Who else do you think might join the list? It's all very interesting, especially after how awful Band Aid II was (and the less said about Band Aid II.iv the better)

The usual suspects .... Sting, Bono, Phil Collins and for those lighter moments the 'hilarious' Lenny Henry :yawn:

Glen

Apart from all the people who genuinely want to help (as Coldplay, Travis et al appear to want to do), sadly I'm sure there will be the usual hangers on and those desperate for a bit of publicity. Must be getting cynical in my old age...

I have to agree with you on this one, all those D list artistes would be coming out of the wood work in droves expect the likes of rick waller and "what's his face?" to start giving "moving speeches" about the plight of African children.

At the moment, the people who are rumoured to be involved seem quite promising - Coldplay, Travis and The Darkness are genuinely talented British acts. I just hope this quality is maintained, but lets face it, it probably won't.

I wonder if Bono will make sure he sings the "Tonight thank God it's them instead of you" line again. Probably.

I always thought that line was very inappropriate and not in keeping with the spirit of Band Aid's effort.

S.

Yeah me too, it's a really odd lyric

i thought bono had reservatons about that line?

there's a documentary about the original band aid on BBC3 tonight which should be an interesting little nostalgia trip.

Iain

Band Aid II??? I must have missed that one....

So did he and refused to sing it until Bob Geldof sat him down and pleaded to him.

I think it fits in perfectly with the song, we can't just hear the upbeat lyrics. I do thank god that I, or anyone I care about isn't in that situation.

As for Band Aid II, i really liked it - it made a fortune for the Band Aid Fund and featured Kylie and Jason - you can't beat that in my eyes!

hmmm, well if it raises money used to save people's lives you can't knock it but there's ways of doing this that aren't so showy if you know what i mean - i wish they'd write original music too.
that "thank God" line - it's well meaning but it comes across wrong, obviously we're all grateful it's not us but the way it's put it almost sounds like it has to be someone suffering and I don't believe that personally.

I imagine the boy bands of today will get involved, and Robbie Williams might.. some old rejects will Gary Barlow might be in, and then half of the Perfect Day line-up with Billy Joel and so on. Then theres Cliff Richard..

I disagree.

It doesn't fit the way the lyric is written. If the line was "tonight thank God above that it's not you" then that would have been fine, but to say that you are thanking God that any people are starving to death is not very charitable.

On a lighter note, I also thought there was a flaw in the line "There won't be snow in Africa at Christmas time" - I'm no weather expert, but is there ever snow in Africa ?

S.

You know the "no rain or river flows line"? My sister thought it was "no rain or wrinkled toes"!

The "tonight thank god..." line is the best line in the song. It would completely wash over you otherwise. That controversy pricks up your ears and saves you from the mush... I think Midge Ure and Bob Geldof wrote the line to make people actually consider what it might be like to be one of those dying of starvation, and that line helps you to realise that it is SO awful you would be thanking your lucky stars you're not in their situation

It's going to be a funny old mix if the artists rumoured are all going to contribute: Fran Healy (Travis), Chris Martin (Coldplay), Justin Hawkins (The Darkness), Robbie Williams, Dido, Noel Gallagher, Jamelia, plus Bob and Midge, perhaps.

Midge has been quoted as saying he doesn't want any of the "old" people to re-do the track, so that rules Bono out.

There's never any snow here either

Sara.

Didn't this year have the most snowfall in a decade (and it hasn't finished yet)?

I agree completely. That is the one line that really stands out in the song. It's in context, it's not as if Bono is saying, "Tonight thank god it's them instead of you, muhahahaha".
For me the original is the best. Love every year on Magic or VH1 or whatever when you see the song at least 10 times a day. Not so impressed with the second one with Kylie, Jason, Bros et al.

Thats what i was trying to say!

I also think that when you hear the line, you feel guilty for agreeing with it, so then the sense of guilt impels you to try and help.

Great powerful line.

Whoever sings it has to be a belter. I don't want to hear a whiny indie boy try to do a bono...

absolutely. did you see the programme on bbc3 about it last night? they talked about it a bit - basically that ultimately its a truth, whether we like it or not, and yes, it may make us feel guilty for thinking it - and thats exactly why its so powerful. it shouldn't be happening to anybody, and if a bit of a hometruth and pang of guilt is what it takes then so be it. and bono just owns that line - don't you get goosebumps when you hear it again after its been a while?

really looking forward to the live aid dvd.

Iain

so if it is true that no one who sang on the previous two is going to sing on this new one who should get bono's line?

Joss Stone?

Joss Stone sounds as if she sings every song to the same tune. If she sing's Bono's line, she'd try to fit it into the melody of "Fell in love with a boy".

And please............no Dido.

S.