This Week on the Internet

Songs about change, charity,  freedom &  famine.

Hear N' Aid

Northern Lights

Voices of America

Sport Aid

Sun City

Band Aid Single

Band Aid Artists

Live Aid Logo

Hands Across America

Live Aid

Sun City Artists

USA for Africa

Band Aid: (video): British and Irish charity supergroup, founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia by releasing the record ”Do They Know It’s Christmas?“ for the Christmas market that year. The single surpassed the hopes of the producers to become the Christmas number one on that release. Artists included: The original Band Aid ensemble consisted of (in sleeve order): Adam Clayton (U2), Phil Collins (Genesis), Bob Geldof (The Boomtown Rats), Steve Norman (Spandau Ballet), Chris Cross (Ultravox), John Taylor (Duran Duran), Paul Young, Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet), Glenn Gregory (Heaven 17), Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran), Simon Crowe (The Boomtown Rats), Keren Woodward (Bananarama), Martin Kemp (Spandau Ballet), Jody Watley (Shalamar), Bono (U2), Paul Weller (The Style Council, and previously The Jam), James “J.T.” Taylor (Kool & The Gang), George Michael (Wham!), Midge Ure (Ultravox), Martyn Ware (Heaven 17), John Keeble (Spandau Ballet), Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet), Roger Taylor (Duran Duran), Sara Dallin (Bananarama), Siobhan Fahey (Bananarama), Sting (The Police), Pete Briquette (The Boomtown Rats), Francis Rossi (Status Quo), Robert ‘Kool’ Bell (Kool & the Gang), Dennis Thomas (Kool & the Gang), Andy Taylor (Duran Duran), Jon Moss (Culture Club, former member of Adam and the Ants), Rick Parfitt (Status Quo), Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran), Johnny Fingers (The Boomtown Rats), David Bowie (who contributed via a recording that was mailed to Geldof and then dubbed onto the single), Boy George (Culture Club), Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes to Hollywood), Paul McCartney (Wings and The Beatles, who contributed via a recording that was mailed to Geldof and then dubbed onto the single), Stuart Adamson (Big Country), Bruce Watson (Big Country), Tony Butler (Big Country), Mark Brzezicki (Big Country)

We Are the World: (video) Written by Michael Jackson & Lionel Richie, produced by quincy jones recorded by USA for Africa. On March 7, 1985, “We Are the World” was released as a single and became a chart success around the world. It took four weeks for the song to claim the number one spot—half the time a single would normally have taken to reach its charting peak. In the US, the single became a number one hit on the R&B singles chart, the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for a month. Artists included: Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, James Ingram, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Willie Nelson, Al Jarreau, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, Steve Perry, Daryl Hall, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Kim Carnes, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles

Sun City (Video): Written by Steven Van Zandt recorded by Artists United Against Apartheid,”Sun City” only reached #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1985. Artists included: Bruce Springsteen, Miles Davis, Kool DJ Herc, Grandmaster Melle Mel,Ruben Blades, Bob Dylan, Herbie Hancock, Ringo Starr and his son Zak Starkey, Lou Reed, Run DMC, Peter Gabriel, David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Darlene Love, Bobby Womack, Afrika Bambaataa, Kurtis Blow, Jackson Browne and then-girlfriend Daryl Hannah, U2, George Clinton, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Bonnie Raitt, Hall & Oates, Jimmy Cliff, Big Youth, Michael Monroe, Peter Garrett, Ron Carter, Ray Barretto, Gil-Scott Heron, Nona Hendryx, Pete Townshend, Pat Benatar, and Joey Ramone.

Northern Lights (Video): Written by Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance & David Foster, recorded by the Northern Lights which was the name used by the supergroup of Canadian musicians who were gathered by the music talent manager Bruce Allen in 1985 to record the single “Tears Are Not Enough“. Artists included: Gordon Lightfoot, Burton Cummings, Anne Murray, Joni Mitchell, Dan Hill, Neil Young, Bryan Adams, Corey Hart, Bruce Cockburn, Geddy Lee (Rush), Mike Reno (Loverboy), Paul Anka, Paul Shaffer, John Candy

Hands Across America (video): A benefit event and publicity campaign staged on Sunday May 25, 1986 in which approximately seven million people held hands in a human chain for fifteen minutes along a path across the continental United States. The actual song “Hands Across America” that was playing while everyone was holding hands.

Sport Aid (Video): was a charitable event held on May 25 1986, raising millions of dollars to support famine relief in Africa, and is the sporting event with the most participants in history. The event was organised by Bob Geldof, also the driving force behind Band Aid (1984) and Live Aid (1985), and took place in 78 countries simultaneously.274 cities held official events to allow over 20 million participants to follow designated courses with television coverage shown worldwide. Tears for Fears released a remix “Everybody wants to Run the World” for Sport Aid.

Hear N’ Aid (Video):“We’re Stars” Written by Jimmy Bain, Vivian Campbell & Ronnie James Dio. May 20 & 21,1985, 40 artists gathered at the A&M Records Studio in Hollywood, California to record the Stars album. The project included members of such bands asDio, Quiet Riot, Iron Maiden, Mötley Crüe, Twisted Sister,Queensrÿche, Blue Öyster Cult, Judas Priest, Journey, Whitesnake, Dokken, Night Ranger, Iron Maiden, W.A.S.P. and the parody band Spinal Tap. Ronnie James Dio had intended for the song and album to be released shortly after its recording, but contractual issues with the different artists’ record labels delayed the release until January 1, 1986, somewhat diminishing the impact of its release. Raising a million dollars for famine relief.

Live Aid  (Video): A multi-venue rock music concert held on July 13, 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. Billed as the ‘global jukebox’, the event was held simultaneously inWembley Stadium, London (attended by 82,000 people) and JFK Stadium, Philadelphia (attended by about 99,000 people). Performers included: Queen, U2, Paul Young, Dire Straits, David Bowie, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Sade, Sting, Elvis Costello, Paul McCartney, REO Speedwagon, Madonna, The Power Station, Tom Petty, The Cars, CSN & Y, Duran Duran, Hall & Oats, Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Santana, The Beach Boys, Phil Collins (who flew via the Concord to both stadiums on the same day)

Farm Aid  (Video): A benefit concert on September 22, 1985, in Champaign, Illinois, held to raise money for family farmers in the United States. The concert was organized by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young, spurred on by Bob Dylan’s comments at Live Aid earlier in that year. (Dylan said, “I hope that some of the money…maybe they can just take a little bit of it, maybe…one or two million, maybe…and use it, say, to pay the mortgages on some of the farms and, the farmers here, owe to the banks….”) Nelson and Mellencamp then brought family farmers before Congress to testify about the state of family farming in America. Congress subsequently passed the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 to help save family farms from foreclosure. Today, Farm Aid is an organization that works to increase awareness of the importance of family farms, and puts on an annual concert of country, blues and rock music with a variety of stars. The board of directors includes Nelson, Mellencamp, Neil Young, and Dave Matthews. Young’s speeches about the environment are a highlight of the annual shows.

Band Aid II (Video): December 1989, Bob Geldof called Pete Waterman to ask if he would consider producing a new version of the song featuring the big stars from that time. The line up for the Band Aid II project consisted of : Bananarama, Big Fun, Bros, Cathy Dennis, D Mob, Jason Donovan, Kevin Godley, Glen Goldsmith, Rolf Harris, Kylie Minogue, The Pasadenas, Marti Pellow, Chris Rea, Cliff Richard, Jimmy Somerville, Sonia, Lisa Stansfield, Technotronic, Wet Wet Wet

Band Aid 20 (Video): Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Travis, Beck, Paul McCartney) and Bob Geldof – producers. The single was released on 29 November 2004, with all money raised going toward famine relief in the Darfur region of Sudan.Vocals: Bono (U2), Fran Healy (Travis), Daniel Bedingfield, Natasha Bedingfield, Sugababes (Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena, Heidi Range), Busted, Chris Martin (Coldplay), Dido – performed separately from a studio in Melbourne, Dizzee Rascal – the only artist to add lyrics to the song, Ms. Dynamite, Skye Edwards (Morcheeba), Estelle, Neil Hannon (The Divine Comedy), Jamelia, Justin Hawkins, Tom Chaplin (Keane), Tim Rice-Oxley (Keane), Tim Wheeler (Ash), Beverley Knight, Lemar, Shaznay Lewis (All Saints), Katie Melua, Róisín Murphy (Moloko), Feeder, Snow Patrol, Rachel Stevens, Joss Stone, The Thrills, Turin Brakes, Robbie Williams – performed separately from a studio in Los Angeles, Will Young.

Concert for Freddie Mercury • Bob Geldolf • Live 8 • Band Aid 20 • Live Aid

Charity Resources

• USA for Africa
• Mercury Pheonix Trust Foundation
• Farm Aid
• Music Aid
• VH1 Save the Music