Mike Stock, a co-writer for the second version of Band Aid, has criticised Bob Geldof for leaving the single out of the new 2024 ‘Ultimate Mix’ edition.
Arriving yesterday (November 25), the new mix of the charity Christmas song ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ is produced by Trevor Horn and celebrates the 40th anniversary of the original 1984 version. In the 2024 edition, all of the voices from three versions of the track –recorded in 1984, 2004 and 2014 – are intertwined.
Some huge names are featured on the new version, Sting, Boy George, Sam Smith, Harry Styles, Chris Martin, Seal, Sinéad O’Connor, Rita Ora, Robbie Williams, Kool and the Gang, Underworld and more. It also includes contributions from musicians who are no longer with us, including David Bowie and George Michael – who starred in the 1984 version – and Liam Payne, who was in the 2014 edition.
Since its release, however, Mike Stock has taken to X/Twitter to criticise Bob Geldof for leaving out ‘Band Aid 2’ when creating the 2024 edition.
Released in 1989, the second version of the track was created by Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman, and included vocals from Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Cliff Richards, Wet Wet Wet, Bros, Bananarama and more. It went on to top the charts for three weeks and became the ninth best-selling song of that year.
Explaining why he didn’t include ‘Band Aid 2’ in the ‘Ultimate Mix’ version, Bob Geldof said on Radio X: “We asked Pete Waterman where the tapes [for Band Aid II] were and he went ‘I don’t know’. [Then] Stock – what’s Stock’s actual name? Mike Stock got a bit miffed and said ‘I could have found them’.
“We would have put it in, but these are the three Band Aid official singles,” he added, before sharing the commercial accolades of the 1989 version. “They very brilliantly and beautifully and wonderfully went off and it went to Number One and gave us some money.”
In response to the clip, Stock hit back at Geldof, and accused him of diminishing the single to a “footnote”.
“The thing is Sir Bob, while you were outside being feted, lauded and fawned over by the press and TV media, I was the one inside putting the whole thing together […] You can imagine my surprise to learn that all the effort involved in bringing Band Aid 2 to the attention of the world is now being dismissed and reduced to the level of ‘unofficial’. A mere footnote in the history of Band Aid,” he wrote.
“This is at variance with the general view of the record buyers who supported the cause at the time and loved the record. A feeling which persists to this day. As well as an unnecessary diminution in the integrity of the charitable trust. I mean, why on earth did all those artists turn up?”
The thing is Sir Bob, while you were outside being feted, lauded and fawned over by the press and TV media, I was the one inside putting the whole thing together. It was a Sunday. Coincidentally, it was my birthday. You can imagine my surprise to learn that all the effort… https://t.co/zNKbRCa960
— Mike Stock (@mikestockmusic) November 25, 2024
He continued, saying that the former Boomtown Rats’ comments will have an impact on the way people see the 2024 version of the song. “It also reflects badly on the commercial potential of the 2024 version to leave out the artists who were involved in ‘Band Aid 2’. Many of whom are still relevant today.
“All in all a bit of a mistake if the aim is to maximise appeal in order to raise the most money for the cause. Instead of which decisions appear to have been made on a different basis. People have speculated about this.”
The original 1984 version of the song was masterminded by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure and sought to raise money for the Ethiopian famine – selling a million copies in its first week. At the time, it was the fastest-selling single in UK chart history and raised £8million for famine relief efforts.
Criticism of the new ‘Ultimate Mix’ hasn’t just come from Mike Stock. Recently, Ed Sheeran – who recorded in the 2014 version – said that he had not been asked for his permission for the 2024 edition, and if he had been, he would have respectfully declined.
For his reasoning, the singer-songwriter referenced Ghanaian-English artist Fuse ODG’s stance on ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’, in which he explained how the efforts to raise money for Africa also led to “perpetuat[ing] damaging stereotypes” on the continent.
A source close to Band Aid then told NME that Geldof had reached out personally to Sheeran on the matter, and the former Boomtown Rats frontman would later share a response with the Sunday Times.
“This little pop song has kept millions of people alive. Why would Band Aid scrap feeding thousands of children dependent on us for a meal?,” he told the outlet. “No abstract theory regardless of how sincerely held should impede or distract from that hideous, concrete real-world reality. There are 600 million hungry people in the world – 300 million are in Africa. We wish it were other but it is not. We can help some of them. That’s what we will continue to do.”
The song gathered mixed responses from fans upon its release, and another person to speak out about the potentially negative impact of the track was Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. While acknowledging that the original version was “well-meaning at the time”, Ahmed added that it was “frustrating to see our nation’s ancient history, culture, diversity and beauty reduced to doom and gloom”.
