http://2paragraphs.com/2014/11/un-asks-bob-geldof-for-do-they-know-its-christmas-for-ebola/

UN Asks Bob Geldof For ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?” For Ebola

by 2Paragraphs in Daily Edition | November 15, 2014

U2 lead singer Bono and popular musicians including boy band One Direction are recording a new version of the Band Aid charity song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” This time the money will go to fight Ebola in Africa. Other artists will include Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith.

It’s been 30 years since Bob Geldof of The Boomtown Rats led the Band Aid effort to help those affected by famine in Ethiopia. In 1984, the song raised 8 million pounds ($11 million) and featured singers including George Michael and David Bowie. Geldof said the United Nations contacted him, “saying help was urgently needed to prevent the disease from spreading beyond West Africa.” Ebola has killed more than 5,000 people this year.

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/nov/15/-sp-band-aid-30-do-they-know-its-christmas

Stars of 2014 recreate Band Aid spirit as musicians unite to help Ebola victims

Thirty years after original Do They Know it’s Christmas? single, new version could hit No 1

Tracy McVeigh

Saturday 15 November 2014 16.51 EST

Same studio, same month, but several new faces, most of whom were not born when the first Band Aid single was recorded three decades ago.

Saturday saw the remaking of Do They Know It’s Christmas?, the single that raised millions for famine relief in Ethiopia in 1984. Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, the same pair who organised the supergroup of British and Irish pop stars then, hope this weekend’s Band Aid incarnation will bring in similar amounts of money to help combat Ebola in west Africa.

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There was a change in the attitude of the government too. George Osborne announced via social media that he had spoken to “the remarkable” Bob Geldof: “Told him we’ll waive VAT on #BandAid30 so every penny goes to fight Ebola.” In 1984, Margaret Thatcher refused to allow VAT to be waived on the original Band Aid single before finally relenting under Geldof-led pressure.

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The Band Aid 30 single will be first broadcast on television on The X Factor and released on Monday 17 November. It will cost 99p to download or £4 to buy on a CD, which will include a Tracey Emin-designed cover featuring the words Faith, Love and Trust in neon. On Saturday night the new single was not quite the bookies’ favourite to take the Christmas number one spot. That position was held by whoever wins the X Factor final.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-30061576

Band Aid 30: Stars unite for recording session
15 November 2014 Last updated at 14:12

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The music video will be edited in "record time" so it can be shown on The X Factor at 20:00 GMT on Sunday.

The song will be made available to download at 08:00 GMT on Monday, priced 99p. A CD version costing £4 will be released three weeks later with a cover designed by artist Tracey Emin.

The track will not be made available on Spotify and other music streaming services until January.

Geldof told fans: "Come Monday at 08:00 when every station plays this track across the nation, buy this thing. Don't go looking for it free. Buy it."

The original version sold 3.7 million copies. Five years later, another version was produced by Stock, Aitken and Waterman, largely featuring their artists such as Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Sonia.

In 2004, Band Aid 20 was recorded by the likes of Coldplay, Dizzee Rascal, Ms Dynamite, Will Young and Robbie Williams.

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There's a world outside your window
And it's a world of dread and fear
Where the only water flowing
Is the bitter sting of tears
And the Christmas bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of doom
Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you

Bai Kamara Jr, a singer songwriter from Sierra Leone, has worked with the United Nations to help refugees and has penned songs on issues ranging from the environment to social injustice. Now he is channeling his efforts to fight the deadly Ebola virus plaguing his native Sierra Leone.

"The money will go directly to Merdecins Sans Fronti res because they are involved on the ground, they are helping in the fight, they're the frontline soldiers and the money goes directly to them, helping the nurses who are actually on the front line," he said.

"We need to shore up our health services because what happened with the situation on the ground was we already had a health service that was not strong enough, so with the whole Ebola issue the whole health system just collapsed immediately, so this should give an impetus for our leaders today to say we have to get our health system up to scratch and also education, health and education go together. So I hope we have learned from that and I hope we take some serious measures, our civic leaders and politicians take some serious measures to make sure they improve our health systems," Kamara said.