IT is the Christmas track that raised greater than £80million for charity, offered nearly 12million copies worldwide and options among the largest world pop stars of the time.

However at this time — to mark the observe’s fortieth 12 months — we reveal how the success of Band Assist’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? was fuelled by day-old sandwiches, booze swiped from a journalist’s close by residence and, for some, ­Standing Quo’s cocaine provide.

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The enduring bells on the one had been knocked out on songwriter Midge Ure’s Casio keyboard, Boy George was scrambled to the ­studio from New York by Concorde when he initially didn’t present up, and Duran Duran obtained locked within the studio rest room.

The unbelievable tales of the making of the hit charity single are advised in an interview with Robin Eggar — one in all solely two music ­journ­alists allowed within the room for the ­well-known studio session by the organisers, Ultravox frontman Midge and Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof.

Talking solely to The Solar, Robin mentioned: “It was a outstanding day, given the variety of stars.

“There have been some hilarious moments and it was unbelievable to see all these artists in a single cramped, slight­ly worn studio collectively.

“Bob Geldof corralled and bullied all these artists like Duran Duran, George Michael and U2, who had been competing in opposition to one another within the charts and slagging one another off publicly, into one place on a quiet Sunday in London in November.

Good time

“It could by no means have been the identical if it hadn’t been for Concorde. Bob known as Boy George and ordered him to fly in from New York on the day.

“Regardless of all of the egos, everybody obtained on nicely however there was no catering — individuals had been advised to exit and get their very own sandwiches and I had to return to my place to get six bottles of wine, which disappeared in ten minutes.

“Standing Quo stored disappearing off to the bathrooms with others and coming again ‘refreshed’.

“Regardless of his day beginning at 8am, Midge needed to kick most individuals out at midnight as a result of everybody was having such time.”

On Monday, it will likely be 4 many years since round 40 of Britain’s ­most interesting pop stars assembled in Sarm Studios, West London, to put down the swiftly created track, which went on to turn into the biggest-selling charity report in UK historical past.

The one was impressed by a haunting 1984 BBC Information report from Ethiopia, the place famine had ravaged the nation and led to 1.2million deaths between 1983 and 1985 alone.

After watching the pictures of ­ravenous youngsters on the dispatch, Bob Geldof known as his good friend Midge to inform him: “We should make a report.”

Robin, a music reporter who had interviewed among the day’s largest stars, mentioned: “Bob went on a mission to lift cash. He bullied and corralled anybody he may in music and did all of it in a number of weeks.

“Bob’s profession was a bit on the ground. His companion, Paula Yates, was way more well-known as she was ­presenting The Tube on TV.

“However he had everybody’s telephone ­numbers and wouldn’t cease bullying them to indicate up.

“The one who will get forgotten a little bit bit in that is Midge. He was a a lot larger star than Bob.

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“As soon as Bob had the arrogance that Midge was on board, he then began pushing individuals. Sting was a straightforward hit, as a result of he was very eager on all kinds of environmental points.

“Bob ran into Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran leaving the Picasso membership on the King’s Highway simply after he noticed Gary Kemp from Spandau Ballet by way of an artwork gallery window.

“U2 had been there as a result of they had been each Irish and it was simply simpler to do what Bob mentioned as he would by no means have allow them to hear the top of it.

“Bob would inform them that others had been confirmed, even when they weren’t, in order that they felt they needed to come.

“They initially mentioned, ‘We’re aiming to get a Christmas No1 with the ­single and make a number of hundred thousand quid’ however the actuality is the track has made round £80million.”

Midge wrote the music whereas Bob penned the lyrics forward of the November 25 recording. However after they arrived at 8am, nobody else was there bar the movie crew outdoors.

Robin, who arrived earlier than a lot of the stars, mentioned: “I knew numerous the bands and I used to be residing a delicate stroll away.

“Paul Younger arrived first, Sting then got here in carrying the Sunday papers, then Bono and Adam Clayton from U2 arrived.

“Paul Weller turned up and was very nervous. Bananarama pitched up in a battered cab.

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“Duran, Duran and Spandau Ballet got here in round 10am. They’d been at a TV present in Germany the evening earlier than, in order that they’d all flown in collectively, and so they’d had a ingesting competitors the evening earlier than so had been wanting a little bit worse for put on.

“There was no safety, no managers, no publicists.

“There was a little bit of ‘not wanting to take a seat on the entrance of sophistication’ about who sang first. In the long run, Spandau’s Tony Hadley ultimately volunteered.”

At 11am, Tradition Membership arrived and Bob realised somebody was lacking — Boy George.

Robin mentioned: “Bob known as him up in his resort room at 6am in New York. A groggy George was telling him he was going to wrestle to make it and Bob simply lower in and mentioned, ­‘Everybody’s right here besides you.

‘Boy George was spicy’

There’s a Concorde to London at 9.30am, get on it’. He arrived mid-afternoon.

“When George waltzed in, he mentioned, ‘Might anyone get me some brandy?’. When Bob mentioned he’d need to do his strains first, George was very spicy. Bob jokingly mentioned, ‘Oh, get on with it, you f***ing outdated queen’.

“George responded, ‘Shut up, you Irish tart’. George sang his line — one take — then swanned off into the ­studio to mainly unfold chaos. He gave everybody a lift.”

To maintain everybody occupied, photographer Brian Aris obtained the group to all sing the well-known “Feed the World” refrain as he snapped away. Standing Quo’s Francis Rossi had them in stitches by saying, “Why is everybody singing ‘Feed the Welsh’?”

Robin recalled Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt additionally struggled with a few of their trademark harmonies — lastly leaving Rossi to do their strains alone.

The 2 songwriters made adjustments to the track as they went alongside.

Robin mentioned: “Bob ribbed Midge Ure concerning the center part, which he did on his Casio keyboard.

If something, it’s Jingle Bells blended with The Dam Busters theme tune.

Midge Ure

“Bob mentioned, ‘It sounds just like the theme from Z-Vehicles executed on the Stylophone’. Midge snapped again, ‘If something, it’s Jingle Bells blended with The Dam Busters theme tune’.

“In addition they realised the road, ‘And there gained’t be snow in Ethiopia this Christmas’ wouldn’t match, so modified Ethiopia for Africa.

“I additionally bear in mind Paul Younger was making an attempt to sing his strains and Bob was chopping in from behind the desk and telling him what to sing, however Bob was fully out of tune.

“Paul appeared confused. Midge lower in and shouted, ‘You’re out of tune Bob, allow them to do their enterprise’.”

Robin mentioned Bono wowed with a single take of his iconic “Properly, tonight thank God it’s them as an alternative of you” line, whereas Phil Collins waited seven hours with out moaning to report the drums on the observe.

There was little or no refreshment handy, with Bob saying, “If you’d like it, exit to get it your self”.

‘We’ve buried our egos’

Robin, who seems within the track’s video subsequent to Simon Le Bon after the digicam crew thought he was a pop star, added: “The studio rustled up some curry and chips. When you wished a sandwich or drink, you went to get it from the nook store.

“There have been numerous day-old sandwiches being eaten.”

Whereas the singers had been known as up so as of chart success, some began to really feel in want of a drink.

Robin mentioned: “I had a flat close by. Adam Clayton and I went again and obtained six bottles of wine I had mendacity round. That lasted about ten ­minutes within the studio. Others went to the off-licence when it opened.”

Standing Quo additionally raised the extent of partying. Robin added: “There was numerous cocaine within the trade then, and Standing Quo had been extremely popular, and so they’d hold vanishing into the bathrooms, and everybody got here out wanting very refreshed.

“They had been the most important celebration animals.

“At one level they even locked Duran Duran within the bathrooms. Nevertheless it was an actual collegiate environment. George Michael mentioned to me, ‘What was wanted was for everybody to get collectively. We’ve all buried our personal egos for a better trigger’.

It stays one of many issues I’m proudest of — simply being within the room.

Robin Eggar

“By the top, there have been some nice scenes. Weller was having a dialog with Jon Moss, from Tradition Membership, and the singer ­Marilyn, about Margaret Thatcher.”

Francis Rossi mentioned in 2019 of the unique recording session: “I hadn’t anticipated how a lot many people had in frequent when it got here to cocaine. Quickly our nook of the ­studio grew to become the go-to hangout for fairly a number of others.”

Midge and Bob stayed till 8am producing the report. It was ­instantly despatched for urgent and was on the cabinets inside days.

It flew straight to No1, staying there for 5 weeks over Christmas.

The success even impressed the Dwell Assist live performance in July 1985, a remake of the track 20 years on, which this paper backed, and a ­additional replace in 2014. A brand new ­model, together with voices from the 1984, 2004 and 2014 releases, is within the making to mark the fortieth anniversary.

Robin, who went on to jot down biographies of Tom Jones and ­Shania Twain and run his personal communications agency, mentioned: “It stays one of many issues I’m proudest of — simply being within the room.”

This week, Bob was compelled to defend Band Assist 40 after London-born Ghanaian rapper Fuse ODG mentioned the report fuelled “pity somewhat than partnership”.

Ed Sheeran, who sang on the 2014 launch, additionally mentioned he would have “respectfully declined” the re-use of his vocals on the brand new track, had he been consulted.

Robin mentioned: “Ed’s views are ­completely affordable. He ought to have been requested.”

He added: “Nonetheless, the unique Band Assist was a bunch of very ­profitable pop stars who had been appalled by what was occurring in Ethiopia and wished to assist.

“British music was in such place and all of it got here collectively in a tiny studio, on a Sunday afternoon.”