Here's to you, raise a glass for everyone. Here's to them underneath that burning sun... Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
It's Christmas time! Well, everyday is supposed to be Christmas day, isn't it? And Band Aid's music marked Christmas with a song that makes people aware of their ability to free millions of less fortunate people from the enslaving bondage of hunger... and actually challenges people to do so: "Feed the World".
Watching this video is like watching my teenage days... frame after frame is filled with memories. I consider myself very lucky to have spent my teenage days in the '80s - during those awesome days of the second "British Invasion". And this video is a testament of those wonderful days... showcasing those brilliant British and Irish acts - from Duran Duran to U2, from Culture Club to Wham, from Status Quo to Ultravox, from Spandau Ballet to Bananarama, from Sting to Paul Young, from Paul Weller to Jim Kerr, from Phil Collins to Bob Geldof. Ah, they who filled my teenage days with unforgettable music.
Assembled by Boomtown Rats's Bob Geldof of the "I don't like Mondays" fame and Ultravox's Midge Ure of the original version of "Dancing with tears in my eyes" fame, Band Aid was a gathering of among the most famed British and Irish (and American) recording artists in the '80s. The "supergroup" recorded "Do they know it's Christmas?" to raise funds to aid the famine victims of Ethiopia. It was a successful single, shooting to #1 in the British Chart upon its release in November 1984, and remained in the #1 spot for five weeks. With one million copies sold on its first week of release, the record remains to be the fastest-selling record of all time in the UK, and one of the biggest-selling records in the UK (and the world) to date. It raised more than £10 million for the Ethiopian famine relief fund.
In the following year, the record became a concert dubbed as "Live Aid", featuring the contributors in the original single plus a few more, and their American counterparts, USA for Africa - the brainchild of the late Michael Jackson, and Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones. I remember being awed by how Phil Collins flew on the Concorde to be in two continents (North America and Europe) to perform in the two venues for the intercontinental concert and via-satellite global airing of "Live Aid": the Wembley Stadium in London, England and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Close to 2 billion people from about 150 countries watched the live broadcast of "Live Aid"... and it was a truly joyous occasion for music fans all around the globe. As a teenager, it was a "magic moment" for me. I saw how talent, will and commitment to wonderful things can create a miracle - bringing people together for a common cause, and producing remarkable results, too. All of that while letting happiness envelope the globe... through music. Absolutely brilliant!
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Acknowledgement: Thanks for the video, YouTube.
