London – It was No. 1 in 1984, and it’s No. 1 again in 2004. The star-studded re-recording of the hit charity single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” hit the top of the British music charts Sunday after a strong first week of sales.
The single, featuring such artists as Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Paul McCartney, U2’s Bono and Dido, will raise money for victims of violence in Sudan, where fighting has killed thousands of people and created 1.8 million refugees. The United Nations has called the situation there the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Retailers are selling the song for $7.70, while online distributors are charging $2.90.
The original Band Aid single was released 20 years ago and was a smash success, raising millions of dollars for victims of starvation in Ethiopia. It featured such artists as Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Boy George, Duran Duran and Phil Collins.
Bono is the only artist to appear on both versions of the song.
The new track – dubbed Band Aid 20 – also features Robbie Williams, Jamelia, Ms. Dynamite, Will Young and members of the bands Busted, the Darkness and Sugababes.
