For the fourth time, the hit holiday charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas" will be getting a new edition. In recent weeks, it was announced that Bob Geldof would be reforming a version of Band Aid to help benefit Ebola sufferers in Africa, and some of the biggest musicians in England including One Direction, Ed Sheeran and Bono are slated to be involved.
Ellie Goulding, Sam Smith, Sinead O'Connor, Bastille, Underworld and Elbow join 1D, Sheeran and Bono in the initially announced acts for Band Aid 30's "Do They Know It's Christmas," according to The Hollywood Reporter. Paul Epworth, who has previously worked with the likes of Adele and Lana Del Rey will produce the single.
Read also: Recruiting for the New "Do They Know It's Christmas?": One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Adele and More
Though the Band Aid 30 marks the first appearance on the hit charity single for the majority of these artists, it will mark Bono's third appearance on "Do They Know It's Christmas." The U2 frontman and philanthropist has previously appeared on the 1984 and 2004 versions of the song.
"Do They Know It's Christmas" will be recorded this Saturday, Nov. 15, in London. More acts are expected to be announced in the coming days.
Like its previous three incarnations, Band Aid 30's "Do They Know It's Christmas" will benefit the poor and hungry in Africa, though this time some of song's lyrics have been altered to address the current Ebola crisis in the region.
"For 30 years, we've been boring people to death about the great inequalities of the world, whereby 50 percent still live on two dollars a day. That's disgraceful. It's ridiculous, and it's unnecessary," Geldof said in a statement. "And what they were dying of in 1984 was of course hunger, but they died essentially because they were poor. We know we can contain Ebola; we have the doctors, the nurses, medicines and state systems. We have money. They're dying again because they are extremely poor. That is radically unacceptable."
Quincy Jones is working on a similar African charity single featuring American artists. French and German singles will also be recorded.
© 2024 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.