I’ve been listening to a London-based internet radio station and the 20th anniversary update/cover of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” has been in heavy rotation. Anyone else hearing this song on a daily basis? What do you think of it?
I liked the original. Sure it’s hokey and sentimental and I hold it directly responsible for the abomination that is “We Are The World,” but there’s an earnestness about it that I like. And Bono’s phrasing on “clangin’ chimes of doom” is my favorite single line in a pop song ever.
This new version, though. Don’t care for it at all. It seems to veer from over-produced to threadbare from section to section. The performers strike me as mechanical. And I loathe the rap interlude that got jammed into the middle of it. I think part of it too is that I don’t know who most of the acts are, unlike the original where I knew and was a fan of all of them.
I don’t listen to American radio or watch MTV. Has the update gotten any airplay here?
I heard they were doing this and thought it’s a ok/good idea, get some more money for charities and helping people. I then watched a programe about Live Aid which showed how the original was put together and realised that it was a good song for it’s time.
Two days later I hear the cover on the radio and think, “oh … that was not a good song”. Now whenever I hear it start up I change the station to find something better(hopefully).
I’m with you on the rap section, it jars with the singing. It just doesn’t flow. The singers sound like they are just doing their lines and then pissing off down the pub. I have heard of most of the performers (I’m 22 and love music, espically rock but most sorts) so they are using current singers to appeal to the young kids. It’s just that most of the current singers are not going to be around in 3 years for most and if any of the acts are still around for Band Aid 40 I’ll be suprised.
The performers include: Chris Martin, Robbie Williams, Bono, Will Young, Justin Hawkins, Damon Albarn, Natasha Bedingfield, Jamelia, Katie Melua, Beverley Knight, Dido, Ms Dynamite, Estelle, Sugababes and Joss Stone.
Little cute story my parents try to embarrass me with. I used to sing along with the chorus “weed the world”.
Completely wrong about what? The phrase “help the helpless” appearing in DTKIC? Your lyric link shows it plain as day:
Wrong that the phrase “help the helpless” has appeared at least once in the dialog of AtS? Wrong that no one has ever used the phrase “help the helpless” before in popular culture? You’re very confusing.
Did you have a comment about the actual topic at all?
I’ve heard of four of these acts. Four. I thought I would be much older than 20 before I lost touch with what the kids listen to these days. Sheesh.
I haven’t heard the new one yet. But the original has a special place in my heart. I especially love the part with Simon LeBon. Jeez, I love that whiny voice.
I don’t think the new one will stand the test of time. I wasn’t really into popular music in 1984 and earlier (for various reasons, heh), but weren’t most of those acts already pretty well established? People knew who they were, and they knew they were good. Most of the acts on the cover seem like flavors of the week (correct me if I’m wrong, as always).
Also, it just seems to me that people who like the original aren’t really into the new acts, and people who are into the new acts think the original is corny as all-get-out. So the cover alienates everybody. This is just speculation/gross generalization on my part, so it’s possible that I’m completely wrong and this will be the biggest hit of all time.
Using simple, short words: You said a phrase was used in Angel. I queried if you weren’t thinking of a slightly different phrase. You replied that the phrase you first mentioned was used several times as well. So either you’re incapable of constructing a sentence in English, or you mistyped and you meant to type the second phrase. I was giving you benefit of the doubt and assuming the latter, but if you’d like to correct me on that do feel free.
I’d love to correct your inability to parse basic English, thanks!
I said that the phrase “help the helpless” was used in AtS. You asked if I meant “help the hopeless.” I replied that “help the helpless” is “in there,” meaning in AtS since that was what was under discussion at that precise point. You completely misunderstood and somewhat pissily posted a link to the lyrics for DTKIC.
I have no intention of continuing this tangent. Again, did you have something to contribute to the discussion of Band Aid 20 or did you want to crab some more and further this pointless hijack?
I really don’t like the new version at all.
A re-release of the original would be far better in my opinion.
The video is also pretty bad, the artists all getting upset seeing starving children while they’re watching it on a £3000 plasma tv :dubious:
Makes you think their money could maybe have been spent a bit better.
I also recognise almost no-one in it. Guess I’ve now reached the age where I’m out of touch.
Interesting. I have not seen the new one. When the original was done, the artists made the comment that they could barely scrape together tea enough for everyone. When “We Are the World” came out and had all the the artists sporting fancy laminated badges, Geldof and a few others complained about the extravagance.
Most of them are British artists so maybe being an American you haven’t been exposed to them much. Four of them are singers in groups too, so you may have heard of the groups (Coldplay, U2, The Darkness and Blur), but not who is in them.
Ahhh, thanks for the heads-up, Tuco. Actually, two of the people I did recognize were Chris Martin and Bono, so it wasn’t necessarily the band thing. Although now that you mention The Darkness, I recognize Justin Hawkins.
“We Help The Helpless” is the motto of Angel detective agency. It’s even on their webpage, which can be seen in the season 3 episode “Provider”.
Barney: That’s what you do, right? You help the helpless? You protect the, whaddya call ‘em, the . . . helpless.
Angel: Something like that.
“Parting Gifts” season 1
It’s also used in the Angel novel Advantar
" “We help the helpless,” Doyle countered. “It says so right there on our answering machine. In your very own voice, I might add. And generally the helpless aren’t known for their stock portfolios.”
“We’ll still help the helpless,” Cordelia countered. “But would it kill us to find some helpless people with disposable income?”"
I’ve heard of exactly two of the performers, and could name a song by exactly one of them (Bono) but then I was cool back when the first Band-Aid was done and therefore am hopelessly out of touch now.
I agree with AwSnappity that the people who like the original aren’t going to like the new one, and the people who like the performers in the new one probably aren’t going to like it either for different reasons. I would be surprised if it ended up getting significant airplay in the US but I could be wrong.