A group of music artists called “Band Aid’ came together and recorded “Do They Know It’s Christmas” in 1984. The song is about a world different from the one in which we live in.
Midge Ure, one of the song’s writers says, “It was a song written for a specific purpose: to touch people’s heartstrings and to loosen the purse strings.” It was created to bring awareness among people about charity and giving to the needy. In fact the 1984 recording was done to raise money for a famine in Ethiopia.
The song was then recorded again on its 30th anniversary in 2014 and included top artists like One Direction and Sam Smith and managed to top the charts and it’s pre-orders raised $1.6 million and was also a bestseller on iTunes.
The song has been recorded again, not by top musicians but by- a group of firefighters — The Fire Tones. They are doing it not only to raise money for Band Aid’s Charity Trust, but to help The Fire Fighter’s Charity as well. It’s YouTube music video has got nearly 60K views and has surpassed expectations of everybody, including it’s organizer, Chris Birdsell-Jones.
He says, “We could never have expected that what started as a small, local idea, would turn into something every national brigade and fire service would show its support to.” He adds, “I’m just absolutely amazed by the reception we’re getting,”
One of the original songwriters of the song too couldn’t help congratulating them, Ure said, “I have nothing but the highest respect for these guys…” Ure added, “…for going way above and beyond the call of duty in making this record.”