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Band Aid releasing 'ultimate mix' of Do They Know It's Christmas? for 40th anniversary

A new "ultimate mix" of Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? is being released to celebrate the charity single's 40th anniversary.

Producer Trevor Horn has created a mix which combines the star-studded vocals from three previous versions of the song, from the original 1984 track to the 20th and 30th anniversary editions in 2004 and 2014.

This means that the likes of Harry Styles, Chris Martin, Sam Smith, and Ed Sheeran, who sang on the 2014 version, can be heard alongside original 1984 performers such as Bob Geldof, Boy George, Phil Collins and Sting.

Meanwhile, it will also feature young and old vocals from U2 frontman Bono as he sang on the 1984 and 2014 editions.

Late stars George Michael, who died in 2016, and Sinead O'Connor, who died last year, will posthumously appear on the track.

The singers will be backed by a band comprised of Sir Paul McCartney, Queen's Roger Taylor, Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Blur's Damon Albarn, among others.

The ultimate mix will debut on British radio on 25 November, which marks the 40th anniversary of the original song being recorded, before becoming available to stream.

A compilation album featuring the 1984 original song as well the Band Aid 20 and Band Aid 30 versions and the new mix will be released on 29 November. Proceeds from the sales will go to the Band Aid Trust.

To mark the 40th anniversary, Oliver Murray has created a new music video which features the late David Bowie introducing the song and Michael Buerk's BBC news report on the festive classic.

Geldof, who co-founded Band Aid and co-wrote the single with Midge Ure, told The Canadian Press earlier this year that he was working on a supercut for Band Aid 40.

"Maybe put Harry Styles beside a young Bono," he said in April. "Just sonically, you mess up these generations all in one take."

Photo: Cover Media
Source: Cover Media
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