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The Latest Breaking News from Bob Geldof

‘They didn’t call us for Live Aid’: the stars behind Black Britain’s forgotten charity record

In 1985, a star-studded lineup of Black UK musicians, including Aswad, Dennis Brown and Janet Kay, recorded a charity single to raise funds for famine-stricken Ethiopia. Why are their efforts so little known?

The Guardian - UK

“Bob Geldof said, No, Queen have peaked. I don’t think they should play.” Queen would never have performed their iconic set at Live Aid if Band Aid mastermind Bob Geldof had his way, and Freddie Mercury initially wasn't that keen either

"Freddie smelt blood. He went for the throat."

Louder

“Freddie Mercury got me in a half-nelson. I couldn’t move!”: A rock legend’s backstage antics at Live Aid - and his beef with a fellow star

Bowie was “a nice guy”. Elvis Costello, not so much…

MusicRadar

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“The Edge is multiple echoes and jangling guitars… I’m not convinced… I don’t want to burst the Edge’s bubble”: Midge Ure talks The Edge missing Band Aid and his Thin Lizzy baptism of fire

Plus nearly joining the Sex Pistols and why Lizzy didn’t play Live Aid

MusicRadar

Live Aid campaigner Bob Geldof was ‘scathing about African leaders’, files reveal

Singer urged Tony Blair not to appoint African co-chair to commission on aid, UK government papers show

The Guardian - UK

Geldof urged Blair to take international lead on aid for Africa

Newly released government files show the LiveAid campaigner was ‘scathing’ about ‘weak’ African leadership.

The Independent UK

“That's when the phone lines all over the world collapsed… The moment came when people fully understood what this was for”: The creation of The Cars’ song Drive and how it soundtracked a humanitarian catastrophe

Best of 2024: “The lyrics don't have to mean anything in an intellectual sense. They're endlessly interpretive. They just have to make an emotional sense”

MusicRadar

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“He got a kidney infection, so he’s in hospital… That’s a bit of a drag, because he was going to be the lead guitarist”: The iconic charity rock song that missed out on its star guitarist due to illness – and why it could have sounded very different

Do They Know It’s Christmas? could have ended up with more guitars had fate not intervened

Guitar World

Former Tory party chairman Lord Saatchi ‘finds love again’ 13 years after being widowed

Tory peer discussed new love found with fellow widow and philanthropist Lynn Forester de Rothschild

The Independent UK

Who might be Christmas Number 1 in 2024? When will chart be announced?

Stella Creasy pledges to perform song with band if it makes chart

Evening Standard

Liam Payne: Jingle Bell Ball makes touching tribute to late One Direction band member

Capital’s festive concert honoured the ‘kind and funny’ late singer last night with moving tributes

Evening Standard

“It was a huge disappointment when it didn’t make it to number one”: 40 years on, the story of Wham!’s Last Christmas

A tale of vast ambition, misfired masterplans, tragedy, heartbreak and happiness at last!

MusicRadar

A new Christmas single – but do they know it’s Ed Davey?

The bungee-jumping Lib Dem leader could be just the man to reinvigorate a genre beset by cynicism and creative inertia

The Guardian - UK

Bob Geldof received emotional thank you from Ethiopian waiter for changing his life

Bob Geldof received an emotional thank you from an Ethiopian waiter whose life was changed by Band Aid.

BANG Premier

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BANG Premier

Bob Geldof wants to 'have a talk' with Ed Sheeran

Bob Geldof plans to "have a talk" with Ed Sheeran following his criticism of the new Band Aid 40 release but insisted he thinks the 'Shape of You' singer is a "really good bloke".

Evening Standard

OPINION - I am sick of people criticising Band Aid — this is why they're completely wrong

“Do they know it’s Christmas?” Fuse ODG (real name Nana Richard Obiana) turned down the offer to take part in the 30th anniversary of the original song in 2014 which was to be refashioned to raise money for the Ebola crisis. He says: “I pointed out to Geldof the lyrics…

The Independent UK

Ricky Gervais leaves Bob Geldof unimpressed after cracking joke about Band Aid star on One Show

BBC series’s host Angellica Bell placed her head in her hands after Gervais made the quip

Evening Standard

Bob Geldof says he will chat to Ed Sheeran after his criticism of Band Aid 40 charity single

The singer-songwriter said he didn’t give permission for his vocals to be used on the latest iteration of the classic song

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BANG Premier

Shane MacGowan's widow felt 'suicidal' after his death

Victoria Mary Clarke has revealed she contemplated suicide after losing the singer last year.

The Independent UK

Bob Geldof says he’ll ‘chat’ to Ed Sheeran as listeners call Band Aid 40 song ‘awful’

‘The debate must be made and it means we can argue our point of view even more strongly’

BANG Premier

Mike Stock hits out at Bob Geldof for omitting Band Aid II from Do They Know It's Christmas? Ultimate Mix

Record producer Mike Stock has hit out at Bob Geldof for reducing 1989's Band Aid II to a "footnote" as it is not included in the new 40th anniversary 'Ultimate Mix' of 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'.

The Independent UK

Bob Geldof tells Band Aid 40 critics to ‘shut up’ as he declares charity single is ‘perfect’

Bob Geldof has defended the Band Aid 40 charity single release following backlash from several artists.

MusicRadar

“We were on our way to our Christmas party when Bob Geldof called us and said ‘It’s your turn’”: The story of Band Aid II, the Do They Know It’s Christmas? they tried to forget

With the 40th anniversary remix featuring nothing from 1989’s version, let’s take a deep dive into the big-selling charity single that no one remembers

Evening Standard

Band Aid stars hit out at Ed Sheeran over vocal permission complaint on charity single

Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley and the song’s producer, Trevor Horn, defended the intentions behind the charity single

The Independent UK

Live Aid promoter dismisses ‘woke do-gooders’ questioning Band Aid after Ed Sheeran statement

Harvey Goldsmith’s comments come after Sheeran said he had changed his stance on the charity single ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’

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