Bob Geldof reveals he is releasing a new version of Do They Know It’s Christmas

One of the most successful singles of all time is set to make a remarkable comeback – 40 years later.

Forty years after recording one of the most successful singles of all time, Sir Bob Geldof is doing it all over again.

The driving force behind Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas and the 1985 Live Aid concerts has confirmed a new version of the charity single will be released in coming weeks.

But rather than unite a new generation of pop stars from the present, as he did previously in 2004 and again in 2014, the Boomtown Rats frontman says this year’s version will have a unique twist which he tips will take it to the top of the charts again.

“There were three official Band Aid records, 84, 2004 and 2014 and I asked Trevor Horn the legendary producer, could he put all of those together on one track? And he has, and it’s absolutely amazing,” he said.

Bob Geldof and Boomtown Rats. Picture: Fin Costello/Redferns

“You’ve got the young Sting singing with the young Ed Sheeran, you get the young Boy George singing with the young Sam Smith, you get the young Bono singing with the young Harry Styles and in between a young Chris Martin, a very young Paul McCartney, Thom York from Radiohead, they’re all there.

“It’s 40 years of British rock on one record, and the video is sensational, so that’ll be number one.”

Sir Bob, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, spoke from Australia where he has been visiting in recent weeks, including a trip to the Gold Coast where he filmed a role for the upcoming film Zombie Plane.

While he said it was “not a big deal”, the occasional actor said he had enjoyed his time filming.

“We were in Brisbane doing stuff and (a mate) asked us to the premiere of her movie and while we were there she said, ‘Look, I’ve already started on this new film’. I said, ‘Oh, yeah. Well great, congratulations. What is it?’, and she said, ‘A zombie movie’. And we pissed ourselves, me and my mate, and I said, ‘What is it? What’s it called?’

Scenes from Live Aid. Picture: Georges De Keerle/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

“She said ‘Zombie Plane. Do you want to do it?’ and I said, ‘Of course. I want to be in a fucking zombie film. Who wouldn’t?’

“So we did three days silly filming. They just made up a character for me on the spot but that’s the sort of thing that you kind of expect actually when you come to Australia, a laugh that things are possible.”

Sir Bob will return to Australia and the Gold Coast in early 2025 for a speaking tour, entitled “Songs and Stories from an Extraordinary Life … WTF.

The nine-stop tour will see the singer appear at Twin Towns Services Club at Tweed Heads where he’ll discuss his life and career, from working in a slaughterhouse and mining for gold in the Arctic, to his performance with the Boomtown Rats, Live Aid and Live 8 and giving advice to everyone from presidents to Popes.

“It’s nerve-racking because I’ve never done it before,” he said.

“And then I thought of the title, and if I think of a title like when I’m writing a song, it’ll usually start a thought process that unravels itself, unwinds itself to something coherent.

“And I thought, ‘Life what the fuck?’ And I thought that will do as a title because frankly, that’s exactly what it’s been like.”

George Michael, Bono, Paul McCartney, Freddie Mercury and Bob Geldof perform on stage during the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium on July 13, 1985. Picture: Georges De Keerle/Getty Images

However, if fans were hoping Sir Bob was going to announce a surprise 40th anniversary Live Aid-style concert, think again.

He said there was no chance of another concert, which he staged in July 1985 and again as Live 8 in 2005.

“No, because it was all for a purpose. And there’s nothing to celebrate because what we were doing was trying to stop as many people dying unnecessarily as possible,” he said.

The Live Aid concerts, held at London’s Wembley Stadium in the UK and Philadelphia’s JFK stadium in the US saw some of the world’s biggest acts play together, including memorable performances from Queen, U2, David Bowie, Madonna, Phil Collins, Dire Straits, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner Led Zeppelin and Duran Duran.

Bob Geldof is heading back to Australia. Picture: Richard Walker

Sir Bob himself played with the Boomtown Rats during the event, while Queen’s 21-minute set has been named one of the greatest live performances ever.

It raised millions for charity and awareness of famine relief on Ethiopia.

Sir Bob said he looked back fondly on the event but said his favourite moment was when it ended.

“I was exhausted and it was clear the moment everyone sang, Do They Know It’s Christmas?, the song that (Ultravox frontman Midge Ure) and I had knocked out on the stage, at that moment, I knew it had worked and I was sort of outside of myself again, knowing that what we’d done was really good.

“It was really good in every sense, it was a great concert, the bands were superb and the crowd was amazing.

“I was aware of the uniqueness and the privilege of that moment and then at the end, just, fuck. I mean, I think there’s a bit in the endless documentaries where I just lay my head on my hand against a fly case or against the piano and I’m just going, ‘Done’.

“That’s really what I’m thinking, ‘Now, can I sleep’.”

Originally published as Bob Geldof reveals he is releasing a new version of Do They Know It’s Christmas