The new ‘Ultimate Mix’ of Band Aid’s charity single ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ has arrived, and fans have been taking to social media to share their thoughts. Check it out below.
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The new mix of the song, produced by Trevor Horn, celebrates the 40th anniversary of the original song being shared and brings together all of the voices from three versions of the track, recorded in 1984, 2004 and 2014.
Voices included in the anniversary edition include Sting, Boy George, Sam Smith, Harry Styles, Chris Martin, Elbow‘s Guy Garvey, Sugababes, Bananarama, Seal, Sinéad O’Connor, Rita Ora, Robbie Williams, Kool and the Gang, Underworld and more.
The idea for the charity single was masterminded by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, and sought to raise money for the Ethiopian famine. It sold a million copies in its first week and, at the time, was the fastest-selling single in UK chart history. In recent times, however, it has had a less positive response from some, and been accused of “perpetuat[ing] damaging stereotypes” towards Africa.
Now, the new version of the charity single has been shared, and includes contributions from musicians who are no longer with us, including David Bowie and George Michael – who starred in the 1984 version – and Liam Payne, who was in the 2014 edition.
Bowie’s voice is used at the end of the song, with him saying: “It would be wonderful if you could all buy copies of this record,” and a sample of a Michael Buerk BBC news report from Ethiopia in 1984 is also included.
Now, following the release on streaming platforms and premiere on UK radio this morning (November 25), fans have been taking to social media to share their responses.
Some have been celebrating the new track for blending the three variations together. One described it as a “great job [for a] worthy cause”, while another hailed it as “brilliant”.
Others, however, have been more critical, and accused the new mix of falling short of the 1984 version. “Bin it off give me the original every day of the week,” someone wrote on X/Twitter, while another added: “Thanks, I hate it. Stop. Fucking. With. Classic. Songs.”
Find more responses below.
It is brilliant need to listen a few times bc there are so many voices…..Bob Geldof said make sure you watch The One show tonight ……
— Janice (@JaniceC1997) November 25, 2024
Just heard the 2024 remixed version of Band Aid Do They Know It’s Christmas on the radio on the way into work this morning. Thanks, I hate it. Stop. Fucking. With. Classic. Songs.
— Not Your Rich (@carmanard) November 25, 2024
They absolutely massacred Do They Know It’s Christmas? like what the actual fuck is this new version
— ☾ . cait ( jake bob truther ). (@rovingblades) November 25, 2024
Just heard 2024 Band Aid. Great job worthy cause. Elephant in room?
— Neil Henderson (@Hendehibby) November 25, 2024
Just heard the Band Aid 2024 ultimate mix. Bin it off give me the original every day of the week. #DoTheyKnowItsChristmas
— Darragh Cashman (@darraghcash) November 25, 2024
I appreciate what they did with Band Aid 40 and it is special . . . But I’m sorry nothing will beat the original 1984 version!
— Amyyy (@ImCalledAmyyy) November 25, 2024
“Do they know it’s Christmas” – good side – it made a lot of money but even back in the 1980s some of the words felt uncomfortable and they certainly don’t belong now. So why re-release it? Why not come up with something more appropriate as a Christmas charity song…
— Dawn Carrington (@CarringtonDawn) November 25, 2024
The release of the ‘Ultimate Mix’ of the charity single comes as Ed Sheeran – who recorded in the 2014 version – said that he had not been asked for his permission for the 2024 edition, and if he had been, he would have respectfully declined.
“A decade on and my understanding of the narrative associated with this has changed,” he wrote. “This is just my personal stance, I’m hoping it’s a forward-looking one.”
A source close to Band Aid then told NME that Geldof had reached out personally to Sheeran on the matter, and the former Boomtown Rats frontman would later share a response with the Sunday Times.
“This little pop song has kept millions of people alive,” he told the outlet. “Why would Band Aid scrap feeding thousands of children dependent on us for a meal? Why not keep doing that? Because of an abstract wealthy-world argument, regardless of its legitimacy?”
“No abstract theory regardless of how sincerely held should impede or distract from that hideous, concrete real-world reality,” he added. “There are 600 million hungry people in the world – 300 million are in Africa. We wish it were other but it is not. We can help some of them. That’s what we will continue to do.”
In Sheeran’s comments, the singer-songwriter referenced Ghanaian-English artist Fuse ODG’s stance on ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’, the 2014 version of which he declined to be a part of. In his reasoning, Fuse explained how the efforts to raise money for Africa also led to “perpetuat[ing] damaging stereotypes” on the continent.
“I refused to participate in Band Aid because I recognised the harm initiatives like it inflict on Africa,” Fuse said. “While they may generate sympathy and donations, they perpetuate damaging stereotypes that stifle Africa’s economic growth, tourism, and investment, ultimately costing the continent trillions and destroying its dignity, pride and identity.”
Premiering the song on BBC Radio 2 this morning, Geldof spoke about the new version of the song. Referring to the inclusion of Liam Payne, who tragically died earlier this year, he said (via BBC): “I just thought, ‘Well, he’s here? He’s here [on the record] with his mates. He’s alive with us.’”
He also said that every copy sold or streamed is connected “directly to that meal and that child, or that broken woman or that farmer who just can’t grow something because of climate change, drought or flooding or whatever.”
He added: “That’s what we do daily. And I wake up to 12 of those emails every single day for the last 40 years, but we’ve been able to deal with it because of you.”
Another person, alongside Fuse ODG and Ed Sheeran, to speak out about the potentially negative impact of the track is Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. While acknowledging that the original version was “well-meaning at the time”, Ahmed added that it was “frustrating to see our nation’s ancient history, culture, diversity and beauty reduced to doom and gloom”.
He also said that while the humanitarian efforts from Band Aid are “admirable and to be appreciated”, he feels that it has “has not evolved with the times [and] might end up doing more harm than good”.
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