Do They Know It’s Christmas - Band-Aid

I got the coolest item today. It's an OOP Japanese import from 1985 called "Band Aid Special." Basically, it's a Band-Aid album. It's got twelve tracks, including the 12-inch extended version of "Do They Know It's Christmas" and the 45 version (which runs some 20 seconds longer than most CD versions, at 3:54).

But the main thing I got it for was "Feed the World," which was the B-side of the single and has never been issued elsewhere on CD. It's spoken messages from the artists (and other artists who didn't perform on the song) over the instrumental track for the song. You just never know what you're going to find in Japan!

The twelve tracks are:

1. Do They Know It's Xmas (12" version) - Band Aid
2. In a Big Country - Big Country
3. Calling Your Name - Marilyn
4. Marguerita Time - Status Quo
5. Tonight - The Boomtown Rats
6. That's All - Genesis
7. Do They Know It's Christmas (45 length) - Band Aid
8. Runaway - Bon Jovi
9. Sad Songs (Say So Much) - Elton John (LP version)
10. The Look of Love - ABC
11. Mothers Talk - Tears for Fears
12. Feed the World - Band Aid

Edited by Brian W.

I don't remember having heard "Feed The World", but your description sounds very much like the mid section of the 12" mix, which is 2:30 minutes of greetings from several artists, opening with Bono and closing with Bob Geldof, also to an instrumental background. After that the mood of the track goes back to how it started.

Could it be this section as a standalone track?

I have the Japanese CD3 (PHDR-902).

Track listing:

1.Do They Know It's Christmas (12" Mix) (6:18)
2.Do They Know It's Christmas (3:54)

budaniel wrote: I have the original vinyl 12" Jeff, and you nailed it on the head. "Feed the World" is basically the same spoken dialogue used in the middle-section of the 12". I've always loved the softer rhythm track in the 12" version, but I never understood two things: 1) the removal of the harmonies by Sting and Bono (the lines are made solo in the 12") 2) that AWFUL "grinding" sound they use before they cut to the dialogue. What were they thinking?

That spoken section that's on the 12" is similar but not exactly the same as the "Feed The World" track on the both the B-side of the 45 and 12". Trevor Horn who co-produced the record and did the remix. It sounds like he made a loop of Phil Collins drum track, and manipulated certain parts the spoken tracks to play over it. In particular Paul McCartney's, playing it back repeatedly after sampling his voice on a Synclavier. Ditto for those totally unnecessary orchestral passages he threw in right before the artists greetings. It was kind of interesting to hear that section where you hear Sting singing the high part of that harmony by himself. The video gave the impression that they were on mic together when they sang it.

The "Feed The World" track is basically the original instrumental version of "Do They Know It's Christmas" with the spoken passages inserted throughout.

Edited by Jeff H.