Band Aid 30: X Factor Unveiling for Ebola Charity Song
The new Band Aid single has been broadcast for the first time.
A video showing performers including One Direction, Rita Ora and Ed Sheeran singing the reworked Do They Know It’s Christmas? was shown on ITV’s X Factor last night.
They were among the stars who recorded a cover of the 1984 song, to raise money to tackle Ebola, on Saturday.
The current outbreak of the deadly virus was first reported in March and has killed more than 5,000 people, almost all in West Africa.
The UK government has said VAT will not have to be paid on the single.
Organiser Bob Geldof, who was also behind the 1984 original, said he addressed the participants “like the headmaster” before they sang the chorus.
“I explained the situation in West Africa, I explained what the UN were saying, explained what we could do, and just geed them up,” he said.
Speaking on X Factor to presenter Dermot O'Leary, Geldof described the new recording as a “little bit of pop history”.
He said the video - which began with shots of victims of Ebola - was “harrowing and not meant for an entertainment show” but was something the X Factor audience should see.
Other artists taking part included Emeli Sande, Ellie Goulding, Sam Smith, Chris Martin, Elbow, Seal, Jessie Ware, Fuse ODG, Sinead O'Connor, Angelique Kidjo, Olly Murs, Dan Smith, Paloma Faith, Queen drummer Roger Taylor, Clean Bandit and Foals.
Bono, who featured on the original 1984 version, was also involved, as were YouTube video stars Zoella, Alfie Deyes and Joe Sugg, as they thought it would be a good idea to incorporate the 21st Century changes into the single with the rise of fame from YouTube.
Geldof had suggested the song and video shown on X Factor may not be the finished versions.
“We’ll have a rough edit on the X Factor and we’ll have a rough edit of the film,” he said.
The song is available to download, costing 99p now, being released at 8:00GMT this morning. A CD version will be released in three weeks, costing £4.
Geldof and co-writer Midge Ure’s first version of the song raised £8m for famine relief in Ethiopia. Do They Know It’s Christmas? was recorded again in 1989 and 2004.
(originally posted 17th November 2014 www.in-bloom-music.co.uk)
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