The creation of Band Aid in 1984 was the brainchild of The Boomtown Rats’ Bob Geldof and Ultravox’s Midge Ure. The aim was simple: raise money for relief efforts in Ethiopia, where famine had devastated millions of lives. The method? Gather the biggest names in British pop and rock, stick them in a studio, and record a charity single that would move people to open their wallets.
The result, Do They Know It’s Christmas?, became the second best-selling single in UK history (only Elton John’s Candle in the Wind has sold more) and sparked a wave of high-profile charity projects — from the USA’s We Are the World to the global Live Aid concerts of 1985.
But behind the goodwill, TV cameras, and record-breaking sales, there’s a treasure trove of lesser-known stories — from missed lines and awkward run-ins to drunken antics and backstage mischief. Here’s the real story behind one of music’s most famous charity moments.
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes in Line-Up
The opening line of Do They Know It’s Christmas? — “It’s Christmas time, there’s no need to be afraid” — is delivered by Paul Young. But originally, it was meant for David Bowie.
Bowie couldn’t attend the recording session, though he would later perform the lyric at Live Aid’s Wembley concert and appear on the spoken-word B-side of the single. In his place, Young — fresh from a No. 1 with his cover of Wherever I Lay My Hat — stepped in.
Another notable absence was Queen, who were left out after breaking a cultural boycott of South Africa during apartheid. Although snubbed for the recording, they would later be welcomed to Live Aid, delivering one of the most iconic performances in rock history.
The Impromptu Musician
Most Band Aid participants were members of well-known bands. But one unexpected figure on the track was Marilyn, the androgynous pop singer best known for the 1983 hit Calling Your Name.
Marilyn wasn’t invited — he simply turned up at the studio. Thanks to his friendship with Boy George, he found himself singing on the track, albeit in a small role. While his fame has faded, his name still appears on the song’s roster — a quirky footnote in pop history.
On Board a Concorde
The single was recorded in just 24 hours, but Boy George cut it very fine indeed. When Geldof phoned him, George was in New York on tour with Culture Club. Geldof told him to get on the next flight to London immediately.
George caught the Concorde, arriving at around 6pm with a voice hoarse from touring. To get through his takes, he downed a bottle of brandy — but still needed more attempts than anyone else to nail his part.
The Bitter Sting of Tears
One of the song’s most ironic lines — “the bitter sting of tears” — went to The Police’s Sting.
According to Geldof, “Sting was moaning, ‘Do I have to sing that?’ I said, ‘Yes — it’s just a coincidence that the word sting is in it.’” Sting himself admitted, “There’s a touch of irony there… it wasn’t an accident.”
Bono also resisted his assigned lyric, “Well, tonight thank God it’s them, instead of you,” calling for it to be changed. Geldof refused. Over the years, the line’s controversial nature has led to alternate wordings in later versions of the song.
Setting the Status Quo
Status Quo made their presence felt at the recording — and not just musically. Reportedly arriving high, they had their main contribution to the track cut, replaced by a section sung by Sting, Paul Weller, and Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17.
Their backstage behaviour was equally memorable: spotting the members of Spandau Ballet (hungover, along with Duran Duran), Quo mischievously followed them into the toilets, locked the stalls, and forced the Ballet boys to break the door down to escape.
Inside the Studio
The recording atmosphere was intense but chaotic. Musicians queued for their lines in a cramped space filled with cables, coffee cups, cigarette smoke, and the constant click of cameras. Some scribbled last-minute lyric notes, others chatted nervously, while journalists and photographers darted around capturing candid moments. The day felt part recording session, part media circus.
Phil Collins joked that he was there as “the token drummer” since no one actually needed live drums for the track, while Geldof’s famously sweary live appeal — “Give us your f***ing money!” — during a BBC interview would go down as one of the most quoted charity pleas ever.
Backstage Bust-Ups
While most of the day was harmonious, a few egos clashed. Boy George later recalled that Paul Weller mocked George Michael during the session.
In I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution, Boy George wrote: “The only person who didn’t succumb to the charitable nature of the day was Paul Weller, who decided to have a go at me in front of everybody.” George Michael’s sharp response: “Don’t be a w****** all your life. Have a day off.”
Ratty Reception
Initially, Geldof fiercely defended the single, even challenging Margaret Thatcher’s government over VAT on its sales. But not everyone was impressed. Morrissey dismissed the project as “diabolical” and called Geldof “a nauseating character” — hardly surprising given his reputation for provocation.
Ironically, Geldof himself has since soured on the track, calling Do They Know It’s Christmas? and We Are the World “two of the worst songs in history.” In his words:
“Any day soon, I will go to the supermarket, head to the meat counter, and it will be playing. Every fing Christmas. The butcher looks at me with a little smile and I go, ‘Yeah, yeah. Give me the fing turkey, dude.’”
Chart Domination and Lasting Legacy
Within a week of release, the single had shot to No. 1 in the UK, where it stayed for five weeks. By the end of its first year, it had raised over £8 million for famine relief — an astronomical sum for a single song in 1984.
The Band Aid brand lived on through re-recordings in 1989, 2004, and 2014, each with a new generation of stars. None matched the cultural shockwave of the original, but each kept the spirit — and the debate — alive.
For all the bickering, chaos, and now-regretted lyrics, Band Aid remains one of pop music’s most remarkable collaborations. And like it or not, every December, as shoppers hear those opening notes, somewhere Bob Geldof is muttering in a supermarket queue, “Merry Christmas… now give me the f***ing turkey.”
