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| Live Aid Credit: https://www.thisdayinmusic.com/liner-notes/live-aid-lineup/ |
Live Aid was fundraising on a world scale for the Ethiopian Famine. It was called a “Global Jukebox”. The two main concerts were held in (UK) Wembley Stadium - 72,000 and (USA) John F Kennedy Stadium - 89,484. At the same time, other countries held smaller concerts, Soviet Union, Canada, Japan, Yugoslavia, Austria, Australia and West Germany. It was one of the largest satellite link ups of all time and reached 1.9 million people, 150 nations. Most of the world saw the concert. Prior to the concert the UK and Irish musicians were bought together to record a song called “Do they know it’s Christmas”
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| Left: Midge Ure Right: Bob Geldof |
Bob Geldof is an Irish singer-songwriter who was the lead singer of the Boomtown Rats in the late 70s, he achieved popularity at the time of the punk rock movement. He was born on 5 October 1951 in a coastal suburb of Dún Laoghaire, Ireland. He was educated at a private Catholic school, but later he said that he didn't enjoy his time there because of its Catholic ethos and bullying for his lack of rugby bravery. After leaving school, he went in certain odd jobs but wasn't inspired by any of them. Later, he went to Canada to work as a music journalist.
In 1975, Bob Geldof became the lead singer of the Boomtown Rats, a punk rock band. He famously started the reason for joining a pop band. By 1978, they achieved their first UK hit single, 'Rat Trap' and later achieved a second hit with the song, 'I Don't Like Mondays'.
By 1984, Bob had moved from being a rock star to an international celebrity for raising awareness of humanitarian charities. In October 1984, after watching a British television news report on the extreme conditions of hunger in Africa, Bob Geldof visited Ethiopia to see the difficulty for himself. It was actually that Ethiopia and other African countries experienced a severe famine which led to many thousands of people starving to death. Bob Geldof and Midge Ure decided to do something about it, they released a single, "Do They Know its Christmas Time". It was an unplanned event with many of the best-known names in pop music invited. It became an instant best-seller, selling a record of 3 million copies.
Geldof continued his mission the following year by planning two 16-hour concerts to be held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London, England and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. This extravaganza aimed at raising money and awareness for Africa. It was a unique musical event capturing the creativity and attention of the world. The highlights included Paul McCartney, the surviving members of Led Zeppelin, Mick Jagger in duets with Tina Turner and David Bowie; Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Queen (British rock band), whose popularity rose after their inspired performance.
The Live Aid concert was broadcasted live to 110 countries and raised over $127 million. Again, Bob Geldof travelled again to Ethiopia to supervise the delivery of supplies bought with the funds raised.
Following this concert, Bob became more involved in work for non-governmental organisations in Africa and became one of the leading spoke people on Third World Debt Relief.
Bob Geldolf was knighted in 1986 and is often affectionately known as 'Sir Bob'. He was married to Paula Yates, though they later split up. Currently, he is married to Jeanne Marine since 2015 and has 5 children.
James Ure (stage name, Midge Ure) is a Scottish musician, singer-songwriter and producer who involved in several bands and was the front man for Ultravox. Born on 10 October 1953, in the town of Cambuslang in Scotland, Midge Ure enjoyed in particular success in the 1970s and 1980s in the bands of Silk, Thin Lizzy, Rich Kids and Visage. Ure began his professional music career with Salvation, a Glasgow-based group that became the bubblegum bank Silk in 1974. Upset in the change of direction, James Ure left to band to join the Rich Kids, a punk-pop group led by former Sex Pistol bassist Gln Matlock. The Rich Kids only released one album, the 1978's Ghosts of Princes in Towers, before breaking up a year later, Midge Ure spend a brief time with the Misfits (not the American band) before forming Visage with summer Rusty Egan and vocalist Steve Strange, he left the group to replace Gary Moore in Thin Lizzy, who had left in the middle of an American tour. After the tour was finished, Midge Ure fulfilled an agreement to join Ultravox as the replacement for John Foxx.
Once he joined the band in 1980, he helped made Ultravox a mainstream success. During this time, he also worked as a producer, making records with Steve Harley and Modern Man. in 1982, Ure released a solo single, a cover of the Walker Brothers' hit "No Regrets", it climbed into the UK Top Ten.
Midge Ure and Bob Geldof formed Band Aid, a special project to aid famine relief efforts in Ethiopia, in 1984. The two wrote the song, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and assembled an all-star band of British musicians to record the single; it song millions of copies over the 1984 holiday season and prompted Bob Geldof to organise the benefit concert Live Aid in 1985.
Midge Ure was recognised as an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire).
Lyrics
It's Christmas time, there's no need to be afraid
At Christmas time, we let in light and we banish shade
And in our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world at Christmas time
But say a prayer, Pray for the other ones
At Christmas time it's hard, but when you're having fun
There's a world outside your window
And it's a world of dread and fear
Where the only water flowing
Is the bitter sting of tears
And the Christmas bells that ring
There are the clanging chimes of doom
Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you
And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time
The greatest gift they'll get this year is life
Where nothing ever grows
No rain nor rivers flow
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
Here's to you
Raise a glass for everyone
Spare a thought this yuletide for the deprived
If the table was turned would you survive
Here's to them
Underneath that burning sun
You ain't gotta feel guilt just selfless
Give a little help to the helpless
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
Feed the world
Feed the world
Feed the world
Feed the world
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time again
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time again
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time again
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time again
Feed the world
Feed the world
Feed the world
Feed the world
Feed the world
Feed the world
(Feed the world)
Feed the world
Feed the world
