Band AidDo They Know It's Christmas?

Genre:

Pop

Style:

Holiday

Year:

Tracklist

Do They Know It's Christmas? (12" Mix) 6:04
Do They Know It's Christmas? (Standard Mix) 3:50
Feed The World 4:20

Credits (46)

Notes

"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a song written in 1984 by Midge Ure in reaction to television reports of the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia.
It was first recorded in a single day on 25 November 1984 at Trevor Horn).
The record became the fastest selling single in UK chart history, selling a million copies in the first week alone and ing 3 million on the last day of 1984. The song was also a major success around the world, reaching number one in thirteen other countries outside the UK.

Versions

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    116 versions
    Image , In Your Collection, Wantlist, or Inventory
    Version Details Data Quality
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984-12-07, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    12", 45 RPM, Single, Orlake Records Pressing
    Phonogram – FEED 112 UK 1984 UK1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    12", 45 RPM, Maxi-Single, Stereo
    Mercury – 880 502-1 Q 1984 1984
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984-12-07, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, Paper Labels
    Phonogram – FEED 1 UK 1984 UK1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
    Mercury – 880 502-7 Netherlands 1984 Netherlands1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    12", 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Stereo, Pitman Pressing
    Columbia – 44-05157 US 1984 US1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, Styrene, Stereo, Pitman Pressing
    Columbia – 38-04749 US 1984 US1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
    Columbia – 38-04749 Canada 1984 Canada1984
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
    Mercury – 880 502-7Q 1984 1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
    Mercury – 880 502-7 Belgium 1984 Belgium1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
    Mercury – 880 502-7 Italy 1984 Italy1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    12", 45 RPM, EP, Stereo
    Mercury – 880 502-1 Netherlands 1984 Netherlands1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    12", 45 RPM, EP, Stereo
    Mercury – 880 502-1 1984 1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    12", 45 RPM, Single
    Mercury – FEED 112 Australasia 1984 Australasia1984
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    12", 45 RPM, Maxi-Single, Stereo
    Mercury – 880 502-1 Belgium 1984 Belgium1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo, International Pressing
    Mercury – 880 502-7 Europe 1984 Europe1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984-12-00, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    12", 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Stereo
    Columbia – 12CXP 05157 Canada 1984 Canada1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    12", 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Promo, Stereo
    Columbia – 44-05157 US 1984 US1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    12", 45 RPM, Maxi-Single, Stereo
    Mercury – 880 502-1 Italy 1984 Italy1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single
    Phonogram – FEED 1 Australasia 1984 Australasia1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984-11-00, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, Silver Injection Labels
    Mercury – FEED 1 UK 1984 UK1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, Silver Injection Labels
    Phonogram – FEED 1 UK 1984 UK1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, Yellow Paper Sleeve
    Mercury – FEED 1 New Zealand 1984 New Zealand1984
    New Submission
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    12", 45 RPM, Maxi-Single
    Mercury – FEED-112 Japan 1984 Japan1984
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single
    Mercury – 880 502-7 1984 1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single
    Phonogram – FEED 1 Australasia 1984 Australasia1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", Single, 45 RPM
    Mercury – 880 502-7 1984 1984
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984-11-00, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", Single, 45 RPM
    Mercury – 880 502-7 Ireland 1984 Ireland1984
    New Submission
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", Single, 45 RPM
    Phonogram – FEED 1 UK 1984 UK1984
    New Submission
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, Promo, Stereo, Pitman Pressing
    Columbia – 38-04749 US 1984 US1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, Silver Injection Labels, Jukebox Centre
    Phonogram – FEED 1 UK 1984 UK1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", Single, 45 RPM
    Mercury – FEED 1 South Africa 1984 South Africa1984
    New Submission
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984-12-03, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    12", 45 RPM, Single, PRS Pressing
    Phonogram – FEED 112 UK 1984 UK1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    12", 45 RPM, Maxi-Single, Stereo
    Mercury – 880 502-1 Q 1984 1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984-11-00, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
    PolyGram – 880502-7 Greece 1984 Greece1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", Single
    Mercury – 880 502-7 Brazil 1984 Brazil1984
    New Submission
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984-11-00, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, MPO Pressing, Silver Injection Mould Labels
    Phonogram – FEED 1 UK 1984 UK1984
    New Submission
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984-11-00, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, Silver Injection Labels
    Mercury – FEED 1 UK 1984 UK1984
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
    Mercury – 880 502-7 Europe 1984 Europe1984
    Cover of Do They Know It's Christmas?, 1984, Vinyl Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo, International Pressing
    Mercury – 880 502-7 1984 1984
    Do They Know It's Christmas?
    7", 45 RPM, Single, Paper Labels
    Phonogram – FEED 1 Philippines 1984 Philippines1984
    Recently Edited

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    Reviews

    • SlimNespit's avatar
      SlimNespit
      Unlike the description on the back-cover, the standard (= single) version is missing on the record (B-side).
      • AvalancheLavigne's avatar
        2024, and people are offended by this song. I'm not offended by it myself but the song has weird lyrics. Of course it doesn't snow in Africa at christmas time. I think it's a cracking song, I just don't think we need new rerecordings of it. You only ever hear the original on the radio.
        • McHomie's avatar
          McHomie
          Done with good intentions.
          Record plays with some faint surface noise, no skips. Includes picture sleeve.
          • DrTMcC's avatar
            DrTMcC
            This is one of the first run of singles released to shops, hence the lack of photograph on the back. I bought my copy on the day of release.
            • Burk45's avatar
              Burk45
              Does anybody know, whether an inner sleeve was supplied with this issue? UK, 12" 45rpm Single, Extended Trevor Horn Remix 84 b/w One year on 85.
              https://discogs.librosgratis.biz/de/Band-Aid-Do-They-Know-Its-Christmas/release/1845501
              • Rcool's avatar
                Rcool
                I have this version, but with Label Side 2 from version Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas? !!
                No issue has this label combination.
                I do not know if this should be a new version.
                • lubizianrecord's avatar
                  lubizianrecord
                  great album cover ..so sad and real .. !
                  • Pheel242's avatar
                    Pheel242
                    Labels are white. My copy includes a double-sided insert. Circular sticker is on upper right corner.
                    • djrichmatthews's avatar
                      djrichmatthews
                      Edited 20 years ago
                      While the song itself may not be the most catchy, its a testament to the love & comion one man (Geldof) can have to come up with a way to help people he's never met (the starving citizens of Ethiopia) and to convince other people of incredible power (the of Band Aid) to come together to use their collective power to help people on the other side of the world (so to speak) simply because they know that there's need for help and they can do something to help that would otherwise take years to come to fruition. Top it off with the fact that ultimately it captured the sound of the 'cutting edge British pop' scene of the day and even more important it gave rise to other equally monumental acts of comion such as USA for Africa, Geldof's own Live AID and Mellencamp's similarly styled Farm AID, Hands Across America, the AIDS Walks both in America and other nations around the globe.

                      People saw this trend as just a fad, due primarily to the hoopla (positive and subsequently negative) hoopla around America's sister effort, "We Are The World." The bad press was a result of the way the American top 40 charts were calculated at the time; unfortunately because of the size of the American population at the time, a different formula had to be used to keep the data accurate, which also meant there was a lag time between actual sales and airplay and the result appearing in Billboard or Cashbox. This allowed "We Are The World" to sell 2 million copies before even debuting on the top 100, even then at #3, not #1. It did move to #1 for a couple weeks and then dropped off the charts entirely a few weeks after for the same aforementioned reasons. Ultimately it was a success, but the song's short run was the primary catalyst for Billboard and the now defunct Cashbox to search for a better method to calculate the charts so that they would be more accurate and not misrepresent what was actually happening in the American music markets, which "We Are The World," when compared to "Do They Know It's Christmas?," helped to expose the gross misrepresentation.

                      Even given that "We Are The World" and the subsequent benefit records and events that came and went in the following years became fewer and fewer, to this day they still are recorded - a trend (not fad) that Geldof and Band Aid initiated.

                      And the best part of all it? Even in America, "Do They Know...?" has become a modern holiday standard that gets played on almost every top 40 station in the US, like Lennon's "Give Peace A Chance," McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime," or anything off the first "A Very Special Christmas" album... and every time you hear it you there are others less fortunate than you, no matter how bad off you are, and that you have another opportunity to do something to help them.

                      Thank you Bob.

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                      • Ratings:2459

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