THEY gathered in the same studio to record the same song… but what a difference 30 years makes.
Back in 1984, the group that sang the original Do They Know It’s Christmas? included such global superstars as David Bowie, Paul McCartney and George Michael.
Today? The new Band Aid features three social media celebrities with millions of fans on the internet – but no experience of professional singing.
In a sign of the times, Zoe Sugg, Joe Sugg and Alfie Deyes – all made famous by YouTube – are part of the group of performers Sir Bob Geldof has gathered around him for the project, which is raising money to help alleviate the ebola crisis.
The trio have become known for creating and publishing short clips on the video sharing website. Zoe, 24, posts beauty and fashion videos under the name Zoella and has more than 6.5 million subscribers.
The “YouTubers”, as they are known, are joined on the track by veteran musicians including Sir Bob and Bono, as well as rising stars of the new generation such as Ed Sheeran.
And in another modern twist, some of the biggest acts in the line-up are those made famous by reality television – such as boy band One Direction, who were formed on The X-Factor in 2010. They have gone on to become a worldwide phenomenon and topped the UK charts three times. Fellow X-Factor star, Olly Murs, has had four No 1 hits.
Elsewhere, however, the new Band Aid line-up includes 11 musicians who have never had a UK No 1 single – a stark contrast to the original group that included members of Bananarama, Duran Duran and Status Quo.
The new cohort does have 28 No 1s between them, but half of these come from veteran stars Bono, 54, Midge Ure, 61, Queen drummer Roger Taylor, 65, and Sir Bob, 63.
Members of the bands Bastille, Elbow and Underworld, as well as artists including Emeli Sande, 27, Paloma Faith, 33, and Jessie Ware, 30, are all taking part despite having never had a single top the UK charts.
However, their luck might be about to change – as the power of the internet has allowed Do They Know It’s Christmas? to climb the charts three weeks before it is even released. So many fans have pre-ordered a copy on Amazon that it has shot to second on the shopping website’s list of most purchased singles.
The line-up of performers on the track also includes two British rising stars – 22-year-old Sam Smith and Rita Ora, 23. – Daily Mail