids or secretions such as urine, blood, sweat or saliva.
Experts say that Ebola can't be spread like flu through casual contact or breathing in the same air.