Stars have turned on Ed Sheeran in the escalating row over the new Band Aid single – with Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley telling him to ‘shut up’.
Trevor Horn, producer of a fresh 40th anniversary version of Do They Know It’s Christmas?, has also been critical of Sheeran after the singer spoke out against the new version of the charity track.
Sheeran revealed last week he would have preferred his vocal contributions from a 2014 recording were not used on the new version.
The song’s co-writer Bob Geldof has been defending the song against criticism that it fuels ‘pity rather than partnership’ while promoting harmful stereotypes about Africa.
And fellow acts have now been hitting back at Sheeran for his stance, including Hadley who was among those who took part on the original 1984 recording.
Meanwhile, listeners hearing the new version for the first time on BBC radio yesterday have been giving their thoughts – with opinions ranging from ‘a hot mess’ and ‘horrific’ to ‘better than I thought it would be’ and ‘iconic’.
A devastating famine in Ethiopia inspired Geldof to launch Band Aid in 1984, writing Do They Know It’s Christmas? alongside Ultravox frontman Ure and then organise the fundraising Live Aid concerts staged in July 1985.
Sheeran revealed last week his unhappiness about his vocals being used in the new rerecording which is being officially released this Friday.
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Ed Sheeran (left) and Ghanaian-British rapper Fuse ODG (right), pictured in a screenshot from their Boa Me video, have spoken out against charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas
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Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley has told Sheeran to ‘shut up’ in response to the furore
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Trevor Horn, producer of the original 1984 single as well as the new 40th anniversary rerecording, has said he would ‘gladly’ have left off Sheeran’s vocals from 2014
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The 40th anniversary ‘Ultimate Mix’ was given its first radio airplay on Monday
He said he would have ‘respectfully declined’ permission for re-use of his contribution to the 30th anniversary production from 2014 – while other critics in the past have included Lily Allen and Damon Albarn.
Sheeran revealed how his concerns about the song followed points made by his friend Fuse ODG, a London-born Ghanaian-English rapper.
Fuse ODG – real name Nana Richard Abiona – spoke out last week, as he released a response called We Know It’s Christmas and urged the BBC not to promote the song.
Sheeran, 33, originally featured on the 2014 version of the track alongside the likes of Sting and Harry Styles which aimed to raise money for the Ebola relief efforts.
Taking to his Instagram stories on Sunday last week, Sheeran posted: ‘My approval wasn’t sought on this new Band Aid 40 release and had I had the choice I would have respectfully declined the use of my vocals.
‘A decade on and my understanding of the narrative associated with this has changed, eloquently explained by @fuseodg. This is just my personal stance, I’m hoping it’s a forward-looking one. Love to all x.’
Fuse ODG himself rejected an offer to take part in the 2014 version of Do They Know It’s Christmas? on which Sheeran featured.
The rapper wrote on his Facebook page last week: ‘Ten years ago today, I said NO to Bob Geldof’s Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas project due to the fact it’s a campaign that dehumanises Africans and destroys our pride and identity in the name of “charity”.’
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The original 1984 recording of Do They Know It’s Christmas? featured stars include Paul Young, Bono, Sting, George Michael, Bananarama and Spandau Ballet
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Ed Sheeran has claimed he was not asked for permission from Band Aid 40 organisers to use his vocals on the a new version of the charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas?
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Sheeran made his feelings clear in a post shared with fans on his Instagram page
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Sheeran’s stance has been criticised by Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley, pictured here during the 1984 recording session in between Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon (left) and Sting (right)
But there has now been a backlash against Sheeran’s remarks, with Hadley – who featured on the original 1984 version of Do They Know It’s Christmas? – saying critics of the track ought to keep quiet.
Hadley told Radio 2’s Radio 2’s The Jeremy Vine Show: ‘I think they should shut up, to be honest.
‘We were there. I mean, if you take that route, then nobody does anything to help anybody. It’s just nonsense.
‘I mean, you know, do we get rid of Children In Need? Because you say, well, the government should supply all the funds for everything.
‘You know, everybody’s trying to do their bit to support various charities, and we were doing our bit innocently to support what was happening in Ethiopia and in Africa, and it’s still going on.
‘That’s the other thing – it’s still going on, so do we sit back and we do nothing? So, I’m sorry, but I don’t think so.’
Meanwhile, Horn said that after hearing of Sheeran’s latest thoughts he could have ‘gladly not used him’ on the new version.
This new mix combines the recordings done in 1984, 2004 and 2014 – meaning a young Sting sing alongside a young Ed Sheeran, a young Boy George with a young Sam Smith, a young George Michael beside a young Harry Styles.
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Popstar Ed Sheeran (pictured right) has spoken out against a new rerelease of the single, having featured on a 2014 recording of the track co-written by Sir Bob Geldof (left) – they are pictured here arriving at the studio to work on the Band Aid 30 version in November 2014
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Bob Geldof, pictured last Tuesday, has hit back at criticism of his Band Aid charity single
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London-born Ghanaian musician Fuse ODG has spoken out against the Band Aid charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas?, accusing the song of ‘dehumanising’ African people
The young Bono features with an older Bono, Chris Martin with Guy Garvey, the Sugababes and Bananarama, Seal and Sinead O’Connor, Rita Ora and Robbie Williams, Kool and the Gang and Underworld.
Other stars featuring include Paul McCartney, Sting, John Taylor, Phil Collins, Roger Taylor, Paul Weller, Damon Albarn, Midge Ure, Johnny Greenwood, Gary Kemp and Justin Hawkins.
Horn, who also produced the 1984 original, has now said of the song: ‘I think it was done with the best intentions, and so I think it’s not a good idea to misinterpret it as some, some kind of patronising thing.
‘It was done to help. And really it was extraordinary that the music business could achieve that much. I don’t think anyone ever anticipated that it would bring get that kind of money together.’
In response to Sheeran’s criticisms, he added: ‘I’m sorry Ed Sheeran is not happy. If I’d have known, I would have gladly not used him.’
Gig promoter Harvey Goldsmith, who was behind the 1985 Live Aid concert,said: ‘Yeah, exactly. Stuff him.
Goldsmith told of writing cheques worth £3million in the past seven months from cash raised by the Band Aid Trust to support school and medical projects.
He told the Jeremy Vine programme: ‘The charities don’t have a problem whatsoever coming to us to ask for grants every single day of the week, so they don’t have a problem.
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Do They Know It’s Christmas? was co-written by Midge Ure (left) and Bob Geldof (right) – the pair are seen here at the recording of the Band Aid 30 version in London in November 2014
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Bob Geldof (left) has hit back at critics of the charity project, which with the original 1984 release involved the likes of Paul Weller, Robert Kool Bell, Phil Collins and Bono
‘I don’t know what Ed Sheeran’s problem is, nor this other chap who I’ve never actually heard of personally.
‘But anyway, I don’t know what his problem is, but nevertheless, there is famine raging, and this is partly because of the climate change issues, because there’s been there’s either no rain whatsoever and it’s baking dry, or there’s so much rain that the earth can’t soak it up.
‘And that’s what’s going on, and we need to be mindful of that – and yeah, if we can help, we’ll help. And if they don’t like it, we’re very happy to look elsewhere.’
But the song’s co-writer Ure appeared more conciliatory, saying: ‘It’s rather unfortunate we didn’t run it past Ed.
‘He’s a lovely guy – and it should have been permission asked him, requested for but when all the artists commit to recording any of the Band Aid tracks, versions that have been out there, they are actually giving their permission for it.’
Meanwhile, Geldof became emotional when he appeared as a guest on Zoe Ball‘s Radio 2 breakfast show on Monday for the first public broadcast of Do They Know It’s Christmas? 2024 Ultimate Mix, marking 40 years since the original release.
Sounding choked up, he told the presenter: ‘I think it’s a work of art. Aren’t the voices incredible?
‘I think it’s one of the greatest production art that has ever been done on a rock and roll record. Genuinely.’
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The 20th anniversary version recorded at Air Studios in Hampstead, north London, in November 2004 included acts such as Ms Dynamite, Natasha Bedingfield and Keane
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Harry Styles featured on Band Aid’s 2014 re-recording, alongside his One Direction bandmates
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The song was originally created by Sir Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in a bid to raise funds for anti-famine efforts in Ethiopia, and went onto top the charts and raise millions
Ball called the track ‘an extraordinary record’, adding: ‘We’ve both had a cry and it’s that thing, there’s so many people involved in that, that perhaps aren’t with us anymore, and this time of year, we think of those.’
Geldof had earlier responded to criticism of Do They Know It’s Christmas? in an interview with the Sunday Times at the weekend.
He said: ‘This little pop song has kept millions of people alive. Why would Band Aid scrap feeding thousands of children dependent on us for a meal?
‘There are 600million hungry people in the world – 300 million are in Africa. We wish it were other but it is not. We can help some of them. That’s what we will continue to do.’
